Mad Fish

You are a small fish swimming away from a much larger mouth that pursues from behind. The camera stays ahead of you, which means the thing chasing is usually off screen and you know about it only through sound and rhythm.

Pressure from something unseen works better than pressure from something visible. Not knowing how close it is, the brain fills the gap by assuming it is closer than it really is. The result is that you swim faster than necessary and collide with an obstacle in front all by yourself.

The remedy is blunt: trust the rhythm rather than the feeling. The game always allows enough time if you steer along the open route instead of sprinting. People who get through the narrow stretches are the ones willing to slow down at the exact moment everyone else accelerates.