10 Video Game Villains That HUNT You

10 Video Game Villains That Hunt You

Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we’re looking at video game villains that stress us out by ruthlessly hunting our characters!

Chris Walker

“Outlast” (2013)

To be fair, there are multiple characters who hunt you throughout the indie horror superstar, “Outlast.” The Groom and his disturbing obsession with us from the “Whistleblower” DLC comes to mind. But overall, the titan-like Chris Walker is the most relentless of your pursuers. Encountered early on and stalking you throughout the asylum, he’d rush after you with ferocious speed and a terrifying demeanor. Even more disturbing than his appearance was his backstory, including self-mutilation and a fondness for removing heads with his bare hands. Getting spotted by this guy undeniably made for memorable moments, and he’s a big reason why the game blew up in the first place.

The Hunters

“Sir, You Are Being Hunted” (2014)

Well, it doesn’t get much more straightforward of a title than that. Another indie gem, “Sir, You Are Being Hunted” has you running for your life from fancily clad robots. You’ve got an entire island to explore, gather resources and weapons, and find an escape before they track you down and kill you. There are a few things that keep this gameplay loop fresh. One is that every time you play, the island is procedurally generated. Another is the AI of your enemy. If they happen to find an item that helps you get off the island, they’ll lie in wait for you. There are also a decent amount of different types, making for a variety of attempts.

Dahaka

“Prince of Persia: Warrior Within” (2004)

In “Sands of Time,” the Prince did a lot of messing with time in order to fix his mistakes. Sadly, the sequel shows that he really can’t win. In retaliation for too much meddling in the timestream, the intimidating Dahaka, who guards that very stream, hunts the player throughout “Warrior Within.” Not to apprehend him, of course, but to kill him, as his death is the only thing that can set things right. Each time he popped up, you had no time to study the obstacle course you were about to parkour through, as the Dahaka would soon be upon you. These were certainly some of the most stressful parts of the game, though definitely memorable.

Scissorman

“Clock Tower” (1995)

In this cult classic point-and-click adventure, you play as Jennifer, an orphan all set to move in with a new family alongside others like her. Sadly, that’s not what happens. Because inside the mansion lies Scissorman, a murderous hunter whose bloodlust will never be quelled until he catches you. There isn’t much players can do to stop him. You can only slow him down by setting traps, or try to escape should he spot you. Otherwise, you’ll need to make note of any hiding places around your environment while also looking for a way out. Scissorman is an early example of a villain hunting the player, making “Clock Tower” an important note for the survival horror genre.

The Gatherers

“Amnesia: The Dark Descent” (2010)

Frictional Games’ first “Amnesia” game made big waves when it was released, thanks to how its enemies affected both the player and their character. “The Dark Descent” begins with you waking up, with no memories, in a dark, desolate castle. And it gets worse, because lurking about the halls are disturbing, fleshy monsters called Gatherers who are looking for you. With no weapon, you can’t kill them, only able to run and hide. Plus, the longer you look at them, the worse your character’s sanity becomes, leading to hallucinations and actually drawing more attention to yourself. The Gatherers were so effective that “Amnesia” became a series, with the Beast from 2023’s “The Bunker” also being an adept hunter.

The Chosen

“XCOM 2: War of the Chosen” (2017)

“XCOM 2” had some tough-as-nails enemies in the base game, so the developers had to outdo them for the DLC. And they did. The Chosen for which the expansion is named for are three ultra-powerful aliens that can appear randomly during a fight. They each have different abilities and can’t be killed completely until you find their base much later. During the worst of times, they’ll show up just to wreck your forces, or kidnap them, or, in the case of the Warlock, mind-control them to attack you. It’s an interesting adaptation of this type of villain trope, as they’re still hunting you even though you’re able to fight back, and it’s pulled off really well.

Pyramid Head

“Silent Hill 2” (2001)

With his gigantic blade, uniquely angular helmet, and tendency to follow us around, Pyramid Head became an icon with the release of “Silent Hill 2.” Every scene that he appeared in was drenched in tension and fear out of what might happen should we fail to escape him. It seemed no matter what James Sunderland did, even defeating him, there was nothing he could do to stop the chase. As we’d learn, Pyramid Head is a manifestation of James’ guilt. So there really was no way for him to escape the persistent beast without coming to terms with his past decisions. While he’s shown up in several other games, his first is a classic.

Mr. X

“Resident Evil 2” (2019)

For the second “Resident Evil,” Capcom spiced things up by adding a terrifying Tyrant who would later become known as Mr. X. As memorable as he was in the original, he took on a whole new life when the remake was released in 2019. Sent by Umbrella to recover the G-Virus, and slay any survivors in his path, Mr. X towered over the player and chased them with murderous intent at every opportunity. Sure, you could slow him down with enough bullets. But it wouldn’t be long before he was stomping after you again, surprising us around every corner or even bursting through the walls. Capcom followed up Mr. X with another hulking hunter in Nemesis.

E.M.M.I.

“Metroid Dread” (2021)

The long-awaited “Metroid Dread” was a continuation of “Fusion” in several ways. Where the GBA game saw Samus hunted by the SA-X, “Dread” had the E.M.M.I. Built by the Galactic Federation for good, they were corrupted after being sent to investigate a parasite on an unknown planet. Now, whenever one catches sight of Samus, they chase her with the sole goal of ending her. While you do have a small window to parry their one-hit kill, Samus is powerless to stop them unless she reaches a specific room to charge her arm cannon. They also grow smarter, have different abilities, and patrol areas that grow increasingly more complex. Being chased by one is a surefire way to get your heart rate up.

The Xenomorph

“Alien: Isolation” (2014)

The Xenomorph is an iconically horrifying monster of pop culture. And in “Alien: Isolation,” we got as close to an experience as we could to actually having to deal with one. Placed in the shoes of film icon Ellen Ripley’s daughter, Amanda, we were brought face to face with the sci-fi symbol in a search for answers. Praised first and foremost for its enemy AI, “Isolation” had the palms of every player sweaty while they sought to hide, stealth, and outsmart their way to safety. For most of the game, you had no other way to fight back against imminent death. Narrowly avoiding being torn apart provided one tense encounter after another as we desperately grasped at a chance for survival.

Did we leave off a villain that terrified you? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to subscribe to MojoPlays for more great gaming videos every day!