10 Scariest Water Levels In Video Games

7: The Vortex Queen - Ecco The Dolphin

Ecco The Dolphin
Novotrade International

Ecco The Dolphin seems to be a sweet 16 bit game where you get to play as a dolphin, and yet the nightmares the series has given kids everywhere would strongly suggest otherwise.

The entire Ecco franchise has scary bits. If getting chased by polygons underwater gives you the creeps you may want to stay away from Defender of the Future and its eel, shark, and crocodile encounters. We have to give the spooky cake to The Vortex Queen, though.

What person thought this was a chill-looking boss to bookend a dolphin-y adventure with, I cannot imagine. This thing is pure, toothy nightmare fuel that you find yourself wildly unprepared for. Not to mention the fight itself is far from a walk in the park.

Suffice it to say, plenty of parents who thought they were gifting their kids a cute dolphin game probably regretted their choices after this one.

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Contributor
Contributor

Jess has been a journalist and content creator in the games industry for over 15 years and has been WhatCulture's resident Australian import and sorry cop since 2020, upping the quotient of swearing and apologising in WhatCulture Gaming's annual blooper videos considerably. She previously worked at GameSpot for 10 years, most notably hosting GameSpot News in addition to E3 live shows, and PAX panels. She regularly livestreams a variety of games on her 'jessmcdonell' YouTube and Twitch channels and hosts the 'Do It On The Day' podcast. She has won awards for her news and feature work in gaming as well as an accolade for her comedic writing (likely an admin error). She can be found on X at @jessmcdonell and Instagram at @jessicamcdonell sharing her current videogame fixations, industry insights, and videos of her cat, Karma.