Support NeoGAF

[theSlacker]

Since NightCry was just released, this immediately springs to mind:

Clock Tower - Don't Cry Jennifer

This is what I was going to post, glad someone else got to it.

 

[B-Genius]

The "music" of the Upper Cathedral in Bloodborne, where it's basically a single women singing, is very eerie, especially when coupled with the overall atmosphere of the place.

Good recent example. Music is used sparingly in these games, and the Upper Cathedral Ward theme is really effective. (The singing you mentioned comes in half-way.)

The theme for Yahar'Gul, Unseen Village is also really spooky. The "angry" chorus and deep bass at the very end of the track gets me every time while playing...

Also, before I even knew what Ludwig looked like, his boss theme terrified me.
That brass is just so powerful and unsettling. And the strings that follow add a hint of sadness. Maybe it's partially the cutscene that leads into this part of the music, but it all works together so perfectly.
He and that music will be stuck in my mind for a long time.

 

[hobblygobbly]

For me it would be the entire ambient soundtrack of Stalker: Shadow of Chernobyl. Still my favourite horror game of all time.

It would send shivers down my spine while I played, especially when everything was quiet, making your trek to delve into one of the underground labs and being down there... its a masterpiece.

This ambient track is my favourite of them all, it's stunning.
Also this part in one of the ambient tracks.

Also the menu theme... it just captures everything about the game - the melancholic atmosphere (plays till about 2m5s point)

 

[nekkid]

I mean, I guess this kinda goes without saying, but Alien: Isolation.

The music in particular, when it ramped up, was terrifying. You knew you were under serious threat in the game.

 

[woopWOOP]

Whenever those underwater bombs were about to explode in TMNT NES. Sure got my ass in gear.
Then it speeds up even more and I just give up and bolt out of the room.

Others:
Uninvited - Danger
Terranigma - The Gaia Stones
EVO: Search for Eden - Caves
Earthbound - That Place

 

[sixteen-bit]

Biohazard Battle

 

[Arkhanor]

Diablo 1 - Cathedral

 

[The Artisan]

the low health sounds in infamous second son were some trippy shit.

 

[Confused Cheeseburger]

lavender town

.

 

[Brerlappin]

PSX Doom soundtrack. Every single track is shit your bricks time.

 

[ToiJu]

It Came from the Desert was really scary when I was younger.

 

[MrS]

The music from Solstice freaked me out when I was a kid. Would link but I'm too scared to.

 

[PaulloDEC]

Not necessarily scary, but Mark Morgan's soundtrack to Zork: Nemesis is texbook haunting and super atmospheric:

https://youtu.be/XPBfpmHh41g

https://youtu.be/xBddVZ1reOA

https://youtu.be/5oW_7QbkgS0

https://youtu.be/sDbQEVb-5KY

He also composed for the recent sci-fi horror adventure game Stasis, which I'm sure was plenty spooky too.

 

[Vex_]

lavender town

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNJJ-QkZ8cM

knew this was gonna happen. Dont even understand why I was so creeped out....

 

[Shredderi]

Silent Hill the thread.

 

[Muskieratboi]

VTM: Bloodlines, bitches.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrGmuInMc0o

 

[Miracle]

knew this was gonna happen. Dont even understand why I was so creeped out....

There is definitely a very good reason why. Especially the context of Lavender Town.

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

Super Metroid

Maridia Rocky Underwater Area

Maridia Drifting Sand Underwater Area

 

[eso76]

lmao

I totally forgot about that....how did that happen?

Easy to explain, really.
Deaf composer.

Now, explaining how a deaf composer was asked to do the music for redc, well, that's the hard part.

 

[jonjonaug]

Easy to explain, really.
Deaf composer.

Now, explaining how a deaf composer was asked to do the music for redc, well, that's the hard part.

Didn't it come out that he was pretending to be deaf and used ghostwriters for most of his music?

 

[Phediuk]

Elvira: Mistress of the Dark for the Amiga, the whole soundtrack,

https://youtu.be/FuDzQLx4wP4?t=332

 

[Vazduh]

the mansion basement from the first resident evil's director's cut

Came for this tbh. Still makes me laugh out loud.

Didn't it come out that he was pretending to be deaf and used ghostwriters for most of his music?

Yes, which makes that theme even more hilarious.

 

[Fancy Clown]

Easy to explain, really.
Deaf composer.

Now, explaining how a deaf composer was asked to do the music for redc, well, that's the hard part.

Yeah he wasn't actually deaf lol. He paid someone else to do music in his name though

 

[DedValve]

Strangely enough, Super Paper Mario, to me, holds the title for having the most unsettling music track: River Twygz Bed
https://youtu.be/0YeeVhz_iXw

I....I don't remember this....what the fuck. I think I may have repressed this.

 

[pinkurocket]

Rule of Rose. The entire OST is something else, but that main theme song "A Love Suicide" is just all kinds of disturbing (and awesome).

 

[How About No]

Moar RE gushing

Reisdent Evil 1 - Big Big Spider

Resident Evil 1 - Lab Enterance

Resident Evil 1 - Lab B3

Resident Evil 0 - Training Facility Main Hall

Resident Evil 2 - Mr. X

Resident Evil 4 - Ganado III

Resident Evil 4 - Regenerator

Then Silent Hill 3, Hilltop Center Nightmare Ambience. The demo here was my first foray into the series and my 13-yo self didn't take it very well

More from non-horror games

Final Fantasy VII - Those Chosen by the Planet (Sephiroth's Theme)

Xenogears - Omen

Resedent Evil 5 - Majini III (They used this in a trailer and it fooled me into thinking the game might actually be scary in parts)

 

[Übermatik]

Unsettling? Hm, Forest Temple springs to mind...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmsZyC0UXUU&spfreload=10

Though admittedly it's not scary, more creepy and haunting. This combined with the atmosphere had me walking cautiously... Shadows of falling hands, false ceilings, magic paintings...

Arbiter's Grounds too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gCtO5dr3o8&spfreload=10
That original 'screech' put me on edge a bit.

 

[Scipio]

The 999 soundtrack :0

Also, Magus' Castle

 

[Handy Fake]

Not me personally, but the theme music from the Amiga version of Flashback still gives my Brother nightmares and he's 26.

 

[How About No]

Unsettling? Hm, Forest Temple springs to mind...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmsZyC0UXUU&spfreload=10

Though admittedly it's not scary, more creepy and haunting. This combined with the atmosphere had me walking cautiously... Shadows of falling hands, false ceilings, magic paintings...

Arbiter's Grounds too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gCtO5dr3o8&spfreload=10
That original 'screech' put me on edge a bit.

Yeah that Forest Temple was quite the mood shift

Both of LttP's dungeon themes are a bit creppy too

 

[Chipworm]

Shadowman is one of the freakiest games I have ever played.
The Playroom

Was going to post this.

Also, 'who are you' from the FFVII soundtrack used to creep me out when I was younger.

 

[Theanine3D]

Phantasy Star Online had some really fantastic, unsettling music in some levels.

Revolution to the Origin PART1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJvJUNNpH6Q
Revolution to the Origin PART2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irqogIOQ8vk
Abysmal Ball -Intermission- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y9Vd4eaIdQ

 

[LittleWask]

The 999 soundtrack :0

Also, Magus' Castle

This is way too far down for Chrono Trigger. That game had some of the most haunting and unsettling music of all time. Literally so many I would be hard pressed to list them all. I will do my best to list the relevant entries; please forgive me if I miss any.

Memories of Green

A Strange Happening

Kingdom Trial

Lavos' Theme

Battle with Magus

Zeal Palace

Schala's Theme

All of these are outstanding tracks. I can safely count them as haunting, at least anecdotally, as they still have the ability to give me chills after all these years. The feeling of foreboding that this music can create is nearly unparalleled.

Honorable mention.

 

[Übermatik]

Yeah that Forest Temple was quite the mood shift

Both of LttP's dungeon themes are a bit creppy too

Agreed. All of Ocarina's adult Link dungeons had great soundtracks actually... Most had that creepy, unsettling vibe, aside from the Spirit Temple which was a lot more mystical.

the Prime series had some haunting music too. I'd also mention Bloodborne, but couldn't pick out a particular track...

 

[NinjamicWZ]

Secret of Mana - Ceremony

It was like Tubular Bells before I was old enough to know about that.

 

[-Deimos]

How was this not posted yet.

Arsenal's Guts from MGS2.

 

[Sölf]

Control + F "Alundra"

GAF please.

Alundra - Nightmare

 

[Razilez]

I didn't find the game to be as good as the orignal, but Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs has a wonderful soundtrack.

This especially:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fkVvNMuJsA

Also can't forget S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Shadow of Chernobyl, utterly terrifiying late at night playing in the dark.

Stuff like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJp1u4HHb0o&index=9&list=PLE8F092CA00AE6649

 

[smurfx]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9ecXfTwN38

mario 64 haunted house

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GymNeFJbPxs

robotech invasion - the invid hive

 

[bones123]

The Sonic drowning music. /thread

 

[Pennybags]

The old Traveller's Tales splash screen used to really creep me out whenever I would boot the Buzz Lightyear game.

 

[Baraka in the White House]

Which Sonic game had the fucked up sound test screen/music?

Sonic CD?

 

[Ionic]

That "song" before the city level in Postal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cio4Bx_9A8k

 

[Fug Slanderson]

The elevator music in Metroid always creeped me out. Sounds like someone just pressing numbers on a phone, but there was something unsettling about it.

 

[theecakee]

Persona 4 - Omen is spooky.

 

[NinjamicWZ]

Another one on that same SoM, tubular bells vibe, for me anyway...

Final Fantasy VII - City of the Ancients

I was in that area for a long time and didn't know what was going to happen yet, but it still really freaked me out anyway. I guess certain vibe and mood just really unsettles me, even if it's not blatant horror.