History NightmareFuel / Lisa

** After making your way into a cave, you see a vision of Rando approaching Buddy, before the screen flashes blood-red, and Lisa's corpse can be seen hanging next to Marty. Before you're given time to process this, a massive, grotesque and monstrous version of Marty (or possibly '''BRAD''') [[JumpScare shows up completely out of the blue]], then begins to chase you as you're forced to remain helpless and cornered before the screen flashes white again, finding yourself back at the beginning of the game.

* The Joy Mutants themselves are '''far''' from pleasant to look at, much less talk about. [[WasOnceAMan They're the end result of a Joy addict's death/emotional development;]] giant, horrifically fleshy monsters that are almost entirely hostile towards anyone who dare approach them. Their minds have been shattered to the point where the only thing they seek is their deepest desire, which in most cases makes them violent and cannibalistic. These violent tendencies and their capacity for brutality make them some of the few enemies in the game that can [[{{Permadeath}} perma-kill]] your party members, which is it's own can of peas. There's also the fact that during battle, most mutants spend their turns [[TearsofRemorse crying]] and [[HowlofSorrow moaning]] while only occasionally dishing out devastating attacks. This can be interpreted as them still having a little humanity left and being dimly aware of the monsters they've become, which makes them both [[FridgeHorror horrific]] and [[TragicMonster sad]].

* It very quickly becomes obvious that [[CrapsackWorld the world of LISA is not a very nice place to live in.]] You have violent bandits and marauders murdering anyone they run into, men trying to molest other men [[{{Gendercide}} to compensate for the entire population of women being wiped out,]] there's grotesque mutants who [[WasOnceAMan used to be human beings]] with their minds torn apart and reduced to caveman-like states, and the sole fact that one day, [[HumanitysWake humanity itself is going to shrivel up into nothing.]] It's a ''very'' bleak setting, especially for a game inspired by [[VideoGame.EarthBound1994 EarthBound.]]

* The Definitive Edition of the game adds a hidden secret sequence into ''The Painful'': Brad’s Nightmare. It's accessed by sleeping at the very first Campfire of the game after all of the boat parts have been collected, and the events that happen within it are several degrees worse than anything else in the game, which is REALLY, '''REALLY''' saying something. The entire thing is a direct manifestation of Brad's trauma, his father's sexual violence towards his sister, and her associated suicide. [[JumpScare Jump Scares]] are all over the place, and the whole nightmare is punctuated by unnerving undertones and a perpetual edge of tension. ''Even the Nice Neighborhood and Wally's'' both pale in comparison to how terrifying this entire sequence is:

** Once the enemy is defeated, an [[JumpScare image of Buzzo flashes violently on screen]] as the sprite is ''fully animated'', turning from side to side while he laughs, taunting you.
** After defeating the enemies, you make your way through the neighborhood as the music builds up, and are greeted to the sight of countless insectoid creatures with Joy masks on. [[SarcasmMode How lovely.]]

** An addendum to this is that dreams are often manifested through memories or experiences we've had, so there's a possibility that Marty [[FridgeHorror have said these things to Brad's face.]]
** Leaving the house leads to a sea of blood, and within it resides a disturbingly familiar sight – The massive mound of flesh topped with Marty’s head. [[MarathonBoss What transpires next is less of a boss fight and more of an outright war,]] as he has '''100,000 Hitpoints''', rendering the fight extremely lengthy and escalating the hopelessness of the situation. The sheer level of health he has, coupled with the now-familiar OneHitKill attacks of the game, requires multiple entire parties to fight him, which loops through three phases per assault.
** The fight itself is prefaced with a black screen, the thunderous sounds of rain, and the ominous message "Brad rallies his party for a tough fight...", which, [[NintendoHard considering everything else in the game,]] [[OhCrap isn't a good sign of the things to come.]]
*** The first phase involves wading through the sea of blood and [[MirrorBoss being set upon by images of your current party]]. While they are initially not too challenging, they will become progressively deadlier the more attempts it takes to defeat Marty, with the copies [[FearfulSymmetry gaining invulnerability to the attacks of the original,]] [[AttackReflector obtaining a reflective shield]], and [[TakingYouWithMe eventually becoming able to self-destruct on death, instantly KOing the character it's copying with no way to block it]].
*** The second involves fighting an army of strengthened Marty Spiders, which are capable of draining life from your characters in a difficult battle of attrition. The fact that they can ''[[CameBackWrong take the appearance of your consumed party member's heads]]'' is easily the most disturbing thing about them, including the fact that some of the deceased party members they imitate look nothing like their living forms.
*** The final stage is at the peak, where you fight the Manifestation of Marty proper, surrounded by spider-spewing boils and a raging storm. While the player is probably used to OneHitKill mechanics by this point, this fight makes them especially horrifying: the battle animation shows Marty slowly reaching for them before biting down, taking them to a unique cutscene, where the character is [[TheAssimilator slowly dragged into the fleshy folds of the mountain.]] This instantly spawns another spider-boil, and [[YouAreWhoYouEat any future spiders created in Phase 2 will have a chance of having the devoured characters’ head, as explained above]]. As the battle goes on, Marty becomes more unhinged and nightmarish, with his head detaching and bouncing around on a spinal cord, drooling bile, and [[MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily opening his mouth to reveal an abyss of teeth]] to drain all of your character’s stats, permanently. The music becomes more nightmarish as the fight drags on, too.
** Following the fight, a heartwarming exchange between Brad and Lisa is [[MoodWhiplash abruptly cut short]] as the screen turns blood red, with a [[WhamLine message delivered with the narrative weight of an anvil to the noggin.]] Doubles as a [[TearJerker Tear Jerker]] as it puts Brad's actions into perspective by the end of the game.

** Once you wake up from the nightmare, going right from the campfire will reveal that 'your party members are still dead' and a mass of ''blood spattered around the area where your party members once were.'' It's implied that Brad either killed them in his sleep or that [[YourMindMakesItReal Joy has a supernatural element we've never known about up until this point.]] Either way, [[NothingIsScarier none of it is explained.]]
* While satisfying, the way Buddy's Definitive Edition-exclusive ReasonYouSuckSpeech towards Buzzo at the end of ''The Joyful'' starts is quite scary. After Buzzo claims that Lisa would've love the [[CrapsackWorld post-Flash Olathe]], the screen suddenly flashes in faint, pink light and is accompanied by a banshee-like screech. It's almost like Buzzo statement didn't just piss off Buddy, but ''Lisa from beyond the grave'' as well.

* The absolutely horrific landscape of The List by the end of the Joyful: dead bodies from Buddy's crusade, slain mutants dot the hills, blood and gore and maddening scrawls cover the walls and floor, and Brad, his friends and Rando all looking on at you, disappointingly. It really hammers home just how awful Buddy's destructive crusade was, and her shattered mental state by the endgame.
* Just the way that the hallucinations creep into the landscape; first theres just a few bodies... then Joy Mutants.. then suddenly Brad's corpse at the end of ''The Painful'' sits on a hill just above you.
* TheReveal that the dude playing a trumpet throughout ''The Painful'' [[TheDogWasTheMasterMind is Dr. Yado, the one responsible for the Great White Flash and one of the scientists responsible for the creation of Joy]]. This revelation turns the '''entire plot''' of the series on its head, and it all comes from the fact that this psychopath has a [[AGodAmI major God complex]], coupled with a willingness to cause an utter SHIT-load of deaths just to see his plans come to pass.
** The fact that the trumpet he's always playing is actually ''controlling'' all those Joy Mutants Brad and Buddy have fought, as well as the numerous Joy Addicts you come across. It explains a lot, to say the least... and it effectively nukes whatever humor his previous appearances had.
** The worst part of it all? His ''completely remorselessness'' about all the damage he's caused; all the death, destruction and tragedy he's responsible for means nothing to him, so long as he gets to rule over the remains of Olathe. This guy almost makes [[ComicBook/NewGods Darkseid]] look like a saint.
* Buzzo's horrific fate. After talking about how Buddy didn’t deserve the pain that he inflicted upon her and remarking how Lisa would’ve loved this world, he begins crying out for Lisa in a rather disturbing manner... before the screen cuts to the red tendrils associated with Joy, and then it cuts back to Buzzo beginning to mutate. His head has become disproportionately swollen, and a new arm begins growing out of it. Soon after, we see his mutated form, which is all bloodied and (literally) twisted. Upon his death, he slowly remarks how he’s finally free from Lisa's grasp. Granted, one might argue that [[LaserGuidedKarma he deserved it]], but it’s incredibly horrifying regardless.
* While satisfying, the way Buddy's ReasonYouSuckSpeech towards Buzzo starts is quite scary. After Buzzo claims that Lisa would've love the [[CrapsackWorld post-Flash Olathe]], the screen suddenly flashes in faint, pink light and is accompanied by a banshee-like screech. It's almost like Buzzo statement didn't just piss-off Buddy but ''the real Lisa'' as well.

* The Definitive Edition of the game adds a hidden secret sequence – Brad’s Nightmare. It is accessed by sleeping at the very first Campfire of the game after all of the boat parts have been collected, and the events that happen within it are several degrees worse than anything else in the game. As a direct manifestation of Brad's trauma, his father's sexual violence towards his sister, and her associated suicide, ''even the neighborhood and Wally's'' both pale in comparison to how terrifying this entire sequence is:

** After making your way into a cave, you see a vision of Rando approaching Buddy, before the screen flashes blood-red, and Lisa's corpse can be seen hanging next to Marty. Before you're given time to process this, a massive monstrous version of Marty begins to chase you as you're forced to remain helpless and cornered before the screen flashes white again, finding yourself back at the beginning of the game.

** After defeating the enemies, you make your way through the neighborhood as the music builds up, and are greeted to the sight of countless insectoid creatures with Joy masks on. [[SarcasmMode Fun!]]

* It very quickly becomes obvious that [[CrapsackWorld the world of LISA is not a very nice place to live in.]] You have violent bandits and marauders murdering anyone they run into, men trying to molest other men [[{{Gendercide}} to compensate for the entire population of women being wiped out,]] there's grotesque mutants who [[WasOnceAMan used to be human beings]] with their minds torn apart and reduced to caveman-like states, and the sole fact that one day, [[HumanitysWake humanity itself is going to shrivel up into nothing.]] It's a ''very'' bleak setting, for a game inspired by [[VideoGame.EarthBound1994 EarthBound.]]

** For starters, you are greeted with the lovely image of a scientist's hung corpse, as well as this [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNiorq5rafw beautiful piece]] of background music, titled "Blood For Sex". [[SarcasmMode Really makes you feel welcomed, huh?]]
** Little, blood-coated, zombie-like creatures called Creeps infest the area. While they’re pushovers in battle, the sheer speed at which they scuttle around can easily catch a player off guard. The fact that most of them [[NothingIsScarier don't have battle music in their fights]] only adds to the creep factor. The truth behind them definitely doesn’t make them less creepy; they're failed attempts at creating SuperSoldiers.

** If you're playing on Pain Mode, you'll [[HardModePerks be able to access the Joy Lab]], a secret laboratory located to the right of the neighborhood. The lab already invokes an extreme amount of NothingIsScarier, but there's two things that really make this location stand out:

** The entire area up to the mountain climb can lower your guard, as the entire time, it's quite funny, with men kneeling and basking in the glory of Wally. [[MoodWhiplash Then you encounter Lil' Nuggie,]] the sub-mascot of Wally's. When you run into him, he strangely shuffles from left to right, making a... ''ticking'' noise of some sort. As for his appearance, he's an arm-less, green... ''thing'' with glossy black eyes and blood seeping out of his mouth. There's a small likelihood that it's just some dude in a suit, but for the kind of place Wally's is, this might not even be the case.

*** His pre-battle lines only make things worse; it's all just insane ramblings switching between pleading to Brad to downright hostility. Then he [[JumpScare LOUDLY]] laughs before attacking you.

** Then there's the ultimate fate of your kidnapped companion; once the mutated leader is killed, behind him is a pile of flayed flesh. Inspecting it will cause this text to pop up: "Is this...?", the obvious implication being that your companion is ''[[KilledOffForReal dead.]]'' There's absolutely ''no'' way to save the companion that was kidnapped. Made even worse if it was a companion who was extremely powerful, like Birdie or Fly.

* Just the way that the hallucinations creep into the landscape; first theres just a few bodies... then joy mutants.. then suddenly Brad's corpse at the end of ''The Painful'' sits on a hill just above you.

* The final battle against Brad's former party members, Rando's army, then Rando himself, has no shortage of scares:

** The simple fact that Brad's ''own party members'' have to fight him is not only [[TearJerker utterly heart-breaking]], but terrifying; the implication that their own leader has completely lost his mind has unavoidably dawned on them, and it's utterly jarring having to kill them after using them for roughly 6-7 hours.

* The '''ending.''' Jesus Christ, the ending. [[spoiler: After Brad dies from his injuries, the credits roll, accompanied by [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_LN07MaEPo Live in Joy.]] While this is fine, you know what isn't? Flashes of things like "LISALISALISALISALISALISA", "Love", "Kill her Brad Armstrong", "Special Thanks to Martin Armstrong", "Taste Her It's Your Fault" and "Wake Up Buddy Buddy Buddy." But these strange credits aren't even the half of it, as we get a flash of the strange, organ-like background that we saw when fighting Rando's army. And then we get what might be the most horrific image in the game, period. That image being '''a mutated Brad''' in the dead of night, with us controlling him to go forward and his legs carrying his swollen and bloodied form across the ground. And then we have him enter a small shack, where ''Buddy happens to be sleeping.'' With that, we get the final line of dialogue in the game as Brad slowly inches towards her.]]

* The fact that right before the final battle with Rando's army, Lisa's theme from The First, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0HIShS8vBs The Sireen's Call]], plays very faintly in the background. It's the only other point in the game besides the title screen where it plays.

** Wally has an absurd amount of health, and it's only near the end where his mask starts cracking off, revealing his flesh to be ''rotting.'' The fact that he doesn't drop any Joy after you kill him effectively removes any possibility of him being a Joy Mutant, as well, meaning that you have ''no way of knowing'' why his body is like this, or why he's utterly nuts.

* The Devil's Bathhouse segment in the third area, a series of winding, dark, and [[AlienGeometry implausibly large]] communal bathes deep within the earth. The corridors are narrow, the lighting is murky, the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8oh_s6C4WU music]] that plays is creepy, and most rooms are filled with the [[ThroughTheEyesOfMadness (presumably)]] hallucinatory [[BodyHorror Marty spiders]] from the first game. The whole place is decorated with gorgeous tile murals and is relatively clean, in sharp contrast to the [[CrapsackWorld dirty, broken-down wasteland outside,]] making it feel even more [[EldritchLocation unnatural]].
* Throughout the game, when resting at certain rest points, there's a chance for one of your companions to get kidnapped by one of the local gangs. This is easily resolved by giving the gang a certain amount of mags to get said companion back. When arriving at Area 3, you'll come across a new gang that consists of bikers. They don't do or say anything, and just stare at you, and block your path. Resting at the Area 3 rest point yet again risks one of your companions getting kidnapped by the biker gang. At this point you would think "Oh, I'll just pay the toll to get my companion back.", but this time, it's ''different''. When you get to the biker gang's hangout, you'll be greeted to a lovely sight of all the bikers' ''mutilated bodies on the floor, and the grass caked in blood''. You'll then come across the giant, mutated leader of the gang march around crazily. When touching him, naturally you'll enter a fight with him. Said fight is ''probably harder than any other joy mutant fight''. He uses his bike to slam you and your companions, possibly ''killing them''.
** About your companion who was kidnapped, once defeating the joy mutant, behind him is a pile of flayed flesh. Inspecting it narrates the text "Is this...?". The implication of this? Your companion is ''[[KilledOffForReal dead.]]'' There's absolutely ''no'' way to save the companion that was kidnapped. Made even worse if it was a companion that was extremely powerful, like Terry Hintz or Fly.

* The confusing scenario with Jonathan and Slave Lord Jim during your stay at Dismal Island, which quickly goes from somewhat amusing to downright TERRIFYING. The fact that it all happens within a couple minutes or so at most, and with [[NothingIsScarier no explanation whatsoever]] only makes it worse. The peak of horror is easily the fight against Jonathan himself; a ''disturbingly'' human-like Joy Mutant who makes noises that no other character ever emits.
* The [[NonIndicativeName Nice Neighborhood]], a BonusLevel in Area 2, is arguably the scariest area in the entire game for a variety of reasons.

** Little, blood-coated, zombie-like creatures called Creeps infest the area. While they’re pushovers in battle, the sheer speed at which they scuttle around can easily catch a player off guard. The fact that most of them [[NothingIsScarier don't have battle music in their fights]] only adds to the creep factor. The truth behind them definitely doesn’t make them less creepy, as they’re failed attempts at creating SuperSoldiers.

** You then find out that these were the homes of Joy Project scientists, who were trying to make a SuperSerum drug but [[GoneHorriblyWrong made a hyper-addictive drug that later mutates its users]]. Given that there’s copious amounts of eerie blood writing on the walls, it makes you wonder how many volunteered as living test subjects for Joy...

** [[http://lisa-rpg.wikia.com/wiki/File:Creep_mutant_higherres.png The bloated, Joy Mutant-like Creep in one of the basement floors that appears attached to the wall.]] This one is completely inaccessable, as the staircase leading to the basement of that house is blocked. The fact that this unique Creep can't be fought somehow [[NothingIsScarier makes it worse.]] Brad doesn't even see it, but thanks to the side-view of the game, ''you'' do.
* If you’re playing on Pain Mode, you’ll [[HardModePerks be able to access the Joy Lab]], a secret laboratory located to the right of the after-mentioned Nice Neighborhood. The lab already invokes NothingIsScarier, but there’s two things that really make this location stand out.
** The third room has tanks containing various subjects. Two mutants (one of which is labelled “My favorite”), a fishman, and a Creep. Notably, the two mutants resemble ones previously encountered.
** The final room has a relatively fresh corpse and a note saying “Sorry darling, but my actions are just”. Here’s the kicker: the corpse is a ''female''. In other words, whoever killed that person helped screw over the entire human race.
* Wally's, the fast food area at the second crossroads. It easily rivals the neighborhood as the game's scariest area, for a variety of reasons:

** The entire area up to the mountain climb can lower your guard, as the entire time, it's quite funny, with men kneeling and basking in the glory of Wally. [[MoodWhiplash Then you encounter Lil' Nuggie,]] the sub-mascot of Wally's. When you come across him, he strangely shuffles from left to right, making a... ''ticking'' noise of some sort. As for his appearance, he's an armless, green figure with glossy black eyes and blood seeping out of his mouth. It could just be some guy in a suit, but for the kind of place Wally's is, this might not even be the case.
** Wally himself, of course, is '''easily''' the entire area's crowning jewel of horror. As you walk into the establishment, it's a small room filled with ''some'' kind of meat, but not exactly specified (implied to be human flesh). Going deeper has you meet Wally, whose appearance consists of a [[MonsterClown mangly clown costume]] with a bloated head, bulging sickly eyes and a speaker for a mouth.
*** His prebattle lines only make things worse; it's all just insane ramblings switching between pleading to Brad to downright hostility.

** Wally has an absurd amount of health, and it's only near the end where his mask starts cracking off, revealing his flesh to be ''rotting.'' He doesn't even drop any Joy after you kill him either, so ''somehow'' this happened by itself.

''LISA'' is set in a post-apocalyptic hellhole packed to the gills with [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil rapists]], murderers, horrifying looking beasts known as [[TragicMonster Joy Mutants]], and all sorts of human depravity. To say that the games are downright horrifying more often than not is an ''understatement.''

* It very quickly becomes obvious that [[CrapsackWorld the world of LISA is not a very nice place to live.]] You have violent bandits and marauders murdering anyone they run into, men trying to molest other men [[{{Gendercide}} to compensate for the entire population of women being wiped out,]] there's grotesque mutants who [[WasOnceAMan used to be human beings]] with their minds torn apart and reduced to caveman-like states, and the sole fact that one day, [[HumanitysWake humanity itself is going to shrivel up into nothing.]] It's a ''very'' bleak setting for a game inspired by others like [[VideoGame.EarthBound1994 EarthBound.]]
* The Joy Mutants themselves. [[WasOnceAMan They're the end result of a Joy addict's death/emotional development;]] giant, horifically fleshy monsters that are almost entirely hostile towards anyone that dare approach them. Their minds have been shattered to the point where the only thing they seek is their deepest desire, which in most cases makes them violent and cannibalistic. These violent tendencies makes them some of the exclusive enemies in the game that can perma-kill your party members. There's also the fact that during battle, most mutants spend their turns [[TearsofRemorse crying]] and [[HowlofSorrow moaning]] while only occasionally dishing out devastating attacks. This can be interpreted as them still having a little humanity left and being dimly aware of the monsters they've become, which makes them doubly [[FridgeHorror horrific]] and [[TragicMonster sad]].
** [[FunctionalAddict Some of the party members you can obtain are Joy addicts, or can be made into Joy addicts,]] so no matter how much you develop them through battle, somewhere in their life they'll inevitably mutate.
* The Shadowy Figures you fight in dark tunnels can be this. They attack either by scratching and punching, or by ''licking and groping you.'' There's also the fact they have 1 pixel large glowing eyes, which are made worse as a result of the entire battle background being pitch black. Additionally, they seem to pose extremely strangely...

* Instant Kill attacks. When a party member gets hit by an attack like this, they're not just dead, they're ''[[KilledOffForReal DEAD dead,]]'' meaning they get removed from your party permanently. Seeing your unique, quirky, useful and funny party members grow strong, powerful and capable instantly removed forever from your party with no hope of getting them back is deeply disturbing. Also double as a TearJerker.

* What's scary about the Great White Flash is that [[NothingIsScarier almost next to nothing]] is known about it. We don't know what caused the [[{{Gendercide}} women to die off]] or how they died off...
* The confusing scene with Jonathan and Slave Lord Jim at Dismal Island. It goes so quickly and with no explanation whatsoever that it's legitimately frightening, especially given the fact that Jonathan makes noises that no other character does during the battle.
* ''The Nice Neighborhood''; holy hell. A BonusLevel in Area 2 that’s arguably the scariest area in the game.

** Once the enemy is defeated, an [[JumpScare image of Buzzo flashes violently on screen]] as the sprite is ''fully animated,'', turning from side to side while he laughs, taunting you.

** Navigating through the playground where Brad was beaten shitless, you find a Save Crow nearby. If you thought there'd be any sort of reprieve and a spot to save the game, you'd be dead wrong. [[JumpScare The crow screeches as a combat encounter begins,]]to which you're faced with an enemy called the Crow of Remembrance.

** Making your way through Brad's childhood home, you're greeted by a bizarre personification of Marty, rubbing the side of the couch he's sitting on, coercing Brad to come closer. He says things that range from slightly off-putting to downright [[ParentalIncest manipulative and predatory,]] all deliberately accentuated with [[Beat small gaps of time]] in between words spoken. His face actively rots after every sentence, to the point where his ''bloodied skull shows'', and then without a head altogether.

** Once you wake up from the nightmare, going right from the campfire will reveal that 'your party members are still dead' and a mass of 'blood spattered around the area.' It's implied that Brad either killed them in his sleep or that [[YourMindMakesItReal Joy has a supernatural element we've never known about up until this point.]] Either way, [[NothingIsScarier none of it is explained.]]

*** The final stage is at the peak, where you fight the Manifestation of Marty proper, surrounded by spider-spewing boils and a raging storm. While the player is probably used to OneHitKill mechanics by this point, this fight makes them especially horrifying: the battle animation shows Marty slowly reaching for them before biting down, taking them to a unique cutscene, where the character is [[TheAssimilator slowly dragged into the fleshy folds of the mountain.]] This instantly spawns another spider-boil, and [[YouAreWhoYouEat any future spiders created in Phase 2 will have a chance of having the devoured characters’ head, as explained above]]. As the battle goes on, Marty becomes more unhinged and nightmarish, with his head detaching and bouncing around on a spinal cord, drooling bile, and [[MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily opening his mouth to reveal an abyss of teeth]] to drain all of your character’s stats, permanently.
** Following the fight, a heartwarming exchange between Brad and Lisa is [[MoodWhiplash abruptly cut short]] as the screen turns blood red, with a message delivered with the narrative weight of an anvil to the noggin. Doubles as a [[TearJerker Tear Jerker]] as it puts Brad's actions into perspective by the end of the game.

** Once you wake up from the nightmare, going right from the camp fire will reveal that 'your party members are still dead' and a mass of 'blood spattered around the area.' It's implied that Brad either killed them in his sleep or that [[YourMindMakesItReal Joy has a supernatural element we've never known about up until this point.]] Either way, [[NothingIsScarier none of it is explained.]]

--> '''Brad:''' '''''

** Navigating through the playground where Brad was beaten shitless, you find a Save Crow nearby. If you thought there'd be any sort of reprieve and a spot to save the game, you'd be dead wrong. The crow screeches as a combat encounter begins, serving as a sort of jumpscare, to which you're faced with an enemy called the Crow of Remembrance.
** Once the enemy is defeated, an image of Buzzo flashes violently on screen as the sprite is ''fully animated,'', turning from side to side while he laughs, taunting you.
** After defeating the enemies, you make your way through the neighborhood as the music builds up, and are greeted to the sight of countless insectoid creatures with Joy masks on. Fun!
** Making your way through Brad's childhood home, you're greeted by a bizarre personification of Marty, rubbing the side of the couch he's sitting on, coercing Brad to come closer. He says things that range from slightly off-putting to downright ''manipulative and predatory,'' all deliberately accentuated with small gaps of time in between words spoken. His face actively rots after every sentence, to the point where his ''bloodied skull shows'', and then without a head altogether.
--> '''Marty:''' So. Mature. For your age. You... and your sister. Thanks. '''TO ME.'''
--> '''Marty:''' Foolish. Baby. Soft... little... baby... You'll be ripped. Apaaaaart. Limb by limb.
** An addendum to this is that dreams are often manifested through memories or experiences we've had, so there's a possibility that Marty '''may have said these things to Brad's face.'''
** Leaving the house leads to a sea of blood, and within it resides a disturbingly familiar sight – The massive mound of flesh topped with Marty’s head. [[MarathonBoss What transpires next is less of a boss fight and more of an outright war,]] as he has '''100,000 Hitpoints''', rendering the fight extremely lengthy and escalating the hopelessness of the situation. The sheer level of health he has, coupled with the now-familiar OneHitKill attacks of the game, requires multiple entire parties to fight him, which loops through three phases per assault.

** Once the fight has finished, after a number of other dream sequences, you finally wake up. However, the devoured characters will be gone, with a significant amount of blood surrounding the campfire that started the sequence, which implies that Brad either killed them in his sleep or that Joy has a supernatural element we've never known about up until this point. Either way, none of it is explained.

** The sequence begins as Brad makes his way through a sort of eldritch version of Olathe from the start of the game, massive blue mounds of joy and blood puddles litter the area. The signs throughout spew nonsensical and off-putting messages like "DON'T WAKE UP" and "Can you see me?"
** After making your way into a cave, you see a vision of Rando approaching Buddy, before the screen flashes blood-red and Lisa's corpse can be seen hanging next to Marty. Before you're given time to process this, a massive monstrous version of Marty begins to chase you as you're forced to remain helpless and cornered before the screen flashes white again, finding yourself back at the beginning of the game.

*** The final stage is at the peak, where you fight the Manifestation of Marty proper, surrounded by spider-spewing boils and a raging storm. While the player is probably used to OneHitKill mechanics by this point, this fight makes them especially horrifying: the battle animation shows Marty slowly reaching for them before biting down, taking them to a unique cutscene, where the character is [[TheAssimilator slowly dragged into the fleshy folds of the mountain.]] This instantly spawns another spider-boil, and [[YouAreWhoYouEat any future spiders created in Phase 2 will have a chance of having the devoured characters’ head, as explained above]]. As the battle goes on, Marty becomes more unhinged and nightmarish, with his head detaching and bouncing around on a spinal chord, drooling bile, and [[MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily opening his mouth to reveal an abyss of teeth]] to drain all of your character’s stats, permanently.
** Once the fight has finished, after a number of other dream sequences, you finally wake up. However, [[YourMindMakesItReal the devoured characters will be gone, with a significant amount of blood surrounding the campfire that started the sequence.]]

* The Definitive Edition of the game adds a hidden secret sequence – Brad’s Nightmare. It is accessed by sleeping at the very first Campfire of the game after all of the boat parts have been collected, and the events that happen within it are several degrees worse than anything else in the game; ''even the neighborhood and Wally's'' both pale in comparison to how terrifying this entire sequence is:
** The nightmare initially comprises of an assortment of creepy and frightening imagery, such as a sequence where you follow baby-like crying to find a deformed Buddy, a chase scene involving Brad being chased by a Joy Mutant version of him [[spoiler: that is even more horrifying than what he eventually becomes]], and a battle with a distorted, hanged version of Buzzo, [[ArtShift which is both animated and voiced, unlike all the other battles in the game up until this point,]] shaking and laughing in a deeply disconcerting way. Not long after this, Brad finds a version of his past home, utterly swarmed by spiders formed out of Joy Masks. Residing within is a strange, blue version of Marty that belittles him as he slowly decays away into nothingness.
** Leaving the house leads to a sea of blood, and within it resides a disturbingly familiar sight – The massive mound of flesh topped with Marty’s head. [[MarathonBoss What transpires next is less of a boss fight and more of an outright war,]] as he has '''100,000 Hitpoints''', rendering the fight extremely lengthy and escalating the hopelessness of the situation. The sheer level of health he has, coupled with the now-familiar OneHitKill attacks of the game, requires multiple entire parties to fight him, which loops through three phases per assault.
*** The first phase involves wading through the sea of blood and [[MirrorBoss being set upon by images of your current party]]. While they are initially not too challenging, they will become progressively deadlier the more attempts it takes to defeat Marty, with the copies [[FearfulSymmetry gaining invulnerability to the attacks of the original,]] [[AttackReflector obtaining a reflective shield]], and [[TakingYouWithMe eventually becoming able to self-destruct on death, instantly KOing the character it's copying with no way to block it]].
*** The second involves fighting an army of strengthened Marty Spiders, which are capable of draining life from your characters in a difficult battle of attrition. The fact that they can ''[[CameBackWrong take the appearance of your consumed party member's heads]]'' is easily the most disturbing thing about them, including the fact that some of the deceased party members they imitate look nothing like their living forms.
*** The final stage is at the peak, where you fight the Manifestation of Marty proper, surrounded by spider-spewing boils and a raging storm. While the player is probably used to OneHitKill mechanics by this point, this fight makes them especially horrifying: the battle animation shows Marty slowly reaching for them before biting down, taking them to a unique cutscene, where the character is [[TheAssimilator slowly dragged into the fleshy folds of the mountain.]] This instantly spawns another spider-boil, and [[YouAreWhoYouEat any future spiders created in Phase 2 will have a chance of having the devoured characters’ head, as explained above]]. As the battle goes on, Marty becomes more unhinged and nightmarish, with his head detaching and bouncing around on a spinal chord, drooling bile, and [[MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily opening his mouth to reveal an abyss of teeth]] to drain all of your character’s stats, permanently.
** Once the fight has finished, after a number of other dream sequences, you finally wake up. However, [[YourMindMakesItReal the devoured characters will be gone, with a significant amount of blood surrounding the campfire that started the sequence.]]

[[/folder]]

* Obviously, [[CrapsackWorld the world of LISA is not a very nice place.]] You have violent bandits and marauders murdering anyone they run into, men trying to molest other men [[{{Gendercide}} to compensate for the entire population of women being wiped out,]] there's grotesque mutants who [[WasOnceAMan used to be human beings]] with their minds torn apart and reduced to caveman-like states, and the sole fact that one day, [[HumanitysWake humanity itself is going to shrivel up into nothing.]] It's a ''very'' bleak setting for a game inspired by others like [[VideoGame.EarthBound1994 EarthBound.]]

* Rando's [[BodyHorror horrifically scarred face]]. Even worse is how it got that way: Buzzo attacked and destroyed Brad's dojo to punish Brad for not preventing Lisa's suicide, and when Rando tried to stop him, Buzzo ''carved his face off''.

* The confusing scene with Jonathan and Slave Lord Jim at Dismal Island. It goes so quickly and with no explanation whatsoever that it's legitimately disturbing and frightening, especially given the fact that Jonathan makes noises that no other character does during the battle.
* ''The Nice Neighborhood'', holy hell. A BonusLevel in Area 2 that’s arguably the scariest area in the game.

*** One of said Creeps is encountered eating some kind of bloody flesh. Killing it yields a Locket. [[ImAHumanitarian Do the math.]]

* Wally's, the fast food area at the second crossroads. There's...a lot to say about it.

** The entire area up to the mountain climb can lower your guard, as the entire time, it's mostly humor-based, with men kneeling and basking in the glory of Wally. [[MoodWhiplash And then you'd find Lil' Nuggie.]] Speaking of...
** Lil' Nuggie, a mascot of Wally's. When you come across him, he strangely shuffles from left to right, making a...''ticking'' noise of some sort. As for his appearance, he's an armless, green figure with glossy black eyes and blood seeping out of his mouth. It could just be some guy in a suit, but for the kind of place Wally's is, this might not even be the case.
** Wally himself. As you walk into the establishment, it's a small room filled with ''some'' kind of meat, but not exactly specified (implied to be human flesh). Going deeper has you meet Wally, whose appearance consists of a [[MonsterClown mangly clown costume]] with a bloated head, bulging sickly eyes and a speaker for a mouth.
*** His prebattle lines only make him worse; it's all just insane ramblings switching between pleading to Brad to downright hostility.

** Probably the most horrifying part of this area is that absolutely '''''none''''' of it is explained in-game or by WordOfGod. You're left with all of these questions about the complete absurdity of the area, and none of them are answered.

* The Definitive Edition of the game adds a hidden secret sequence – Brad’s Nightmare. It is accessed by sleeping at the very first Campfire of the game after all of the boat parts have been collected, and the events that happen within it are several degrees worse than anything else in the game.

*** The second involves fighting an army of strengthened Marty Spiders, which are capable of draining life from your characters in a difficult battle of attrition.
*** The final stage is at the peak, where you fight the Manifestation of Marty proper, surrounded by spider-spewing boils and a raging storm. While the player is probably used to OneHitKill mechanics by this point, this fight makes them especially horrifying: the battle animation shows Marty slowly reaching for them before biting down, taking them to a unique cutscene, where the character is [[TheAssimilator slowly dragged into the fleshy folds of the mountain.]] This instantly spawns another spider-boil, and [[YouAreWhoYouEat any future spiders created in Phase 2 will have a chance of having the devoured characters’ head]]. As the battle goes on, Marty becomes more unhinged and nightmarish, with his head detaching and bouncing around on a spinal chord, drooling bile, and [[MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily opening his mouth to reveal an abyss of teeth]] to drain all of your character’s stats, permanently.

'''Unmarked spoilers below!'''

** The sheer ''atmosphere'' of the game alone is just... wrong. Even when nothing overtly scary is happening, you always have that feeling that something disturbing is around the corner, or about to happen.

** The very first minute [[EstablishingSeriesMoment sets the tone of both the game and the series as a whole very effectively.]] You start out playing as Lisa, the titular character; you walk out of the Armstrong residence, and walk alongside the forest leading away from your home. A HeartbeatSoundtrack plays the moment you walk out the front door, which is ominous enough. As you move further to the left into an area with a couple waterfalls, the area quickly warps into a mess of white lines, garbage littered everywhere, and Marty heads polluting the background... while the music from earlier is replaced almost immediately with the harsh TV background noise from when you were still in the house. Then you run into Marty at the end of the trail of lines and trash, who taunts Lisa for trying to run out on him. It all serves as an INCREDIBLY effective combination of SensoryAbuse and a major sense of foreboding that kicks things off perfectly.

In a series with a universe as dark as LISA's, horrifying things are simply inevitable.

* The whole idea that you're exploring the broken mind of a child who is sexually abused by their father.