"Underground Troubles," also known as "Fiends of Vault 3," is an ambient music track composed by Mark Morgan for the Fallout soundtrack and later reused in Fallout 2 and Fallout: New Vegas. The track is available as a part of the Vault Archives compilation.
Description[]
"Underground Troubles" emphasizes the looming dread and uncertainty of entering uncharted, backwater territory isolated from civilization. It represents a fear of the unknown and the sense that something dangerous is lurking deep within underground. It preys on the anxiety of being cut off from civilization and human contact to terrorize players.
Its unique musical composition, defined by a passive and stagnant dark atmospheric rhythm, disconnects players from the rest of the world's soundscape. In contrast to the constant fluctuations, frequency changes, and shifting emphasis of other soundtracks, Underground Troubles refuses to guide the player emotionally or give any sort of environmental context beyond "something isn't right here", instead taking the role of an observer and leaving the player alone with an overwhelming sense of unease and incertitude.
Notes[]
For its use in Fallout: New Vegas, the soundtrack was renamed "Fiends of Vault 3" and listed as an original game soundtrack, despite playing in multiple other locations and not having been composed for the game.
Appearances[]
"Underground Troubles" plays in Fallout when exploring Vault 15, the Radscorpion cave, and the deathclaw's lair and Fallout 2 when exploring random encounter caves, the Temple of Trials, Mariposa Military Base, and the Modoc caves.
It also plays in Fallout: New Vegas when the Courier is in Vaults 3 and 19, on the 13th floor of the Tops, at the town in front of Nellis Air Force Base, at Junction 15 railway station, at the Bison Steve Hotel, at the Black Mountain broadcast building, at the Searchlight east church, at Charleston Cave, at the Whittaker farmstead, at Primm Pass, at the scorpion gulch, in the central sewers, in front of the Monte Carlo Suites, in front of H&H Tools factory, in the Thorn, and at Bloodborne Cave. It also plays inside the Gun Runners Headquarters (the outside area with the Vendortron kiosk plays military ambience). In Honest Hearts, it plays at the Narrows. In Lonesome Road, it plays at Hopeville and the buried buildings.