Look, I wasn’t the biggest fan of Ocarina of Time. I’ll admit it. It’s fine, I guess. There are just other games I’d play over Ocarina. It’s a me thing, not a you thing. However, outside of Majora’s Mask, the latter half of the game has the spookiest atmosphere. The sky is always dark in Hyrule Town. Death Mountain is red now. There are ReDeads EVERYWHERE. That’s good atmospheric storytelling.
But, that’s not even the spookiest part. The well? No way, not that. The spookiest part of Ocarina?
Stalchildren.
Yeah, Stalchildren freak me out. They are walking skeletons (spooky). They shuffle when they walk (spookier). Also, they are children who presumably have died (spookiest). I think you’ll agree with me after seeing DeviantArt user sordsoru‘s piece called “A Stalchild Approaches!“
This piece captures exactly how terrifying it would be to see these abominations crawl from the ground. Link, in the bottom right corner, is thoroughly spooked. He’s sweating, his eyes are wide, and his lips are thin, pursed together to prevent a scream. The stalchild emerges from the ground. Eyes a fiery red, green drool dripping from its jaws. There’s a worm crawling out of its head. The bones are cracked and shaking from the strain.
Sordsoru’s color composition in this work is very good. There are a lot of purples and darker colors that mesh together to create a sinister, unearthly feeling. The green pool of drool was an inspired choice. If it was blue or even red, it would feel tacky and cliché. However, the green is unexpected as there aren’t many bodily fluids that are green, especially those that come from the mouth.
The use of different horror elements make me think about what a lot of players must have felt when they first played these games. Graphics weren’t what they are today, so players needed to use their imagination to paint the full picture. On screen, you see a little skelebaby ambling toward you, but in your mind you see a true monster. It even has a finger up as if to say, “Wait, little boy, I have something to tell you!”
I’ve already mentioned the worm, but I have to point it out again. Adding that worm was a stroke of genius. At first glance, it kind of looks like a Band-Aid, a common accessory for small children. Aw, he has a boo-boo. But, the closer you get, the more you see it wriggling. It’s coming out of the eye socket! It IS a big boo-boo! All joking aside, I think it adds a nice pop of color on the skull. It draws the viewer to the blood-red eyes.
Let’s put ourselves in Link’s mind at this moment. He’s walking through Hyrule Field. It’s dark. He’s a little boy. It’s scary all on it’s own. There may be howls coming from the lost woods. He steps forward and a skeleton bursts forth from the ground. He readies his sword, but he realizes something. The skeleton is… small. About his size. He’s seeing a potential future if he does not succeed in his quest. He’s scared, alone, and about to be attacked. It’s terrifying!
Anyway, make sure you check out sordsoru’s DeviantArt account. You can also see their work on all the other social networks. Want to be featured on our Yuga’s Art Gallery? You, like sordsoru, can submit your work to our DeviantArt group!
