Popularized in the 19th century, the elevator is widely regarded as one of human society’s better inventions. While convenient, elevators have received their fair share of criticism. Most of them are just plain boring; an annoying experience if crowded; and not one good thing was ever said about “elevator music.” And yet videogames have been using them on and off for decades in a variety of ways — some practical, most tragically realistic. And we’d like to show you what we mean with several case studies of elevators in games.
The Elevator as a Loading Mask
Loading is a necessary evil in many games; that much is true. But do developers really have to cover it up by putting us in the most boring spots? Waiting for the fun is still waiting, no matter how it’s dressed.