10 signs something big is coming

As gamers we grow to understand the codes and signals in games that warn of impending doom. Today, we take a look at 10 signs that something big is about to happen in video games.

Stocking up on ammo

Finding a stockpile of ammo is never a good sign for what’s to come. A room that replenishes all of your weapons means that extra ammunition is going to be required just around the corner. Low ammo or no weapon presents one of the tensest moments in gaming, but at least it normally means you won’t come up against a massive mother of a beast in the near future.

A long hallway

If Super Mario Bros. has taught us anything, it’s that a long grey hallway leads to intense boss fights. This trend has continued in many of Nintendo’s games as well as the survival horror genre, where a long dark and gloomy hallway leads to impending doom.

Finding too much health

Finding more health than you need is a terrible sign for your character’s well being. The sweet relief of being the proud owner of a full health bar is often short lived. Knowing that there’s more health in a past area that wasn’t required at the time is no consolation on your death bed.

Dramatic music

Dramatic music gets the adrenaline pumping and inspires you through a fierce boss fight. On top of that, fast paced action music is a warning sign that something terrible is about to happen. To make it even more dangerous, at this point you have just mere seconds to react.

Damsel in distress - It’s a trap!

If you can see the the lovely Lass that needs saving (I’m looking at you Peach and Zelda) in the distance, running over to her will lead to certain death. The clueless broads are either set-up as bait or just too stupid to realise they haven’t really been set free. As Admiral Ackbar would say, “It’s a trap!”

It’s too easy

Unless you’re playing a casual game, if it’s too easy on the normal or hardest difficulty setting, something terrible is about to happen. Games are designed to be challenging; they progressively become harder as we move from beginning to end. However, in some games it’s not a linear progression of difficulty. Sometimes we’re given a little breathing space between immense challenges which can be a sign that something terrifying is about to present itself.

It’s too quiet

If everything is too quiet in an action game, chances are it’s just the eye of the storm. Survival horrors are notorious for lulling you into a false sense of security with quiet moments before bringing your character to a sudden and painful demise.

It’s not really dead

If a boss bigger than your house goes down too easily, it’s not really dead. Seeking revenge for being embarrassed by a puny mortal just moments before, when mutants seemingly come back from the dead they’re much tougher and have suddenly acquired a host of devastating new moves.

Epic new power-up!

Getting a devastating new power-up, or weapon, is like a kid on Christmas morning. Regardless of how super excited we are to play with our new toys, there’s only so much time that can pass before they’re required in a life or death situation. New weapons might be fun to play with, but they’ve been placed later in the game for a reason. As a general rule: the more explosive a new power-up is, the more petrifying the next boss will be.

Separated from your crew

You’d think protagonists would have learnt by now. Everything seems fine and then bam! Mountains come crashing down and you’re separated from the rest of your allies. “No worries,” they say, thinking it’ll be easy to take the long way around. But no, being separated from your crew is a sign you’re in for something bad. Rather than pulling out the classic film evening up the stakes cliché of “this is something I have to do alone,” games separate characters through untimely incidents to instigate 1-on-1 showdowns.