What is the location in a game that has had you responding to the slightest thing by jumping out of your skin? What was it about the place that made it so scary?
I have three candidates, but I'm not decided on which one takes the biscuit; spoilers put in place in case you haven't visited them before and still intend to be surprised... and jumpy.
1) Stalker: Call of Pripyat - Pripyat
2) Stalker: Call of Pripyat again - X8.
3) Fallout 3 - Dunwich Building
Oh and also, what were the fail-scary locations; places in games which were supposed to be creepy but really weren't? None immediately jump to mind for me.
I have three candidates, but I'm not decided on which one takes the biscuit; spoilers put in place in case you haven't visited them before and still intend to be surprised... and jumpy.
1) Stalker: Call of Pripyat - Pripyat
It was the only one of the three zones I was genuinely unnerved by. If you turn the music off and stand still there is absolutely nothing... just silence. It's so empty as well and the buildings looming over you. I imagine that Pripyat in real life must be similar; just a deadly silence. With the soundtrack on, Pripyat is still immensely creepy; the night soundtrack is especially good at sending shivers down my spine. The Kindergarten (so much psy energy, so many flying objects), the Old Service Centre (the shuffling upstairs and the Pseudodog suddenly falling out the window) and that muttering of zombies somewhere nearby were all things that really wierded me out.
2) Stalker: Call of Pripyat again - X8.
Its the noises! The lab, even after you have genoicided then entire population of freaks and mutants it is still noisy. There's the sound of that steam valve, the anomalies and the banging in pipes among others and the latter of those three examples is the one that still has me jumping. The narrow corridors and confusing layout unnerve and when I first went in there, I was very quickly wanting to just get the documents and get out as quickly as possible. It constantly sounds like there's something nearby. And I haven't even mentioned how unnerving that baby's cry is - man that made my spine shiver... I still cringe at the thought of that.
3) Fallout 3 - Dunwich Building
That place had me the most scared I've ever been playing Fallout ever. Even Vault 22 in New Vegas, which was pretty creepy in its own right, pales in comparison. I think it was the feeling that there was just something unnatural in the place, something almost paranormal (yes the doors swinging open and the things falling off tables did give it away, as did the visions). Only place in Fallout I've wanted to leave because I'm creeped out rather than worried the inhabitants will kill me because I'm too low a level.
Oh and also, what were the fail-scary locations; places in games which were supposed to be creepy but really weren't? None immediately jump to mind for me.