9 Video Game Enemies That Help You Defeat Them
Very kind of you to throw me those bullets, good chap!
In Skyrim, you can pay a particularly skilled individual with money to quickly help you train up one of your skills. There is literally the opportunity to pay a Pickpocket Trainer to level up your pickpocketing skill, and then immediately raise your skill again organically by pickpocketing the trainer, stealing your own money back.
This same kind of incredible irony can often be found in video game enemy and boss fights, wherein we end up defeating the villain using their own weapon, or the very attack that they are attempting to finish us off with.
This type of trope is often referred to as the enemy being 'hoisted by his own petard' - a phrase derived from Shakespeare's Hamlet - wherein a villain's own weapon or malicious plan is the cause of their own downfall, or death. It's a wonderful, entertaining irony, especially when the method is unconventional. A lot of bosses require it, but now and then an opportunity comes along that you just can't help but exploit.
From playing tennis with the boss’ bullets, to quite literally using pieces of the boss itself to turn against them, this kind of kill always feels incredibly satisfying. What better way to teach the big baddies to treat others as they would wish to be treated?
9. The Hunters - Half Life 2
Hunters are fast and agile synthetic beings used by the Combine as a scout and escort, featuring as a prominent enemy in Half Life 2 Episode 2. Their true strength comes from their numbers, and they can easily outnumber you, flanking and surrounding you and pelting you with covering fire.
Like all synths, they are heavily armoured, and are resilient against attacks from most small firearms. However, turning their own bullets against them proves to be a very reliable way of dispatching them!
Using the Gravity Gun, you can reverse their own, large flechette bullets that they shoot at you by holding up an object to catch the bullets, and then sending it flying back at them. You will even get an achievement for doing this, called “Payback” and, man, does it feel good. It’s even possible to kill several hunters at once with a single explosive payback blast from your gravity gun.
Thanks for the free ammunition, guys!