My psychology doesn't allow me to play Assasin's Creed 4

[Hwoof]

So, fellow escapees, as I was just skim reading through the assassin's creed IV review (and by skim reading I mean looking at the star ratings and the pretty pictures) I found myself looking at a screenshot of the protagonist Edward Kenway swimming underwater with a shark. Not only this, but in a later screenshot, he was spearing a shark as it was attacking him in a rowboat.

Now, I'm not going to lie here. I hate sharks. I hate the ocean. I don't mean the beach - I love the beach. Australia has lovely beaches.

I mean anything that is deeper than 7 feet, has sand at the bottom and is filled with salt water.

Why? Well, like I said, sharks, but not only this - most sea creatures just look damn unnatural. Seas cucumbers creep me out. Anemones creep me out. Now I can handle them on my territory (i.e. me catching them on land with a gun) but when I'm on their turf, I can't handle it.

Well, what has this got to do with anything? Well let me explain what I'm trying to say here.

I struggle to handle being immersed in an underwater environment. I can do it, but I'm largely uncomfortable with it. As such, I find myself either:

a) Avoiding games with water largely based underwater/sea based mechanics (Treasures of the deep on ps1 freaks me out, can't play echo the dolphin, get nervous whenever I go sailing in LoZ: Windwaker, also get nervous in any boat racing/jet skiing game)

or

b) Being unable to progress through games that may have a segment of gameplay involving an underwater segment

As such, I have come to the conclusion that I may not buy Assassin's creed IV because of the potential death by ocean involved in the game. Obviously, I'm not surprised that this happened as the game was about pirating and assassinating and all good things associated with the Caribbean, but it's slightly disappointing that I may miss out.

This got me thinking though, just thought it'd be interesting to see if there were any other escapists here who had a similar quirk? i.e. Was unable to play a not necessarily scary game, out of fear of some aspect of the game? Or perhaps some other psychological quirk has prevented you from playing a game? Elaborate, explain, discuss!


tldr: Being underwater in games scares me as much as amnesia does, so I don't play the games. What psychological things (fear, ocd, anger) stop you from playing games which may not be necessarily associated with those emotions?

 

[josemlopes]

That sort of things happen, the spiders in Dark Messiah of Might and Magic almost made me stop playing the game.

 

[Sam_Hunter]

Well, While not as severe as what you describe, I sort of have the same feeling. For example, while I was able to finish the underwater sidequest in GTA 5 that you generally accomplish with a submarine, I was really uncomfortable all the while. Especially when shark were circling around my submarine, even if I was perfectly safe in it. In the same fashion, I would avoid as much as possibe to go underwater in Farcry 3 while I had no problem while being on a boat.

Alternatively, I don't have any problem in underwater environnement if I am absolutely certain that there is no creature whatsoever in there that are potentially dangerous, there is a good amount of light, and the danger of suffocating is low.

I think that what scare me the most isn't being underwater in itself, but the uncertainity of being attacked at any moment while I can't defend myself or my capacity to do so is seriously hampered.

 

[piinyouri]

I remember some underwater sections of the old Tomb Raider games that nearly gave me a panic attack.

But yeah, not that uncommon. People have asked for and gotten mods that remove spiders from Skyrim to Torchlight II.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

I stopped playing GTA IV halfway through because I was afraid of boredom. Other than that, no.

I think that most underwater sections in ACIV are optional. If there are any mandatory ones, can't you get someone else to do them for you?

I love the ocean by the way. I wouldn't mind spending a few years aboard a ship on an adventure.

 

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

I think all the underwater diving is optional in AC4. I did see from Rev3Games' review of AC4 that fish are the most dangerous enemies so it seems like yet another AC game where it's basically impossible to die.

 

[Jandau]

Babies creep me out massively. Not regular babies, but rather any sort of deformed/disfigured baby or small child. I nearly stopped playing the original Dead Space when the tentacle fetuses started showing up. I got over it somewhat when I realized they were pretty much the weakest enemy in the game, but still...

 

[Rutabaga_swe]

In Toomb Raider UNderworld (i think?) there was this underwater portion that i had a really hard time playing. I felt real anxiety as i played that section of the game, but i just powered through it. The sea, in general, freaks me the f**k out. I find it genuinely frightening. While sharks are basically swimming death tubes, there is so much weird stuff out there that i don't particularly want to be anywhere close to. Also i think drowning has to be one of the absolute worst ways of dying, so yeah. Not a big fan of the sea, which is, all things considered, basically a real-life lovecraftian horror.

Small disclaimer; i know sharks generally don't eat people.

 

[Atlys]

I didn't know about the underwater sections in Assassin's Creed, but I can tell you that I can't even go near the ocean in FarCry3. Even crossing a river, I will do my best to find a way across that doesn't involve the water, and if I can't find one. I swim across as fast as I can, panicking the entire time. No blue plants were gotten in that game (apart from the mandatory, but I found the ones closest to shore that I could. Any time I saw a part that was underwater, I hesitated for longer than I probably should have before actually doing it. I am just so afraid of the deep depths, and being vulnerable on all directions.

 

[sageoftruth]

I didn't know about the underwater sections in Assassin's Creed, but I can tell you that I can't even go near the ocean in FarCry3. Even crossing a river, I will do my best to find a way across that doesn't involve the water, and if I can't find one. I swim across as fast as I can, panicking the entire time. No blue plants were gotten in that game (apart from the mandatory, but I found the ones closest to shore that I could. Any time I saw a part that was underwater, I hesitated for longer than I probably should have before actually doing it. I am just so afraid of the deep depths, and being vulnerable on all directions.

I know what you mean. I had a shark chase me while I was a good ways away from the nearest shore in Far Cry 3. My heart was really racing, and I was letting startled gasps every time it bit me. I don't even have any known phobias. Those sharks just creep me out. I think it's the fact that you're kind of helpless and can't see much when you're at sea.

 

[OneCatch]

I didn't know about the underwater sections in Assassin's Creed, but I can tell you that I can't even go near the ocean in FarCry3. Even crossing a river, I will do my best to find a way across that doesn't involve the water, and if I can't find one. I swim across as fast as I can, panicking the entire time. No blue plants were gotten in that game (apart from the mandatory, but I found the ones closest to shore that I could. Any time I saw a part that was underwater, I hesitated for longer than I probably should have before actually doing it. I am just so afraid of the deep depths, and being vulnerable on all directions.

See, I wasn't. I'm not bad with water anyway, and the sharks don't do you much damage so I was pretty unphased.
And then, while nonchalantly swimming in a river, I met my first crocodile. I didn't even know that there were crocodiles in the game, let alone that they were fiendish camouflaged and programmed to ambush.
Subsequently, every time I was going into a river I'd shoot up any suspicious looking logs or weedy patches of water, regardless of alerting nearby human enemies or ammo count.

 

[Vinterdraken]

I have a pretty agressive phobia for deep water of any kind, so I can definitively relate, although for me It rarely stops me from playing a game entirely. In real life I have problems crossing bridges, looking down into deep water and we can just completely forget ever going out on a boat and If I ever actually fall into deep water I have a panic attack and risk drowning. However in games and movies I can become increadibly scared and creeped out in underwater situations, but also fascinated and drawn into them. As I know they arent real, I can manage them and over the years I have become better and better at being in virtual ocean enviroments. Still cant swim in a pool in real life, but hey.

 

[Darklord008]

Man, I love sharks. Spiders, on the other hand....... NO.

I distinctly remember reading a preview for Skyrim, and turning the page and seeing a giant-ass picture of a giant-ass spider leaping at the player character. And then I got sad for a minute. I powered through and played the game with no issues, aside from one time that will not be mentioned, but, yeah, spiders creep me the hell out.

Also kinda had this issue in the Fallout games with the giant ants and scorpions, but not as bad. Perhaps it's because I had very large guns that meant I wouldn't have to get close to them?

 

[Char-Nobyl]

So, fellow escapees, as I was just skim reading through the assassin's creed IV review (and by skim reading I mean looking at the star ratings and the pretty pictures) I found myself looking at a screenshot of the protagonist Edward Kenway swimming underwater with a shark. Not only this, but in a later screenshot, he was spearing a shark as it was attacking him in a rowboat.

Now, I'm not going to lie here. I hate sharks. I hate the ocean. I don't mean the beach - I love the beach. Australia has lovely beaches.

I mean anything that is deeper than 7 feet, has sand at the bottom and is filled with salt water.

Hey, I had that for a while, too. Still got a fair bit of it, but it's gotten immensely more manageable. Believe it or not, I used to have trouble going underwater in Minecraft after squids became a thing. Those toothy maws, man. Creeped me right the hell out.

Anyhoo, it came to a peak in Far Cry 3, but the catharsis of bringing out a boat and hosing them with HMG fire was pretty rad.

Why? Well, like I said, sharks, but not only this - most sea creatures just look damn unnatural. Seas cucumbers creep me out. Anemones creep me out. Now I can handle them on my territory (i.e. me catching them on land with a gun) but when I'm on their turf, I can't handle it.

Well, what has this got to do with anything? Well let me explain what I'm trying to say here.

Yeah...I been there before. It doesn't help that being under water presents an almost entire alien environment for humans. There's no giant squid equivalent on the land: giant, horrifying, and able to come silently up to you from literally any angle without you noticing unless it's within your cone of vision.

As such, I have come to the conclusion that I may not buy Assassin's creed IV because of the potential death by ocean involved in the game. Obviously, I'm not surprised that this happened as the game was about pirating and assassinating and all good things associated with the Caribbean, but it's slightly disappointing that I may miss out.

This got me thinking though, just thought it'd be interesting to see if there were any other escapists here who had a similar quirk? i.e. Was unable to play a not necessarily scary game, out of fear of some aspect of the game? Or perhaps some other psychological quirk has prevented you from playing a game? Elaborate, explain, discuss!

Well, I suppose I already answered your question/discussion topic. But my advice to you is go for it anyway! The way I got over most of my similar fear was basically by having games that included underwater stuff, but wasn't about it all the time. Stop playing for a while if you feel too nervous, but it helps to get used to it gradually. It worked already for me, so maybe it'll work out for you.

Good luck, OP!

 

[RJ 17]

Count me in with those people who didn't like the giant spiders in Skyrim. I've got a pretty bad case of arachnophobia, and while the giant spiders didn't make Skyrim unplayable for me, they certain did creep me right the fuck out and made me pretty apprehensive about exploring caves and dungeons.

 

[antidonkey]

I'm no fan of the ocean (or large lakes) and spiders but playing games with that have them and me having to deal with them aren't a big deal. I do have issues with the basic premise of some games.....Like the Payday series. I'm sure it has a lot to do with the fact that I work at a financial institution but I have no desire at all to play them. They look pretty fun but I'll not touch them.

 

[Karoshi]

God, I really hate sharks and deep water in video games. Far Cry 3 and Gothic were the worst offenders. I had nightmare because of this stuff.

Made me actually understand how people with arachnophobia might feel fighting the endless hordes of giant spiders in games.

 

[aozgolo]

I often felt I was perhaps the only person who wanted to find a mod that either entirely removed or replaced all the cigarette paraphernalia from Fallout 3 and Fallout New Vegas. Violence & Gore? Yeah I could handle that just fine... but packing around cartons of cigarettes just felt... icky to me. I'm not against people who smoke, I don't rally against Tobacco Industries, I just don't like cigarettes or smoking, I don't even like touching them (some kind of psychological dam built from nightmares as a kid where my mouth was an ashtray that I decided would be better if I left in place to prevent the temptation... it worked). I still played and enjoyed the games despite not liking the presence of cigarettes.

 

[scorptatious]

Thinking about it now, there isn't much that scares me very much in games now. At least not in non-horror games.

When I was a kid though, wolves in games terrified me. Particularly the Wolfos in OoT and Majora's Mask. I would just be minding my own business and then they just suddenly pop out of the ground howling.

Now-a-days, there is one game that I kinda want to play, but at the same time don't. Haunting Ground for the PS2. You spend the entire game wandering around a castle with nothing but your dog to defend you, and the entire time, you have someone roaming the castle searching for you. When they are close, the ambient music stops, and eventually, the stalker comes in and their chase theme comes on. At that point you have to run and hide somewhere and hope they don't find you and leave.

I don't know what it is, but that kind of thing really creeps me out. And this is just from watching someone else play it via Youtube. I'd probably lose my shit if I played it myself.