The GameOn Magazine Issue 61 | Page 17

Articles 5 Strangely Terrifying Locations in Games no order, and by no means the best; of levels that can strike fear in the player, even in the absence of danger. Frigate Orpheon -METROID PRIME Metroid Prime is brilliant. Though visibly dated, it still looks and plays beautifully. A large factor that ensured Metroid Prime’s success was how well it managed to translate Super Metroid’s atmosphere into a first person perspective. While Prime has its share of creepy moments (particularly when the lights go out), it’s the opening stage, the Frigate Orpheon, that is most memorable. Samus’ Varia Suit and Arm Cannon do little to stop you from feeling small as you walk through the Orpheon’s claustrophobic halls. Scans of the dead or dying Space Pirates detail their violent last moments, but fail to mention the identity of their attackers. That unknown threat lingering in the back of your mind as you walk through the quiet rooms of the Orpheon makes for a powerful and unforgettable introduction to the game. Issue 61 • November 2014 Daedric Ruins – THE ELDER SCROLLS III: MORROWIND Exploring Morrowind, you’ll inevitably crawl through countless dungeons. There’s something intangible that separates the Daedric Ruins from any thieves’ hideout, forgotten Dwemer structure or ancestral tomb; an innate feeling that you’re messing with something much bigger than yourself. It doesn’t take long to reach a point where your character can take anything the game throws at them, but even so; entering a Daedric structure is always accompanied by an uneasy, dreadful feeling. Even the exterior of the Daedric Ruins, in broad daylight no less, can conjure up feelings of panic and confusion; their jagged, nonsensical architecture looking like something straight out of Lovecraft. Nothing’s sacred in The Elder Scrolls, but the Daedric Ruins come close. They’re possibly the only places in the game where you won’t charge in weapons flailing but instead approach with caution. 17 • GameOn Magazine