You? Kill Me? I don't think so!

As Kent pointed out in an earlier post, horror games usually involve a lot of killing. Splicers, ghosts, zombies, alien zombies, supernatural supersoldiers, I've killed 'em all. Gameplay in horror games usually consists of two things: killing and puzzle solving. However, while dispatching enemies in gruesome ways is the norm, there is one convention that quells itchy trigger fingers: the invincible miniboss. For me, interacting with these characters produces some of the the biggest freak out moments you can come across. Let me provide a few examples:

Dead Space: Das Über-morph
After having your first conversations with the maniacal Dr. Kyne, he sets his ultimate creation, a bio-regenerative necromorph, at your heels. When Kent faced this beast, he went for the traditional method of zombie slaying. Legs and arms were diced, only to be replaced with glistening scythes. Quickly running out of ammunition, Kent became Purina Zombie Chow. Facing this monster head-on isn't an option; fleeing for your life is. For the rest of the chapter you are chased by this lurking horror. No room offers sanctuary; lock the door behind you and he'll follow you through ventilation shafts. Eventually you thwart Kyne's creation by freezing it in a cryochamber, offering a well deserved lull after the twenty minute fleeing spree.

Fatal Frame II: Einstein Ghost and Sae
FF2 has two invincible enemies: a white-haired banshee reminiscent of a certain astrophysicist and a girl wearing a blood-stained kimono. The "camera obscura" does not work against either; both will kill you instantly if they touch you. Again, the only option is flight. However, each of these encounters has its own reason to be additionally frightening. In order to traverse one of the mansions you have to walk through the room with the Einstein ghost. The second time you go through the room, you will have played for around 45 minutes without saving. Having that much progress lost by a single touch from a rotting spectral hand is terrifying in itself. There is weight to your chase through the room; each step is closer to freedom and relief. What makes Sae so scary is that you have to solve puzzles while trying to escape. Running into a locked door while a laughing ghoul limps towards you is suffocating. The sensation of being trapped is tangible as you look for the door key.

Condemned 2: The Grizzly Bear
I'm not particularly sure why, but there is a section of the game where a bear breaks into a building and chases you until you either are tackled and eaten or find a way to kill it. There is no option to fist-fight your way out of it. But running is only half of the solution. You have to lock doors and push objects in front of holes in walls. Covering all points of entry grips you with immersive fear.

There is a common theme among these examples: invincible enemies require an immediate shift in gameplay style. If mowing through enemies is the solution players are most comfortable with, taking that particular method of progression away is a jarring and effective way of eliciting fear. Moreover, running away and being chased reminds players of their own mortality. The weight of every thumbstick movement and button press is magnified. If the fear takes hold, it is difficult to make precise actions (think of all the scenes in horror films when the victim struggles to put a key in a door). Encounters such as these make players lose their cool when direct action is needed most.