When it comes to making a great survival horror game, there are a few key elements that are integral to making the experience a memorable one. An eerie atmosphere, a high-stakes plot, realistic characters, and an expressive, grim art style are all vital components of a good survival horror game, but most of these are secondary to the actual gameplay itself. When it comes to forging great survival horror gameplay, the game's cast of terrifying enemies plays a pivotal role, and for almost 30 years now, that's been a feature that's given the Resident Evil franchise an edge over its competition.

Beginning all the way back in 1996 with the very first entry in the series, Resident Evil has always had a healthy supply of genuinely scary enemies, a supply that only continues to grow with each new entry. From huge flying bugs that can turn invisible, to hulking brutes that stalk the player across the map, to zombie dogs that smash through windows, the Resident Evil franchise has plenty of iconic monsters, but only a handful could be considered its most cursed.

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Resident Evil 4's Regenerador

One of the most terrifying monsters in all of gaming, Resident Evil 4's Regeneradors don't appear until the game's final third, and though they're only in it for an hour or two, they make an incredibly strong impression. Tall, gray, human-like blobs, the Regeneradors don't feature the most striking visual design in Resident Evil history, but their behavior during gameplay is what sets them apart. Slow-moving but hard-hitting, the Regeneradors need to be avoided at all costs, and simply shooting them anywhere will only result in the monster regrowing its body. Instead, players need to aim at the monster using an infrared scope, and shoot the parasites located in its body. This mechanic alone makes the Regeneradors one of the most intense enemies to face off against in the whole series.

Resident Evil 2's Licker

Potentially the most popular regular enemy in the Resident Evil franchise, Lickers debuted back in 1998's Resident Evil 2, but have since cropped up across the series. Resident Evil's Licker has an undeniably iconic visual design, wearing its bulbous brain on the outside of its horribly slimy, muscular body and head, and having a ridiculously long tongue that plays into the gameplay perfectly. Being blind, the Licker can only locate the player by touching them with their tongue or by hearing them, and when they're alerted they launch into a frantic chain of attacks that'll catch even the most experienced players off-guard.

Resident Evil 7's Marguerite Baker

Probably the most frightening encounter in a recent mainline Resident Evil entry, Resident Evil 7's Marguerite Baker is the very height of body horror in gaming. After meeting the Baker matriarch in her swamp-side shack earlier in the game where she attempts to kill them using the power of bugs, players will run into Marguerite again a little bit later, where they'll discover she's gone full spider. With grossly elongated arms and legs, Marguerite will chase the player around an abandoned house, scuttling up fireplaces, along ceilings, and across walls, taking an absurd amount of bullets to the face all the while.

Resident Evil 3's Nemesis

By far the most beloved boss in Resident Evil history, Resident Evil 3's Nemesis is practically perfect in every way. From a visual standpoint, Nemesis is just terrifying to look at, with odd body proportions, stretched skin and muscles, and a design that's just human enough to be both unsettling and intimidating. Paired with the ability to stalk and hunt the player across the map, and down them in just a hit or two, and Nemesis is easily one of Resident Evil's most cursed enemies.

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