The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess/Nightmare Fuel
Majoras Mask may be easily considered the darkest game in the entire Zelda series; however, since the release of Twilight Princess, there have been numerous comparisons between the two in this regard.
But then again, if a Zelda game shows to have a more "mature" style than its predecessors, is there any wonder about the obvious effects this has on said game's amount of Nightmare Fuel as a consequence? Nope.
- In-Universe example: Barnes recounting how the shop owner was turned into a shadow thing by the time the rest of the village came to rescue her... with all the kids, already scared out of their minds, listening. Smooth, Barnes, real smooth.
- In Twilight Princess, you find out that the Cthulhu-like Shadow Beasts have attacked and transformed villagers into them. You get to learn about it from the perspective of villagers living in constant fear of the same thing happening to them. The knowledge that the monsters you are fighting were once living people is horribly unsettling.
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Barnes: How long do you think we can hold this sanctuary against beasts that strong, huh? Once they attack, it's OVER! Remember the lady from the general store? Just one of those things attacked her, and a whole gang from town went to save her! And what happened? She was already gone, and there were TWO monsters waitin'! |
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- And along a similar vein, the man in TP Hyrule Castle Town who sold his soul to Poes for wealth. They gave him wealth alright, but also turned him into a living golden statue, permanently stationary with jewel eyes while still being conscious. And it's implied that he's been like that for quite some time before Link meets him.
- The scene where Link first transforms into a wolf is disturbing. It sounds like he's in pain!
- Not to mention the crazy psycho strings playing while he gets dragged into the Twilight by his neck!
- One of the worst Redeads came in Twilight Princess: Giant, mummified scarecrows with red scarves around their necks with giant, hollow eyes, shambling about as they drag a sword-cleaver that would make Pyramid Head proud. If they see you, they instantly shriek a hideous banshee scream that paralyzes you instantly. Then, they shamble towards you, and when in range, cleave their swords into you, taking a good chunk of your health. And what makes it even worse is that you are paralyzed until you are hit or it wears off, and it almost never wears off before you are hit. Heaven help you if you are in a tight room with FIVE of them, cause then you get at least two going after you at once.
- There is one point in the Arbiter's Grounds where it's possible to be paralyzed by a Redead's scream while you are standing on quicksand. Watching Link sink to his death while paralyzed is arguably worse than watching him get whacked by a Redead's sword.
- The Redeads in Twilight Princess actually look more like Redead-Gibdo hybrids. They have the eyes of Redeads, and the scream, but they're also mummy-creatures with bandages drapped all over. That red scarf thing actually looks more like blood soaked bandages whenever one sees them on a TV screen, as opposed to cloth when viewing a still image.
- Armogohma in Twilight Princess is the largest Gohma yet seen in the series, and as such is an arachnophobe's worst nightmare.
- The part where you had to fight the moving eye was delightful Nightmare Retardant, though.
- So, you're playing Twilight Princess, and you're in some damn dungeon or another. You're having a good time, whacking things with your sword and finding keys, when suddenly, you hear a faint squeaking. And you're not moving as fast as you normally do. So, you go into sense mode and see that you're covered in ghost rats.
- What's even worse is when you see Midna start to freak out while you're in wolf form. For a character that spends most of the game ordering you around and making snarky remarks, seeing her scared tips you off that something very bad that you can't see is happening. (most people thought that was a glitch)
- The scarabs aren't much better; they have the same effect, but at least you can see them unassisted.
- Some find the scarabs much, much worse. The sight of quite literally hundreds upon hundreds of tiny bugs all swarming towards you and latching onto you...
- Speaking of Midna, how about her happy look when she takes out the fused shadow after Zant transformed her? Part carnivore, part demented gaping mouth is the best way to describe it.
- Some expected a Face Heel Turn from her at some point in the game. That part did not quell those worries.
- Lanayru's little history lesson. Probably the first time that Surreal Horror has ever been used in the series.
- In the middle of that scene, Link has a rather...uncanny look on his face, like he's got some insane, evil desires swirling around in his head on account of the vision.
- Watch it here.
- The fact that it obviously scares Link is pretty disturbing. This is the guy who's already faced unimaginable horrors, with many more to come, and he actually falls to his knees, shocked and overwhelmed, when it ends.
- How about that hand that chases after you in the Palace of Twilight? When it gets close to you this suspenseful music starts to play but you make out the door so no problem. You casually walk through the next room and the hand comes flying through the wall!
- Skulltulas. Fricking Skulltulas! Unlike Ocarina of Time, these Skulltulas move around like real spiders.
- Encountered your first Skulltula, your reaction may change from something of a "Wow, they did an amazing job of fleshing their look out" or "Heck those are pretty creepy", all seemed fine and dandy till you got closer and instead of it showing you its belly side, it CRAWLS OFF ITS THREAD AND COMES AFTER YOU! The reaction may be something of a "THAT'S NOT OKAY!!"
- NOT TAKE MIRROR!
- Even worse, right before it happens you can see her head twitching erratically in the reflection with her moaning. Seriously bad things are about to happen.
- The Twilit Bloat. To make matters worse, it actually exists.
- Seeing all of the frozen Zoras in Zora's domain, it's just eerie.
- Consider also that to thaw them, you drop a HUGE CHUNK OF VOLCANIC ROCK on the ice in the throne room. Granted, you had to do it, but how many Zoras were killed on contact with it, and how many by being flung against something by the explosive gush of water?
- Zant easily qualifies due to his insanity alone, but what really gets him here is his very, very, very disturbing confrontation with Midna right after you complete the Lakebed Temple, forcibly holding her in place and whispering "I need you" in her ear as he's drooling, then blasting her with Lanayru's light beam attack, which nearly kills her.
- Ganondorf's death scene has Zant's self-inflicted Neck Snap, pictured above. This isn't that bad by itself, but the background music cranks the scariness Up to Eleven.
- The fight against Zant is both hilarious and creepy. Before the fight even starts, he has a Villainous Breakdown and starts going nuts, screaming and moving like a maniac. Then the fight starts, and gets progressively intense as Zant gets crazier, until the final phase where he goes fucking apeshit and attacks you madly. The music also gets faster and crazer as the fight goes on. Finally, when you kick his ass, the way Midna finishes him off is the icing on the scary cake.
