Summary
Horror games have produced some of the most iconic and terrifying antagonists of all time - take Pyramid Head or Scissorman, for example. Such villains are often integral to the main character’s development, representing a challenge to be overcome, if they can survive it. They also hold much of the appeal for players who enjoy being scared.
It is all well and good these single figures being able to produce such fear-inducing effects, but what if they had a helping hand, an accomplice evildoer? Multiplying a villain by two has the potential to cause even more chaos. These are some of thescariest evil duos in horror gamesthat make double trouble sound like an understatement.
Portrait of Ruinis definitely not themost unique title in theCastlevaniafranchisecompared to some of the later games in this gothic horror inspired series, but it still holds a lot of classic appeal with both new and returning characters.
Once the player reaches Dracula’s Throne Room, they are faced with a formidable duo: thevampire lordand his loyal servant,Deathhimself. After battling both, the two merge into one bigger and stronger boss in the form of a winged beast which, despite the 2D graphics, actually proves a palm-sweat-inducing enemy.
Sometimes the villains of a game also happen to be the protagonists. Such is the case withRavenous Devils-a Sweeny Todd-inspired cooking simulatorset in Victorian London. The game follows tailorPercivaland bartenderHildred, whose occupations are not as innocent as they sound.
In a mutually beneficial operation, Hildred’s pies are made from unconventional meats, while Percival’s clothes are conveniently second-hand. Beyond the gory macabre Gothic horror elements,Ravenous Devilsis actually a very fun, albeit tense, game with lots of story and progression.
Ada WongandAlbert Weskerare two recurring figures in theResident Evilgames, both independently following their own motives. While not scary in a physical sense, their lack of loyalty and selfish pursuits make them untrustworthy and volatile.
InResident Evil 4,the two are in cahoots with the common goal of retrieving a sample of the “Las Plagas” parasite. While Ada is capable of mercy, Wesker has no reservations; what’s truly scary are the lengths that each will go to in order to succeed, and what their intentions are with such bio-weaponry.
The 2023 remake ofResident Evil 4has a slightly different sequence of events, and expands on Ada and Wesker’s relationship in theSeparate WaysDLC.
7Granny & Grandpa (Granny: Chapter Two)
Retirement Is A Killer
InGranny: Chapter Two,the titular murderous grandparent returns with her accomplice,Grandpa. Once again, the player mustfind and use items to escapewithin five days while being stalked by the inhuman baseball-wieldingGranny, this time with her equally terrifying husband.
Fortunately, players can toggle whether to have both the enemies roaming or just one. With a bigger house and new ways to escape,Chapter Twocomes with a lot more challenge than the original game and is complete with plenty more frights.
Both a popular nursery rhyme and characters in Lewis Carroll’s bookThrough the Looking-Glass,TweedledumandTweedledeeare a familiar pair to many. Despite their innocent origins,American McGee’s Alicetakes this classic duo and re-imagines them in a much darker way. While American McGee’s Alice is not a pure horror game, it relies on being a disturbing experience which makes it worth consideration.
In the game, the Tweedle brothers are working for the Mad Hatter as bodyguards in his Looking Glass Land asylum. Cruel and grotesque, their abusive nature comes to a head when the player is forced to fight them both in atwisted fairytaleboss battle.
Visageis a psychological horror game, taking place from the perspective of guilt-ridden addict Dwayne Anderson as he roams the house, experiencing the fates of its previous tenants. In the first chapter, the player bears witness toLucy’s story, an angry young girl with an unconventional friend.
In aThe Grudge-meets-Babadook-type collaboration, both Lucy and her manipulativeDemonstalk the player throughout the chapter, posing fatal threats. Even more terrifyingly, the Demon can’t be seen, occasionally popping up out of nowhere to terrorize its victim.
InLittle Nightmares,theTwin Chefsare residents of the Maw ship, encountered in the grubby kitchen hacking up slabs of meat. Engrossed in their work, they do not take very kindly to Six running about their workplace andbecome hostile if she is heardor spotted.
Despite their size, the Twin Chefs are relatively fast, albeit clumsy. From their grotesque appearance to their grim, unhygienic food prepping methods and suspiciously body-shaped produce, the Twin Chefs are downright disturbing and very tense to maneuver around.
3Donna Beneviento & Angie (Resident Evil Village)
Ventriloquism Gone Too Far
There is no doubt that dolls have the potential to be extremely creepy, and have long been featured in horror films fromChuckytoAnnabelle.It’s no surprise, then, that they have crossed into the realm of gaming. InResident Evil Village,the player must face an ominous lady in black andher violent dolls.
Donna Benevientois one of the Four Lords and a doll-maker who speaks through her doll,Angie. Gaining psychic powers after being experimented on by Mother Miranda, she is extremely dangerous. Her boss battle is slightly less confrontational than the others, but the twisted game of hide and seek is just as deadly and even more freaky.
The TwinsinOutlastare two of the delusional Father Martin’s devotees, supposedly giving the player some kind of reassurance as the priest wants Miles alive. That being said, the pair still seem to have an itch to kill and eat Miles that proves impossible to restrain later in the game.
Unlike the other Mount Massive Asylum inmates, the Twins are suspiciously more rational and calculated, making them significantly more unnerving. This is only made worse by their stealthy movements; unexpectedly emerging from the darkness right in front of the player is just as terrifying as them being hot on their heels.
Ethan Winter’s search for his missing wife inResident Evil 7leads him to stumble upon much more sinister goings-on at a plantation in Louisiana; namely an unhinged cannibal family, the Bakers. At the head of the family areJackandMarguerite. Granted, during the events of the game, they are under the influence of Eveline’s mold, but this knowledge does not make them any less horrifying.
Marguerite is able to spawn hostile insects, herself turning into an unnaturally lanky form during her boss fight. Jack is equally hideous, eventually revealing himself as a huge moldy mass with protruding eyeballs. Overall,Resident Evil 7nails the disturbing, grungy slasher andbody horror elements, up there with the likes ofTheTexas Chainsaw Massacre;this couple is certain to leave players' skin crawling.
