Spider Theme a Continual Must?

[Din Akera]

I have noticed something with my recent playing-through of Darksiders; the spider theme in videos games is very abundant. I am curious to know the extent and reasons for this apparent pattern.

First of all do you think spiders as a theme for an area/dungeon, as well as enemies and bosses is a common theme in gaming? Is it limited to a certain genre of game?
Secondly, do you think the spider theme is a good one to consistently apply to gaming? Or is it starting to wear out its interest.
Lastly, why do you suppose the theme keeps popping up? Is it just a general societal fear of spiders? Or is there something more about them?

 

[The Wanderer]

Eh, yes and no, I suppose. Naturally, many people are scared stiff by spiders - I used to be that way, and I believe I'm getting over it, though I still shudder at the image of a wolf spider. As scary as they are, spiders are obviously good choices as intimidating enemies and bosses. At the same time, they're kind of a cliche at this point, showing a lack of originality since developers just fall back on "Throw a spider in there!" to generate the right mood.

I wouldn't say they've overstayed their welcome, as they're still effective tools, but I'd like to see developers slow down and come up with other intimidating creatures before relying on the arachnid again. Centipedes, for instance, are almost as ugly and feared as spiders, but we don't see a whole lot of them in gaming.

To answer your questions:

First of all do you think spiders as a theme for an area/dungeon, as well as enemies and bosses is a common theme in gaming? Is it limited to a certain genre of game?

Yeah, it's definitely a common theme, though I don't think it's really limited to any particular genre. If a game is fully realistic (Call of Duty), don't expect spiders. If it wanders into fantasy even a little, expect spiders or spider-like creatures (i.e. the Corpsers from Gears of War).

Secondly, do you think the spider theme is a good one to consistently apply to gaming? Or is it starting to wear out its interest.

It's a good theme, but with each passing game that uses it, not a great theme. Again, I'd like to see developers exhaust other options before falling back on the spider. It hasn't lost its interest, but there's more to be achieved.

Lastly, why do you suppose the theme keeps popping up? Is it just a general societal fear of spiders? Or is there something more about them?

Yep, it's a societal fear of spiders. They're generally pretty ugly, and their hunting natures tend to be repulsive as well. Can you imagine strolling about in your common life, only to wander too close to a spider's hole and have it snatch you into its den before you can react? Or to be immobilized and wrapped up in its web while it prepares to devour you? They're repulsive creatures in general, so that translates well into the gaming realm.