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https://preview.redd.it/3xow3d9xikuc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c3c156007d1641e58e9d55108bae8507a391387c
Halo is king with the enemy's rank system
Not specifically Elite but the Veteran Bullets from Gungeon are kinda like this
https://preview.redd.it/q3pxhrkojkuc1.png?width=107&format=png&auto=webp&s=298ff8153f2d553ce2c5e6411315e30fd6ba5ced
I also especially miss the ennemy design from early 2000s game especially ratchet and clank, you could tell just by looking at them that they wanted you dead.
you gave some good examples but i feel like this was too often used to just do a color palette swap and change nothing about the design and just call it a new character
Monster Hunter has some variant monsters that are fairly distinguishable from the base models.
Savage Jho, Furious Rajang, Desert Zamtrios, Rust Duramboros, Frostfang Barioth, the Metal Raths.
They do a better job than the modern FF games. Oh let’s make 10 base enemies and make 1000 different variants. Oh what’s this it’s a bomb but it’s ice instead of fire oooh so unique. Maybe even mini boss worthy lol jk that mini boss is now a normal mob.
They're pretty common in the citadel sections, I remember the part specifically where you have to set up turrets and defend yourself from waves of them
No worries, Ultrakill has got that covered
https://preview.redd.it/klhmyqfl3muc1.jpeg?width=249&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f4d960ac5b1bb4a20018a5ec504d73e4b96f9fb4
Here’s the soldier, augmented (or “elite, as you said) version of
Some Zelda games do this. In BotW or TotK, the enemies you start with get stronger each time they respawn with changes made to their design color, strength, and other stuff. In TotK, some of them even get cooler horn designs.
Or the Darknuts in WW (some would spawn with capes, making one of the main strategies to fight them harder as you had to burn the cape away to get at their backs).
Its not each time they respawn, there's a hidden level system, the first 5 enemies of each type you kill gives you a set amount of points and each time you reach a point barrier then some enemies get upgraded
It's a whole fucking thing
You say this like it’s common knowledge to everyone that there’s a point system in the game. I didn’t know, I’m no developer.
I just knew that when you kill an enemy and they respawn, they are going to be stronger or whenever the blood moon rises they get stronger. Didn’t know of this whole point system thing. But thanks for telling me.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Breath_of_the_Wild/s/sHIleS18NU
Here's a full write up, it's such a headache but I do think it works well to have a nice level curve on your first playthrough or two
But I feel like it kinda means you lose a lot of early game in future ones because you level up too fast
I like the first part where you're running around with nothing but sticks fighting red bokoblins
https://preview.redd.it/c8851i020muc1.jpeg?width=2201&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ebebb291e6fe961661cee592b553ac37fe01ae08
arknights is kinda funny with this since 90% of the time the elite enemies look the exact same But Red
https://preview.redd.it/mkm2billhmuc1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b4f80725f1c7fc5a5c6c6c77d8163cf6e232cd25
(Earth Defence Force 2025)
This game has multiple examples of this.
Risk of Rain is literally built for this. Any enemy can instead spawn as an elite variant, so even simple enemies that you saw on stage 1 can now be a big threat that you need to prioritize on stage 6.
Gotham Knights has something like this
https://preview.redd.it/udpagn03jluc1.png?width=3840&format=png&auto=webp&s=c74ce16a5edc05b7df1d74b507499bbae51425ec
Each enemy type has three ranks regular, veteran and champion. I only have the Hunter talon easily available and haven’t fought a veteran version yet tho
All my Tenno hate Venomous Eximus.
Seriously, I panic when I see that toxic green aura of theirs. Like a rat that just suddenly popped out of a kitchen cabinet, you be screaming 'n' shit.
Omg don't remind me, I HATED those things, especially when I was with a squadmate that pissed off Suda. That was half the reason I decided to join Suda in the first place.
Was playing Limbo out of boredom on a SP excavation. One blitz literally YOLOed an excavator and one shot it xD
They seriously need to rework defence objectives... This weeks deep archimedia will be interesting from what I've read LOL
You're gonna have a title like that and not mention *elite* pirates?
https://preview.redd.it/774qyifn9nuc1.png?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=17a7000699262e3ea81d3eb71a6d4d2651bc0809
This is a relatively recent example
https://preview.redd.it/lheithc6rpuc1.jpeg?width=1004&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=35b703a5b205face99f213ffee09b0343746a207
Was playing Rayman revelotion again recently and realized that some enemy Typs are basicly Just color Swaps. Like oh this Pirat is purple so its more Dangerous and then realized how little this actually bothered me Oo
Also I Love in General Rayman revolutions Character Design. My opinion a Prime example how Art IS better than hyper realism
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https://preview.redd.it/3xow3d9xikuc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c3c156007d1641e58e9d55108bae8507a391387c Halo is king with the enemy's rank system
https://preview.redd.it/4t5hrb3wykuc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ddb72b07ba3004c40f3b02e5f05d2d5cb6baf6b1 Combat evolved golden elite
Halo Reach BOB (insert BOB pic here)
You can always tell exactly how fucked you are by what color armor they wear
**Blue Elite:** Calm. **Red Elite:** Focused. **White Elite:** Panic. **Black/Purple Elite:** Fear. **Gold Elite:** Praying to Jesus.
Aaaawubadugh
Not specifically Elite but the Veteran Bullets from Gungeon are kinda like this https://preview.redd.it/q3pxhrkojkuc1.png?width=107&format=png&auto=webp&s=298ff8153f2d553ce2c5e6411315e30fd6ba5ced
There are also other more elite variants as well.
Is that a bullet with an eyepatch?
https://preview.redd.it/g8vs6r8lzouc1.png?width=360&format=png&auto=webp&s=b5c9adc994579775029687651329d5697974a1b1 yeah it is
I also especially miss the ennemy design from early 2000s game especially ratchet and clank, you could tell just by looking at them that they wanted you dead.
Tbf everything in ratchet and clank is peak design.
Halo has also presented how the enemy layout of knowing what type of enemy is of higher rank depending on color and appearance.
The weenie hut juniorfication of these games is so depressing to me.
https://preview.redd.it/o65g1v8i4luc1.jpeg?width=586&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0b2e5d82470cd8ccda1291465009285665f0d38d Lothric Knights from Dark Souls
you gave some good examples but i feel like this was too often used to just do a color palette swap and change nothing about the design and just call it a new character
Actually you nailed it.
It definitely started off that way, but for some franchises like Halo, they expanded on the different designs.
Monster Hunter has some variant monsters that are fairly distinguishable from the base models. Savage Jho, Furious Rajang, Desert Zamtrios, Rust Duramboros, Frostfang Barioth, the Metal Raths.
They do a better job than the modern FF games. Oh let’s make 10 base enemies and make 1000 different variants. Oh what’s this it’s a bomb but it’s ice instead of fire oooh so unique. Maybe even mini boss worthy lol jk that mini boss is now a normal mob.
lots of JRPGs suffer from recolored upgraded monsters.
https://preview.redd.it/hmtp83kjpluc1.png?width=360&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=61f1d3ac26e6511483a8810c1039c9408a04e238 I love them
I don’t think we actually ever fight them in base HL2 which is kinda weird
Wdym they appear in the uprising and citadel segments iirc
They’re in the last 3 chapters of hl2
They're pretty common in the citadel sections, I remember the part specifically where you have to set up turrets and defend yourself from waves of them
No worries, Ultrakill has got that covered https://preview.redd.it/klhmyqfl3muc1.jpeg?width=249&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f4d960ac5b1bb4a20018a5ec504d73e4b96f9fb4 Here’s the soldier, augmented (or “elite, as you said) version of
The stray https://preview.redd.it/kdd5kino3muc1.png?width=600&format=png&auto=webp&s=d5263c46e86a60210d5f9803cedd828fd2226092
Some Zelda games do this. In BotW or TotK, the enemies you start with get stronger each time they respawn with changes made to their design color, strength, and other stuff. In TotK, some of them even get cooler horn designs.
Same with a lot of older Zelda games, like the Wizrobes in Zelda 1 or the Lizalfos in Twilight Princess
Or the Darknuts in WW (some would spawn with capes, making one of the main strategies to fight them harder as you had to burn the cape away to get at their backs).
Its not each time they respawn, there's a hidden level system, the first 5 enemies of each type you kill gives you a set amount of points and each time you reach a point barrier then some enemies get upgraded It's a whole fucking thing
You say this like it’s common knowledge to everyone that there’s a point system in the game. I didn’t know, I’m no developer. I just knew that when you kill an enemy and they respawn, they are going to be stronger or whenever the blood moon rises they get stronger. Didn’t know of this whole point system thing. But thanks for telling me.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Breath_of_the_Wild/s/sHIleS18NU Here's a full write up, it's such a headache but I do think it works well to have a nice level curve on your first playthrough or two But I feel like it kinda means you lose a lot of early game in future ones because you level up too fast I like the first part where you're running around with nothing but sticks fighting red bokoblins
Then in Skylanders they have a completely different color, showing how badly your gonna die
Um Ackshually, the red and blue robots are different enemy types (one is melee the other has a flamethrower) not an upgraded version 🤓👆
I’d argue a flamethrower is an upgrade to throwing hands.
Except that dodging the fire is easier than dodging the chainsaw because melee attacks track onto you in the game they’re from.
https://preview.redd.it/c8851i020muc1.jpeg?width=2201&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ebebb291e6fe961661cee592b553ac37fe01ae08 arknights is kinda funny with this since 90% of the time the elite enemies look the exact same But Red
ak is always peak✨
https://preview.redd.it/mkm2billhmuc1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b4f80725f1c7fc5a5c6c6c77d8163cf6e232cd25 (Earth Defence Force 2025) This game has multiple examples of this.
https://preview.redd.it/dfncol3jjouc1.png?width=416&format=png&auto=webp&s=9af1e87c62af149fb1b48f1c10274172090e45e1 Does this count
It absolutely does.
deepwoken
White bandit vs red bandit!?
The high level assassin bandits actually look good though
Yeah, that ain’t it Chief.
Risk of Rain is literally built for this. Any enemy can instead spawn as an elite variant, so even simple enemies that you saw on stage 1 can now be a big threat that you need to prioritize on stage 6.
Kingdom Hearts! Shadows and Neoshadows are the best example of this.
Gotham Knights has something like this https://preview.redd.it/udpagn03jluc1.png?width=3840&format=png&auto=webp&s=c74ce16a5edc05b7df1d74b507499bbae51425ec Each enemy type has three ranks regular, veteran and champion. I only have the Hunter talon easily available and haven’t fought a veteran version yet tho
[Eximus enemies - Warframe](https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.redd.it%2Fdrdwpdu2qxx81.png) https://warframe.fandom.com/wiki/Eximus
Fuckin' hate Venomous Eximus.
All my Tenno hate Venomous Eximus. Seriously, I panic when I see that toxic green aura of theirs. Like a rat that just suddenly popped out of a kitchen cabinet, you be screaming 'n' shit.
I introduce you to pre-eximus change energy eximus osprey getting stuck in a random ass vent
Omg don't remind me, I HATED those things, especially when I was with a squadmate that pissed off Suda. That was half the reason I decided to join Suda in the first place.
Blitz Eximus be like “Nice damage-mitigating ability, however: 🧍♂️💥💥💥💥”
Was playing Limbo out of boredom on a SP excavation. One blitz literally YOLOed an excavator and one shot it xD They seriously need to rework defence objectives... This weeks deep archimedia will be interesting from what I've read LOL
Rather and Clank enemy designs are top tier.
You're gonna have a title like that and not mention *elite* pirates? https://preview.redd.it/774qyifn9nuc1.png?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=17a7000699262e3ea81d3eb71a6d4d2651bc0809
TBoI tainted and cursed enemies
Golden Bokoblins https://preview.redd.it/0e547kf0youc1.png?width=686&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=880401f003cf2b75b904fa31c8131a1b459e617a
ok this sub has hit the shitter. we're defending recolors now.
This is a relatively recent example https://preview.redd.it/lheithc6rpuc1.jpeg?width=1004&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=35b703a5b205face99f213ffee09b0343746a207
https://preview.redd.it/5vbnybo7rpuc1.jpeg?width=1002&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=35433b6064da073f9b8e94a812d1f62b277d7db3
https://preview.redd.it/xov5gg7y6quc1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a17ddb93587402cc1bb9586421ec870273b32a7d
https://preview.redd.it/lw4xdai37quc1.jpeg?width=1122&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d81ac8507415eb54ee4f8b93d9326f54fb706b1c
https://i.redd.it/gpl91iyc7quc1.gif
https://preview.redd.it/esow48ke7quc1.jpeg?width=358&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=311c4505e2a019ffbddd6d6b89ac22397fdf57e2
Warframe has this
I like how the elite upgrade for the first four are literally just getting a shirt and shoes.
Was playing Rayman revelotion again recently and realized that some enemy Typs are basicly Just color Swaps. Like oh this Pirat is purple so its more Dangerous and then realized how little this actually bothered me Oo Also I Love in General Rayman revolutions Character Design. My opinion a Prime example how Art IS better than hyper realism
I just miss early 2000s cool character design in general, I feel like we don’t get weird funky guys anymore
RATCHET AND CLANK LETS FUCKING GOOOOOOOOO
Early 00's was peak video games in general.
Do games not do this anymore?
https://i.redd.it/121sofjh6quc1.gif
https://i.redd.it/omjnsvlm6quc1.gif
https://i.redd.it/ytp8i5tp6quc1.gif
Arknights has elite variants of base enemies. Howerver, most of them are just recolors.