Summary
While the atmosphere, music, and setting of a horror game can always invoke a sense of fear and dread in a player, it’s ultimately the enemies who are the scariest thing of all. Sure, aslow-walking zombiecan be utterly terrifying to come face to face with, especially in narrow and closed-off environments, but there’s nothing scarier than having a grotesque mutant or monster running at full speed towards the protagonist, especially when players are ill-prepared to protect themselves from what’s right in front of them.
Of course, for a horror game to still retain the scare factor, it needs to make these sorts of enemies enjoyable and fair to fight, since being hounded every two seconds and not being able to move won’t make for a very fun gameplay experience. Thankfully, there have been several horror game developers who have managed to maintain a fast and exhilarating pace in their titles, thanks to the quick and deadly enemies, without hampering the gameplay loop in the process, making them a ton of fun to jump into.
While the first threeSilent Hillgames featured a small pool of fast enemies who would show up every so often, the fourth mainline game takes this to a whole new level. Being able to hold off a dog or two may not be all that big of an issue, but oncethe Ghostsare introduced, guns will become far less reliable. Many of the Ghosts will stay hot on Henry’s trail until he finds a specific weapon to banish them for good, though doing so is easier said than done, considering that finding the time to look for key resources can feel impossible once these spirits give chase.
Another freakishly fast enemy is the Twin Victims, who will throw themselves at Henry any time they catch sight of him. Even when players finally get the chance to catch a break from all the running around by stopping at Henry’s room, they’ll also need to ensure that his apartment doesn’t become completely corrupted by evil spirits. Simply put,Silent Hill 4is not a game for the faint of heart, though players who enjoy heart-racing chase sequences definitely ought to check it out.
Alien: Isolationis a game that keeps players on the back foot for an entire playthrough. Outside of the flamethrower, which is acquired late in the game, players have no way to fend off the Xenomorph that will stalk them throughout their nightmarish adventure, but because it can catch up to Amanda in no more than a few seconds, facing it one-on-one simply isn’t an option.
Instead, the way to make it through the game without seeing theGame Over screentoo often is by utilizing noise to keep the Alien off Amanda’s tracks. Throwing out a flashback or a bomb can even be used to trick the Alien into killing an entire room of hostile humans, which highlights just how experimental and creative the core gameplay is, and whyIsolationhas become so beloved by fans.
Using stealth is pretty much essential inThe Last of Us Part 2, otherwise, players will find themselves being chased down by hordes ofhorrifying Infected enemieswith little means of escape. While these dangerous foes are already fast enough, the Clickers are even scarier to take on since, while they are extremely fast on their feet, they are also able to kill Ellie and Abbie with a single strike. Sometimes, it can be better to take the risk and turn around to take a fatal shot rather than run away, since even a small bump or slip-up can result in certain death.
Thankfully,The Last of Us Part 2also has a healthy amount of enemy variety, with some of the slower enemies, like the Bloaters, providing a nice change of pace every now and again. The game’s realistic melee and gunplay also helps to add to the immersion when enemies start throwing themselves at Ellie and Abby in a desperate attempt to take them down.
One of the scariest aspects ofOutlastis that it’s never made clear whether someone is a friend or foe, since Miles only enters theMount Massive Asyluma few hours before he finds himself trapped in the building, desperately trying to find a way to escape. If someone does turn out to be hostile, they will automatically give chase, and since Miles can’t wield weapons, it makes for plenty of incredibly intense gameplay sequences, considering how relentless even the most basic of enemies are.
Chris Walker, who is a consistent stalker enemy who appears every so often to keep players on their toes, will bulldoze his way towards Miles whenever he catches sight of him, making it crucially important to get into the habit of hiding in lockers. The intimidating speed of the enemies paired with the lack of weapons ensuresOutlastremains a terrifying and intense experience from beginning to end.
Though players are only forced to take on one or two enemies for the first hour or so ofThe Evil Within 2, it’s when Sebastian steps into the simulated town of Union that things start to get really chaotic. Union is covered with mindless zombie-like enemies who stumble their way around the map, but if Sebastian accidentally breaks a twig or is forced to fire off a bullet, they will go into full-on chase mode, and are only barely slower than Sebastian’s maximum sprint speed.
This isn’t even mentioning the boss enemies who are also fast on their feet, especially the Guardian, who will even show up in the main hub world after being defeated in her own boss battle. Stamina upgrades are essential for being able to get from A to B in one piece. Alongside the intriguing semi-open world of Union,The Evil Within 2also boasts a compelling story and quite a few surprisingly emotional moments sprinkled throughout the narrative, too.
Dead Space 2features some of the most creative and utterly terrifying enemies in all of gaming, many of which are well known because of their speed and agility. The Stalkers, for example, will hide around corners, biding their time to attack, before suddenly jumping out and charging head-first at Isaac, giving him barely any time to react.
Then there’s The Pack, small but deadly Necromorphs who can keep up with Isaac no matter how quickly he tries to run away. The enemy variety is a big reason whyDead Space 2is looked back on so fondly by many survival-horror enthusiasts, and while it might not be as polished astheDead Spaceremake, the intensity that comes from the faster pace still makes it an entry worth returning to.
Though the classicResident Evilgames featured fast enemies, these tended to bebosses or special enemies, such as Crimson Heads and Nemesis, for example. When creating the more action-heavyResident Evil 4, though, Capcom switched the basic enemies from zombies to Ganado, human-like enemies who will rush towards Leon with weapons in hand, in an attempt to stop him in his tracks.
With the remake, all the enemies are much smarter, and will sometimes even quickly perform actions such as blocking Leon’s path or cutting him off from an area. Considering Leon is on his own for almost the entirety of his mission, with Ashley being unable to fight for herself, surviving the endless swarms is no easy task in this excellent remake of the survival horror classic.
While the average zombie inLeft 4 Dead 2is easy to take down, what makes even a single level so challenging to get through is the staggering number of them that are thrown the players' way. Additionally, what also keeps the game intense is the presence of the Special Infected, who are always lurking around the map, ready to incapacitate a survivor when they least expect it.
The levels are also littered with sound alerts, such as car alarms and gates, which will alert a gigantic horde of lightning-fast zombies who behave much differently from the traditional version of the monster most players are used to seeing. Players should always get into the habit of gunning zombies down from a distance as soon as they spot them, since these freaks can close the gap in no time at all.Left 4 Dead 2’s fast and chaotic gameplay is complemented by a fun cast of characters, great graphics, andmore than enough fun campaignsto play through with friends.
