10 Most INFURIATING Enemies In Horror Video Games
Dead Space's Guardians are far more frustrating than they are frightening.
Alongside every other part of a horror game which has been carefully crafted by developers, the enemies lurking within them are designed specifically to heighten the tension. With enemies being such a key part of a game's design, it’s crucial that developers get them right.
Make an enemy too easy and the game not only loses its challenge, but a great deal of its scariness disappears along with it. Horror games just wouldn’t be frightening if the enemies didn’t pose a threat to the player. The game would likewise become too easy and there would be no sense of accomplishment for beating it.
On the other hand, if developers make an enemy too challenging then the fear that they initially instilled is quickly replaced by frustration. There’s simply nothing fun about trying to get past the same enemy for the twentieth time, with the sense of tension dissipating long before then.
Ideally, enemies should be in that sweet spot of challenge in which they're threatening while never becoming too difficult to defeat. Unfortunately, there are a handful of examples that fall into the latter camp of being too difficult. These enemies are simply infuriating to deal with.
10. The Ghost - White Night (2015)
Presented in a striking black-and-white while utilising slick fixed camera angles, White Night proudly wears its pulpy noir inspirations on its sleeve.
In it, players take on the role of a detective who finds himself stranded at the creepy Vesper Manor after a car accident. It’s not long until he discovers that the place is haunted by the malevolent spirit of a woman who appears throughout the house.
The only way to banish this ghost is to shine an electric light on her, with this gameplay mechanic forming the basis of many of the game's puzzles.
Initially making herself known with a heart-stopping jump scare early in the game, it doesn't take long before players learn to fear this ghostly apparition. Once she detects the player, she’ll chase them down, instantly killing them once caught.
Moreover, spotting this ghost is made tricky thanks to the overwhelming darkness that covers each room. Worse, though, is the difficulty that comes when trying to evade her while wrestling with the constantly shifting camera angles. Getting lost or stuck in the environment makes it all too easy for the ghost to catch and instantly kill the player, forcing them to restart from whenever they last saved their game.