Fatal Frame/Project Zero – Strangling Ritual
Fatal Frame (or Project Zero as it was known in PAL regions) is one of the more unique entries in the survival horror genre, tasking players with fighting off ghosts and demons with nothing but a camera. Though its gameplay was unique within the genre, the standard horror music components were used, resulting in a soundtrack chock full of ambient noise and radio static. Who cares if it’s overused these days? It’s bloody terrifying.
Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines – Ocean House Theme
Sometimes silence is the scariest song of all. Troika’s flawed gem, Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines, offered a slice of FPS horror goodness in the form of the Ocean House Hotel mission. The expertly used sound effects helped draw the player’s attention to the necessary scares, and the soft and subtle soundtrack music helped bring these SFX to the fore. You know a horror game has succeeded when you get scared by the sound of your own footsteps.
Resident Evil 2 – Nothing More to do Here (S.T.A.R.S Office Theme)
Resident Evil 2 was one of the biggest and most innovative action horror games to grace the PS1 era, and the initial meeting between the game’s two playable characters is one of those classic moments in gaming. With some brilliantly wooden dialogue cementing the S.T.A.R.S office in gamers minds forever, it makes sense that the accompanying music would take on a similar level of significance. When I think of the Resident Evil brand of survival horror, this is the music I think of.
Final Fantasy 7 – Trail of Blood
What would a soundtrack top ten be without the legend that is Nobuo Uematsu? The guy is capable of conveying all kinds of emotions through music and, with Trail of Blood in the epic Final Fantasy 7, he set his sights on evoking fear and loneliness. The held chords, stark rhythms and haunting high notes are all characteristic of an overpowering and eerie soundtrack. The game has one of thebest soundtracks ever overall and, even when the game’s trying to scare you, it doesn’t let up.
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