10 Secret Ways Video Games Play YOU

4. Bioshock Slows Down Big Daddies' Running Speed If You're Facing Away

Bioshock game
Irrational Games

It's an extremely common trick for developers to hide a lot of the crucial calculations just out of the player's sight, typically behind the camera where the player has no chance of seeing quite how the sausage is being made.

Memorably, the 2013 Devil May Cry reboot DmC had off-screen enemies move slower in order to balance the player's combat load, and similarly, Bioshock nerfed the speed of the intimidating Big Daddies if you were facing away from them.

Bioshock 2 designer Jordan Thomas claims this was to ensure that players didn't "die confused," though at least given Bioshock's healthy abundance of life-restoring Vita Chambers, frustration was generally kept pretty low regardless.

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Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.