Summary
There’s no horror game enemy that can send chills down the player’s spine quite as easily as a stalker. As the name implies, these types of enemies will stalk the protagonist to the end of the earth to take them down for good, and while many horror titles have incorporated them to increase the intensity factor, no series has managed to execute them quite as well asResident Evil.
Considering that Capcom have been happy to include stalker enemies in the majority of the modern releases, fans are wonderingwhether this popular trend will continueinto future entries. As a result, it seems like the perfect time to reflect on each andeveryResident Evilgame that includes a stalker enemyfor anyone who wants to experience the thrill of being hunted down by these terrifying behemoths.
Before jumping in, this list will include stalkers within gameplay and also those in the story. So long as the enemy is relentlessly trying to pursue the protagonist in-game in one form or another, they will be counted.
Though Mr. X in the original game wouldn’t be able to traverse through entire areas like he can in the remake ofResident Evil 2, he would still have the ability to show up randomly in his pursuit toeliminate Claire and Leon for good. While he is able to follow players in certain departments of the R.P.D., there are also many scripted moments that allow him to enter parts of the building that are usually safe, such as the third floor, which he super-jumps onto, seemingly out of nowhere, at one point in the game.
While the stalker enemy type would be improved and refined as the games went on, Mr. X gave players a glimpse into how this unique system would work and the kind of tension it can build because of how unpredictable these kinds of enemies are.
While Claire and Leon both follow a slightly different story in their own respective campaigns, one enemy that they will both be forced to encounter while exploring the R.P.D. is Mr. X.This fashionably dressed Tyrantwas dropped into the city to take out any survivors still roaming around the streets, and once it sets its eyes on Leon or Claire, it won’t let them out of his sights until they are dealt with.
Mr. X in theResident Evil 2 Remakeis programmed to constantly be patrolling the corridors of the R.P.D. and its many rooms, meaning that players need to always be on the move to avoid being caught by him. Even after the protagonists leave the R.P.D., Mr. X doesn’t give up the chase, becoming a real thorn in one’s side right until the very end.
The Nemesis, a hulking B.O.W. who’s sole mission is to hunt down and kill any surviving STARS members, is arguably the most recognizable stalker enemy in all of gaming. What made him so spine-chilling was that he could show up at any moment, breaking through walls andlaunching himself in front of Jillwithout a care in the world, and considering his ridiculous durability, he forces players into fight or flight mode whenever he shows up.
Nemesis also plays a big role in the story, showing the desperation of Umbrella in trying to hide their misdeeds from the public eye by creating a monster who can do their dirty work for them. Simply put, Nemesis is a relentless powerhouse who stops at nothing to get his hands on Jill, even if that means killing countless civilians along the way.
For the remake ofResident Evil 3, Capcom decided to tinker with Nemesis slightly, particularly in terms of the gameplay. Rather than only appearing in small areas like the original, Nemesis can now roam around entire open environments during certain segments of the game, and there are no loading screens to block his path of carnage.
On the flip side, he is also used in many ofthe game’s quick time events, which ends up making him more of a ‘cinematic’ kind of villain, presenting him as big and bombastic. While opinions on theResident Evil 3 Remakeare mixed, Nemesis still adds a lot of tension to the gameplay loop thanks to his menacing presentation and his relentless speed, which has remained intact for this retelling of the original game.
Each of the three main campaigns inResident Evil 6are designed to resemble certain periods of the series' history. While Leon’s campaign tries to hearken back to the classics, and Chris' to the action-packed modern titles, many fans saw Jake’s as being an homage toResident Evil 3due to the similarities between Ustanak and Nemesis.
Just like his inspiration, Ustanak is a behemoth of a monster who chases Jake and Sherry down from the first chapter of their campaign, all the way until the very end. In the middle of the story, there is even a stealth level dedicated to avoiding Ustanak and his drones so that Jake and Sherry can get to the next area. Ustanak is a welcome addition to theResident Evil 6cast of monsters, since he always manages to keep the stakes high for Jake and Sherry’s campaign, keeping players on their toes for the entire playthrough.
The story ofResident Evil 7follows Ethan Winters, a newcomer to the series who, in an attempt to rescue his missing wife, is captured by the sinister Baker Family. For the first half of the game, players will be free to explorethe Baker’s dark and gloomy estate, which holds plenty of weird secrets, all while being hunted down by Jack Baker, a man who won’t think twice about slicing Ethan in two upon finding him.
Then there’s Maguerite, Jack’s unnerving wife, who can be found wandering around the outhouse with a horde of insects by her side. Players will have nowhere near enough firepower to deal any significant damage to these two, forcing them to take a more stealthy approach to make it through to the next area in one piece.
It’s not long into a playthrough ofResident Evil Villageuntil players will find themselves wandering arounda gigantic royal castlethat just so happens to be occupied by a large and dangerous vampire known as Lady Dimitrescu. As Ethan makes his way around the castle, grabbing any ammo and herbs he can find along the way, the faint footsteps of Dimitrescu will echo in the background, signifying that she’s on the hunt for the ‘man-thing’ that has trespassed on her property.
Though Dimitrescu will only act as a stalker for certain segments of the castle, it still makes for a thrilling experience when she does show up, especially considering she can shred Ethan to pieces in no time at all with her giant razor-sharp claws.
