Fake dangers are projectile-like obstacles that are carefully placed after a speed mechanism.
Taking damage from the obstacles is impossible, as the mechanism ensures that Sonic automatically out runs the danger.
The player, however, is usually unaware of this sly placement as so the experience creates a sense of thrill (especially as the projectiles are designed to narrowly avoid Sonic). The player is relived to avoid the danger and this helps to position Sonic’s speed as a valuable super power.
▲ The steep slope forces Sonic to run at his top speed. This ensures that he will always evade the crushing ice blocks that rise up from the ground.
▲ As the player has to perform a spin dash to overcome the blockage in the corridor, being hit by the falling stalactites is impossible.
▲ Using the spin dash to break the pipe sends Sonic directly towards a set of spikes. However, a hidden spring in the ground alters Sonic’s trajectory, allowing him to avoid a seemingly inevitable collision.
Fake Dangers in the modern games
Fake dangers rarely appear in the modern games. When they do, they often occur as scripted sections, and so fail to be as thrilling, as the player’s diminished control over the section makes them aware of the deliberate placement of the obstacle.
| Return to outrun obstacles |
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