By Quinn Smalley
It’s October, and the air is getting crisp. The colors on the trees are shifting to brilliant hues of crimson, orange, yellow and brown, and the spooky vibe of Halloween is among us… is what I would say if we lived in New England.
Tucson’s weather, while incredibly comfortable this time of year through the holidays, leaves us sorely lacking a certain spooky atmosphere. Music is the ultimate mood setter, so I’ve compiled some of my very favorite spooky, seasonally appropriate official videogame soundtracks.
Parasite Eve (1998) by Yoko Shimomura — Blending opera and orchestral music with electronic synths and dance beats, this soundtrack is one of the most danceable on the list. Haunting operatic vocals and tragic piano solos are present in most tracks, especially those that give a sense of melancholy and the feeling of an old and important memory you can almost remember. When it’s not high drama, you can expect tracks that are oppressive and that are straight-up chilling like “The Surface of the Water.” Heart-pumping electronic tracks like “Primal Eyes” and “Force Trail” complement those slower moments well.
Recommended tracks: “Primal Eyes,” “Memory 3,” “Force Trail.” Listen here.
The cover of the Parasite Eve Original Soundtrack.
Clock Tower (1995) by Human Entertainment — An oft-forgotten horror classic for the Super Nintendo that took the potential of horror to the limit on the limited hardware of the console. And despite the limitations of the Super Nintendo, the team at Human Entertainment created a soundtrack full of shudder-inducing 16-bit screams and dated synths, which can be just as immersive as tracks from games released in 2025. These lo-fi qualities give this soundtrack a rawness that reflects the protagonist’s struggle and determination to survive the night at Barrows Mansion.
Recommended tracks: “Don’t Cry Jennifer,” “The Nightmare Is Finally Over …”. Listen here.
The cover of the original Japanese release of Clock Tower.
Silent Hill 2 (2001) by Akira Yamaoka — An excellent soundtrack that can stand alone as a complete piece of music removed from the “Silent Hill” series. All of the mainline Silent Hill games are composed by Yamaoka, his work on Silent Hill 2, in my opinion, is his strongest effort. Influenced by industrial rock, punk and other strange, often indecipherable samples, this album is otherworldly, just like the game it represents. “Reverse Will” uses a discordant trio of saxophones and the whispering of a child reciting the prayer “Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep” in reverse, making for an oddly tragic and danceable tune. “Angel’s Thanatos” is another standout that sounds like a Sonic Youth cut.
Recommended tracks: “Love Psalm,” “Reverse Will,” “Angel’s Thanatos,” “Theme of Laura,” “True.” Listen here
The cover of Silent Hill 2 official soundtrack.
Fatal Frame IV: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse (2008) by Grasshopper Manufacture and Tecmo — While it doesn’t technically have an official soundtrack release, there are ways to listen to the eerie cuts from “Fatal Frame 4.” This album is home to some of the most chilling ambient sounds on this list, particularly the track “The Whimpers of Hell,” which gives major “The Grudge” vibes. “Zero no Chouritsu” and “Noise,” both by popular singer Amano Tsukiko, bring a raw emotion that’s desperately needed in such a delightfully dreadful soundtrack.
Recommended tracks: “Zero no Chouritsu,” “Tsukumori Song” and its Pipe Organ variant, “Costume Change,” “Sully.” Listen here.
The cover of the original Japanese release of Fatal Frame IV: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse, alternatively titled: 零〜月蝕の仮面〜 Zero ~Tsukihami no Kamen~.
Resident Evil 2 (1998) by Capcom Sound Team — This soundtrack has everything: drama, action and, above all, horror. While the first game’s music is iconic in its own right, its sequel takes the terror to new heights. “The First Floor” lulls you into a false sense of security before a loud slam shocks you out of that feeling of safety. “Ada’s Theme” brings a mysterious and feminine sensibility that helps break up the heavy tension that “T-A” builds. A fan favorite and video game staple, “Secure Place” is the only track in the game that signals you’ve reached a true safe room in the zombie-infested police station.
Recommended tracks: “Ada’s Theme,” “Secure Place,” “Is Ada Spy!?,” “Escape From Laboratory,” “And After That …” (Save this one for last; it’s perfect aftercare for making it through all that madness). Listen here.
The cover of the Resident Evil 2 Original Soundtrack.
As a bonus and palate cleanser, enjoy some camp from Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. Happy Halloween!