Horror is a genre that has been an entertainment staple for decades. Whether in literature, film, or television, it's a genre that has become dear to our hearts. Video games are not an exception to this, and thus, the genre has flourished in the Xbox market. This Halloween, I asked myself, "What are the scariest Xbox enemies in history?"
This article is my answer to that question. Here's my list of the top 15 spookiest and most frightening foes ever encountered on the Xbox console.
The Ram (Dead Island series)
Out of all of Dead Island's various zombie types, the Ram is arguably one of the most disturbing. Essentially large male humans that were infected whilst restrained by a straitjacket and face mask (likely due to insanity), Rams are gigantic battering, well, rams. They will relentlessly charge at the player, shrugging off all frontal attacks. The only way you can hope to survive against this monstrosity is to attack him in the back, where his straitjacket is slightly ripped, exposing flesh.
Laura (The Evil Within series)
Laura is, for all intents and purposes, a female human spider with razor sharp claws. A reborn version of the character Laura who dies in a barn fire, the "new" Laura is one of The Evil Within's most dangerous enemies. Her attacks are capable of gutting you instantly, and she's immune to most firearms. Only high penetrating weapons like shotguns or revolvers are able to pierce her skin, and even then, the damage is minimal. The only truly effective way to kill Laura is with fire. Engage her without it, and you're sure to die a gruesome death.
Piggsy (Manhunt)
A cannibalistic maniac who dons the severed skin of a pig, Piggsy is a violent, creepy and fear-inducing foe. Lacking either the ability or the motivation to say anything between disturbing imitations of a pig squealing, Piggsy seems to slaughter his victims for the sole purpose of eating their remains. Armed with a destructive chainsaw and an appetite for human flesh, Piggsy was undoubtedly one of Manhunt's scariest antagonists.
Las Plagas (Resident Evil 4)
The parasitic life form present in Resident Evil 4 was known only as Las Plagas. Capable of completely controlling a host after a lengthy infection period, the parasite poses a significant danger to anyone it comes into contact with. In addition, Las Plagas make their hosts completely resistant to pain, making them much more dangerous in combat. As a trade-off, though, hosts lose almost all higher thought processes. Still, the creatures are not to be taken lightly.
The Necromorphs (Dead Space series)
The only thing worse than zombies are space zombies, and that's exactly what Isaac Clarke faces in the Dead Space series. Dubbed "necromorphs", these creatures are highly aggressive and will stop at nothing to spread their deadly infection. Though they don't have many resistances to attack, they make up for it in their ferocity, creativity and speed. In many ways, fighting them is like fighting a normal human. And fighting a creature that can potentially outwit and overpower you is not a pleasant idea.
The Tank (Left 4 Dead series)
What do you get when a beefcake of a man contracts a virulent zombie plague? Well, you get the Tank, a gargantuan beast of muscle and flesh. Capable of soaking up hundreds, even thousands of bullets, the Tank is true to his name; you won't be killing him easily. In addition to his rock solid defense, the Tank is capable of smashing several human survivors in seconds, and even throwing large objects, such as cars or slabs of concrete.
The Witch (Left 4 Dead series)
While the Tank is overall Left 4 Dead's most ferocious enemy, the Witch takes the cake for being the scariest. Witches are female infected who have kept some degree of their humanity, and as such weep over their fate constantly. However, if you startle one, you'll be met with instant death by razor sharp claws as the Witch retaliates out of surprised fear. In her rush of adrenaline, nothing short of a point blank shotgun headshot will kill her, either.
Big Daddies (BioShock series)
Big Daddies are one of gaming's most iconic enemies. While they're not scary in the horror sense, they're easily one of the most intimidating foes to face off against. Covered head to toe in an armor that resembles a diving suit and armed with a large drilling device, a Big Daddy will give its life in a heartbeat in order to defend Little Sisters. Attacking a Big Daddy is a monumental risk. Fail to kill him, and he will show you what that suit can really do.
Alma Wade (F.E.A.R. series)
Don't let the young age and (usually) innocent facial expressions fool you; Alma Wade is an incredibly dangerous being capable of attacking her enemies with potent psychic abilities. Essentially a spectre, she spends most of F.E.A.R. and F.E.A.R. 2, messing with the player character's mind by lingering near them and creating an eerie, unwelcoming atmosphere. Perhaps the most disturbing aspect to Alma is her past, in which she's spent almost all of her life attempting to get revenge on the scientists who studied her powers when she was a child.
The Xenomorph (Alien: Isolation)
The Xenomorph in Alien: Isolation does what the Dead Space Necromorphs do — except it does it much, much better. Praised as one of the most well programmed horror enemies in gaming, the Xenomorph in Isolation is not to be trifled with. The slightest sound or the smallest visible part of your body can alert the alien to your presence, and staying hidden from the creature is genuinely difficult as a result. Thanks to this excellent AI, Isolation creates an atmosphere comparable to the original Alien film itself.
The Flood (Halo series)
If the Las Plagas are scary, than the Flood are downright terrifying. Capable of spreading their infection across entire worlds in mere hours, the Flood are undoubtedly the biggest threat in the Halo universe. By infecting hosts on a cellular level, the parasite effectively has the ability to use host cells to mutate appendages into weapons, such as claws or tentacles. To make matters worse, the minds of the infected are collected by the Flood and compiled into a Gravemind. This form coordinates the Flood and makes them even more deadly.
Mimic (Dark Souls series)
The Mimics in Dark Souls are a uniquely terrifying foe in that they take your excitement for looting and crush it into the ground. After fighting hordes of monstrosities, many players forget to check if that loot chest in the corner is actually a chest, or if it's one of these gnarly enemies. Almost perfect imitations of chests, Mimics trick both new players and veterans alike. What's worse, their attack is extremely damaging, and the player can often be killed trying to loot faster than they are in combat.
The Groom (Outlast Whistleblower DLC)
The Groom is a very unique foe in Outlast because of his motive: painfully remove body parts from any men he can capture so that they look like his ideal woman. After restraining men that he subdues, he proceeds to violently and painfully perform genital and chest mutation. When his victims manage to escape, he becomes enraged and incredibly aggressive.
Jack Baker (Resident Evil 7)
Though all members of the heavily mutated and Evelyn-controlled Baker family are frightening, Jack in particular is horrifying due to the fact that he just won't die. Throughout Resident Evil 7, Jack returns to face you three times, despite suffering grievous injuries several times throughout the story. These include being shot, run over, impaled, and everything between. By the time I finally killed him for real, I was unwilling to believe he was really dead up until the credits rolled.
Pyramid Head (Silent Hill 2)
When it comes to ruthless killers, nobody tops Pyramid Head, Silent Hill 2's main antagonist.The Pyramid Head entity is somewhat of a personal torturer and executioner to James Sunderland, the protagonist; the entity is encountered numerous times throughout the game, even appearing in a pair at one point. With his trusty gargantuan blade, Pyramid Head will stop at nothing to get to his prey. He will even kill other demons in order to get his hands on James. No other scary enemy in gaming shows quite the tenacity and drive as Pyramid Head does.
Your thoughts
What do you think of this list? Who do you think is the scariest video game enemy on Xbox? Let us know below, and have a Happy Halloween.
