I don't mind the 'stalking' enemies, although I can totally understand why you feel they get in the way.

I'd draw a distinction between Mr. X and Nemesis too. I think the way Capcom has designed both of those "alpha antagonists" (as Josh Bycer calls them) is quite different. With Nemesis, you're sort of thrown into a hectic chase sequence - it almost becomes arcade-like. Whereas with Mr. X, there's this ever-present danger that you have to think strategically to deal with - I'd say it's like comparing checkers to chess in a sense.

Even Resident Evil 4 and 5 had versions of the alpha antagonist, although in more limited quantities. I loved the chainsaw guy in RE4 for example, because he didn't chase you around the ENTIRE game - he was only present at specific moments.

I suppose the same could be said for Mr. X, although he plays a much deeper role in the experience and is present for longer.

For me, Resident Evil has generally done a decent job of blending natural, creeping tension with heart-attack moments. Resident Evil 5 strayed further into action territory but was saved largely through its cooperative feature. Resident Evil 6 didn't just lean into action, but it had no clear identity - and it was poorly made, apparently designed by committee. It's not surprising that most fans see it as an outlier.

I'm not sure what Village will bring, but it seems like this idea of alpha antagonists isn't going to go away. What I'm hoping, though, is that we aren't being stalked 100% of the time - that there might be certain parts of the world where we know one of these big baddies is hunting us, but it doesn't last forever.

Either way, I'm super exicted for RE: Village.