I disagree. There are plenty of ways of presenting scenarios where the threat can be fought by the PCs and even be bested in a small, local sense - yet overall victory can be almost impossible.
Consider something as simple as a zombie apocalypse. Zombies aren’t much of a threat to any put the most low-level adventurers. But once the zombie outbreak becomes too large, the PCs will be unable to contain it - after all, they cannot be everywhere. Village after village, city after city, country after country will fall. They can still fight the zombies - and they should - but true “victory” may become impossible. Instead, the goal becomes: “How can we ensure the survival of as many people as possible?” And there is plenty of horror in that, as the PCs must make harsh choices on what to prioritize.
I disagree. There are plenty of ways of presenting scenarios where the threat can be fought by the PCs and even be bested in a small, local sense - yet overall victory can be almost impossible.
Consider something as simple as a zombie apocalypse. Zombies aren’t much of a threat to any put the most low-level adventurers. But once the zombie outbreak becomes too large, the PCs will be unable to contain it - after all, they cannot be everywhere. Village after village, city after city, country after country will fall. They can still fight the zombies - and they should - but true “victory” may become impossible. Instead, the goal becomes: “How can we ensure the survival of as many people as possible?” And there is plenty of horror in that, as the PCs must make harsh choices on what to prioritize.