RIGHT BOTTOM:
Much as in real-life,
Slugcat’s dreams
help players process
their progression
through the game.BELOW: Bonfires in
Dark Souls are a
symbol of safety, yet
also a reminder of
your cursed duty.But that seemingly simple
purpose disguises their true depth.
Safe rooms are utilized in all sorts of
ways—they can represent an element
of progression, a method of travel, or
a hub for player interaction, like the
bonfires in Dark Souls. They can be a
place of trade and upgrading, as well
a vehicle pushing forward an
overarching community narrative, as
with the Tower in Destiny. And yes,
they can also be a respite from the
chaos of the game world. But no
matter how varying their function,
most of all, safe rooms are a rare
element of security in worlds where
few things are sacred.IN RESIDENCE
A common element in creating the
atmosphere of a safe room is the
musical score. You may remember
Hollow Knight’s bench theme,
Reflection; Darkest Dungeon’s camp
theme, A Brief Respite; or Firelink
Shrine’s melancholic string
overtones. But few game series have
perfected the art of the safe room
theme better than the Resident Evil
games—unsurprising, when you
consider that for over two decades
they’ve been putting us through hell.“We thought that having nothing but
tension throughout the whole game
would be exhausting for players, so
we designed the save rooms as a safe
place to take a breather from the
horror,” says Kazunori Kadoi,
director on Resident Evil 2’s remake.
“They were also useful to use as
bases for exploring the game, so they
added a strategic element.” A room, a
musical theme, and a typewriter—
these have become the iconic
elements of the Resident Evil safe
room. But while each musical score
has become synonymous with the
idea of safety for many players, if you
listen closely, they are actually far
more insidious than you might have
thought. “They may be ‘safe rooms’,
but that safety is fleeting. You always
feel like the moment you step outside
the room, you might encounter some
nightmare wandering the halls,”
explains Shusaku Uchiyama,
composer on the original Resident
Evil 2. “So it was indeed intentional
for the music to be a mixture of
peaceful and relaxing elements with
a little touch of the uneasy about it.”
This insidiousness, so often
reflected musically, is a key element
of the safe room dynamic—theSafe Rooms
FEATURE