There are some video games with the best enemy design. The entries of this article will be games that created unique and intriguing enemies.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.
The variety of enemies in the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. franchise is insane. We’re talking about human enemies from various factions (which are seriously intriguing, lore-wise) to super-rare mutants who’ll tear apart and kill any Stalker who’s unfortunate enough to encounter them.
There are tales in the Zone about these mysterious monsters and almost all of them come from people who haven’t actually fought with them and survived. They’re all rumors. At certain points in the game, you’ll face off against these monsters, and with enough courage and ammo, you’ll live to tell the tale.
Mutants from S.T.A.L.K.E.R. are very unique to the games. Each of them has backstories about their origins. I’m a S.T.A.L.K.E.R. lore nerd, and even I don’t know if any of these creatures are supernatural or the results of the inexplicable phenomena that occur in the Zone.
Play these beautiful games and try to interpret the tales (which may be true or false) of these creatures in your own way.
Fallout
Because of the post-apocalyptic setting in the Fallout franchise, the enemies in the world are also those who suffered various changes that made them different. The origin of many mutant creatures was caused by the FEV, the Forced Evolutionary Virus.
The tales of this virus and its creator (or finder) are from the first two Fallout games. A being called The Master was one of the major antagonists of this franchise, and his story is somewhat tragic in its own right.
Anyway, the monsters that were created because of the FEV were actually normal before they caught the virus. These creatures took inspiration from the works of H.P. Lovecraft.
It may seem unusual for a post-apocalyptic game series to take inspiration from books that were set in very different eras, but Lovecraft’s creations were too inspiring. They became parts of many stories, regardless of their genres.
Resident Evil
The Resident Evil franchise is one of the most beloved and respected horror game franchises of all time. The marvelous enemy and boss designs of each of the games in the series deserve a lot of praise.
Some games in the franchise feature zombies. Because it’s such a widely known and used aspect of entertainment, one would expect the zombies to be conventional in RE as well.
Well, while they are zombies, there are features about them that make them unique, appearance-wise. For example, they look incredibly grotesque and disgusting.
Resident Evil really shines in the design of unique monsters, however. For example, the Baker family in Resident Evil 7: Biohazard are some of the most anxiety-inducing enemies I’ve ever seen in a game. The enemies of these games are ugly, and that’s why the design is so good.
Dark Souls and Elden Ring
The Dark Souls franchise and Elden Ring has enemies that look similar, but there are a lot of differences between the games’ enemy design. But I included them in one entry because it allows for an article that’s not overly cluttered.
Each and every enemy of the games has unique lore and history, and you will often find how some stories of the lore seamlessly connect to each other. When you pay close attention to the enemies (which you will not be able to do while in combat), you’ll notice various details that are very fascinating.
For example, the creature in the image is a Basilisk. Its huge ‘eyes’ are very noticeable at first. But if your look closely, you’ll see another pair of eyes just above its mouth. Basilisks are in both Dark Souls and Elden Ring.
The enemy design from other FromSoftware games also deserves appreciation. See the below subtopics.
Bloodborne
Bloodborne’s enemy design is also very unique and sometimes quaint. Because the game is set in Victorian London, the enemy design is very gothic and different from Dark Souls.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Sekiro combines the superb enemy design philosophy of other FromSoftware titles but they also draw inspiration from Japanese folklore and mythology. From the appearance of beastly enemies to the clothes humanoid enemies wear, they look very distinct and unique.
When you dig somewhat deeper, you’ll uncover that there are a lot of different folktales that have inspired the enemy design and even the world itself, in Sekiro. A good example is the Rope Belt of the Corrupted Monk in the above image.
In Japanese temples, various decorations that are done in ropes that look just like her belt can be seen (in real life). And the mask the Monk wears is that of a Hannya, a jealous female demon.
