20 Most Terrifying Enemies In Video Game History

10. The Xenomorph - Alien: Isolation

Alien Isolation Gif
Creative Assembly

Few things eviscerate a horror game's effectiveness at generating fear quicker than predictability. It doesn't matter how well-conceived or meticulously designed it is, if players can map out the entire experience in their minds then concentration shifts from "What's going to happen next?" to "Let's just get this over with".

Terror, true terror, should never be easily quantifiable or predictable, which is why Alien: Isolation's titular Xenomorph is so effective at spiking heart rates. The Xenomorph's AI isn't dictated by any specific parameters, nor can its actions be controlled or directed. It's entirely possible to reload the same stretch of gameplay a dozen times and experience a dozen different outcomes.

There's nothing scarier than what we can't control, and the Xenomorph is chaos personified - complete, unadulterated chaos.

You can't help but admire its purity.

Contributor

Carlos Jimenez hasn't written a bio just yet, but if they had... it would appear here.