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No Sidepaths, No Exploration, No Freedom: Difference between revisions
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{{trope}}
[[File:linear.jpg|link=Dark Forces Saga|
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Technically, [[No Sidepaths No Exploration No Freedom]] is the polar opposite of the [[Quicksand Box]]; it describes level architecture which forces the player down a singular path. This trope is most common in [[First-Person Shooter|First-]] or [[Third-Person Shooter|Third Person Shooters]] (except, usually, tactical shooters) and platform games, wherein the challenge is generally supposed to be the enemies and/or [[Malevolent Architecture|obstacles]], not in figuring out which way to go. It can also crop up in RPGs as a very visual form of [[Railroading]]. The trope is forgivable in 2D [[Platform Game|Platform Games]] such as ''[[Super Mario Bros]]'', which allow only forward progression due entirely to the limitations of the geometry; not everything is a [[Metroidvania]]. It only applies in situations where, intuitively, you'd ''think'' there might be other areas of a place to explore, but these are [[The Law of Conservation of Detail|not implemented because they are not plot-important]].
The most common incarnation is to simply have several rooms chained, each with a single entrance and a single exit, or to have long corridors with no side branches and few if any side rooms. The only options for progress are "forward" or "backward." This applies even when the rooms are tightly packed together and should have (you'd think) some degree of interconnectivity; imagine living in a New Orleans [
Note that these layouts do not necessarily preclude entirely the presence of side rooms or hidey holes. However, these are usually just little culs-de-sac with a weapon, power-up or treasure chest, or maybe a switch to allow continuation down the main path.
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Please keep in mind that this trope is about level architecture, ''not'' [[Sliding Scale of Video Game Objectives|the linearity or specificity of objectives]].
[[Railroading]] is the [[Super
Not to be confused with scripted games such as [[Adventure Game|Adventure Games]] or [[Action Adventure]] which use more subtle techniques to keep the player from going [[Off the Rails]] of the game's plot. Some of them do have levels that resemble this -- Compare [[Maze]] -- or a [[Closed Circle]] series of rooms; but it's generally frowned upon in [[Interactive Fiction]] unless it's essentially a [[Cutscene]].
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** ''[[Super Mario Galaxy (Video Game)|Super Mario Galaxy]]'' and [[Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Video Game)|its sequel]] were noticeably more linear in design than ''[[Super Mario 64 (Video Game)|Super Mario 64]]'' and ''[[Super Mario Sunshine (Video Game)|Sunshine]]''. However, both included some exploration-based levels like the Honeyhive Galaxy, Sea Slide Galaxy, and Beach Bowl Galaxy.
** Averted in nearly all sequels, other than ''[[Super Mario Bros the Lost Levels (Video Game)|The Lost Levels]]'' and the original ''[[Super Mario Land (Video Game)|Super Mario Land]]''.
* The Temple of Time from ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Video Game)|The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess]]'', which is rather jarring considering the more open-endedness of the other dungeons, and the series as a whole.
** This was done to accommodate the dungeon's "gimmick": you have to direct a giant statue all the way back down to the bottom of the dungeon from the top. So you have to go through every puzzle in the dungeon ''twice''. It was an interesting break in style, at least.
** Twilight Princess as a whole can fit here. It departs from its predecessors by enforcing linearity with the plot and [[Broken Bridge|broken Bridges]] rather than through implication and [[Cardboard Obstacle|obstacles]], and making [[Sequence Breaking]] nearly impossible.
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[[Category:Video Game Settings]]
[[Category:No Sidepaths No Exploration No Freedom]]
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