Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2: The Descombe Tape
Everyone who has played Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 knows about the Secret Tapes: in-game collectibles that count towards the completion of a given level in the game. There is one tape, however, that is considerably less well known, and only in a limited number of copies of the PC version of the game. It has come to be known as the Descombe Tape, named after ex-Neversoft programmer William Descombe, and the precise number of games that include this tape is not known, although it is speculated to be less than 200.
William Descombe was a Neversoft employee who was found guilty of a number of child murders between the years of 1995 and 1999. The exact number of children who died by his hand may never be known, but 3 bodies were found in various locations around Los Angeles county, and Descombe claims the "real" number to be much, much higher (anywhere from 20 to 96, depending on his degree of lucidity at the times of questioning). Of note is that the three children found were taken from their homes without struggle-it is theorized by some that Descombe had met them all at previous dates and ingratiated a sense of trust in them, simply showing up at their family's doorstep and quickly whisking them away when their parents were not present at the front of the home. Again, this is a theory that may never be proven: Descombe is notoriously tight-lipped about the details of his killings.
He is believed to have left what has since been interpreted as a bizarre and deeply upsetting confession in certain PC copies of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 in the form of a Secret Tape-hence it's moniker, the Descombe Tape.
The Descombe Tape can be found in certain copies of the game in the Hangar level. It is accessible only from the eastmost ramp in the level by performing a Christ Air either as Rune Gilfberg or a custom character who has that technique as a special move. The exact angle at which to perform the Christ Air in order to reach the tape is debated, but it is believed to be near the peak of ascent, when the character is facing to the south of the level. If preformed correctly, the player will glitch through the roof of the hangar and into a muddy-colored, flat-surfaced area with a Secret Tape hovering several feet in front of the player. After the message is read, the player is "dropped" back into the level proper, and cannot access the tape again during the same playthrough.
Riding into the tape causes the screen to go dark for approximately 3 seconds, with plain white text appearing in the middle of the screen. The message changes each time the player rides into the tape and grows increasingly deranged each time the tape is accessed. The messages players have read when riding into the tape are as follows, in chronological order:
TODAY IS MY BIRTH DAY
I RODE A BLUE BICYCLE WHEN I WAS A BOY
THE PELICAN IS A WONDERFUL BIRD
YOU SHOULD ONLY LAUGH WHEN THERE'S NOTHING ELSE YOU CAN DO
I AM NOT A MYSTERY
PEOPLE FREEZE EASILY
I ONLY LICK THE TIGHTEST CUNT
THE ONLY WAY TO TELL IF SOMEONE IS A MASOCHIST IS TO HURT THEM
PRAY HARDER, MANTIS
HOPE IT COMES QUICK! HOPE IT COMES QUICK! HOPE IT COMES QUICK!
YOU'LL FIND HIM IN THE DRAINS
YOUR LITTLE GIRL IS A LITTLE WHORE
BIG BIG PIG BIG BIG PIG BIG BIG PIG BIG BIG PIG
I'M GOING TO FIND YOU AND SUCK YOUR COCK
A LITTLE MAN CAN FIT ALMOST ANYWHERE
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$bleed
After the player has accessed the tape and read all of these messages, the final message appears:
CAN I COUNT ON YOUR FEEDBACK? :-)
Under these words the player has the option to pick Yes or No, although based on interviews with the few players that get to this point it appears that both options lead to the same occurrence. The screen shifts to a deep, solid blue and stays blank for one to two minutes. The player is then dropped into a level that is believed to have been designed by Descombe with no input or awareness from other members of Neversoft staff.
The known details of the level are sparse, as those who have played it are loathe to describe it after a certain point. It seems to bear a superficial resemblance to the Skate Heaven level of the game, but with the background warped into a twisting red and black motif and with ramps that lead nowhere and jettison the player off the stage. It is at this point that the players cannot continue describing their experience-some become silent and withdrawn when asked what happens when the player falls off the stage, others burst into shrieking hysterics, gesturing wildly and howling indecipherable cries of panic and terror.
Players who have reached this level have been known to manifest symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and schizophrenia. They have trouble making eye contact with others, experience auditory hallucinations and live with frequent night terrors which can only be quelled with heavy medication. The few that have been willing to communicate their experience describing seeing an elongated white face with solid red pupils that screams the messages found on the tapes (the dollar symbols are represented by an elongated hiss). The dream ends with the face breaking into a wide grin and clacking it's teeth together for minutes on end before the terrorized victim awakens. Based on the players' descriptions of the physical specificities of the face, it is believed to be that of William Descombe himself. Theories about subliminal coding and "shared unconscious" are exchanged by professionals, but as yet there is no clear, credible answer as to how every subject is able to experience the same identical dream based on their playing of the level in question.
When asked if he is responsible for the tape, Descombe has been known to stare at the ground and drum his fingers on the table in silence until the subject is changed. Some interviewers claim to have seen the slightest hint of a boyish grin dancing on Descombe's face when the subject is finally changed. The significance of this seems evident, but is a subject of debate amongst criminal psychiatrists.
Though some may be compelled to try and find the Descombe Tape themselves, this course of action is strongly advised against by psychiatric experts and criminal investigators alike, due to the disturbing and potentially traumatizing nature of the content therein.
Credited to 40FB
Originally uploaded on August 29, 2014
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