With the October air sending a cool chill up the spines of many, the time has come to present the spookiest areas in video games. Whether they be from horror games or from any other genre, these areas became notorious for sending chills down many players' spines. Hospitals, mansions, crypts, and even police stations name just a few examples.
The most unsettling areas feature anything from terrifying monsters to the feeling of being watched. The underlying terror makes for the best and scariest locales. While people celebrate Halloween and everything spooky once a year, these areas are anything but festive.
10 Lavender Town (Pokemon)
One classic gaming staple nearly everyone knows, Lavender Town from Pokémon Red and Blue radiated an unsavory energy unlike any other town before it. The eerie music accompanied the tragedy within the town, and the talk from the townsfolk ranged from people mourning their lost pokémon to mentioning the monolithic Pokémon Tower.
Without the Silph Scope, the climb up the Pokémon Tower was fraught with the creepy, mysterious ghosts. With the Silph Scope, players were treated to the disembodied Ghost Pokemon, Gastly and Haunter, with perhaps their most menacing looking sprites. Furthermore, Lavender Town spurred a number of urban legends surrounding early players of the games.
9 Infirmary (Zero Escape: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors)
This first-person visual novel involves solving puzzles and escaping a facility or facing certain death. Each choice has consequences and those who don't follow the rules get blown to smithereens. Players are introduced quickly to the dark and morbid nature of Zero Escape after solving their first puzzle.
While the unsettling visages of Zero capturing the player set the tone for the game, one room, in particular, fills the player with dread. The infirmary features a large, open room of medical beds. Along with a murderer on the loose, it only makes players want to leave as quickly as possible.
8 Sector 5 (ARC) (Metroid Fusion)
Nintendo's Metroid series always brought about an air of disquiet. Stranded in an alien environment, bounty hunter Samus Aran works alone to exterminate hostile entitles. Metroid Fusion, however, takes the series in a new direction.
Metroid Fusion's ability to create fear remains unparalleled across the series. The tense music and atmosphere build up threats to be larger than ever before. In Sector 5's case, the ominous background shadow, Nightmare, destroys the sector, and Samus is forced to track it down. The music and ruined environment bring the feeling that Nightmare could just pop up at any time.
7 Roivas Mansion (Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem)
Eternal Darkness' Lovecraftian horror title takes place across many generations and settings. As the main character, Alex Roivas, ventures to her grandfather's mansion to uncover the truth behind his murder, in doing so, she reads the stories behind the historical figures who encountered the dark beings.
With every book read, her sanity drops a little, and, as time goes on, more and more monsters appear inside the Roivas Mansion. The more her sanity drops, the more distorted and creepy the environment in the Roivas home becomes. Among the many locales the player visits throughout the game, even the home base is far from safe.
6 Cave of the Gi (Final Fantasy VII)
In Final Fantasy VII, after recruiting Red XIII, Cloud and his allies are sent to the Cave of the Gi. Within it are the restless spirits of Red XIII's race's enemies, and this creepy cavern houses hordes of undead enemies.
The unsettling "Trails of Blood" theme was already appropriated for Sephiroth's bloody massacre of Shinra employees. It's easy to associate this theme with these bloody murders, but the cherry on top comes from the encounter with the boss itself. As Gi Nattak awakens, its face comes to life just as it attacks.
5 Floating Catacombs (Castlevania: Symphony of the Night)
Along with the Reverse Coliseum, the Floating Catacombs represents the most hellish environment of the Inverted Castle. In addition, both stages create anxiety in the player with its unsettling musical themes. However, Floating Catacombs was perhaps even more intense.
This sinister area also houses some of the stronger enemies in the game. For those unequipped with the game's strongest weapons, they'll be fighting for their lives. In addition, it includes the fight against the powerful super-boss Galamoth, and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night welcomes players with perhaps the most chilling area in the series.
4 Shadow Temple (The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time)
As Young Link, players enter the Bottom of the Well within Kakariko Village. The player will encounter Skulltulas, Redeads, Green Bubbles, and the monstrosity Dead Hand. This execution chamber of an area is nothing but dark and dreadful.
The Shadow Temple, which Adult Link visits shortly after, plays like an extension of the Bottom of the Well. Now made into a full dungeon, players must also witness the many execution devices used in the game. With the possibility of being jumped by one of the many enemies within the dungeon, Shadow Temple had players playing during daylight for a good reason.
3 Raccoon Police Department (Resident Evil 2 (Remake))
The Resident Evil series always had a knack for fear; tight corridors, undead creatures, and isolation always contributed to the fear factor. However, Resident Evil 2 succeeded in breaking that barrier to create a new element of horror.
While stalker enemies, like Tyrant (Resident Evil 2) and Nemesis (Resident Evil 3) were scripted to stop after a short while, the Tyrant in the remake never seems to stop. Once the players encounter this behemoth, he will continue pursuing them throughout the RPD and the areas beyond save for the breaks within the storyline. However, Tyrant will continuously chase the players through each area without rest.
2 Brookhaven Hospital (Silent Hill 3)
This unsettling area is home to some of the scariest encounters in the series. In Silent Hill 2, this was a dark, decrepit area introducing the Nurse enemies. The end of the hospital involved Pyramid Head sprinting at the player in a surprising chase sequence.
In Silent Hill 3, the area returns more chilling than ever. There is nothing quite as unsettling as the decaying walls or the puzzles such as using blood sacrifices from a fresh corpse in order to solve a puzzle. To make matters worse, the Nurses now utilize guns and won't hesitate to shoot the player from across the hallway without being seen.
1 Baker Estate (Resident Evil 7)
Resident Evil 7 is full of nothing but the most chilling sequences the series has to offer. Entering the silent Baker Mansion, the player is greeted to a videotape of two previous victims of the house. The player encounters the protagonist's wife, Mia, who became infected and violently turns on the player. Even after disposing of her, she comes back and viciously attacks the player with some of the most graphic sequences ever seen in the series.
After the player awakens from their encounter, they meet the Baker Family. Strapped to a dining chair, the player watches the family eat God-knows-what for dinner. Their insanity, showcased by a brief scene of dismemberment and depravity, will unsettle any player. Exploring the home, evading the pursuing and undying Jack Baker, the appearance of the old lady, and the first-person view keeps players on their toes in perhaps the most terrifying game of all time.