We’re aware that spiders are a very popular enemy in the game. They’re sinister, move in a scary way, and in general, they create a perfect blend of something familiar and something strange to make the player uncomfortable. Few predators seem as alien without being totally incomprehensible as spiders. The issue is that a lot of people have a phobia of them. That’s why many games have reasonably decided to introduce arachnophobia modes for those who have this condition.
The latest game to do this is Lethal Company. This sensation in the gaming world, where you embody a group of space workers scavenging scrap from abandoned industrialized moons with up to three friends, comes with a surprise. There’s a monster that chases and attacks us with an undeniably spider-like appearance. However, its developer, Zeekerss, wanted to address this with an arachnophobia mode. But since the game is not just survival horror but also comedy, they considered that people are here not just to get scared but also to have a good laugh.
Typically, arachnophobia modes change the modeling of spiders to something different, making them look less like spiders or not spiders at all, aiming to help players avoid facing something they might not be equipped to handle. But what Zeekerss did was seize the opportunity to do something in line with the game’s comedic tone. The arachnophobia mode replaces the spider models with the word SPIDER.
This has caused quite a stir on social media. Ultimately, there’s something hilariously absurd about being violently attacked by the word “spider.” Undoubtedly, this solution addresses arachnophobia without ever breaking the game’s comedic tone.
