Summary
It’s always a scary moment when a player runs intoa zombieor mutant for the very first time in a survival horror game. The truth is, though, if there’s not a wide variety of enemies to keep the experience fresh, it can end up making a game feel a little bland or predictable, which is why enemy variety should always be a top priority for developers to focus on when cooking up a new nightmarish adventure.
While some enemies can be different versions and iterations of those that come earlier in a game, others will be completely different, forcing players to either come up with new strategies to take them down or hide out of sight as quickly as possible. Having a plethora of enemies keeps the game exciting and immersive, so let’s see which games within this popular genre pull this off the best.
While the secondAlan Wakegame decided to strip back the combat a little bit in order to hone in more on thestory and puzzles, the first game was the exact opposite. The heavy emphasis on running and gunning to stay alive meant the firstAlan Wakealso implemented a plentiful variety of enemies, all of whom have been completely corrupted by the Darkness. Alan must first shine his flashlight on an enemy to be able to hurt them, but considering these foes can range from lightning-fast knife-wielders to big and burly brutes, how much light will need to be used can vary between them.
However, the Darkness' presence is so strong that it can even manipulate inanimate objects too. As a result, players will occasionally find themselves desperately trying to protect themselves against flying wheelbarrows, moving tractors, and even entire bridges falling apart. When anything and everything can become an enemy, it adds a lot of suspense and unease to the gameplay, which is why keeping a few flares handy is always advised.
While players are able to explore numerous different areas inThe Evil Within 2, they all connect back to a central hub world called Union. At first, this small abandoned town will be littered with regular enemies known as the Lost, but as players progress and acquire new weapons,new and improved creatureswill be added in to make things a lot more challenging. For example, after players manage to defeat the Guardian, a grotesque saw-wielding mutant, this enemy will then begin prowling the hub area, and that’s just one of the many who are thrown into the mix to help spice things up.
Having such a variety of enemies in one area ramps up the difficulty since they tend to work together to snoop out Sebastian’s whereabouts. For example, if a Screamer catches sight of him, it will alert all of its nearby allies to the player’s position, so players will need to be on their A-game at all times to make it through to the end in one piece.
ThoughDead by Daylightmay be an online game, it does still incorporate many of the core gameplay elements that are featured in traditional single-player survival horror games. However, while a typical match of DBD will only feature one Killer, considering there areover 30 of them to choose from, it means survivors have a chance of coming up against a wide range of eerie stalkers, some of which hail from classic movies, such as Freddie, Ghostface, and Chucky.
Because every Killer has their own unique set of abilities and perks, it allows each and every match to feel drastically different for the Survivors as they adjust their own playstyle to counteract the speed and power of their opponent. There’s simply no telling which Killer will be showing up for each new round, with the variety of choices being just one of the reasons why the game has become so beloved, alongside its addictive gameplay and integral co-op mechanics.
In the world ofMetro, the underground is the last safe haven left for humans to live after the bombs fell at the end of the war. With the entire surface being covered with radiation, it means all animals on the surface have been turned into dangerous mutants who come in all kinds of shapes and sizes. One moment, players will be taking potshots at the Winged Demons who have been occupying the skies in the absence of humans, while the next, they’llfind themselves being stalkedby the creepy Watchers who enjoy nothing more than lurking around in the darkness.
To give players a break from all the mutant-killing,Metro: Last Lightalso throws in a nice variety of human enemies too, where players can deploy a much louder and more explosive combat strategy, giving the game a lot of gameplay diversity in the process.Last Lightalso features a compelling story that demands the player’s attention right from the get-go, and the graphics still hold up well even to this day.
While Heather and James may face off against plenty of gruesome and obscene creatures during their adventures into the depths ofSilent Hill, it’s Henry from the fourth game who comes up against the most. While there’s a healthy variety of regular roamer enemies, including the Patients and Gum Heads, it doesn’t take long before the outlandish monsters begin to rear their ugly heads.
The Twin Victims, for example, are among the scariest-looking enemies in the entire series; meanwhile, the Ghosts are incredibly difficult to avoid due to how fast and relentless they are. This is just the tip of the iceberg regarding the enemies Henry is forced to confront throughout the story, and it adds a lot to the tension by ensuring players never feel too comfortable when making their way through the Otherworld.
Though the firstDead Spacegame received critical acclaim for itsintense gameplay, setting, and atmosphere, one area that gets a little repetitive by the end is the enemy types players face. As a result, the sequel, which sees Isaac once again fending off hordes of Necromorphs, throws in plenty of new enemy types which encourage players to get creative with the game’s brand new alt-fire mechanic which is attached to each gun.
A few notable examples of new enemies who keep the game unpredictable include the Crawlers, who will explode when they catch up to Isaac, and the Stalkers, who prefer to hide around corners before making their move to try and catch the player off guard. These extra enemy types helpDead Space 2justify its runtime, and when paired with the excellent weapon variety and overall sense of dread that comes from the spooky environments, it results in a fantastic sequel that will hopefully be remade one day.
IntheFatal Framegames, players are tasked with freeing spirits through the use of a special tool called the Camera Obscura. Considering all of these spirits were once regular humans who lost their lives in unique ways, it means they are all entirely different, not only in appearance but also in how they move and attack. This is ultimately what makes the fourth game specifically such a terrifying experience since while players can get accustomed to using the camera, there’s simply no way to predict how every spirit is going to act when they’re encountered.
It’s truly fascinating to see just how many ghosts Tecmo managed to pack into this game, but it adds to the immersion by making every enemy feel like a real person.Mask of the Lunar Eclipseis often considered by fans to be among one of, if not the best game in the series, and while the story, audio, and environments contribute to this, the staggering number of enemies does too.
While players will only be tasked with facing off against a horde of bloodthirsty villagers at the beginning ofResident Evil 4, as they venture deeper into the game, they will uncover all kinds of weird and horrifying monstrosities born from Las Plagas. The enemy variety comes alive during the castle section, where Leon encounters invisible bugs known as Novistadors, blind claw-wielding prisoners, and of course, plenty of cultists.
The enemy types only expand even more by the time Leon lands on the island, with the Regenerators and Iron Maidens being some of the scariest enemies in the entire series who are reserved for the very end.Resident Evil 4 Remakealso features aplentiful variety of bosses, all of whom are drastically different in how they play, making for a fun and intense adventure that keeps players guessing right up until the very end.
