But through its manipulation of the player, mastery of pacing, numerous well-placed scares, eerie atmosphere, and unnerving sound design, it turns a simple empty level full of environmental hazards and events into the most terrifying level of a game already brimming with nightmare fuel. Often cited as the standout segment of the cult-favorite PC action/adventure game Vampire: The Masquerade: Bloodlines(and frequently an entry in “scariest levels in gaming” lists), the Ocean House is a rather unassuming level buried in the game’s first act of Santa Monica, a simple fetch-quest to retrieve a “personal item” and lay the ghost of a haunted hotel to rest. It’s often said it’s not the story, but how you tell it, and nowhere is that more true than with the Ocean House Hotel.
