Video games have the ability to bring unbelievable ideas to life, even if some of those ideas are downright horrifying. Horror games make players' worst fears a reality and are purposefully meant to frighten players, but some larger-than-life creations are unintentionally terrifying. Megalophobia, the fear of large objects, can make The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild practically unplayable and can easily turn Majora's Mask into a nightmare.
Megalophobia isn't an irrational fear in and of itself, but it definitely can be considered one when applied to video games. Standing next to skyscrapers, giant statues, and large rock formations can cause people who suffer from megalophobia to feel uneasy or panicky. What if the building were to collapse or the statue were to come to life and swoop the person up? Although the rock formation hasn't moved in thousands of years, today could be the day it finally gives way. Excluding the statue, these are semi-rational fears that hold some people back from completely enjoying casual experiences.
But in the context of video games, megalophobia can ruin beautiful experiences and can cause players to miss out on some of the best video games. Video The Legend of Zelda series is a repeat offender of triggering megalophobia even when the acts are unintentional. Because of this, games like Majora's Mask and BOTW have been ruined for those who suffer from megalophobia.
Megalophobia Turns BOTW and Majora's Mask Into Horror Games
Majora's Mask's four giants are among the most terrifying creatures in video game history. Despite being well-intentioned and ultimately helping Link defeat Majora's Mask, there should be a way to complete the game without their help. Yes, there are plenty of other creatures in Majora's Mask that could trigger megalophobia worse than the four red giants - Twinmold, Majora's Wrath, The Giant Evil Moon - but that doesn't stop them from being terrifying. For someone who suffers from megalophobia, the moment the red giants appear to stop the moon is the moment the Nintendo 64 gets turned off.
In Breath of the Wild, it is a similar experience. However, the four Divine Beasts are not the scariest part of BOTW. Instead, BOTW's three dragons - Farosh, Dinraal, and Naydra - can cause players with megalophobia to freeze in their tracks. When players are first experiencing the harsh wilderness of dystopian Hyrule, the last thing they want to encounter a giant dragon. These beasts are meant to be beautiful ancient spirits who freely roam Hyrule, but they cause near panic attacks for the megalophobic. The worst part of these encounters is when the dragons ascend and enter a massive vertigo-inducing wormhole in the sky. Luckily, these dragons stick to specific routes which players can avoid so they never have to encounter them... but beating the game does require players to fight a giant pig.
What makes these encounters so frightening is a mix of megalophobia and the fear of the unknown. When players are faced with giant bosses, it's no shock that they can kill the player character. They may be frighteningly big, but at least the players know what they're in for. In the case of Breath of the Wild and Majora's Mask, these giant creatures are ominous because of how little is known about them. Even though players know they won't be attacked by these giants or dragons, the feeling of dread and anxiety will loom over players with megalophobia whenever they are nearby.
