10 Most Frustrating Bosses In Horror Video Games

Scarlet is why we all gave up on Silent Hill.

silent hill homecoming scarlet
Konami

Everything about horror video games are designed with the intention of putting players' nerves on the absolute edge as they work their way through whatever terrors the developers have in store. It makes sense, then, that the bosses in these games will take what are already stressful encounters and elevate them to a whole new level of intensity.

When done right, horror bosses are heart-pounding bouts of endurance in which every bullet matters.

Defeating these bosses should feel like success has been scraped at the last second as adrenaline is replaced by a sensation of triumph mixed with the relief it’s finally over. It's because of this that the likes of Silent Hill 2’s Pyramid Head and Resident Evil 3’s Nemesis are recognised as some of the best boss fights in the genre.

However, not all horror bosses are as satisfying to fight.

Some lean too heavily into their difficulty until the battle verges on being unfair whereas some are so broken that they're borderline unplayable. After the first dozen deaths of trying these fights, the terror is transformed into utter frustration; and that's the opposite of fun.

Fighting these horrifying horror bosses are terrifying for all the wrong reasons.

10. Jill Valentine - Resident Evil 5 (2009)

silent hill homecoming scarlet
Capcom

With Chris Redfield returning to the spotlight, Resident Evil 5 saw the former STARS agent travel to West Africa where he’s tasked with thwarting bioterrorist Ricardo Irving.

Late into the game, however, it’s revealed that Jill Valentine has been under the control of Albert Wesker. After the unveiling of this pivotal plot point, it’s time for a boss fight against Wesker and Jill. Unfortunately, there’s nothing thrilling about this encounter.

Firstly, all that needs to be done in the first stage is avoid Wesker for seven minutes. It’s not an exciting battle, but he’ll leave when the time elapses, leaving Chris to deal with his former partner.

The goal now is to remove the mind control device from Jill's chest. But before Chris can remove it, he’s got to catch her first. And this is where things get annoying.

With Jill dashing around the arena at lightning speed, this portion of the fight becomes a prolonged game of cat and mouse as players run after her. The difficulty comes not from the level of challenge, but in hoping she'll stay still long enough to initiate the quick time event.

Moreover, the AI-controlled Sheva frequently getting in Chris's path doesn't help matters much either.

Contributor
Contributor

Glasgow-based cinephile who earned a Masters degree in film studies to spend their time writing about cinema, video games, and horror.