Scary/Disturbing moments from non-horror game

FakeSympathy

Elite Member
Legacy
Jun 8, 2015
3,047
2,753
118
Country
US
Horror games are designed to scare the ever-loving fuck out of you. But what about those scary moments from non-horror games?

Frankly, I feel these moments work so much better than horror games, because you don't expect moments like these to happen.

Half-life 2
When I first started Half-life 2, it was giving off the standard action sci-fi vibe. So imagine my surprise when I found myself in Ravenholm. I mean Alyx did say "we don't go there anymore...." but I figured it was a simple bad memory. The zombies looked absolutely terrifying, even more so than any other form of zombies from other games. Especially when you set them on fire, and they let out those disturbing screams of pain

Batman Arkham Asylum
I am not talking about fighting the giant version of scarecrow; I am talking about all those hallucinations sending Batman into a bad memory lane. It was sad and depressing, and that 4th wall break threw me off hard.

Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Even though this game is dark, I would say is far from being a horror game. There are lots of disturbing and creepy moments, but I'd have to give this one to those invisible rats from Arbiter's Grounds. Seriously, I am running around in a wolf form, and all of a sudden I slow down and midna is freaking out. I turn on the scent to see a bunch of rats sticking on to me. I dropped the controller and even let out a small scream
 

Hawki

Elite Member
Legacy
Mar 4, 2014
9,651
2,173
118
Country
Australia
Gender
Male
BioShock: The 'statues' that turn out not to be statues. The ones that just appear right behind you, in that dark room...THOSE STATUES!

Gears of War: The first time a berserker turns up. There isn't too much in that series that really freaks/freaked me out, but that monster...sheesh. It's more its breathing more than anything.

-Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time: The ReDeads. Yeah, I was, like, 9 at the time, but...they were scary back then, okay?!

Metroid: Fusion: The SA-X. 'Nuff said.

Star Fox Adventures: The "Test of Fear." I mean, it's not outright scary, but it does convey a sense of fear via game mechanics well.
 

Catfood220

Elite Member
Legacy
Dec 21, 2010
2,098
357
88
The "zombie" Spanish in the first Uncharted game. You have spent the whole of the game hiding behind cover and shooting at enemies who do the same. Then they introduce enemies that just charge at you wanting to rip you to pieces, man I wasn't expecting that. It adds a genuinely terrifying aspect to what has been a pretty straight forward action game.
 

Mcgeezaks

The biggest boss
Dec 31, 2009
864
0
0
Sweden
Country
Sweden
Gender
Male
Hawki said:
Gears of War: The first time a berserker turns up. There isn't too much in that series that really freaks/freaked me out, but that monster...sheesh. It's more its breathing more than anything.
Gears 1 almost felt like a horror game, it's a shame Epic strayed further from that with each entry.
 

Hawki

Elite Member
Legacy
Mar 4, 2014
9,651
2,173
118
Country
Australia
Gender
Male
BabyfartsMcgeezaks said:
Hawki said:
Gears of War: The first time a berserker turns up. There isn't too much in that series that really freaks/freaked me out, but that monster...sheesh. It's more its breathing more than anything.
Gears 1 almost felt like a horror game, it's a shame Epic strayed further from that with each entry.
This may take the thread off-topic, but I'd state that:

-I think it makes sense that the Gears games get more 'epic' with each installment (in the original trilogy). It's basic escalation within a storyline.

-Gears 4 does harken a bit back to Gears 1 (small scale, small squad, isolated, etc.), but paradoxically, it's also the most humorous installment in the series.
 

Worgen

Follower of the Glorious Sun Butt.
Legacy
Apr 1, 2009
14,415
3,393
118
Gender
Whatever, just wash your hands.
Serious Sam Second Encounter:

Clearing a room of enemies but being able to hear one last Kleer and having no idea where it is. Then deciding to just go collect ammo and suddenly hear that fucker running at you and when you turn its already jumped and you get face boned.
 

EvilRoy

The face I make when I see unguarded pie.
Legacy
Jan 9, 2011
1,840
537
118
Psychonauts had a scene where you enter a teachers mind to help her fight off the bads hold on her. Inside you meet her memory of failing to save an orphanage from burning down with the kids in it. Complete with whispers of "why didn't you save us".

Not what I expected out of such a colourful game with such a good sense of humour. Although I guess the whole milkman thing should have given me an idea of how it could go.
 

Silvanus

Elite Member
Legacy
Jan 15, 2013
11,025
5,794
118
Country
United Kingdom
Somebody has already nominated the ReDeads from Ocarina of Time & Majora's Mask.

But also, from Ni No Kuni 2;

When Roland passes out and has a dream about seeing his son again, in the destroyed landscape of his homeworld... only for this creepy shit to happen:

 

spartandude

New member
Nov 24, 2009
2,721
0
0
Hawki said:
-Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time: The ReDeads. Yeah, I was, like, 9 at the time, but...they were scary back then, okay?!
Yeah... back then... they certainly don't creep me out in my 20s.
 

BrawlMan

Lover of beat'em ups.
Legacy
Mar 10, 2016
26,689
11,191
118
Detroit, Michigan
Country
United States of America
Gender
Male
The bad ending in Streets of Rage 3. Seeing a nuclear bomb go off on an entire city is not healthy for a 6 year old.

Worgen said:
Serious Sam Second Encounter:

Clearing a room of enemies but being able to hear one last Kleer and having no idea where it is. Then deciding to just go collect ammo and suddenly hear that fucker running at you and when you turn its already jumped and you get face boned.
What's even worse is when you grab an item or important key and a group of kamikaze spawns behind you and you barely have any ammo left. I always found that scary at the age 13.


Hydra The Body Weapon from Shinobi 3

Not exactly scary, but disturbing to look at. The fact that he attacks you from the background before fighting him does not help.

https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/shinobisega/images/8/89/Hydra_the_Body_Weapon.gif/revision/latest?cb=20170703060159





DMC1's fatalities, first person underwater sections, The Nobody's, and the Castle when it gets to night time. The atmosphere and the music turn from an action game to almost a horror game. Then again, it's from the director of RE2, so it's a given.





The Ooze. Just look at the intro. I can't believe I got that for Christmas.

 

Mcgeezaks

The biggest boss
Dec 31, 2009
864
0
0
Sweden
Country
Sweden
Gender
Male
Hawki said:
BabyfartsMcgeezaks said:
Hawki said:
Gears of War: The first time a berserker turns up. There isn't too much in that series that really freaks/freaked me out, but that monster...sheesh. It's more its breathing more than anything.
Gears 1 almost felt like a horror game, it's a shame Epic strayed further from that with each entry.
This may take the thread off-topic, but I'd state that:

-I think it makes sense that the Gears games get more 'epic' with each installment (in the original trilogy). It's basic escalation within a storyline.

-Gears 4 does harken a bit back to Gears 1 (small scale, small squad, isolated, etc.), but paradoxically, it's also the most humorous installment in the series.
I understand that but did they really have to go all tropical? It really killed the dark and gritty mood that even Gears 2 managed to have.

I'll also say that Gears 1 did a lot better job than Gears 4 when it comes to the atmosphere, I played Gears of War UE again recently and I gotta say that it's the best looking Gears game imo.

To stay on topic, I really enjoyed that jumpscare in Arkham Knight where you play as Gordon in first person and when you turn around Batman is right in your face.
 

BrawlMan

Lover of beat'em ups.
Legacy
Mar 10, 2016
26,689
11,191
118
Detroit, Michigan
Country
United States of America
Gender
Male
BabyfartsMcgeezaks said:
I understand that but did they really have to go all tropical? It really killed the dark and gritty mood that even Gears 2 managed to have.
Because gunmetal grey and dog-shit brown had gotten played out, even though in the Gears universe, it's justified. Other games were copying it without understanding or trying to play the "realism" card while following the leader.
 

JohnnyDelRay

New member
Jul 29, 2010
1,322
0
0
Bit of old news here and definitely doesn't stand up to modern standards, but largely because of my age, these were pretty scary:

Half-Life 1, my first encounter with the Icthyosaur (massive piranha thing) was definitely unnerving. And when I was trying to figure out where to go next, all I could think of was "pls don't make me jump in the water with that thing, anything but that". Of course, nowadays I just jump in there and have at it, but it stressed me out as a kid.

Tenchu Stealth Assassin, can't remember if it was the first or the second, but the Manji cult level was just messed up. The atmosphere, creepiness, music, and just the sounds those undead things made. Not like your usual zombie moans, just...disturbing.

Diablo was pretty scary the first time I played that as well. Most Gotchic and dark game I think I had played up to that point, I mean Doom had satanic symbols and blood everywhere but that was just a violent game, not a scary one. Diablo for it's time had the atmosphere. The first encounter with the Butcher really got me, especially because I didn't know what to expect.

I was gonna say Vampire: Bloodlines, but that's already horror-themed, even though I wouldn't call it a horror game. Anyway that had some mentally scary, bad shit going on, and of course the Tzimisce house and haunted hotel are no joke. But I think it's too much of a stretch to call it non-horror.
 

Mcgeezaks

The biggest boss
Dec 31, 2009
864
0
0
Sweden
Country
Sweden
Gender
Male
CoCage said:
BabyfartsMcgeezaks said:
I understand that but did they really have to go all tropical? It really killed the dark and gritty mood that even Gears 2 managed to have.
Because gunmetal grey and dog-shit brown had gotten played out, even though in the Gears universe, it's justified. Other games were copying it without understanding or trying to play the "realism" card while following the leader.
It was part of Gears that the world was depressing as shit but it was also really good looking at the time. I just think changing the setting to palm trees and sunshine really set a different mood for the game.
 

Silentpony_v1legacy

Alleged Feather-Rustler
Jun 5, 2013
6,760
0
0
I was like...7 or 9 when I played it, so you'll forgive a child his fears, but the Spooky chapter in Conker's Bad Fur Day:


Come on, as a kid, coming off of Pokemon and Ed, Edd, and Eddy, that's legit nightmare fuel.
 

Trunkage

Nascent Orca
Legacy
Jun 21, 2012
8,684
2,879
118
Brisbane
Gender
Cyborg
Johnny Novgorod said:
Spec-Ops: The Line. All of it.
Homefront had a very similar scene to THAT scene from Spec Ops. But your compatriots were saying one of two things. 1. Gleefully laughing at the now crispy Korens. 2. Aghast at how could your side be willing to do that even to any enemy. And that some friendlies were hit. Overlay this confusion with screaming, about to be dead soldiers. Not as effective as Spec Ops, mainly because it wasn't your "decision" but it did wake me up from a pretty dreary game.
 

BrawlMan

Lover of beat'em ups.
Legacy
Mar 10, 2016
26,689
11,191
118
Detroit, Michigan
Country
United States of America
Gender
Male
BabyfartsMcgeezaks said:
CoCage said:
BabyfartsMcgeezaks said:
I understand that but did they really have to go all tropical? It really killed the dark and gritty mood that even Gears 2 managed to have.
Because gunmetal grey and dog-shit brown had gotten played out, even though in the Gears universe, it's justified. Other games were copying it without understanding or trying to play the "realism" card while following the leader.
It was part of Gears that the world was depressing as shit but it was also really good looking at the time. I just think changing the setting to palm trees and sunshine really set a different mood for the game.
Well, if Gears 5 makes you feel any better, they're going back to more of a serious, semi-horror tone. The color obviously going to stay the same, but there are some areas that are going for the blood red-brown effect. I don't know if you care for the new cast though.

Johnny Novgorod said:
Spec-Ops: The Line. All of it.
Technically, it's psychological horror once you get to the halfway section in the game, but your point still stands.