Posted by Happy Halloween, everybody!
In a fun follow-up to this article, I thought I’d take a moment to share some more creepy music/tracks from video games, some of which were sent to me by other fabulous bloggers here.
So I invite you to relax, pull up a high-backed chair next to the bubbling cauldron on the fire, and enjoy some of these spooky sounds at your next video-game-themed Halloween party!
“Shalebridge Castle” from Thief: Deadly Shadows
A dissonant melody, creepy background noises, sounds played backward, a touch of pipe organ, and what might be the garbled talking of a person hidden within it all, the theme from the Shalebridge Castle in Thief: Deadly Shadows is sure to set you on edge!
Credit to ZemplinTemplar
“9999999” from Portal 2
Recommended by Luke from Hundstrasse
With a driving beat, technological sounds that run up and down scales, distinctly minor chords, and a tonal structure that is reminiscent of the Gothic pipe-organ sounds used in scary movies, “9999999” is a good way to remember that the things that go bump in the night are… still alive.
Credit to Shadow of Link
“Tension Rising” from Mass Effect 2: Overlord
Recommended (sort of) by Kim from Later Levels
Nothing like a good, screeching violin to put your nerves on edge, right? One of the creepiest DLCs from the Mass Effect trilogy, Overlord certainly knows how to put the player in a very disturbing scenario and heightens the feeling of danger with high-pitched noises that sound like wails and moans of tormented victims.
Credit to D4mian11
“Trepidation” from 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors
Recommended by Ian from Adventure Rules
This one needs no introduction, as it was used as an example in my article about scary music, so here it is again for your listening pleasure:
Credit to SinnerFalcon
“Shadow Temple” from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Recommended by LightningEllen from LightningEllen’s Release
Another one we heard about last time, with its pseudo-irregular beat and creeping wailing-like sounds. Here it is again:
Credit to GilvaSunner
“Mother Brain Theme” from Super Metroid
Recommended by Imtiaz of Power Bomb Attack
With its irregular, driving rhythm and screeching effects, the theme from the battle with Mother Brain is back from last time, too!
Credit to Noke0
“River Twygz Beds” from Super Paper Mario
It’s baack… with its uncanny valley…
Credit to Ralis
“Lavender Town” from Pokemon Blue/Red
Recommended by NekoJonez from Arpegi
Unsettling, high-pitched, with an incessant “tick tock”-like sound piercing through the entirety of the piece, the theme from “Lavender Town” has made many a gamer uneasy.
Credit to pokemonmusicmaster
And if that’s not enough, I leave you with a sample of 20 creepy video game soundtracks. How many have you heard before?
Credit to Time2LevelUp
What’s your favorite creepy video game track? Or favorite creepy music track, even if it’s not from a video game? Let me know in the comments!
Happy Halloween!!
~ Athena
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AmbiGaming 
I have to admit there was always something unsettling about the Lavender Town music in the original Pokemon games.
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Ugh, right? The unstable-sounding structure of the notes is just so unnerving…
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The fact that it is also the music for the town where the Pokemon graveyard is located, makes it super creepy.
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I forgot about Lavender Town! That song creeped me out when I was little, but I loved it when I caught a Gastly there, haha. It was cool having a ghost monster to fight with. Good times! I miss the original 151-ish Pokémon. They lost me after that..
Oh that freaky Shadow Temple. The Wallmasters, ReDead, the Dead Hand, the ghost ship part, misc. disturbing things in the environment – all to the tune of that creepy-freaking track *shudders* Bongo Bongo was boss though! I loved his drum beat during the fight. The Forest Temple track was kind of haunting to me, but it felt more mystical overall, I guess.
Have a spooky one! 👻
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Yeah it’s super creepy. I actually only know Pokemon from the card game way back when, so I’m sort of lost with all the games, too.
Yup. Someone pretty cool reminded me how scary that place is…. Bongo Bongo was probably one of my favorite bosses, next to the Phantom Ganon (or maybe Real Ganon haha).
The Forest Temple freaked little-me out (I actually think it was the music), but older-me would concur with it being more mystical that horrifying haha.
You too! (oh, hey, Gastly…haha)
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Whoohoo I heeded the warning 😆
I have to go with Those Chosen by the Planet from (you guessed it) Final Fantasy VII. The best part is the build up. The song starts as just bells and drums that sound like a heartbeat, and the reason for that is pretty horrifyinh as in disembodied alien heart. The “heartbeat” motif is prominent in a few songs. Then at an integral plot point, the organ comes in over top of the bells and drums. It also helps that it’s in a creepy basement with a haunted mansion vibe.
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I left a comment on your site! But it’s not showing up. That’s a great one, and I really did like the heartbeat in the background, tapping into our “primal rhythm” for want of a better phrase. And Any gothic-sounding piece (with organ/church bells) always brings up a certain type of imagery, doesn’t it? It sounds like the piece matches the part in the game well!
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Oh WordPress…you need to get your act together lol. I wonder if there’s a suggestion box or the internet equivalent.
I want to say that VII really utilizes that heartbeat motif quite a bit, and like you said it taps in a primal rhythm for fear/horror moments.
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Oh hell yes, Those Chosen by The Planet. I’d also add Who Are You? to that list – the one that plays when you first see JENOVA for the first time… Still gives me the heebie-jeebies every time I hear it…
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Omg when the bass drops on “Those Chosen by the Planet” after Sephiroth says, “I’m going to see my mother,” it’s like holy shit. Like Squeenix managed to take a phrase that should not only be innocuous but also sweet and make it absolutely horrifying. That takes some work.
Is that when you see it in the tank? The eye nipple D:D:D: I know exactly what that song sounds like: the eerie piano notes that kind of fade off as you stare at this horror. Gah, FFVII is so good ♥♥♥
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I hear you. I have a not so healthy obsession with Final Fantasy VII myself. Yes, it’s when I see the eye nipple, I curse it so… Used to have nightmares about that headless thing, but I still love this game!
Also, yes the bass that drops when Sephiroth says that line! I usually don’t press anything for a moment and just listen to the silence, preparing myself, before continuing and becoming immersed in that theme… Ooooh it gives me chills!
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