For the Love of Altman, No More Invincible Enemies
Invincible enemies in video games, horror or otherwise, have always been a source of frustration for me. The reason for this is it wasn’t until about midway through the last console generation when I noticed it begin to infect the games I enjoy playing the most. When I look back at Resident Evil 3 and all the times that back of genetically engineered dicks busted through a wall like a twisted Kool-Aid Man, they’re all fond memories. I dare say they’re more fond than your memories are.
Unless it’s done in a way that feels inventive, the idea of being chased around an environment by a creature that barely feels it when I empty every precious bullet I have in a futile attempt to get some breathing room.
If your pathetic armaments have nary a noticeable effect on the thing that’s slowly creeping toward you, it’s because the developer has done so to make you feel weak. Unless there’s a good reason to design it that way, that unstoppable killing machine is more of a crutch than a tool for ratcheting up the suspense. Some video games have relied on that crutch for too long. If you need to make your monster indestructible in order for it to be scary, then you’re doing something wrong.
The ghosts in Silent Hill 4 would be a good example of this being used in a creative way. They were absolutely terrifying, and that fear only partly came from my knowing I couldn’t directly harm them. They were effective and made me way more cautious than I would’ve been had I known that every horror could be slain, so long as you’re willing to invest a little elbow grease.
Dead Space fans likely haven’t forgotten about the Hunter (also known as the Ubermorph in Dead Space 2 and the Regenerator in Dead Space 3) that’s managed to force an unwelcome appearance in every game. When you make it a habit of trapping the player in a room with one of these ugly bastards multiple times across three separate games, that makes it a crutch.
While I do think there’s a place for creatures like this, there are much better options out there. Resident Evil 4 struck gold with the Regenerators, which can be disposed of in two very different ways. The first is through the strategic use of bullets from a rifle with a infrared scope, and the second is really only an option if you’re surrounded by copious amounts of ammunition. Regenerators are pretty close to being invincible without actually being so. You can either rely on a king’s ransom worth of ammo, or you can conserve your precious resources and instead rely on a balance of strategy and skill. Had the design of the Hunter been approached in a similar way, I think it would have made for a much more interesting enemy.
