Scary game levels and music

[Sydian]

Since it looks like we're not gonna get out showdown for spooky levels this month, I figured I'd make a topic about it so the discussion can at least continue. After all, it IS October, so it's only fitting!

So what are some scary levels in video games that scare you? What about music? Or boss battles? Anything you think was scary in a video game, I'd love to hear about it! I'm personally a huge fan of scary video game music, so I have a nice list I'll probably share in another post. Funny that I hate horror movies and books and shows and I don't even play horror games, but I can't get enough scary music. I guess that's my certain scary fix, haha.

I'm going to just take my nominees from the showdown.

River Twygz Bed (Super Paper Mario)
Like I said, I'm a huge fan of scary VG music, so I'm going to start there. Let's talk about how this doesn't sound like it even belongs in a Mario game. This game is pretty bright and nice up until this point. Second, this level is based on River Styx. In Greek mythology, River Styx was a river where souls of the dead were ferried. If they fell in, they were granted immortality, but pulled under by the hands trying to escape. The hands reach out to damage Mario. There is also backward chanting in the music which is, supposedly, "Your soul will rot in hell."
Music:

Spoiler:

Area:

Spoiler:

Giygas' Lair (Earthbound)
For starters, it looks like Ness and co. are walking on intestines, umbilical cords, or spewed out brain membranes. It's also worth noting that Ness and co. are robots. They can't go to this place as humans, from my understanding. And then let's not forget what is possibly the most disturbing boss fight in the history of video games lies in this lair. And...you can only beat him by praying. Can't leave a scratch on him on your own. You just have to pray. You cannot grasp the true form of Giygas' attack!

Spoiler:

Some people think Giygas looks like a fetus...I ain't seeing it. Maybe towards the end during fatally wounded, but...eh.

 

[Yukari]

Damnit Syd, you beat me to the obligatory Giygas mention!

Anyway, I'm going to mention The SCP foundation from SCP containment Breach. Though it isn't necessarily a "level" so much as the setting for the entire game. But it's still really screwed up so I think it's worth a mention.

As far as music goes, The Sonic CD boss theme. Just the Sonic CD boss theme.

 

[Sydian]

MAN. Speaking of music with creepy laughing guys in the background...



I was on this level just a week or so ago and I was just like, "NOPE. DONE. BYE. LEAVING. NOT DOING THIS. AIN'T ABOUT IT. SEE YA." lol That LAUGH. Who IS that?! Is it Magus? Is it Ozzie? WHO ARE YOU?!

 

[TRIFORCE89]

bwahahahaaha

I can talk about Mad Monster Mansion now! Yaaaaaaaay

It's like The Haunted Mansion ride at Disney but as a level that I can explore. That's both awesome and fun. It's not scary at all, but it's my kind of Halloween.

Haunted house, creepy church, organ music, ghosts, abandoned shed, gravestones, down a well, a hedge maze, a cellar. This level has everything you need.

And I can turn into a pumpkin and get flushed down a toilet. So, there's that.


Much appreciation to the level's counterpart in Donkey Kong 64 - Creepy Castle. Which thanks to lighting and music was creepier, but also less fun.

 

[El Héroe Oscuro]

By far my favorite scary game to date. The word "scary" can probably be interpreted differently from person to person, but Luigi's Mansion for the Gamecube goes down as one of my all-time favorite games. It was so unique at the time and I still have a blast playing it to this day.

Much appreciation to the level's counterpart in Donkey Kong 64 - Creepy Castle. Which thanks to lighting and music was creepier, but also less fun.

I completely forgot about that level. I thought that DK64 level was super fun to play, but the boss was really anticlimatic - for a "last level" boss, you would think it would have been a little bit scarier (like Mad Jack in the Frantic Factory level.)

 

[Calamitastrophe]

Speaking of Paper Mario, that Forever Forest was pretty freaky as a kid. Everything is all peaches and sunshine in the town and then the game's like "Hope you brought a spare pair of shorts son" and BAM, spooky forest.

But the scariest thing ever has to be those Redead/Undead/Screaming zombies/whatever from Ocarina of Time. As if their looks and scream weren't bad enough, they stun you, as though to reinforce the fact that you are, indeed, completely screwed. Oh, and you have to watch the whole thing as it happens. 2spooky4me

Also didn't even touch the game for a few days when I got to the Shadow Temple. Are you kidding me Nintendo I'm like 12.

 

[Hiatus]

One, big set of scary levels that comes to mind right now are those Silent Realm quests in Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.

It's been a while since I had played this game, so I might not exactly remember how it all went, but if I do recall, whenever you take yourself into these missions, you would be called to a spirit world, where you lose all your weapons, which would result in taking away your ability to hurt anybody in any way. Here, you're given a few empty slots in your inventory, which you use to collect items known as "tear drops." These drops are scattered throughout whatever location you happen to be, and you have to take some decent amount of time in order to actually find them.

In each Silent Realm mission, there would be creatures known as Realm Guardians, or something along the lines. Although they're not evil at heart, they still have a scary look, and if you're like me and are not brave enough, they could definitely give you goosebumps, causing to look away. These guardians initially remain as statues, and come to life whenever you do something to disturb their realm and whatnot. One way to do this would be by walking, running, and jumping around, which are some things that you must to collect tear drops.

When guardians feel as if they're being bothered, they would immediately come chasing you, and if they manage to even touch you, your spirit would go back to real world, and you would have to do the quest again from beginning. However, there are ways to avoid them and even stop. To stop, there are spots around the place you are roaming, which are marked with symbols. If you stand on them, they would go back and become statue again.

Silent Realm tasks are definitely scary, and one thing that furthers it even more is music. At the start, song would be calm and soothing, but as guardians get more and more disturbed, it would turn louder and more intense, which I don't quite like.

 

[Mark Kamill]

By far my favorite scary game to date. The word "scary" can probably be interpreted differently from person to person, but Luigi's Mansion for the Gamecube goes down as one of my all-time favorite games. It was so unique at the time and I still have a blast playing it to this day.




I completely forgot about that level. I thought that DK64 level was super fun to play, but the boss was really anticlimatic - for a "last level" boss, you would think it would have been a little bit scarier (like Mad Jack in the Frantic Factory level.)

Luigi's Mansion wasn't "Scary" Scary, but that atmosphere, setting it up as some 50s suburban hell was effing perfect. The creepy piano, the family members, everything!
And lets not forget the Brawl rendition, with the organs. Its god tier soundtrack material.

One, big set of scary levels that comes to mind right now are those Silent Realm quests in Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.

It's been a while since I had played this game, so I might not exactly remember how it all went, but if I do recall, whenever you take yourself into these missions, you would be called to a spirit world, where you lose all your weapons, which would result in taking away your ability to hurt anybody in any way. Here, you're given a few empty slots in your inventory, which you use to collect items known as "tear drops." These drops are scattered throughout whatever location you happen to be, and you have to take some decent amount of time in order to actually find them.

In each Silent Realm mission, there would be creatures known as Realm Guardians, or something along the lines. Although they're not evil at heart, they still have a scary look, and if you're like me and are not brave enough, they could definitely give you goosebumps, causing to look away. These guardians initially remain as statues, and come to life whenever you do something to disturb their realm and whatnot. One way to do this would be by walking, running, and jumping around, which are some things that you must to collect tear drops.

When guardians feel as if they're being bothered, they would immediately come chasing you, and if they manage to even touch you, your spirit would go back to real world, and you would have to do the quest again from beginning. However, there are ways to avoid them and even stop. To stop, there are spots around the place you are roaming, which are marked with symbols. If you stand on them, they would go back and become statue again.

Silent Realm tasks are definitely scary, and one thing that furthers it even more is music. At the start, song would be calm and soothing, but as guardians get more and more disturbed, it would turn louder and more intense, which I don't quite like.

You just beat me to my top choice for scary levels or areas. That stuff is straight out of a silent hill game, anvil and hammers creating the melody and high pitched blasts here and there, all with a good synth underneath it all.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8_LJN-dxtc
Between the Luigi Mansion mention and this, I can't think of anything else. Sure there are horror games, but I like it more when a game not in that genre does horror equally well or even better. Mostly cause in non-horror games, it tends to be something more psychological, which offers better scares imo. For the Horror stuff though, I would have a top 3 with:

1.Resident Evil 4. Entire game has its moments, but I think the one bit that excels above all is the short, but amazingly intense Garden Maze. If you've never played RE4, I honestly believe this is the point in game where the difficulty starts catching up. Somewhere near the middle, expects you to have a good handle of the camera, tight corridors, even tighter corners, and a lot of jump scares. Ganados Dogs are easily the most annoying enemies as well, fast movements, small hitboxes, and the noises they make are unsettling as hell.
2. Haunting Ground. Unlike the above, I feel like the entire game is straight up evil. There's no safeground, you're always being followed, and the story is open. I've been through this game 10 times and I still feel like I haven't seen everything yet. Everytime there is something which scares the ever living daylight out of me, and Daniella will never leave my nightmares.
3. Silent Hill 2. Again just focusing on one scene, and that has to be the hospital. I have an inbred fear of the damn places, and just seeing em so bloody and so unsettling was way too much for me. Not to mention that music

 

[Starry Windy]

Maybe what I'm mentioning was to the extent of a fighting stage, but the Luigi's Mansion stage in Super Smash Bros. Brawl kinda fitting this to the creepy vibe. Its leitmotif helps bringing that vibe a lot, as well.

 

[Dustmop]

I love horror games so much.. and it took me awhile, but I think I finally have a well-composed list.
And I really wish I could list some that weren't "meant" to be scary, but it's been so long since I played anything that wasn't horror, specifically, or a shooter.. that it's hard to think of otherwise cheery games that just took a dark turn, lol.

1.) I'm going with Penumbra first for best scary levels, though I can't really pick one part.
The puzzles were really cruel, so let's just go with those as a whole. As if it wasn't bad enough that you couldn't defend yourself past the first game, they throw enemies into the puzzles. You're being chased in a circle by vicious dogs, you're convinced you're going to die, and the game's all, "Hey, as long as you're gonna be here awhile, solve this thing."
And that - that got to me. Some of their physics-based puzzles were hard enough as it was, if not just for clunky controls when you tried to move large objects, and then there was so much tension added on. Guys, you're going to give me a heart attack.

2.) Dark Fall: Lost Souls deserves a mention. At first it comes off as 'just a point and click adventure game,' but the entire environment is so well-done, it's really eerie and creepy. It really nails that constant, unsettling feeling that something is behind you.

1.Resident Evil 4. Entire game has its moments, but I think the one bit that excels above all is the short, but amazingly intense Garden Maze. If you've never played RE4, I honestly believe this is the point in game where the difficulty starts catching up. Somewhere near the middle, expects you to have a good handle of the camera, tight corridors, even tighter corners, and a lot of jump scares. Ganados Dogs are easily the most annoying enemies as well, fast movements, small hitboxes, and the noises they make are unsettling as hell.

3.) I have to agree and disagree. I'm listing RE4 as well, but not for the same part. The Regeneradores and the Iron Maidens have my vote. Seriously. The way they walk, the sounds they make when they walk, their creepy breathing.. and the fact that when you first encounter them, your only real option of taking them out is to snipe them with an infrared scope at a close enough range that they can grab you.
At least the dogs are polite enough to go down quick with an incendiary grenade. These things have tiny, precise hitboxes that are constantly swaying around as they violently spazz while they walk.
Seriously. For the longest time I thought that the Humanoid Leeches from RE0 would be the worst thing RE games could throw at me. But it's like they took everything that made those creepy and just made them fit in the new environment. And here I am, 21-years-old and I still yell for my daddy to play through the autopsy room all the way to the last one in the prison cell. D: I am such a wimp.



Although scariest music I can do without a second thought. Clock Tower: The First Fear still gets to me, and that's almost entirely because of Scissorman's chase theme.

Spoiler:

This is probably far less terrifying when it's not accompanied by a small, grey, deformed man with giant hedge shears falling through the ceiling with a dead body in tow.
Or, you know, when it wasn't your childhood that was ruined by this.

But, I mean, it's still a good theme.

Syd, I've got one more and I think you'll really appreciate the music in this level, especially with the occasional addition of laughter in the background. Seems right up your alley. :P

Spoiler:

These guardians initially remain as statues, and come to life whenever you do something to disturb their realm and whatnot. One way to do this would be by walking, running, and jumping around, which are some things that you must to collect tear drops.

Huh.. I thought the statues only freaked out and sprung to life if you stepped in the glowy puddles?

I only ever watched an LP of Skyward Sword, so I have absolutely no experience, but I could have sworn Nate said it was more a matter of not stepping on certain spots on the ground, or something. That they'd be completely still and harmless otherwise. Didn't know they came after you just from navigating the realm in general.

 

[Dreg]

Scary music? Look no further than Splatterhouse 3.



This music alone used to give me the creeps, and it still does. Seeing your gf turn into a mindless beast if you didn't save her in time.

There is another piece of music that used to scare me to death when I was very young.



This one when I was 4 made me feel really uneasy and I ended up having nightmares for a while with this music.

 

[Hiatus]

Huh.. I thought the statues only freaked out and sprung to life if you stepped in the glowy puddles?

I only ever watched an LP of Skyward Sword, so I have absolutely no experience, but I could have sworn Nate said it was more a matter of not stepping on certain spots on the ground, or something. That they'd be completely still and harmless otherwise. Didn't know they came after you just from navigating the realm in general.

They do make things happen faster, but I don't remember stepping on glow-y puddles to be the only reason for them to start attacking, haha.

As soon as you get out of your safe-zone, guardians would be alerted, and you get applied a set amount of time to collect tears (which could be extended every time you get your hands on one, if I recall). Once your time runs out, they would then start following.

 

[Dustmop]

They do make things happen faster, but I don't remember stepping on glow-y puddles to be the only reason for them to start attacking, haha.

As soon as you get out of your safe-zone, guardians would be alerted, and you get applied a set amount of time to collect tears (which could be extended every time you get your hands on one, if I recall). Once your time runs out, they would then start following.

Ooooh.. that's right. I went back and re-watched one of his videos to get an idea of it again, and yeah, you're right. Aside from navigating the instant-puddles (Waking Water, was it?) and the poes wandering about, there's a 90 second timer to get from one tear to the next. How did I forget it was timed.

Honestly this all sounds like it'd be more difficult and frustrating than creepy - or, at least, he makes it seem like his frustration overpowers any creepy factor that might have been, though he might just be really bad at it? lol - but I can definitely understand the music hyping things up now that I've seen/heard it all together again.

 

[NeonMewtwo]

In Ocarina of Time, going up the staircase in Ganon's castle and hearing the organ; it makes me nervous every time I hear it.

Super Mario Bros: In the Bowser levels, hearing that "dun dun dun dun" music, Bowser's flames coming at you, and the spinning firebars; all of that gives me goosebumps.

 

[Harmonious Fusion]

It's also rather sad in context. But mostly creepy.

 

[Sydian]

One, big set of scary levels that comes to mind right now are those Silent Realm quests in Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.

-snip-

GO HOME. NO NO. DON'T PUT THAT IN MY HEAD. :( I'll accept everything in this thread except for THOSE. Those are the reason I can't force myself through that game. I would rather do the Shadow Temple, Bottom of the Well, Arbiter's Grounds, and Earth Temple back to back than do one Silent Realm. BYE.

In Ocarina of Time, going up the staircase in Ganon's castle and hearing the organ; it makes me nervous every time I hear it.

Super Mario Bros: In the Bowser levels, hearing that "dun dun dun dun" music, Bowser's flames coming at you, and the spinning firebars; all of that gives me goosebumps.

The first time I played OoT, I turned my ass around and left the castle. I was like, "YEAH NO NOT TODAY NOT ABOUT THIS."

 

[Yukari]

Pft. people these days, can't even stand a level that isn't even scary.

But then again, is spend my time being chased by this freak so maybe our standards are different.

Spoiler:

Anyway, another candadate for creepy video game music is Minecraft - 13

WHY? WHY IS THIS IN HERE?

 

[Nah]

Mehrunes ****n's plane of Oblivion used to creep me out a lot when I played Oblivion. Despite the fact that it's a stereotypical fire and brimestone hell with mutilated bodies all over the place, it still creeped me out enough that I would completely avoid the Oblivion gates and never enter one if I didn't have to. Then I got used to it or something and they aren't creepy anymore.

Oh, and this bit of music is a bit haunting:



But the thing is, there was something that I used to find truly creepy (creepier than Oblivion) but I can't remember what it was. =(

GO HOME. NO NO. DON'T PUT THAT IN MY HEAD. :( I'll accept everything in this thread except for THOSE. Those are the reason I can't force myself through that game. I would rather do the Shadow Temple, Bottom of the Well, Arbiter's Grounds, and Earth Temple back to back than do one Silent Realm. BYE.

I didn't think that y'all would find the Silent Realms to be scary. They didn't seem scary to me at all.

 

[Lusus]

The Chainsaw Maze level in Zombies Ate My Neighbors was really scary when i was a kid. Populated with a ton of guys with chainsaw chasing you across a maze (duh) while you try to save your neighbors, complete with creepy music. Also they take a ton of damage before they finally die(killing them isn't even a good idea), and hurt a lot.

 

[TRIFORCE89]

Talking exclusively music, I like all of Luigi's Mansion.

Also... fortress music from Super Mario World? So foreboding