Eight Enemies We Were Sorry to Kill
Demons in Doom, Mecha-Hitler in Wolfenstein, humas in Goat Simulator – most games don't bother creating complex enemies that we'll treat as anything more than things to shoot. Here are eight exceptions to this rule.
Table of Contents
- Eight Enemies We Were Sorry to Kill
- Colossi in Shadow Of The Colossus
- Big Daddies in Bioshock
- Geth in Mass Effect
- Great Grey Wolf Sif in Dark Souls
- The Augs in Deus Ex: Human Revolution
- One of the Bloodborne bosses
- Robots in the NieR: Automata
One of the Bloodborne bosses
IMPORTANT NOTE! This page includes a huge spoiler.
That night, Gehrman joins the hunt...
It's hard to feel empathy for an opponent who is able to kill a well-developed character with two or three punches. As one of the final bosses Gehrman, the First Tracker – who must be defeated to see the game's true ending – is one of Bloodborne's biggest challenges. He is an extremely aggressive, surprisingly fast enemy, capable of inflicting massive damage with his scythe, in short: an opponent you do not want to face. Especially considering that Gehrman is also one of the characters who is actively trying to help us.
He's an old man, suffering from both physical and mental health problems, who drives a wheelchair. Players meet him on their first visit to the Hunter's Dream. Since then, he has assisted us with tips, allowed us to rest before heading back to Yharnam, and even use of items found in his household – "even a doll if it would please us." Sure, it's quite unsettling, but on the other hand, in a world where it's hard to walk five steps without encountering an invention straight out of Lovecraft's books, you shouldn't be too fussy about people reaching out to us with a helping hand.
Even when he ultimately decides to kill us, Gehrman's decision is driven by concern for our well-being. If we die at his hand, we will be awakened from our Dream and not share the same fate as the first Tracker. It's not a fight with Gascoigne's mad father, more beast than man, or with disgusting building-sized monsters. It's a duel with a man who has helped us throughout the hunt and wants a happy ending for us. The soundtrack perfectly accentuates the bitter tone of this clash, weaving a melancholic melody into traditional choral singing. The only consolation is the knowledge that our victory will bring relief to at least Gehrman, and that the First Hunter will wake up from the dream he has been in for an infinitely long time.
