An Exit Screen With No Pause In Horror Games

[FlawlessHappiness]

I remember it was discussed before a long time ago.

I don't think it matters. As long as you're not forcing the player into something he/she does not want.
We play games because we want to. We play the horror genre, because we want to be scared.
The same way: We use the pause because we feel like we need it.

I fear if something like a pause was removed, it will scare some players away.
Some people just need time to think after a scare.


If the player is able to play without pausing, there's a pretty big chance he/she won't pause the game.
And if the player needs to pause the game, there's a pretty big chance he/she will pause the game.

I believe it's up to the player.



Inventory, on the other hand, is a gameplay mechanic. I see no reason why this should pause the game (Unless it can be really hard to use, and thus you need to pause the game meanwhile).


Bottomline:
The pause menu is there to pause the game. Whether the player uses it as an escape or not, it's up to the player.
The inventory is a gameplay mechanic. It's part of the game. If possible, it shouldn't pause the game.