Summary
While there are many horror games that pit players against undefeatable enemies, this is usually due to players beingdeprived of the ability to fight back. This can be tremendously frustrating for certain players, and can even pull players out of the experience as a result. Survival-horror games have to handle undefeatable foes in a different way, however, as weaponry is often a key factor in survival-horror gameplay. Either way, horror games that include undefeatable foes must tread a fine line in order to provide players with an intense experience.
Regardless, many survival-horror games feature enemies that are, at one time or another, undefeatable. When done well, this can add a great deal of tension to the overall experience, especially if encounters with these enemies are unscripted. This topic aims to cover games that are still readily available today andcan be purchased/played with ease. Furthermore, spoilers have been purposefully avoided and information about these enemies has been intentionally kept to a minimum.
Dead Spaceis anaction-packed survival-horrorgame that takes place on an unsettling, atmospheric space station overrun by the horrendous Necromorphs. These creatures can usually be killed by severing their limbs with Isaac Clarke’s variety of unique weaponry, but there’s one terrifying enemy that players are unable to kill.
The Hunter is a truly worthy adversary to Isaac’s monster-slaying prowess, providing players with intense, often thrilling encounters whenever they show up. As with any good unkillable foe, the Hunter provides players with frequent scares while forcing them to change their play-style in order to survive.
Unlike previous entries in theAmnesiaseries, such asAmnesia: The Dark Descent,Amnesia: The Bunkeris a survival-horror game that gives players access to a weapon with limited ammunition. As its title suggests,Amnesia: The Bunkertakes place in a WW1 bunker,dense with atmosphere and immersive lighting. The environments of the bunker are consistently unnerving, especially in combination with the game’s immersive sound design.
Similar to survival-horror games such asResident Evil 2andAlien: Isolation,Amnesia: The Bunkerfeatures an unkillable enemy that stalks the player throughout the game. This beast provides players with a constant sense of dread, while also acting as an incentive for players to keep the bunker’s lights on, which is an integral part of the gameplay loop. Thankfully, the ability for players to deter the beast with their revolver, even as a last resort, keepsAmnesia: The Bunkerfrom being a frustrating experience.
Resident Evil 3is one of the more divisive entries in the franchise. While its undefeatable foe, Nemesis, is arguablynot as terrifyingasResident Evil 2’sMr. X, it still provides a variety of thrilling moments throughout the game. Nemesis can also be knocked down in every encounter, though this is relatively hard to do and does not permanently remove Nemesis from the game.
If players do attack Nemesis with enough firepower, he’ll be temporarily incapacitated and drop valuable items. This adds an extra level of strategy and challenge to the game, especially for those attempting to replay for higher grades, but arguably reduces the horror due to its arcade feel.
Thishighly immersive survival-horrorgame is notorious for its undefeatable adversary, the iconic Xenomorph. This Xenomorph is controlled via dynamic AI that makes it feel like a living, breathing thing as it stalks the hallways of Sevastopol Station, climbing in and out of steamy vents as it does so. The Xenomorph provides much of the horror inAlien: Isolation, thanks in large part to its undefeatable nature.
The Xenomorph isn’t the only enemy inAlien: Isolation, however, as players will also have to contend with vicious androids along the way. For fans of theAlienfranchise, specifically the original 1979 film,Alien: Isolationis a truly atmospheric survival-horror game that’s remarkably faithful to the source material.
Resident Evilis an iconic name in survival horror, to the point where it is essentially synonymous with the genre.TheResident Evilfranchiseis notorious for including undefeatable enemies that stalk and terrify the player in unpredictable ways, and these characters are a large part of its legacy. Many entries in the series are unique from one another, and although they’re not the only variable, these undefeatable monsters play a key role in distinguishing the games. Of these undefeatable adversaries,Resident Evil 2’sMr X is arguably the most iconic.
Resident Evil 2’sRaccoon City Police Station is an already terrifying place to be in when players first show up, filled with vicious zombies and the unpredictable “Lickers.” Mr X’s first appearance makes things even worse, adding to the tension and refreshing the horror just when players begin to get comfortable exploring the Station’s dimly lit halls. Although Mr X isn’t always the most challenging enemy and can be heard from a mile away thanks to his thumping footsteps, the sheer panic that he can induce is enough to cause players to fumble into danger.
