abstract
| - Biologically based levels are pretty common, especially in shoot-'em-up games. However, it's not always enough to explore a Green Hill Zone or enjoy some Jungle Japes - no, sometimes nothing will do but to have the whole level made out of meat. And such a videogame level that takes place inside of a giant creature or otherwise huge organic structure is referred to as a Womb Level. Expect to see lots of blood pools, deadly digestive organs, climbable veins, deadly bone spikes, pulsating hearts, and floors, ceilings, and backdrops made of pink, squishy meat. Lots and lots of living, pulsating meat. Yummy. Mysteriously, things tend to be relatively spacious, well-lit, and full of breathable air. The entire concept runs on horror fuel, practically. In addition to bringing out the fear of being eaten alive by a bigger and badder predator, instinctually, the idea of something being made entirely of flesh also ties back into the sight of intestines and innards cut out and exposed in the open. Being that such important features are vital to live, having inner works meant to stay inside spilled outwards, just as the corpse it belonged to, communicates that something has gone horribly wrong, and is most often linked with the threat of death and harm. These qualities also make Womb Levels popular candidates for being The Very Definitely Final Dungeon, especially when it doubles as the game setting's Netherworld or Hell. Sci fi works that use such features indicate the area it belongs to is very much a perversity of nature. If the outside of the creature involved is shown, expect it to be Bigger on the Inside. Or maybe you were just shrunk. The trope gets its name from a set of unfortunate side effects of the games they are in:
* If it's in a horizontally scrolling game, it tends to be a Tube Of Meat that you are flying through, and
* Far, far, too often, the boss of these levels is either a giant egg or an actual 2001-style Giant Space Fetus. If actual biological systems are invoked, expect all laws of anatomy to be cheerfully disregarded. Another version of this has alien bio-goo subvert and consume some previously normal technological structure. It may also be a Living Ship. When not dealing with the alien bio-goo, this is similar to a Fantastic Voyage Plot. The usual difference is tone and intent. A Fantastic Voyage Plot is typically voluntary, and involves going into somebody's body to do something to it. A Womb Level rarely provides more than a different ambiance and setting for the same sort of experience that is otherwise typical. The polar opposite of Eternal Engine. Compare Organic Technology, Swallowed Whole. Examples of Womb Level include:
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