Gaming's Hardest Enemies (by Carl B.)

September 10, 2011, by Carl B. - Video games over the years have featured some pretty tough opponents, varying from enemies that require skill to defeat and ones that take patience and careful movements to bring down. Of the more than 25 years of gaming, here are the most difficult enemies – not counting bosses or ridiculously broken baddies.




Tank (Left 4 Dead)

Tanks are the most powerful Infected in Valve's Left 4 Dead. This enemy has the specific purpose of frightening unskilled Survivors into scattering, where it's able to take down each player with great ease. It's incredibly hard to take down a Tank on one's own, but they aren't nearly as difficult if players stick together and fight it as a team.

Mind Flayer (Demon's Souls)

Mind Flayers are as creepy as they are powerful. Like most enemies in Demon's Souls, Mind Flayers take considerable effort to defeat. The difference with this enemy, however, is that virtually no attacks will affect its front side unless players are able to rush and combo it. Mind Flayers will cast a paralyzing magic spell that only a special type of shield can block, making it difficult to face head on. Depending on the player's build, one of the more effective strategies is to hide and take out a Mind Flayer from behind.

Deathclaw (Fallout: New Vegas, Fallout 3)

Deathclaws usually attack in packs, making their already incredibly high HP and attack power more difficult to deal with. In all my time playing Fallout: New Vegas, I have yet to kill a Deathclaw. They're one of the only enemies, if not the only enemy, in New Vegas that is so terrifying that the residents of the Mojave Wasteland warn travelers of their presence via signs. The best strategy when confronted with a Deathclaw is to run away and hope Boone can take it down.

Iron Knuckles (Zelda II: The Adventure of Link)

Iron Knuckles from Zelda II: The Adventure of Link were the inspiration to write this article. I'm not sure if there's a harder enemy in any game ever made. Iron Knuckles are crazy hard to defeat not only because they have high health and high attack, but because they can block high and low attacks at different times, meaning that Link has to attack low when its shield is raised, and vice-versa. The more powerful Iron Knuckles will move the shield's position quickly, making it even harder to land a blow. Blue Iron Knuckles can even shoot projectiles from their sword. It's next to impossible to come out of a battle with an Iron Knuckle without taking a ton of damage – the only way to do so is to transform into a fairy and fly over it.