In RPGs, the main function of enemies is to present an obstacle that tests the skills of the games’ protagonists. Whether simple filler enemies for a dungeon or hard-fought mini bosses halfway to the Big Bad, each encounter plays a role in helping both characters and players improve in a creative manner.
At least, that SHOULD be the case. Unfortunately, many foes have become so commonplace that they are considered tropes in the video game industry. Meanwhile, several designs for enemies remain unexplored for reasons not fully understood. Shifting attention away from the typical designs while making room for the others can help distinguish one solid RPG from another.
10 Overused- Dragons
Some may find it a bit unfair to call out these powerful creatures, but come on. How many times do players have to fight the same massive, elemental-breath-wielding winged beast? While some game franchises like Shin Megami Tensei pull inspiration from several dragon mythos, the majority of fantasy-based RPGs use the European dragon as a template for their generic creations. Even one of the most iconic RPG series, Dragon Quest, has the name of the creature baked into its title! At the very least, developers should attempt to add a spin to their design when putting these monsters in their games.
9 Not Enough- Illusory Creatures
Here, the term “illusory creatures” refers to beings with powers of illusion. Think “displacer beast” from Dungeons & Dragons; they are panther-like monsters capable of creating illusory doppelgangers to confuse and get the jump on prey. Fake copies of a big boss are nothing new (looking at you, Ganondorf), but battling a copy while the real monster lies in wait is something truly terrifying to consider. Even human-like enemies can utilize this tactic, becoming the perfect molds for assassins or spies in their games. Several Vault Hunters from Borderlands have this capability, so why not enemies, too?
8 Overused- Guards
Maybe the player accidentally angered a townsperson, or they’re escaping a prison after being wrongfully accused of a crime. Whatever the circumstance, guards are sure to come running along with weapons in tow. And rest assured they will bring plenty of backup.
Aside from their abundance, very few guards seem to have a conscience outside of enforcing their superiors’ orders. It makes for lazy writing in terms of plot, and it makes defeating them all the more unsympathetic. But dang, their employers must be stacked to be able to hire so many…
7 Not Enough- Cyborgs
While some may appear in more sci-fi oriented RPGs like Mass Effect, cyborgs remain few and far between in the genre as a whole. It’s a real shame, too, because cyborgs in a more typical fantasy setting would have so much interesting potential! What if a wizard had a magically-infused stone arm? Or how about an animal whose missing limbs were replaced with tree branches by a kindly druid? Perhaps those guards from earlier can merge their armor or weapons with their own bodies? Thinking about it, very few video game protagonists have these sorts of prosthetics, too. Maybe cyborgs are underrepresented in general?
6 Overused- Undead
Skeletons. Ghosts. Zombies. No matter the RPG, players almost inevitably fight one of these things at some point. Poes and Stalfos appear frequently throughout the Legend of Zelda series, whereas the Witcher games hold all sorts of wraiths and banshees.
The major problem with these types of foes is that they are hardly used to their full potential. Rather than develop them as characters that have a place in their games’ lore, the undead enemies are more often than not treated as horde battles or generic dungeon enemies.
5 Not Enough- Tree Monsters
Trees grow in nearly every biome, from frosty tundras to arid savannas. So how come so few tree monsters exist in video games? And this isn’t discussing simple sentient trees, either; let’s see a full-on giant Groot attempt to pulverize an intruder in their forest. While they would undoubtedly succumb to fire-based attacks, their size and power could still pose a threat. Due to the sheer number of trees in the world, there shouldn’t be a problem fitting a tree monster in somewhere. Unfortunately, game designers tend to opt for humanoid mushroom enemies instead.
4 Overused- Spiders
Caves and abandoned buildings typically end up crawling (quite literally) with arachnids in most RPGs. Coming across a nest of giant spiders can be a nightmare, from their sticky web traps to their slew of poisonous attacks. Still, their challenge doesn’t excuse their overabundance. They end up being incredibly formulaic, both in terms of appearance and attacks. It makes them more of a chore than anything else, and a rather uninspired one at that. Even a spider mixed with another animal, or simply a spider with wings, would mix things up enough.
3 Not Enough- Genies
Isn’t it weird how genies fill the meager role of “helpful NPC” or “summon” more often than they do an actual enemy for players to fight? One would think that their magical prowess would make for an engaging and interesting battle, but few examples stand out. Unless the Pokémon Hoopa counts?
As a silver lining, the lack of genies in RPGs gives them a lot of potential for relevance in future titles. While genies tend to reside in desert-like areas in reference to their Arabian origins, they can really be anywhere their lamp takes them. Perhaps a future game could have a greedy king command an army of genies from stolen lamps? Or a group of freed genies band together and fight to release their captive brethren?
2 Overused- Slimes
Their mention was inevitable. Anyone who has played Dragon Quest has undoubtedly seen thousands of these blue “menaces” before. But even outside of this iconic series, slime creatures exist in a plethora of forms. Whether they be Final Fantasy flans or starry-eyed goo-balls in MapleStory, oozy enemies threaten RPG parties the whole video game universe over. Their simple design may make them a favorite for developers looking to fill in their monster quota, but oftentimes they lack the imagination that truly makes a monster stand out.
1 Not Enough- Beholders
Now THESE are some underutilized creatures. While floating one-eyed creatures are a tried-and-true archetype in video games, few compare to the power and menace of a real beholder. The iconic Dungeons and Dragons monster comes with a multitude of eye stalks that fire deadly beams of energy at hapless adventurers, each with their own sinister effects. Spreading statuses like petrification and confusion may be a cheap tactic, but it certainly makes for a difficult fight. Future RPG titles should look to these megalomaniacal aberrations for inspiration before they, too, become overused.
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