Summary
Jumpscares and aneerie atmosphereare two popular ways horror games will creep the player out during their adventure, but another which has been used to great effect by some developers is body horror. This is when a mutant, zombie, or monster’s design is made up of different limbs or body parts, giving it a horrific appearance that lingers in the brain long after the game finishes.
However, it can be easy for this type of horror technique to become a little bland if a game continues using the same enemy over and over again. That’s why having a catalog of enemies who incorporate these kinds of disturbing designs is essential for keeping players immersed in the experience, never knowing what sorts of hideous monstrosities they’ll come up against next.
When looking atthe numerous enemiesthat stalk Mono and Six throughoutLittle Nightmares 2, they can all seem like regular people, but there’s still always something a little off about the designs in this game, in a good, but creepy kind of way. Because of how disproportionately large the enemies are, it presents a unique style of body horror where the size of the human ultimately makes them much more scary to see up close and personal.
No player can ever forget the first moment they realize the evil head teacher of the school can actually extend her neck like rubber, or when the hunter begins chasing them like a shotgun-wielding madman while trying to scoop them up from the ground. The fact that players are largely unable to defend themselves against the hideous stalkers makes them all the more terrifying.
TheResident Evilfranchise has never been a stranger to incorporating elements of body horror into its games, especially given how often enemies will transform and mutate. However, the slightly more whimsical storybook-like aesthetic ofVillagein particular allowedCapcomto get even more experimental with their enemy designs, resulting in some downright grotesque creatures Ethan will encounter in his mission to save Rose.
One notable example includes Moreau, who has been turned into somewhat of a husk as the parasite rests on his back, causing him to always appear hunched over. By far the worst offender though is the ‘Baby’ that shows up near the midpoint of the game, which is essentially a giant toddler with a mouth big enough to consume Ethan all in one go.Villagealso has a strange fixation with finding and re-attaching limbs, which itself is another unique form of body horror that can easily get under players' skin.
TheAlone in the Darkremake was met with mixed reception from critics, but while its story might not be anything to write home about, the enemy design most certainly is. The creatures inAlone in the Darkare so freaky-looking that it almost feels like each new enemy is trying to one-up the previous with how disturbing they can look.
From afar, many of these enemies can seem vaguely human, but it doesn’t take long to realize this is far from the case, with many of them having added limbs or mis-matched body parts that make them genuinely terrifying to take on.Alone in the Dark’senemy roster is a clear example of how much enemy design can enhance the entire experience of a horror game, while also making up for other shortcomings in the process.
Many fans ofSilent Hill 2interpret themonsters that James encountersin the game as being manifestations of his own imagination. Since James' mind is in a pretty fractured state once the game kicks off, it means that the enemies players encounter are all incredibly creepy in their designs, incorporating different elements of body horror to make them extra scary and memorable.
The nurses for example may look fairly normal upon first glance, but when getting a closer look, their facial features have been entirely removed, turning them into mindless zombie-like monsters. There’s also the mannequins, which are essentially two pairs of legs stuck together, and the Lying Figure, which seems to be a human with their hands strapped together, meaning their only form of attack is puking on James when he gets close. All of this has been enhanced in theSilent Hill 2 Remakewhere the enemies look even more gross, in a good kind of way.
Amnesia: The Dark Descentis one of those horror games that many players will actively avoid playing after seeing a screenshot or two of the gameplay. The primary reason for this is the Gatherers; the main enemies of the game, who are characterized by their wide open mouths that are enough to freak out even the most seasoned horror veterans.
They’re not the only ones who possess these kinds of strange designs though, as the Servant Brute is another example ofAmnesia’sbody horror being on full display. These guys' heads seem to have been split in two, and if players look closely, they can even see a few teeth; as if they weren’t already freaky enough to look at.
TheDead Spaceremake does a remarkable job at replicating the fear and tension from the original that comes fromthe Necromorphswho hunt down Isaac for much of the game. Though these were once humans, the influence of the Marker has mutated these people beyond recognition, causing them to sprout extra limbs, deadly claws, and even explosive sacs which they will gladly use to take Isaac down.
The enemy variety in the remake means players will always be running into new types of Necromorphs along their journey in the USG Ishimura, but it’s clear developers Motive were challenging themselves to see how creepy they could make each of these enemies look. Whether it’s the giant talons of the Hunter, or the disturbing elongated limbs of the Divider,Dead Spaceis packed full of effective body horror, which only adds to the game’s overall scare factor.
Scornis apuzzle-horror hybridwhich became well known for its unique, albeit pretty disturbing, art style. The game’s environments are filled with techo-organic architecture, with heads, arms, and virtually any body part imaginable appearing on the walls and floors of every room. It seems evident Ebb Software were aiming to thrust players into what can only be described as a living hell, and that’s certainly what it feels like with the amount of strange and disfigured depictions of the human body that are showcased throughout the game’s levels.
Of course, this also applies to the enemies, which all look like something straight out of an eldritch horror story. Simply put, once players get a glimpse at a few of the enemies inScorn, they’ll be hard-pressed to find another video game enemy which can compare in terms of the sick and twisted visual designs which rely heavily on body horror to freak the player out.
