What’s up, folks? Welcome to another weekly edition of The Top 5! Keeping in theme with all things Halloween for the month of October, this week we bring you The Top 5: Monsters in Horror Games. These are the thing nightmares are made of, so let’s do this, shall we?

Nick –

5. Slender man (Slender & Slender: The Arrival)

Albeit the slender man felt much more terrifying in his first appearance in the Slender game, I personally felt that he was chalk full of creepiness in his sequel. The mystery and lore surrounding the very fake but interesting character made his encounters (and possibly your death) that much more terrifying. His newer model in Slender: The Arrival was definitely a much

4. Nemesis (Resident Evil 3: Nemesis)

Nothing scared me more than the first time I started playing Resident Evil 3, walking into a room, and hearing “STARS” yelled out. Nemesis was large, intimidating, and armed with a rocket launcher. On top of that, he transformed into a large creature of sorts that was equal parts disgusting in the end.

3. Necromorphs (Dead Space series)

The necromorphs come in many different forms, but they’re all equal parts scary. Who doesn’t love a good alien-zombie? The reason I found these guys to be of top quality horror enemies, is because they never knew when to quit. Take the basic slasher necromorphs for example, the moment their heads were shot off they would come at you even faster in a fury. The whole lore tie in with Unitology always kept me interested as well.

2. Pyramid Head (Silent Hill 2)

One hulking maniac with a red metal pyramid for a head and a giant sword. Pyramid Head is well renown within the Silent Hill series as the biggest baddie of them all, with good reason. He chased James around in Silent Hill 2 while instilling tons of fear into its players. The first time I ran into him, I died several times disoriented by the shock of being in the same room as him.

1. Alma Wade (F.E.A.R)

Alma was an interesting character that always kept you guessing. She was this strange little girl that always seemed to pop up at some of the worst times and scare the living hell out of you. Just when you thought you’d have a moment to breathe, out came the child of death. Alma wasn’t even a true child, but a projection of herself making things a bit more interesting. The ending of F.E.A.R. 2 gave her a whole new layer of grotesqueness that still gives me the shivers to this day. Believe me when I tell you Alma is one woman you don’t want any part of.

Bryan –

5. The Cyberdemon-Doom Franchise

This big goat-cyborg-demon is the stuff of nightmares. The Cyberdemon unleashes an unending horde of demons on a small martian colony in an attempt to invade our realm. The Cyberdemon is a massive creature capable of taking nearly half your health off with one shot. I’m excited to see the Cyberdemon return in the new DOOM game, and if the snippets shown so far are any indication, then the Cyberdemon will be a force to be reckoned with for some time to come.

4. The Dark Presence – Alan Wake

The Dark Presence is a supernatural entity that resides in Cauldron Lake, it generates it’s fear in part due to it’s shapeless form. Cauldron Lake gives truth to any writings created in it, which allowed the Dark Presence to take Barbara Jagger as a mask. The Dark Presence’s ultimate goal is to loose itself upon an unsuspecting world, but luckily can only do as bidden in writing. The Dark Presence is all but omnipresent in the town of Bright Falls and corrupts the minds and bodies of the populace turning them into “Taken.”

3. Nemesis – Resident Evil 3

Nemesis is the perfect Tyrant. Infused with a parasite that increases it’s intelligence it stalks Jill Valentine through the alleys of Raccoon City. The Nemesis possesses superior strength and is all but unkillable. It naturally secrets a solution that nearly instantly repairs any damage as soon as it’s dealt. As if it needed any extra power, it has a rocket launcher mounted on it’s left arm. Luckily for the Resident Evil Universe, it was killed, otherwise it would still be around on and endless hunt for Jill Valentine.

2. Pyramid Head- Silent Hill 2

Silent Hill has a habit for shaping itself into it’s denizens own personal hell. Pyramid Head is a direct manifestation of James’ desire to be punished for his wife’s death. Its rigid form inspires a sense of impending pain, not to mention the massive blade Pyramid Head carries around. There is one scene in particular when the player is hiding in a closet that is particularly fear-inducing. The struggle against Pyramid Head culminates in a battle against two at the bottom of the prison, ending in them both dying along with Maria. The psychological undertones of a powerful monster help Pyramid Head get to number two on my list.

1. Albert Wesker- Resident Evil Franchise

Albert Wesker is the former captain of the S.T.A.R.S unit that both Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine were part of. During the first Resident Evil game, he gets impaled by a tyrant. As with any villain worth his salt, this was all part of the plan. He now has incredible strength, speed, and durability to go along with his intelligence. He makes it his task during the next games to improve himself by adapting various virus strains into his body. The only enemy he ever managed to struggle with was Alexia Ashford. Albert Wesker comes within mere seconds of turning the entire world into zombies. In the end it took a volcano, a hail of bullets, and a couple of rockets to destroy him. Wesker’s power and his prevalence throughout THE flagship horror franchise make him my number one horror villain.

Eric –

Editors note: Eric’s list contains some spoilers for The Last of Us – If you have not played the game we recommend skipping that section

5. Chainsaw Man — Resident Evil 4

When details about Resident Evil 4 came to light, gamers were, unsurprisingly, a bit shocked. For all intents and purposes, it seemed Capcom had abandoned the series’ staple enemy, the t-virus zombie, in favor of seemingly human Ganados (it wasn’t until later that we learned about the parasitic Las Plagas controlling them). This raised a lot of questions about the direction of the game, and understandably so. After all, could human enemies ever instill the same level of fear as the undead? Well, after being surrounded by these enemies in one of the earliest parts of the game, the answer to that question is a resounding HOLY HELL YES! And the best example of this is the Chainsaw Man–an unrelenting, unflinching man with a bagged head and a giant chainsaw. Being stalked and cornered by this terrifying baddie told gamers all they needed to know about Resident Evil 4; that it was just as dark, twisted, and scary as past entries in the series, in perhaps more creative, psychological ways. And even after completing the decidedly long campaign, the Chainsaw Man still stands out as the moment that set the tone that the rest of the game followed.

4. Baby-type Necromorphs — Dead Space series

The key to creating a memorable horror monster often lies in its design, and few games have succeeded in this department as well as the Dead Space series. The disfigured Necromorph abominations that stalk Isaac through those three games are some of the most creatively nightmarish creatures to appear in any game. All of them send shivers down the spine, from the standard Slashers, to the more advanced enemies like the hulking Brutes, the speedy Twitchers, and the elongated Dividers and their decidedly “The Thing”-esque appendages. But no creature has burned itself onto my eyelids as badly as the Necromorphs that mutated from human infants. In the first Dead Space, players met the baby-faced and projectile-firing Lurkers–a sort of baby/squid hybrid. Then, Dead Space 2 upped the ante, introducing the Crawlers–little crab-walking terrors with hollow eyes and a penchant for exploding in Isaac’s face. The inherent creepiness of children has been a long-time staple of horror movies (see: Pet Cemetery, The Omen, Children of the Corn, The Exorcist, and countless more). Dead Space capitalizes on this, to terrifyingly memorable effect, with the Lurkers and Crawlers.

 3. Nemesis — Resident Evil 3

After RE1 and 2, the series’ winning formula seemed set in stone. But much to gamers’ surprise, the third entry in the series shook things up in a number of memorable ways. First, players were not able to choose between two characters at the beginning of the game–Jill Valentine is the only option. The game also introduced “Live Selection Mode,” where players are forced to make split second decisions which could result in immediate death and affected the outcome of the story. But the most important and memorable change was the introduction of Nemesis, a towering tentacled Tyrant-type enemy who pursues Jill throughout the entirety of the game. Getting too close to Nemesis spelled certain death, and his spooky “STARS” chant would haunt any player’s dreams. But it is the way Nemesis broke one of the series’ cardinal rules that make him so memorable. Historically, enemies were confined to their own areas, so escaping a room meant escaping the terrors therein. There was solace in knowing what dangers hid where, and that a cleared room was safe. Nemesis, however, is capable of pursuing the player from room-to-room. If he was nearby, those door-opening load screen could no longer keep the player safe. This added layer of tension makes Nemesis one of the best horror villains of all time.

2. Lisa Trevor — Resident Evil (2002)

The GameCube remake of the original Resident Evil was an out-and-out revelation. It succeeded in taking a six-year-old classic and making it feel every bit as modern and fresh as any new game releasing around the same time. It was drop-dead gorgeous, bone-chillingly frightening, and featured a wealth of brand new content. One such addition was that of a brand new boss enemy: Lisa Trevor. Not only was Lisa creepy in design and incredibly dangerous, she also plays a key role in the story of the entire Resident Evil series. Her father was the architect who designed and built the Spencer Mansion. Umbrella later murdered him and kidnapped Lisa and her mother to ensure they kept silent about Umbrella’s dastardly doings. Lisa and her mother became the first test subjects for the earliest strands of the Progenitor Virus. Her mother did not survive, but the virus took to Lisa, turning her into an impervious monster, and the basis for the infamous t and g-viruses. Lisa is also one of the only villains in the series who the player feels bad for–the only way to defeat her is to reveal the corpse of her dead mother, which causes Lisa to throw herself into a pit as a result of her own despair. In short, Lisa is a bellwether for all of the amazing things the REmake accomplished, including beautifully terrifying design and new surprises around every corner. It is just a shame that the REmake didn’t have as much of an impact on future games in the series as Lisa did on the series’ lore.

 (Editor Note: Again, below contains spoilers about The Last of Us)

 1. David — The Last of Us

The world of The Last of Us is bleak, treacherous, and full of disfigured enemies infected by the Cordyceps fungus. From the relentless Clickers to the colossal Bloaters, there is no shortage of terrifying moments where murderous monsters are breathing down your neck (let’s not forget that part in the hotel basement. ::shudders::). It is interesting, then, that we learn quite early that the most dangerous enemies in the game are not the infected, but the other survivors. From the hunters in Pittsburgh to the bandits who attack Tommy’s Dam, the human enemies Joel and Ellie face off against are ruthless, desperate, and far more cunning than their infected counterparts. And none are more despicable than David, the leader of a group of cannibalistic survivors who capture Ellie and attempt to kill her for food. It is also strongly implied that David had intentions of taking advantage of Ellie sexually, a fate she only narrowly escapes. As a young teen, Ellie’s encounter with David truly traumatizes her, more so than coming face-to-face with any number of the grotesque infected. He represents the true evil that man is capable of in extreme circumstances, and makes you wonder what would become of the people in your life should you be faced with apocalyptic conditions. Would they hold out hope, trying to restore order and justice, or would they fall, becoming a monster that you never knew they had inside?

Sean –

5. Clickers – The Last of Us

Let me just say right now, I very much think The Last of Us is a horror game for a litany of reasons I won’t get into now. With that out of the way, one of the first things that came to mind when I came up with this week’s topic where the Clickers. Rendered completely blind due to the fungus engulfing their skull, leaving only their teeth, the Clickers are a one hit kill in early portions of the game, and depending one which skills you level up when playing, they remain so for quite a while. One of the most terrifying and suspenseful moments in any game I have ever played is during the section in which Joel has to sneak through an abandoned subway terminal in which several of these walking nightmares are stalking. Making even the slightest sound will rain their teeth-gnashing death upon you in incredibly brutal fashion, and it’s back to the beginning of the section.

4. The Tank – Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2

Left 4 Dead‘s ingenious AI Director makes every single time playing through the game’s campaign something unique and challenging. Hordes can come running at you at any moment, you can get caught in a Smokers’s tongue, watch your step around the Spitter, but nothing, nothing compares to hearing the Tank’s thundering music. Panic ensues as you quickly look around to see the direction he’s coming from. Cars start to fly left and right as you see the lumbering, huge and tough enemy headed right for you. And should the Tank drop you? You had better hope for an ally to distract him and another to pick you up, because he can beat you to death with the quickness if not.

3. Zombies – Resident Evil (series)

I am a lifelong fan of the zombie. What some people feel sick of, I can’t get enough of and am glad the age of the zombie has finally arrived. While other games may have featured the shambling dead prior to Resident Evil, none of them had the cultural impact of this watershed series. Sure they’re easy to drop and how no truly distinct characteristics, but that’s part of what I love about them. Zombies are a force of nature, one or two are manageable, but in packs they’re absolutely deadly and terrifying.

2. Bobby aka Scissorman – Clock Tower

Clock Tower‘s Scissorman is so high on my list because of one reason. He scared the s#*t out of me. For those that don’t know, Clock Tower is a point and click adventure released way back in the relative stone age of the original PlayStation. In the game, you played a girl named Jennifer who has just been adopted by the seemingly sweet, yet reclusive Mr. Barrows. As the game unfolds, it becomes clear that nothing is as it seems to be and Jennifer must survive only on her wits as she can’t really fight and there is no actual combat in the game. The main threat is Bobby, aka, Scissorman. Fleeing and hiding are pretty much your only options, but even hiding is a risk because Bobby will randomly look in hiding spots. And if he catches you, well, there’s a reason he’s called “Scissorman.”

1. Laura – The Evil Within

Surprised that a monster from a game released 4 days prior to this list shot to number one? Don’t be. I’m a massive fan of Asian horror and more specifically, Ring. Sadako/Samara is quite possibly the most terrifying creature I have ever seen in my life. How do you make her scarier? Give her 4 arms and have her crawl around like a naked, bloody spider that can teleport feet ahead of her and crush your face into a bloody pulp and she easily makes it to the top of my list.

 So there you have it! Our Top 5 Villains/Monsters in horror games. How do our list compare to yours? Be sure to let us know in the comments!