History NightmareFuel / Doom64

** The soundtrack's name is "Lamentation of the forgotten". A fitting name to a disturbing ambience music.

* "Level 21: Pitfalls" is even worse. The level consists of navigating a series of pillars in a sea of lava, followed by a trek through a series of dark hallways. The [[https://aubreyhodges.bandcamp.com/track/perfect-hate-level-pitfalls soundtrack]] is the icing on the cake-at one point, you can hear what sounds like a distorted human voice saying "Do they know I am alive? Can't they see me?"

* Some levels, especially later ones, are rigged with ''[[Franchise/IndianaJones Indiana Jones]]''-style projectile traps, making some areas into death traps. The worst ones are the Revenant Missile Launchers that always launch homing missiles. Thankfully, they're rare, but it can be a shock to wander into an area and unexpectedly have missiles bearing down upon you. "Level 23: Unholy Temple" is one of the most notable instances, where wandering around the central ziggurat will send missiles your way giving precious seconds to duck around the bend. It's also a shock since Revenants are not implemented in this game, but then you're suddenly being chased by the sole remnant of the enemy, their missiles.

* Doomguy may have achieved several levels of HorrifyingHero in the newer games, but ''here'' he is almost even more terrifying in a different way. He isn't filled with TranquilFury: ''he is full-blown AxCrazy in this one,'' to a far greater level than the BloodKnight he was implied to be in the first two games. He's actively ''hunting'' down demons to satisfy his thirst for their blood, [[https://doomwiki.org/w/images/3/35/Doom64_Even_Simpler_text.png if the text]] [[https://doomwiki.org/w/images/0/00/Doom64_The_Lair_text.png screens are anything]] to go by. It could be inferred that, after losing so much to the demons, including Daisy, Doomguy has finally [[SanitySlippage simply decided to rip and tear without pause.]]

* "Level 31: In The Void", a secret level with a series of balconies and almost-random structures suspended in a dark-blue foggy world and decorated with corpses in the main hub. The introduction text before the level describes this as [[EldritchLocation a place not meant for humans]], setting up the mood before you enter by what appears to be falling from the air. To exit this place, you must essentially jump off the edge of one of the balconies into the seemingly bottomless abyss. You're left wondering what exactly this secret world was created for, without any clear answers.
* Doomguy may have achieved several levels of HorrifyingHero in the newer games, but ''here'' he is almost even more terrifying in a different level. He isn't filled with TranquilFury: ''he is full-blown AxCrazy in this one,'' to a far greater level than the BloodKnight he was implied to be in the first two games. Actively ''hunting'' down demons to satisfy his thirst for their blood, [[https://doomwiki.org/w/images/3/35/Doom64_Even_Simpler_text.png if the text]] [[https://doomwiki.org/w/images/0/00/Doom64_The_Lair_text.png screens are anything]] to go by. It could be inferred that, after losing so much to the demons, including Daisy, Doomguy has finally [[SanitySlippage simply decided to rip and tear without pause.]]

* Some levels, especially later ones, are rigged with ''[[Franchise/IndianaJones Indiana Jones]]''-style projectile traps, making some area into death traps. The worst ones are the Revenant Missile Launchers that always launch homing missiles. Thankfully, they're rare, but it can be a shock to wander into an area and unexpectedly have missiles bearing down upon you. "Level 23: Unholy Temple" is one of the most notable instances, where wandering around the central ziggurat will send missiles your way giving precious seconds to duck around the bend. It's also a shock since Revenants are not implemented in this game, but then you're suddenly being chased by the sole remnant of the enemy, their missiles.

* "Level 12: Altar of Pain" is probably the scariest level in all of the classic Doom games, between the dark and stormy sky, the creepy music, and the moans of pain in the background.

''Doom 64'' manages to take the classic ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'' gameplay and atmosphere and make it much scarier like its [=PlayStation=] counterpart, with {{darker|AndEdgier}} graphics, more muted and grim colors, and one absolutely creepy soundtrack. Gone are the heavy metal-inspired tracks, replaced by [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdzgSNFlhc4 incredibly]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0wiXQMTDdE unsettling]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g07rCtrlwn4 ambient]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M30LlWFYZqo music]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsZP80NKbBA tracks]] courtesy of Aubrey Hodges.

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITIGTr2tkUA The menu theme]] maintains the loneliness with an uneasy droning and a tune that plays riffs from multiple songs in the soundtrack. Before you even start playing, it conveys a sense of being in for a lonely and dreary adventure.

* "Level 13: Dark Citadel" is a different brand of eeriness with the feel of a HauntedCastle and a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g07rCtrlwn4 matching musical theme]]. Though there are monsters about, there is a constant sense of moon-lit loneliness here, and the castle is unwelcoming to guests thanks to the presence of dart shooters in the central halls. A remarkable feat of atmosphere in Doom 64 that manages to be awesome at the same time.
* "Level 20: Breakdown" has the aforementioned [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsZP80NKbBA unsettling musical theme]] and does create a sense of mental breakdown (true to its name) thanks to the entrance into the starting courtyard mysteriously vanishing as you travel into the maze-like halls. Over-and-under passageways further disorient you and the exit to this level is a mysterious vat of blood that you must jump into.

* "Level 21: Pitfalls" is even worse. The level consists of navigating a series of pillars in a sea of lava, followed by a trek through a series of dark hallways. The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZEEFC_WGzA soundtrack]] is the icing on the cake-at one point, you can hear what sounds like a distorted human voice saying "Do they know I am alive? Can't they see me?"

* The red-tinted screen melt effect that is used to denote the end of a level and cover load times can surprisingly add to the eerie atmosphere, like each level exit is Doom Guy waking up from a bad dream and entering a new one; the screen contents melt-fade into darkness as if it's bleeding. By extension, like earlier Doom titles, many levels start in highly illogical spots like you simply materialized into hostile territory, but it can create a more dream-like experience in this game's case.