Summary
Boss battles are important triumphs in almost every video game that features combat. It often marks the end of a chapter leading into another and is a true test of gamers' skills. As important as they are, it is vital not to forget the regular enemies between them.
Where bosses are just a moment, gamers will spend most of their time fighting offregular enemieswhile progressing through a video game’s story. Some baddies are notable because of their creative designs and how they change the way players approach combat. Even once gamers get used to these enemies, it is still fun to take them on in their respective titles.
For the first half ofMax Payne 3, players fight enemies who wear little armor. As Max dives deeper into the conspiracy behind the plot, he then has to take on fully armed and armored special police officers.
These enemies are notable because of how they punish those who focus on auto-aim. Simply locking on to an enemy’s body will have their armor soak up most of the bullets. Instead, players have to aim for the head, making them appreciate just how tight the shooting is inMax Payne 3.
The debutResident Evilgame had hunters to threaten players in addition to the regular zombies.Resident Evil 2upped both the threat level and scares with lickers. These monsters look like humans turned inside out, brains and all, who also have deadly claws and literally sharp tongues.
Though they cannot see, they detect the slightest noiseLeon or Clairemake, a mechanic that somehow makes them even scarier in the 2019 remake. Players sometimes walk right by them, silently begging the creature not to notice them.
Bloodborne, and FromSoftware games in general, are full of creatively designed creatures, each with unique strengths and weaknesses. Fighting Hunters inBloodbornefeels particularly incredible because their skill set does not significantly differ from the player’s.
Though they have unique moves and every player has a different build, it feels like fighting a mirror version of the player character nonetheless. The fights against these very humanoid characters are thrilling in a unique way when compared to the Lovecraftian horror that inspires the other enemies.
The Tonberry from theFinal Fantasyfranchise characterizes just how absurd the enemies can be in the long-running JRPG property.These tiny green creaturesin hoods appear harmless and seem to just slowly approach the party. However, once they get close, they have the ability to deal brutal amounts of damage to the player.
Most of the time, encountering one of these foes means players are near the end of the game or in an optional dungeon. They first appeared inFinal Fantasy 5, and inFinal Fantasy 7 Remake,they show up in the story in a humorous way.
These enemies appear in the firstHalf-Lifeand are scary, but it is in the sequel that they really shine. It is hard to understand how technically marvelousHalf-Life 2was in every way back in 2004. The zombies moved realistically, and their screams made it seem like so much humanity was left inside them.
The Ravenholm chapter in particular makes them creepier than the imagination ever could. Players sometimes have to rely on their environment and the gravity gun to survive certain encounters with these zombies.
Minecraftis not exclusively about creation and innovation; players also have to contend withhazards and dangerous mobsfrom time to time. Creepers, though primitive in design, served as nightmare fuel for a lot of young gamers enjoying their time inMinecraft.
They fit in with the relatively joyous 8-bit look of the title, but their function as nighttime lurchers is enough to make anyone shake in their boots. These creatures get their name because of how silent they are, only making noise once they are about to explode.
The Big Daddy enemyis not immediately hostile towardBioShockplayers. They serve to protect the little sisters and will only harm the player if they feel threatened or if anyone goes after the small child. Most players want the Atom within the little sisters, so they will have to fight the Bid Daddies eventually.
There’s something intimidating about watching them stomp around an area while preparing to take them on with everything in a player’s arsenal. In a game with a faceless protagonist, they came to be the series' mascot of sorts.
Clickers cannot see, but they use their own sound to make their way through the environment. Many encounters with them in bothLast of Usgamesstart with Joel and Elliehearing them long before they come into view. The noise alone is enough to give one pause.
It is such a simple sound, but it lets players know they are about to encounter several of the terrifying creatures. The television series gave non-gamers a glimpse of Clickers, and viewers also agreed that they would love to never see one in real life.
Enemies are not always the best because of how they factor into a game’s mechanics. The nurses inSilent Hill 2are not especially dangerous, nor do they function drastically differently than zombies inResident Evil.
Nurses haunt James Sunderlandas representations of his lust and temptation, tying directly into the game’s narrative and themes. Though they make appearances in future games, they do not have the same relevance in laterSilent Hillmedia.
1Ghosts
Pac-Man
Having to run away from enemies was not an entirely new concept whenPac-Manhit arcades in 1980, but it still felt pretty novel. The dynamic between players and ghosts is further complicated by the power pellets.
When Pac-Man picks these up, the tables are turned, and he is able toeat the ghostsfor a short time while they are blue. The element of strategy players have to consider while gobbling up the pac pellets makes the ghosts memorable adversaries and earnsPac-Manits revered place in gaming history.
