00:07Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we're taking a look at 10 of the creepiest levels in PlayStation 1, non-horror
00:13games.
00:21Before we begin, we publish new content all week long, so be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to
00:26be notified about our latest videos.
00:30The Cave of Bad Dreams, Rayman 2 The Great Escape
00:41Rayman 2's cartoony veneer is immediately shed once Rayman steps foot into the Cave of Bad Dreams.
00:48This Netherworld-esque locale is brimming with spooky imagery and dissonant yet oddly enchanting music.
00:54Ghostly visages abound, skeletal bones provide climbing points, and lanky-limbed monstrosities are ready to harm you around every corner.
01:03It's definitely a creepy tonal shift in an otherwise pretty uplifting platforming game.
01:08Once you've started to get used to this otherworldly vibe, you then have to run away from a ravenous beast
01:14with chomping gnashers as you slip and slide around green ethereal platforms.
01:19It's a lot to contend with, and quickly sends shivers down your spine.
01:23Fortunately, your golden reward at the end of this level is shiny and enticing.
01:34Demon's Lab Wild Arms
01:43The dastardly dame Lady Harkin is at the center of this techno horror dungeon, creating all sorts of havoc via
01:50the demon archives.
01:51Now, this area in Wild Arms may not look as outwardly creepy as others on this list.
01:57However, it's what happens inside the demonically infused terminals that makes it a real spooky gem.
02:03Yes, the glowing green metallic walls, the odd music, and nightmare fuel baddies up the ante in terms of creepiness.
02:10But it's all the small narrative beats at the terminals and with Lady Harkin that really thrust Red into your
02:16playthrough.
02:16It's a pretty small and short dungeon and won't take too long to get through, but it's got enough spooky
02:21factor to stick in your mind long after you exit.
02:32Pools of the Ancient Dead Medieval
02:42Okay, okay, yes. Medieval is obviously known for its cartoony, gothic horror setting, but it's in no way a horror
02:49game, not by a long shot.
02:50It's got loads of creepy locations to choose from, but for our money at least, it's Pools of the Ancient
02:56Dead that truly takes the rotten cake here in our book.
02:59At least for a game that is otherwise pretty tame in terms of creepiness.
03:03The outward view of this level may not look that menacing apart from the stormy weather and zombie-like goons
03:09that roam around.
03:10However, it's more in the way that the boatman tasks Sir Daniel Fortescue with collecting souls of the dead in
03:16order to proceed forward.
03:18Doing this while trying your darndest to not fall into the murky haunting waters filled with the moaning dead is
03:24straight up nightmare fuel.
03:33Hike of the Haunted Muppet Monster Adventure
03:44Now, we've featured this gem of a game on a few lists here on the channel because it's a super
03:50overlooked Spyro inspired 3D platform with oodles upon oodles, and even more oodles if you can believe it, of family
03:57friendly spooky charm and fun gameplay.
03:59However, the level hike of the Haunted really surprised us by just how creepy it can be, mostly because of
04:05the rainy stormy weather and the whole camping outside at night vibe that conjures up ghost stories around the campfire.
04:12And s'mores, of course, plenty of s'mores.
04:13Yes, it's still a pretty tame level overall, but it's a shock to the core compared to the rest of
04:19the stages in this game.
04:21If the shotgun lunatics and sentient bear traps don't freak you out, then surely the possessed pig creatures and slap
04:27-happy evil totem poles will.
04:29All I have to say to this level's creepy vibes is waka waka woo!
04:34Waka waka woo!
04:35Waka Show
04:42Our 24 last gaming live stream has loads of horror and non-horror content. Check it out by scanning that
04:48QR code onscreen.
04:49Shinra Mansion, Final Fantasy VII
05:01All right, so let's just be real here. Shinra Mansion is essentially Final Fantasy
05:067's version of Spencer Mansion from Resident Evil. It's beautifully elegant, yet haunting
05:12and harrowing. It's got cryptic puzzles and lore, nefarious baddies, and a tragic and dark
05:17backstory that lends itself well to the creepy vibes it gives off. The music is off-putting,
05:23which really helps with the overall sense of dread. In an otherwise pretty standard, grungy,
05:28industrial fantasy RPG, Shinra Mansion really throws things off by putting you into a state
05:33of unease, confusion, and dread. Come and enter for the spooky atmosphere, but stay a while for
05:38the haunting and nefarious backstory. The Forbidden Forest, Harry Potter and the Sorcerers,
05:51or Philosopher's Stone.
05:53Be careful. The forest can be a dangerous place. I better go, Harry. That spoilt brat Draco is
06:00waiting with Fang. Anyone with even an ounce of knowledge about the Harry Potter universe knows
06:05that the Forbidden Forest is off-limits to Hogwarts students for a reason. I mean, I guess there's
06:09lots of reasons, but really it's just downright terrifying and dangerous. The dark stalking trees,
06:15the haunting ambient background drones and drums interspersed with wind and wolf howls,
06:20the labyrinthian nature of the eponymous forest, the fact that you are tracking unicorn blood to find
06:25the culprit, and of course, who couldn't forget Malfoy's madcap antics and his just general annoying
06:30nature, all lead this short but spooky locale to really stand out in an otherwise enchanting fantastical game.
06:37There's just this sort of sinister and haunting vibe as you explore each area of the forest,
06:42using incendio to clear brambles, punishing the mischievous forest dwellers with your magic,
06:47and eking out a way forward no matter the cost.
07:09So by their very nature, catacombs are obviously pretty creepy and otherworldly. So the fact that
07:15a gritty stealth action adventure such as Siphon Filter features a catacombs level, namely,
07:20Stronghold Catacombs is incredibly harrowing. These foreboding catacombs are layered with bones and
07:25skulls, all accompanied by the sound of dripping water off in the distance. No music at all plays
07:31during this maze-like level. It sets a menacing tone as you play out your rescue mission against
07:36some cult-like members who are armed to the teeth. The fact that you can so easily get lost in
07:41the
07:41catacombs makes the level even more intense. It was a surprise then, a standout stage really,
07:46that stealth fans simply just didn't see coming here.
07:56Scream TV, Poltergex, Gex, Enter the Gecko.
08:07While yes, we could have featured a different Scream TV level here, or heck,
08:12even all of the Scream TV levels in this one entry, we strongly believe that the Poltergex level truly
08:17stands out as the absolute pinnacle of creepiness in this wacky and irreverent 3D platformer. While yes,
08:23obviously the cringy one-liners from Gex are still the creepiest part of this game, Poltergex is a
08:29close second. This medieval castle stage is downright haunted. Seriously, I mean,
08:33do you see the imagery in this level? It's like it's straight out of a gothic horror title. It
08:38clashes with the rest of the Saturday morning cartoon vibes that the game gives off. Ghostly visages,
08:44possessed pumpkins, witches' cauldrons, cursed paintings, a graveyard outside of the castle windows,
08:49really, the list just goes on and on here.
08:58No, no, no, I wanted the pit there and the pendulum there!
09:02Ireland section, Tomb Raider Chronicles.
09:07Fear not this visage, it is but a vessel for my troubled spirit.
09:14This is the inspiration for this very list you're watching, after featuring the Ireland levels from
09:19Tomb Raider Chronicles in a different list, it kind of made me wonder just how many creepy or
09:24even spooky levels pop up in otherwise non-horror games on the PS1. Chronicles certainly isn't a
09:30good Tomb Raider game, but it does at least have some creative levels. The three Ireland levels strip
09:35away Lara's guns in favor of cryptic puzzle solving, wonky platforming, and loads of spooky narrative
09:40beats. Each of the three levels feeds directly into the next, for a nice sense of cohesion here.
09:45It's just the way that these Celtic folklore stages blend dissonant music, haunting sound effects,
09:51and off-putting monstrosities, and dastardly demons, that truly sets the stage for true horror
09:56in an otherwise bog-standard action-adventure title.
10:09Let There Be Light, Rugrats Search for Reptar
10:13Take that!
10:19If you know, yeah you know, anyone that happened to play this 1998 Rugrats PS1 gem was completely
10:26caught off guard and jumpscared by the level Let There Be Light. Tommy is thrust into a dark and
10:31ominous part of this otherwise innocuous suburban house at night, haunting specters creeping around
10:37known as shadow monsters, odd noises, and barely any light to be found apart from his flashlight when the
10:43batteries didn't run out. It's an incredibly short level to say the least, but it very quickly makes
10:48you wonder if Search for Reptar is secretly, or not so subtly, a survival horror game. The goal here is
10:54to get Spike to open the refrigerator door to let out the light and push back the darkness in the
10:59house
10:59that Stew was the catalyst for. Short, sweet, and downright creepy by all measures.
11:12So, what did you think of our picks for this list? What are some creepy levels in PS1 non-horror
11:17games you have experienced? Let us know in the comments.
