Survival Horror Games With an Unkillable Enemy

While there are many horror games that pit players against undefeatable enemies, this is usually due to players being deprived of the ability to fight back. This can be tremendously frustrating for certain players, and can even pull players out of the experience as a result. Survival-horror games have to handle undefeatable foes in a different way, however, as weaponry is often a key factor in survival-horror gameplay. Either way, horror games that include undefeatable foes must tread a fine line in order to provide players with an intense experience.

Regardless, many survival-horror games feature enemies that are, at one time or another, undefeatable. When done well, this can add a great deal of tension to the overall experience, especially if encounters with these enemies are unscripted. This topic aims to cover games that are still readily available today and can be purchased/played with ease. Furthermore, spoilers have been purposefully avoided and information about these enemies has been intentionally kept to a minimum.

Dead Space

The Hunter Forces Players To Adapt

Dead Space is an action-packed survival-horror game that takes place on an unsettling, atmospheric space station overrun by the horrendous Necromorphs. These creatures can usually be killed by severing their limbs with Isaac Clarke's variety of unique weaponry, but there's one terrifying enemy that players are unable to kill.

The Hunter is a truly worthy adversary to Isaac's monster-slaying prowess, providing players with intense, often thrilling encounters whenever they show up. As with any good unkillable foe, the Hunter provides players with frequent scares while forcing them to change their play-style in order to survive.

Amnesia: The Bunker

The Beast Makes The Darkness A Terrifying Prospect

Unlike previous entries in the Amnesia series, such as Amnesia: The Dark Descent, Amnesia: The Bunker is a survival-horror game that gives players access to a weapon with limited ammunition. As its title suggests, Amnesia: The Bunker takes place in a WW1 bunker, dense with atmosphere and immersive lighting. The environments of the bunker are consistently unnerving, especially in combination with the game's immersive sound design.

Similar to survival-horror games such as Resident Evil 2 and Alien: Isolation, Amnesia: The Bunker features an unkillable enemy that stalks the player throughout the game. This beast provides players with a constant sense of dread, while also acting as an incentive for players to keep the bunker's lights on, which is an integral part of the gameplay loop. Thankfully, the ability for players to deter the beast with their revolver, even as a last resort, keeps Amnesia: The Bunker from being a frustrating experience.

Resident Evil 3

Nemesis Is A Resident Evil Icon

Resident Evil 3 is one of the more divisive entries in the franchise. While its undefeatable foe, Nemesis, is arguably not as terrifying as Resident Evil 2's Mr. X, it still provides a variety of thrilling moments throughout the game. Nemesis can also be knocked down in every encounter, though this is relatively hard to do and does not permanently remove Nemesis from the game.

If players do attack Nemesis with enough firepower, he'll be temporarily incapacitated and drop valuable items. This adds an extra level of strategy and challenge to the game, especially for those attempting to replay for higher grades, but arguably reduces the horror due to its arcade feel.

Alien: Isolation

The Xenomorph Is A Faithfully Constructed Dynamic Adversary

This highly immersive survival-horror game is notorious for its undefeatable adversary, the iconic Xenomorph. This Xenomorph is controlled via dynamic AI that makes it feel like a living, breathing thing as it stalks the hallways of Sevastopol Station, climbing in and out of steamy vents as it does so. The Xenomorph provides much of the horror in Alien: Isolation, thanks in large part to its undefeatable nature.

The Xenomorph isn't the only enemy in Alien: Isolation, however, as players will also have to contend with vicious androids along the way. For fans of the Alien franchise, specifically the original 1979 film, Alien: Isolation is a truly atmospheric survival-horror game that's remarkably faithful to the source material.

Resident Evil 2

Mr X Is A Well-Telegraphed Terror

Resident Evil is an iconic name in survival horror, to the point where it is essentially synonymous with the genre. The Resident Evil franchise is notorious for including undefeatable enemies that stalk and terrify the player in unpredictable ways, and these characters are a large part of its legacy. Many entries in the series are unique from one another, and although they're not the only variable, these undefeatable monsters play a key role in distinguishing the games. Of these undefeatable adversaries, Resident Evil 2's Mr X is arguably the most iconic.

Resident Evil 2's Raccoon City Police Station is an already terrifying place to be in when players first show up, filled with vicious zombies and the unpredictable "Lickers." Mr X's first appearance makes things even worse, adding to the tension and refreshing the horror just when players begin to get comfortable exploring the Station's dimly lit halls. Although Mr X isn't always the most challenging enemy and can be heard from a mile away thanks to his thumping footsteps, the sheer panic that he can induce is enough to cause players to fumble into danger.