Horror games! Some people love them, and others have too faint of a heart to handle them. Thankfully most games are up front about what they are, and make it very clear if they are something you should play or not; however, for some games, that is not always the case.
Today we are going to be looking at the times when a "perfectly normal" game suddenly takes a dive, and becomes something you may have never expected. Games that fans of horror might appreciate, while those who dislike the genre might have to either push through or quit an otherwise non-horror game. That being said there will be some spoilers in this list, but we will avoid spoiling the overall plot.
MegaMan Legends
First up on our list is a nightmare from my own childhood. MegaMan Legends was a unique entry within the MegaMan series which followed the story of a young boy named Rock (renamed to MegaMan in the English Translation) as he works as a Digger. Diggers search underground ruins for treasure, and while some are successful, others are not. Unfortunately our main cast of characters falls into the latter group, and soon find their airship crashing on an island because they lacked the funds to maintain it properly. Unknown to them this island happens to hold a dark secret, and is currently the main target for a group of pirates.
With MegaMan Legend's gameplay, players take control of Rock, and not only explore the island and talk to NPCs, but they also get to take the search underground. Across the island are multiple dungeon like locations, which all connect to each other and form a massive underground labyrinth. These areas act as the game's main "stages," but there are also plenty of side areas to find hidden treasure and upgrades. It is some of these side areas that transform MegaMan Legends into a horror game, with a handful of them being required for the main story.
Living underground are robots known as Reaverbots. These robots are a little creepy looking on their own, but there are two types in particular that tip the scales in the horror department. These underground areas are often dark and have walls to obstruct your view, and some of the scariest Reaverbots love to use this to their advantage.
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| (Credit: Mega Man Legends Station) |
The Kuruguru is a terrifying robot that has multiple sets of moving teeth, and it charges at you at extremely high speeds. The moment it sees you it doesn't take long to hear the stomping feet and chomping like sound effect get closer, and the next thing you know you are flying through the air. This thing will corner you and trap you in tunnels if you don't watch out, and the only way to kill it is to hit it enough times to flip it over. Initially the game does lead you to believe it cannot be killed, as shooting it plays the "ineffective hit" sound effect, but shooting it a bunch of times is the only true way to take it down. (While this is a game I've now memorized from start to finish, little kid me just accepted his fate and would get game overs...)
While the Kuruguru is scary on its own, this isn't the true moment when Legends becomes a horror game however. That honor belongs to the multiple jump scares from falling enemies, and the Sharukurusu that turn invisible! These things guard large open quiet areas, and typically can only be heard before they are seen. They will sneak up on you and chase you across the area, with them only becoming visible right before they strike. It becomes extremely nerve-wracking, and often requires you to plan out your path before entering the area. If you don't, then get ready to run as fast as possible, or hopefully take them down before they can get to you. The first time encountering them is a complete shock however, and leaves you feeling uneasy as you explore the rest of the dungeons.
But what else do you expect from the developers of Resident Evil? The game is even referenced at one point!
Uncharted
The Uncharted series is well known among PlayStation fans. The games stars Nathan Drake as he sets out to uncover treasure and get to the bottom of different mysteries, and initially many fans liked to compare the series to Tomb Raider. Puzzles, platforming, enemies to fight, stealth elements, etc, the game had it all, and had a great storyline to boot. While the first game had technical issues on the PlayStation 3, the series would see a massive jump in quality for Uncharted 2, and that ultimately lead the series to become what it is today.
Putting aside the franchise's future, the first Uncharted actually did something very unexpected, and transformed into a horror game near the end.
Initially the story focused on Nate as he explored an island, and went up against a group of people looking for the very same treasure he was. Of course his friends also get caught up in this race to the finish, and most of the game is spent exploring the island and working with Nate's cohorts to survive against the enemy. It is a lot of puzzles, a lot of exploring the jungle, and then getting into gunfights when things get harry.
And then you meet the Spanish colonists that have came in contact with the one and only El Dorado.
While it is something that is hinted at throughout the entire game, the Descendants are zombie like creatures that roam the island. Throughout history they have either killed or infected everyone who has come in contact with them, and Nate happens to be the lucky one to encounter them next. They are the truth behind El Dorado, and why Nate's ancestor Sir Francis Drake perished as well. Of course Nate survives his encounter with the Descendants (we wouldn't have more Uncharted games if he didn't), but that doesn't change the fact that the final sections of the game transform into full on horror.
During these moments, not only does Nate get to see historical footage of the infection, but he watches others transform in front of his very eyes, and gets chased by them. To make matters worse, these sections of the game are spent in maze like tunnels that are also pitch black, with jump scares around every corner. It is a complete shift in tone from what the rest of the game has to offer, and is possibly the most disturbing moment in all of Uncharted.
Although Uncharted would touch on supernatural elements in later entries as well, the Descendants are the only ones that push the game into horror territory. Of course Naughty Dog would revisit the horror genre with The Last of Us, but this is the one and only time the Uncharted series tries to scare you. That is, unless you count Nate's joke scream in Uncharted 2, or the joke jump scare in Golden Abyss; although, the latter was more for the actual actress in the scene, and for everyone else's amusement!
Final Fantasy XV
Final Fantasy XV was surprising. The game begins with Noctis setting out on a road trip with his friends to meet up with his soon to be bride, but eventually transforms into a war against an enemy nation. Most the game was still spent on a road trip however, and just how dire the situation is wasn't always clear. But then things changed...
As many may know, the hit classic song Stand By Me was used as XV's main theme song. It is a great piece of music that is known world wide, but what isn't obvious at first is the fact that it spoils the entirety of Final Fantasy XV. (Making it the perfect song choice, assuming the game's story wasn't just modeled after the song.)
The lyrics are as follows:
"When the night has come
And the land is dark
And the moon is the only light we'll see
No, I won't be afraid
Oh, I won't be afraid
Just as long as you stand
Stand by me"
In the Final Fantasy XV world monsters known as daemons exist, and become more prevalent during nightfall. This encourages players to take shelter or setup camp once the sun sets, as many of the stronger ones will flat out kill you. The thing is however, after a key moment in the game, these first opening lyrics to the song become a reality.
Day fades away and turns into an eternal night, and all Noctis has is his friends by his side as they face the horrors that await them.
One moment in particular sees the group being jump scared and attacked by a group of daemons. This scene is straight out of a horror game, and only gets more terrifying as they attempt to escape with their lives. Eventually Noctis gets separated from his friends and must avoid enemies, and getting spotted will result in his death. It is completely unlike anything else the game had thrown at players.
Moving forward, the world is now completely filled with these horrible monsters, and things only get more disturbing as more truths come to light. The enemy soldiers alone have a messed up backstory, with it too being something one would expect from a game like Resident Evil, and not Final Fantasy.
Of course this isn't the first time Square Enix incorporated horror into Final Fantasy, the original Final Fantasy VII had quite a lot of build up, but the way XV handles things makes it the first entry in the series where I gave friends a heads up. (Without spoiling!)
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
The next entry on our list is something most players are familiar with, but we couldn't go without mentioning it.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was the first 3D entry in the beloved series, and it is a landmark within gaming history in general. The, for its time, massive world to explore, the in depth dungeons, and the story were all something the world of 3D games had never seen before. Then, to top it all off, all of this was spread out between two time periods, with Link starting as a kid, and then eventually takes on the world in an adult body. Not only is this moment just a plot point, but it becomes a key feature within the gameplay as well.
Throughout the game Link has to navigate back and forth between the two time periods to complete his quest. Sometimes this involves learning about a future event so that you can make it a reality in the past, and other times it is simply going back for an item or something that was previously inaccessible. Overall the game uses the time travel mechanic in some pretty unique ways, and it really is no wonder that fans hold it in such high regards to this day.
That being said, there are two "horror moments" that most fans think back on, and both of them were completely terrifying.
Although Ocarina of Time is filled with content that some players may find disturbing, nothing was too crazy until the moment Link grew up. This scene begins with him waking up in the Temple of Time, and then being informed about what has happened in his time away. The evil Ganondorf has taken over, Hyrule has fallen, and princess Zelda has gone missing. This was all to be expected as Link had witnessed Ganondorf's attack for himself, but the extent of what he has done isn't as obvious until you leave the Temple of Time. That is the very moment everything becomes quite clear.
The dark sky and the music of the once bustling Castle Town are just the icing on the cake. As Link steps outside for the first time, it is nothing but a dark bleak world in front of him, and it gets worse once he steps into the town's square. There, instead of finding the people he once knew, terrifying zombie monsters known as ReDeads now roam the streets, and they are out for blood. The scream they make is haunting enough, and seeing them jump on Link's back to eat him isn't a pretty sight either. This is the moment that made kid me run to shut off my console, and it is the reason it took me so long to get back into the game.
Thankfully the rest of the world isn't as bad as Castle Town, but that doesn't mean more scares aren't in store. Ghosts, disfigured and cursed people, and a handful of jump scares are scattered throughout the rest of the adventure, and then there is the dreaded well. This is the "second" main moment of horror in Ocarina of Time, and something even long time fans dread. But we'll leave that for you to discover for yourself... If you haven't already.
Ecco the Dolphin
Ecco the Dolphin is a classic SEGA Genesis title that is more than meets the eye. Parents buying this game for their kids saw the cute family friendly dolphin on the cover, but those playing this game quickly realized just how difficult the game really is. It is an action adventure game with a huge focus on exploration and solving puzzles, and it is extremely easy to get lost or die. As the main character in this game is a dolphin, there is an oxygen limit that controls how much you can explore, and the game often becomes a race against the clock to avoid drowning. This alone is anxiety inducing, and is one of the reasons many players may have never finished the game. Again, this one isn't easy, and it takes a lot of time and effort to truly learn the game and make it to the end.
And that is when the true nightmare begins.
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| (Credit: Reddit user Meatloafxx) |
The deeper players go into Ecco, the more unsettling it becomes. There is limited music and sound effects in general, and some of the sea creatures are a bit scary on their own, but then things get even worse as the Vortex Queen makes an appearance. This alien thing is completely unexpected, and takes a game that was already scary enough, and turns it into full on nightmare fuel. It is a massive looming alien head that takes up the entire screen, has giant eyes, a long shaped head, and long fangs to eat you with. In the US version of the game being eaten takes you inside a weird mechanical level, while the Japanese version puts you in a level called The Stomach.
The whole thing is extra creepy and disturbing in a game that already makes players feel uneasy, and things didn't get much better in the sequel. While the game isn't technically a horror game, it checks a lot of the same boxes throughout the entire adventure, and eventually goes all in for the ending.
On the bright side it was recently announced that the game will be receiving a remaster, so newcomers will get to experience this horror for themselves sometime in the future!
EarthBound
Mother isn't as happy-go-lucky of a series as many might believe. The original Mother was filled with ghosts and weird enemies to fight, while Mother 2 (aka EarthBound) was a full on love letter to the modern day of the 90s. It features Ness and his friends as they go up against new age hippies, gang members, a cult that is obsessed with the color blue, and even aliens. Of course there are zombies at one point, but none of this actually makes the game horror. It is what seems to be a lighthearted adventure, that many fans still talk about to this day.
While Mother 3 would go on to deal with some very serious themes, such as a grieving father who has to deal with the loss of his wife and son, it is actually EarthBound that has the main moment of horror within it. This doesn't happen until the end of the game, but when it does, it becomes burned into your memory forever.
From the start of the game it was known that the evil Giygas would take over the world in the near future, and that Ness and his friends must stop him. Giygas' influence is what caused most of the issues throughout the course of the game, and it wasn't surprising to find out that he would be the final boss. What was a big shock however was what Giygas looked like, and the device known as the Devil's Machine.
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| (Credit: GrislyGrizzly, EarthBound Wiki) |
It is a pretty well known story among fans at this point, but creator Shigesato Itoi has stated that Giygas was inspired by an incident that occurred when he was young. Unfortunately he walked into the wrong movie theater as a child, and witnessed a murder scene in an adult film. Obviously we will not be going into the details of what he saw, nor will we be naming the movie, but this had a lasting impression on Shigesato Itoi, and those thoughts and fears are ultimately what would dictate what Giygas would be.
Reaching this moment of the game reveals a horrifying twisted image, which may or may not be the outline of a fetus. There appears to be a twisted face where the brain would be, and things get even more twisted and warped as the fight goes on. As for the Devil's Machine itself, which is a device made to contain Giygas, it is made up of twisted fleshy organs, and is unlike anything else seen in the game. It sets the stage for the upcoming monstrosity that is Giygas, and is seemingly there just to traumatize all the kids who were lucky enough to see it... Just as Shigesato Itoi had been as a child.
And that about does it for today's list! Of course there are plenty of other games we could've chosen from, and we'd love to hear from you if your favorite wasn't included on this list. So feel free to drop a comment below, and let us know!
Until next time everyone!
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