Moments from Non-Horror Games that Scared You

[CooledEvergreen]

Exactly what it says on the tin.

A big one for me was when I was a kid and was playing Twilight Princess for the first time. I was at the Forest Temple and at the time, I had a big fear of spiders, so when I saw those massive arachnids I noped straight outta there. I remember closing my eyes and flailing my arms about until I heard the enemy expiring.

Another experience from Twilight Princess was I viewed the scene at Lake Hylia. The one involving discussing the lore. That scene made me go pale.

[Ebony]

The Rotten from Dark Souls and some Pokedex entries are creepy. There's also a location in Dragon Age... Origins I think? It's kind of a run down town... I think it was called Haven. DAO fans correct me if I"m wrong. Creepy place.

Edit: Also say what you will about plotline stuff but

In Dragon Age 2 most of Kirkwall is creepy to me, just for the fact the Veil is so thin it's kind of a natural breeding ground to corrupt mages and create blood mages. That and what happens to Hawke's mom were the most unsettling parts of the game for me.

Edited December 3, 2016 by Ebony

[Water Mage]

Let's see...

The incredibly unsettling eel and that freaking, fucking piano from Super Mario 64. Plus Big Boo's Haunt is a pretty scary in general.

In Ocarina of Time, the Stalchildren that appear at night in Hyrule Field terrified me as a kid. There's also the Forest Temple and it's very creepy atmosphere and creepy music.

The Shadow Temple and the Bottom of the Well. Those are really disturbing places with blood everywhere and that horrifying, nightmarish Dead Hand. That thing wouldn't be out of place in a horror game.

How did Ocarina of Time got an E rating again?

Majora's Mask is a game with a creepy atmosphere in general, but there are particularly disturbing moments.

Such as the alien attack, Link being cursed into a Deku Scrub by Skull Kid, Ikana Canyon in general, Link's horribly unsettling Elegy of Emptiness statue, hell even before Ben Drowned that thing terrified me.

There's also Last Five Hours of the Final Day. It really gives you that feeling that's like "The world is ending, and you can't do anything to stop it". And the music of the Last Five Hours, which gives a very hopeless feeling.

And of course almost all Majora and Skull Kid moments. Majora's theme is also incredibly creepy. And the peaceful meadow inside the Moon is just downright unsettling. And then there are the masked moon children and their questions.

The Old Chateau in Pokemon DPPt, the Disortion World and Origin Giratina appearing in the Spear Pillar.

Plus there are those disturbing Pokedex entries.

The World of Drawcia in Kirby: Canvas Curse and Drawcia Soul. Speaking of Kirby, there's also Marx horrifying death scream, Zero's eye popping off and the amount of blood that comes out. Zero Two is just as creepy and there's the happy face it makes at the start of the battle. There are other creepy Kirby moments and I wanted to mention some creepy moments in the Metroid and Mother series, but this list would become too long.

And I just realized that this is all from Nintendo games.

You know, from a company that is know for being kid-friendly, Nintendo can make some really creepy stuff. They are suprisingly good at horror.

[Topaz Light]

Oh man, most of it happened when I was a kid, but I remember being really freaked out by the mask transformation sequence animation in Majora's Mask. I was also really scared of Gohma in Ocarina of Time for some reason; I think it was mainly her and her babies dropping down from the ceiling that really sealed the deal there.

Also, seconding the piano in Big Boo's Haunt.

[Res]

Any game with arachnid-type enemies is bound to make me a little jumpy.

Pretty much the entirety of Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines. That game had such amazing atmosphere.

[Shadow Mir]

Let's see...

The incredibly unsettling eel and that freaking, fucking piano from Super Mario 64. Plus Big Boo's Haunt is a pretty scary in general.

In Ocarina of Time, the Stalchildren that appear at night in Hyrule Field terrified me as a kid. There's also the Forest Temple and it's very creepy atmosphere and creepy music.

The Shadow Temple and the Bottom of the Well. Those are really disturbing places with blood everywhere and that horrifying, nightmarish Dead Hand. That thing wouldn't be out of place in a horror game.

How did Ocarina of Time got an E rating again?

Majora's Mask is a game with a creepy atmosphere in general, but there are particularly disturbing moments.

Such as the alien attack, Link being cursed into a Deku Scrub by Skull Kid, Ikana Canyon in general, Link's horribly unsettling Elegy of Emptiness statue, hell even before Ben Drowned that thing terrified me.

There's also Last Five Hours of the Final Day. It really gives you that feeling that's like "The world is ending, and you can't do anything to stop it". And the music of the Last Five Hours, which gives a very hopeless feeling.

And of course almost all Majora and Skull Kid moments. Majora's theme is also incredibly creepy. And the peaceful meadow inside the Moon is just downright unsettling. And then there are the masked moon children and their questions.

The Old Chateau in Pokemon DPPt, the Disortion World and Origin Giratina appearing in the Spear Pillar.

Plus there are those disturbing Pokedex entries.

The World of Drawcia in Kirby: Canvas Curse and Drawcia Soul. Speaking of Kirby, there's also Marx horrifying death scream, Zero's eye popping off and the amount of blood that comes out. Zero Two is just as creepy and there's the happy face it makes at the start of the battle. There are other creepy Kirby moments and I wanted to mention some creepy moments in the Metroid and Mother series, but this list would become too long.

And I just realized that this is all from Nintendo games.

You know, from a company that is know for being kid-friendly, Nintendo can make some really creepy stuff. They are suprisingly good at horror.

For all the Zelda stuff you mentioned, I'm surprised you DIDN'T mention the ReDeads and Gibdos. Twilight Princess's incarnations of the former are especially Nightmare Fuel-tastic, and Majora's Mask makes you go through a well brimming with the latter.

[Water Mage]

For all the Zelda stuff you mentioned, I'm surprised you DIDN'T mention the ReDeads and Gibdos. Twilight Princess's incarnations of the former are especially Nightmare Fuel-tastic, and Majora's Mask makes you go through a well brimming with the latter.

I sorta included Gibdos and ReDeads when I talked about the Shadow Temple and the Bottom of the Well, but thinking about it, ReDeads and Gibdos are in their own class of creepy, the combination of those moans and screams are really scary.

And here's an interesting bit of trivia:

In the 64 games, Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, if you kill a ReDead in a place with other ReDeads, the surviving ReDeads will ignore Link and they start gathering around the body of the killed ReDead, and they will crouch by the body, as if they either mourning their lost companion or eating it's body. That's some horror game stuff right there. Try it at the Adult Link Market in Ocarina of Time, and you will see what I'm talking about.

Edited December 4, 2016 by Water Mage

[Magical Glace]

I sorta included Gibdos and ReDeads when I talked about the Shadow Temple and the Bottom of the Well, but thinking about it, ReDeads and Gibdos are in their own class of creepy, the combination of those moans and screams are really scary.

And here's an interesting bit of trivia:

In the 64 games, Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, if you kill a ReDead in a place with other ReDeads, the surviving ReDeads will ignore Link and they start gathering around the body of the killed ReDead, and they will crouch by the body, as if they either mourning their lost companion or eating it's body. That's some horror game stuff right there. Try it at the Adult Link Market in Ocarina of Time, and you will see what I'm talking about.

I would imagine that woul be more easily done in Ikana Castle, since MM had the ability to make redeads do a silly dance and leave themselves open to attack.

[Zera]

Also THE ENTIRETY of Majora's Mask is creepy. Absolutely everything. There is no object in the game that is not feared by someone.

UPDATE: Play the video in a tab for 4 minutes... you'll hear it...

Edited December 4, 2016 by Zera

[Water Mage]

I would imagine that woul be more easily done in Ikana Castle, since MM had the ability to make redeads do a silly dance and leave themselves open to attack.

Actually, I don't think the ReDeads of Ikana Castle do that actually. I'm not so sure, so I could be wrong.

Edited December 4, 2016 by Water Mage

[Magical Glace]

Also THE ENTIRETY of Majora's Mask is creepy. Absolutely everything. There is no object in the game that is not feared by someone.

So seeing Redeads dance is scary?

Anju mixing up Goron Link's reservation is scary?

The lottery shop is scary?

etc.

Saying everything in MM is scary is just a hyperbole.

For me, in Dragon Quest IX, when blue chests turn out to be Canniboxes/Mimics/Pandora's Boxes, there'e this really sudden, shrill sound effect. The worst part is the fact it's random (unlike the rest of the series where "what's a Cannibox/Mimic/Pandora's Box" is set in stone), since Blue Chests refill after a while and give random rewards.

I jump every time.

Edited December 4, 2016 by Glaceon Mage

[Zera]

Just imagine how much scarier Ikana Castle would be if there were no masks to make the redeads dance.

Also, try equipping the Captain's Hat while fighting Igos Du Ikana. ; ]

[Magical Glace]

Just imagine how much scarier Ikana Castle would be if there were no masks to make the redeads dance.

Also, try equipping the Captain's Hat while fighting Igos Du Ikana. ; ]

I've done that, his reaction is amusing. But this thread isn't for amusing.

[DarkDestr0yer61]

The scream of the redead from Ocarina of Time. I played that game for the first time this year and it spooked me the first time I heard it.

Also the alert sound that plays when you get spotted in Metal Gear Solid. Especially when I wasn't expecting it.

[Loki Laufeyson]

In Zelda II Adventure of Link, theres a town called Kasuto that had been ravaged by Ganon's minions. Of course, theres another town called New Kasuto thats hidden, and you do have to find it, but the old town... Yeah, its an 8bit game, but i was also like 7/8 years old when playing it. So this spoopy ass ruined 8bit town with the music that played when you are indoors in a town playing all the time, and invisible things attacking you, and the buildings all crumbly...it wigged me out a little.

Majora's Mask is delightfully spooky. I love it. But one aspect that made me jump a mile was Pamela's dad in the wardrobe coming out at me all Gibdo'd and stuff. It was right out of a horror movie and excellently placed. The THEM event (in the ranch) always unnerved me too. They look like the Flatwoods monster but act like Mi-Go and that spooky music accompanying them...i love that event but i also found it really chilling.

Lavender Town in Pokemon. Love it to bits.

[eclipse]

Etrian Odyssey 3, sixth stratum. Everything about that place is creepy.

Dunno if NieR counts as a horror game, but the entire atmosphere has my hair stand on end - never mind the people who live in that world!

[ping]

As a kid, somewhere around 8yo I think, I had nightmares about LeChuck in the first Monkey Island game after I watched my siblings play. The line "On days like this, it's great to be dead" (or something like that - it was in German) absolutely horrified me.

In hindsight, it's probably a good thing that our mother didn't let me watch them play Fate of Atlantis. :D

Edited December 4, 2016 by ping

[MissShake]

Dunno if NieR counts as a horror game, but the entire atmosphere has my hair stand on end - never mind the people who live in that world!

Emil's mansion is the stuff of nightmares, man.

Honestly the caves in Final Fantasy XV have been getting me. Dark and enclosed spaces.

Dragon Age Origins has the entirety of the Deep Roads. Like I know that other games in the series have the Deep Roads, but man... The first appearance is by far the scariest.

There's a pretty creepy mansion in Lost Odyssey, too. Uematsu's music in that section really sets the mood.

[Shinehollow]

One time in Twilight Princess I fell down a hole and a Skulltula was right between me and the camera so that scared me into not playing it for a while again. I just really hate arachnids in general.

Usually big thumps or anything falling right in front of you that you don't expect usually makes me jump, too, no matter if it's Mario or something like Devil May Cry. Which is funny because in Resident Evil (an actual horror game) I can walk by the Cerberus jump scares just fine.

[saisymbolic]

Any game with arachnid-type enemies is bound to make me a little jumpy.

Pretty much the entirety of Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines. That game had such amazing atmosphere.

Both of these are me.

Holy shit, I absolutely hate playing Skyrim because I know that I will eventually run into either a Frostbite Spider or a Chaurus. Another game, or rather a game boss, that still freaks me out is the finger spider boss from Shadow Hearts: Covenant.

Also, yes, VTM:B is one of the only games whose atmosphere I can say was on point at all points during the game. The Ocean House and the Tzimisce Sewers still give me the heebie jeebies despite the fact that I know what is to come. Even running on the HUB streets have a distinct sense of eeriness to them. That game was and is an unintentional masterpiece, but I better stop before I start gushing about it.

Edited December 5, 2016 by saisymbolic

[Sire]

Army Men: Sarge's Heroes & Sarge's Heroes 2: The spider, insect, and zombie enemies. I hated spiders as a kid and these things would freak me out. The way they moved was creepy, and one time I turned a corner and suddenly there was one right there. Not fun. (Although, if I went back and did it now, it probably wouldn't be as bad. I still dislike spiders, but nowhere near the extent as I was when I was little.)

Super Mario 64: The classic Piano. I think that is why Pianos are scary, it's all because of Super Mario 64! The eel was also a bit unnerving too when I was younger.

9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors: Not really a horror game, but one of the endings is a bit scary, even if it had hints leading up to said ending.

Path of Exile - Lower Lunaris Temple: A sea of blood, discarded corpses, failed experiments... It is an unsettling place. Then there is another creepy area in Act IV, but it didn't unnerve me as much as the Temple did. Path of Exile may be a dark "Action RPG" similar to Diablo II, but it isn't horror.

Torchlight 2 - Lumber Camp: Is a simple enough zone, but the way it is presented and the backstory behind it is somewhat frightening.

Super Mario 64: The classic Piano. I think that is why Pianos are scary, it's all because of Super Mario 64!

Starcraft 2 - Wings of Liberty Campaign, Haven's Fall Cutscene: A classic Space Marine versus the infested. Those things are creepy to me, man!

Xenoblade Chronicles X: Two sidequests were a bit scary and unnerving.

[spoiler=Click Me!]The first sidequest involves the Water Plant quest chain, where something goes wrong and everyone turns into monsters. If you make the wrong choice, an NPC involved in the questline can also transform into a monster as well. This gave a bit of a "Resident Evil" vibe, even though I really don't play those games.

The second sidequest starts off innocent enough, your party meets another group and you do missions together. However, while you were away doing a mission, their camp gets attacked and they get captured. What gets me is the detailed explanation of how one of the female members died and how one of her squadmates had to watch the entire thing.

[spoiler=Endgame Spoilers]Granted, the entire scene has a lesser impact once one learns the true nature of the Humans on the planet, but still.

[Knight Falchion]

Emil's mansion is the stuff of nightmares, man.

The portraits in Emil's Mansion freaked me the fuck out the first time around and even now they're still unnerving. There's a lot in NieR that has that effect, though for most examples I can think of it's something that becomes horrific upon reflection as opposed to the more immediately frightening moments in the mansion.

Another moment that really stuck out to me was when I first entered Magus's Castle in Chrono Trigger. The eerie ambient drone combined with the strange NPCs had me on edge up until the fighting started, so I was rather impressed by that whole scenario.

[Shadow Mir]

I sorta included Gibdos and ReDeads when I talked about the Shadow Temple and the Bottom of the Well, but thinking about it, ReDeads and Gibdos are in their own class of creepy, the combination of those moans and screams are really scary.

And here's an interesting bit of trivia:

In the 64 games, Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, if you kill a ReDead in a place with other ReDeads, the surviving ReDeads will ignore Link and they start gathering around the body of the killed ReDead, and they will crouch by the body, as if they either mourning their lost companion or eating it's body. That's some horror game stuff right there. Try it at the Adult Link Market in Ocarina of Time, and you will see what I'm talking about.

Yeesh... I know.

Anyways, scary stuff for me includes:

-ReDeads (Paralyzing scream + Their manner of attack = Nightmare Fuel. Their moaning is also very unsettling. Oh, and let's not forget the part where after Link gets the Master Sword, Hyrule Castle Town is destroyed, and these are the only things you see (the only consolation is you can't be paralyzed there). Special mention to the one you see when escaping Ganon's Tower, where you're likely going to be running thanks to the situation, and you get immobilized and jumped by this bastard. Also, while they're (mercifully) not in the game, a beta had INVISIBLE REDEADS. Twilight Princess makes them worse, with giant swords that they use once they have you dead to rights.)

-Gibdos (Much the same as the above. Also, in at least 2 instances, Master Quest has you enter a room only to see them (or the aforementioned ReDeads) right in front of you. Good luck reacting to that! There's also the part where Majora's Mask has you go through a well full of them.)

-The Shadow Temple (Between the walls speaking stuff like "Shadow Temple... Here is gathered Hyrule's bloody history of greed and hatred...", the Dead Hand, the guillotines, and the unsettling music... yeah. There's also an invisible spinning statue with two scythes, a ship that goes through an empty room - that falls once it stops, a room with two dropping platforms with spikes on the undersides, and a room with spikes coming from both directions. On top of all this, Link's still a child mentally when he's going through this. Oh, and some rooms are full of nothing but skulls (the 3DS version replaces those with skeletons, ratcheting up the nightmare factor).)

-The Bottom of the Well (Not entirely unlike the above (doesn't have some of the crap that the Shadow Temple has), but this time, Link is a child going through this. It's even worse in Master Quest...)

-Wallmasters and Floormasters. The sound Wallmasters make when they're about to show up is pretty unsettling. Not to mention sometimes, hitting the wrong Sun Switch releases one to get you (including the Spirit portion of Ganon's castle, where ALL the wrong switches release them). Just be grateful Navi warns you about them. The Floormasters occasionally are invisible, split into 3 smaller ones if hit, and if those 3 are not killed fast enough, can turn back into the big one. Also, a beta version had Wallmasters look like this.)

Edited December 6, 2016 by Levant Mir Celestia

[DoctorSpectrum]

Anyone here played Thief: Deadly Shadows? The Cradle...brrr! Years after I first bought and played the game, I did another run, and when I got up to the Cradle I thought, "Sure, I'll be fine, I know what to expect." Still absolutely terrifying; that level could give Silent Hill a run for its money.

The Keeper Compound and those fucking living statues that appear later in the game are also pretty terrifying, come to think of it.

[henrymidfields]

Zelda's ReDeads, Spirit Temple, the Arachnids especially in Twilight Princess. For reasons already mentioned by others.