History Main / InescapableAmbush

A huge cause of UselessUsefulStealth. Longer or more plot-involved examples may extend into an InvoluntaryGroupSplit.

* Of course, the ''{{Metroid}}'' series, which erected grey barriers in front of the doors during any major boss battle.

* Happens in ''VideoGame/{{Half-Life 2}}'', Episode 2, during the "White Forest Inn Siege". While the player and sidekick are driving down a seemingly deserted street, force-fields activate at either end of the road and Combine soldiers pour out of the woodwork. The player is forced to retreat into a hotel in which, for some reason, all the exits are locked except for those inside the force-fields.

* In the ''Film/{{Total Recall|1990}}'' LicensedGame for the NintendoEntertainmentSystem, you could be pulled into alleys and forced to fight midgets in purple suits.

* In ''[[AdventuresOfLolo The Adventures Of Lolo III]]'', Level 13's boss battle plays like this. It's the Eggerland King, and at first it looks like a normal boss battle...until you realize that he won't die no matter how many times you hit him. Thus, your character is forced to die, leaving the other one outside of the castle. This then takes you to the Underworld Level 14, where the remaining character must trudge through four levels to rescue the character lost in Level 13.

* ''HenryHatsworthInThePuzzlingAdventure'' uses these ''viciously'', with nearly every level having one or two of these. The game usually uses these to introduce new types of enemies, or to just make the stages that much harder.

* Done all the time in ''LuigisMansion'' and ''LuigisMansionDarkMoon'', with areas that immediately have ghosts show up, then lock Luigi in until all of them are caught. Or in the case of latter, it's not a door being blocked, but a magical gate popping out the floor and barricading anything from an opening to a set of stairs until all nearby ghosts are caught. In the latter, this is also marked by the lights immediately going off whenever an ambush occurs.

[[caption-width-right:350: Two men enter, one man leaves!]]

* Done all the time in LuigisMansion and LuigisMansionDarkMoon, with areas that immediately have ghosts show up, then lock Luigi in until all of them are caught. Or in the case of latter, it's not a door being blocked, but a magical gate popping out the floor and barricading anything from an opening to a set of stairs until all nearby ghosts are caught. In the latter, this is also marked by the lights immediately going off whenever an ambush occurs.

** ''VideoGame/SuperMetroid'' has an interesting variation, in that the door to Tourian only opens when you defeat the main bosses. One wonders why they would set up the door to their main computer system only when those charged with the defending it are dead: the ''exact opposite'' would be more secure.

** An interesting variation happens early in Super Metroid where one obtains the bomb ability. In this case, the door locks ''after'' obtaining it, contrary to all other such rooms. This has provided a way for tool-assisted speedrunners to [[SequenceBreaking skip the fight]], though [[http://tasvideos.org/1073M.html just barely]].

A huge cause of UselessUsefulStealth.

Longer or more plot-involved examples may extend into an InvoluntaryGroupSplit.

* In all the ''{{Pokemon}}'' [=RPGs=], when the main character enters the Elite Four's rooms, s/he cannot go outside until s/he defeats or is defeated by the Elite Four and the Champion.

*** [[AWizardDidIt Because their boss wants them to and doesn't want Link to, of course.]]

* [[https://youtu.be/mAvdJnekJpg?t=18s Here's]] the hammer brothers pulling one of these in ''VideoGame/DistoredTravesty 3''. This game, and the series in general, are fond of this trope.

* [[https://youtu.be/mAvdJnekJpg?t=18s Here's]] the hammer brothers pulling one of these in DT3.

* In ''[[SeikenDensetsu3 Seiken Densetsu 3]]'', there are certain rooms in dungeons that will trap the player until all of the enemies are defeated. Of course, every single boss battle is like this as well.

*** some bosses however avert this trope in the first game. In neverland the bossfight against Captain hook can be left via the captains quarters. and in the second fight against Oogie Boogie you can leave via the area you're standing on after the cutscene plays or by the cave in the side of the wall of the area.

* Near the end of the first level in the first mission of ''MedalOfHonor: Allied Assault'', the ambush in question loops endlessly until you accomplish your given objectives. You could waste your ammo on German soldiers, hide near the locked exit door, etc. until you pick up that machinegun and shoot!

* ''[[LegacyOfKain Soul Reaver 2]]'' had similar forcefields generated by certain types of time demons when you faced them. You didn't have to kill all the monsters, just the one casting the barrier.

* ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}'' has this in spades. Almost every fight in the game is inescapable due to a magical barrier. When you are done with a battle, Bayonetta destroys the magical barrier... [[MundaneMadeAwesome by blowing a kiss at it.]]

* ''DevilMayCry'' has barriers that flare into life when you walk into certain rooms, whereupon the enemies usually arrive via {{Cutscene}}. Interestingly, if you get too close to a barrier, it briefly forms into a hand and takes a swipe at you.

* ''VideoGame/GodOfWar'' essentially swiped the barriers from ''DevilMayCry''; the only difference is that the barriers in this game turn into a fate's head instead of a hand.

* In all the ''{{Pokemon}}'' [=RPGs=], when the main character enters the Elite Four's rooms, he cannot go outside until he defeats or is defeated by the Elite Four and the Champion.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Faria}}'', some rooms in the first three towers have doors that [[GhostButler slam shut]] until all the enemies are defeated.