Games with the best Boss Battles

[Wolf Kanno]

Boss Battles are a testament to games that act as a sort of "test" to see if the player has earned the skills or knowledge to get around tougher challenges and move on to the next level. So which games do you feel have the best boss battles? The type that serve as a highlight of the game.

[The Man]

Offhand:

Final Fantasy VI - Final battle
Yoshi's Island - Baby Bowser
Super Metroid - Mother Brain
Suikoden II - Luca Blight

I'm sure I'll think of more.

[Rez09]

The Genocide Heart in SaGa Frontier comes to mind.

[Forsaken Lover]

Xenosaga Episode III - all the Testaments, Yuriev, T-elos...so many great ones.

Final Fantasy VIII - the final boss gauntlet was amazing when done properly.

[Depression Moon]

Metal Gear Solid 3 is the only game that I feel where boss battles feel unique. In most games boss battles are all the same you usually have one of these 3: A boss that sends a wave of weaker enemies at you 2. A boss with a weak point that may or may not already be exposed, but once you find it hit him there three times to kill him. 3. A simple boss with no weakness, but with a clear pattern that you have to watch for so you can get an opening hit.

In RPGs usually the boss just hits hard and on occasion throws out a status ailment. Most RPG bosses feel the same to me.

The End, The Boss, The Fury and Mr. Freeze on Hard are the best boss battles to me. Laughing Octopus was good too from MGS 4, but it ended too quickly for me. Actually now I think about it the Mr. Freeze boss fight reminded me of the The Fury boss fight from MGS3. I wouldn't be surprised if that's where Rocksteady got their inspiration from that fight because think about you have two guys in specialized suits that you're fighting using stealth. One uses fire while the other uses ice. Mr. Freeze has a cold heart and The Fury is hot with rage.

[Pike]

World of Warcraft

Shade of Aran best boss fight omfg

♫ I will not move when Flame Wreath is cast or the raaaaaaid bloooooows uuuuuuuup ♪

[Pete for President]

The End, The Boss, The Fury and Mr. Freeze on Hard are the best boss battles to me. Laughing Octopus was good too from MGS 4, but it ended too quickly for me. Actually now I think about it the Mr. Freeze boss fight reminded me of the The Fury boss fight from MGS3. I wouldn't be surprised if that's where Rocksteady got their inspiration from that fight because think about you have two guys in specialized suits that you're fighting using stealth. One uses fire while the other uses ice. Mr. Freeze has a cold heart and The Fury is hot with rage.

Nice call on Octopus, that was a really intense and unique boss fight.

While MGS3 has some outstanding fights indeed I find the Pain and the Fear completely forgettable. The Shagohod battles work, although they don't excite me as much as REX or RAY. Ocelot, the End and the Fury are the highlights for me.

The Boss... I find this boss didn't achieve it's full potential due to shaky CQC. The game really builds up to using CQC in this fight, but the mechanics are way different against the Boss as compared to what we've been using against soldiers so there's no way to learn how to fight her this way. Tbh, I find that a bit of a let down.

MGS1 is definitely up there as game with best boss battles. They're really diverse and not a single one grew tedious even after 10+ playthroughs.

Of course I need to mention Dark Souls, although I must admit there are some misses in there too. The DLC probably has the most solid line up in boss encounters, so I'd nominate that.

Ace Combat Zero belongs in this thread too. All the boss squadrons are cool and unique but the whole thing climaxes perfectly in the fights versus Wizard/Sorcerer/Gault squadron in mission 18.

[Psychotic]

The Boss... I find this boss didn't achieve it's full potential due to shaky CQC. The game really builds up to using CQC in this fight, but the mechanics are way different against the Boss as compared to what we've been using against soldiers so there's no way to learn how to fight her this way. Tbh, I find that a bit of a let down.I disagree. CQC is not only the best and most efficient way to fight the Boss, it's also the most fun. Countering her moves and then slamming her is awesome.

All of the MGS games as previously mentioned, and I also want to throw Shadow of the Colossus in there too.

[Pete for President]

The Boss... I find this boss didn't achieve it's full potential due to shaky CQC. The game really builds up to using CQC in this fight, but the mechanics are way different against the Boss as compared to what we've been using against soldiers so there's no way to learn how to fight her this way. Tbh, I find that a bit of a let down.I disagree. CQC is not only the best and most efficient way to fight the Boss, it's also the most fun. Countering her moves and then slamming her is awesome.

Don't know man, snow camo + sniper is pretty darn efficient. I've never been able to effectively CQC the Boss and I don't blame myself. Throwing an unfamiliar complicated part of an otherwise simple mechanic in the final boss fight without ever introducing or teaching the player beforehand is - imo - simply bad game design.

Boss battles should be the ultimate test where you fight with the skills you have mastered throughout the course of the game. CQC countering was not one of them.

[Wolf Kanno]

Not true, it's based off countering other melee attacks by enemies and works on the same principle, besides, once you get the hang of it, it makes the battle like 100x more fun and interesting. Sniping her to death just feels weak and cheesy compared to beating her at her own game and it really sends home the message that Big Boss has surpassed her. Technically it wasn't even new as you have to often pull similar "counters" in order to CQC some of the other bosses like The Fear and Volgin.

Generally Metal Gear has some of the most fun battles in gaming and while I may get some flak for this, I also feel Zelda is pretty damn good too since it's usually requires a combination of exploiting a weak point and learning a boss pattern to pull off. The battle against Fyrus in the Goron Mines in Twilight Princess was a pretty clever fight with link having to trip the guy up on his chains and the fight required using several tools in tandem to win instead of the typical "wait til it's weak point opens".

When I created this thread the game I had in mind was Shin Megami Tensei III, because it has some of the most ingenious boss battles to grace a JRPG and I love the fact many of them are based on thinking outside of the box or making a tough choice about a fight that is nearly impossible to go into without being handicapped. The game really showed me how much the JRPG has fallen as an engaging experience for the player and how modern games coddle the player far too much as some of the crap the game pulls is stuff more common in older games. I still feel the optional boss battle against Ongyo-Ki was just incredibly clever even if some people might whine about how it doesn't seem fair because winning involves thinking outside of the box. Games should being teaching us to not have to rely on instruction and instead look at a problem at every possible angle, not just with the information handed to us. It's why I love this game. :love:

[Dat Matt]

Every Played Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword? This has my vote for the best boss battle

LFgb3lF1SDI

Why? Bog standard regular fight for the most part, Use your weapons to avoid his swinging axes, removing his arms reveals the weak spot on his chest. Pretty standard for a boss fight from the Zelda Series, using the weapons in the dungeon to beat the boss.

Then after 2 rounds it changes. Koloktos is no longer stationary, and his 6 hands each hold one sword with the intent of messing you up.You follow the same process as before to disarm him, but this time is different. He leaves the weapons behind, and you get to buypass the need for using the dungeon's weapon. You get to literally tear the bosses arms and legs off using his own weapons.

It is amazing.

[Pete for President]

Not true, it's based off countering other melee attacks by enemies and works on the same principle, besides, once you get the hang of it, it makes the battle like 100x more fun and interesting. Sniping her to death just feels weak and cheesy compared to beating her at her own game and it really sends home the message that Big Boss has surpassed her. Technically it wasn't even new as you have to often pull similar "counters" in order to CQC some of the other bosses like The Fear and Volgin.

Those encounters are still boss battles. I don't think a single normal enemy features CQC counters, hence I feel like the game doesn't give you a chance to learn proper CQC duels. Please enlighten me if this is not the case.

As mentioned before I think boss battles should be tests where you use skills you have mastered. Entering the boss fight I use what I have learned and in MGS3's case there are many more situations teaching you smart camo, gunplay, long range sniping, and sometimes even throwing food as opposed to almost no CQC duelling. Heck, they even waste two perfect opportunities to learn by making the first two Boss encounters cutscenes. If only these were playable and unbeatable, at least we'd get a chance to get the hang of it. Considering the ratio it's no surprise that I use poisoned food for the Fear, a shotgun for Volgin and sneaky camo for the boss.

On a side note I totally agree that sniping the Boss = cheese, but I was discussing efficiency and not fun or challenge.

[Forsaken Lover]

Just coming in to say MGS2 had good boss fights.
Vamp, the RAYs, Solidus...

[Ayen]

Metal Gear Solid and Zelda have already been mentioned. I'm going to say Batman Arkham Origins. I liked how diverse all the boss fights were in that game and it was one of the game's finer points. Although they could have cut out that second Bane fight or improved it somehow since it played the same as the first.

[Psychotic]

Don't know man, snow camo + sniper is pretty darn efficient.I don't doubt it, but all the speed runners CQC her. It's actually very easy, you just hold down O when an exclamation point appears above Snake's head, then perform your CQC move of choice (slam ftw!) to finish her off and pop her full of tranqs when she's down.

[Wolf Kanno]

Those encounters are still boss battles. I don't think a single normal enemy features CQC counters, hence I feel like the game doesn't give you a chance to learn proper CQC duels. Please enlighten me if this is not the case.

As mentioned before I think boss battles should be tests where you use skills you have mastered. Entering the boss fight I use what I have learned and in MGS3's case there are many more situations teaching you smart camo, gunplay, long range sniping, and sometimes even throwing food as opposed to almost no CQC duelling. Heck, they even waste two perfect opportunities to learn by making the first two Boss encounters cutscenes. If only these were playable and unbeatable, at least we'd get a chance to get the hang of it. Considering the ratio it's no surprise that I use poisoned food for the Fear, a shotgun for Volgin and sneaky camo for the boss.

On a side note I totally agree that sniping the Boss = cheese, but I was discussing efficiency and not fun or challenge.

I don't see how being able to pull this off on the other bosses doesn't count as practice against the Boss herself since you are kind of building up to her, not to mention the game and story both show the player that she can totally school Snake in CQC for most of the game so finally being able to turn the tide is actually really fun, besides if you keep getting killed by her as you learn how to properly beat her with it, then you will eventually get the hang of it which is also part of the boss fight formula of arcade or old school games. She's honestly one of the most fun fights when you take her head on except maybe fighting The End in a fair sniper duel.

[NeoCracker]

Mana Khemia's final boss may be one of the best boss's ever. Not mechanically, but just the impact of the fight itself is so amazing.

Also a nod for Kessler of the first Infamous game. He actually felt like the towering bad ass the game had been building him up to be.

Speaking of towering bad ass, Luca Blight was fucking epic. The use of three seperate groups needed to beat him in an ambush really sold how much of a monster this man was.

[Ultima Shadow]

When I saw the title, the first game that came to mind was Ys Seven.

It's one of the better PSP games I've played, and the sole reason why it's so good is the sheer amount of epic boss battles that it has to offer. The boss battles really pushes the boundaries of what's possible to do with the battle system the game has been given.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c344/AGAFURO/snap058.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c344/AGAFURO/YS-7_PSP-guide_moon-beam-mon-drag.jpg

Save one or two optional battles, even the worst boss battles in Ys Seven are still well above what you'd expect of an average Action RPG. Almost every boss has a completely different strategy and moveset, as well as enough variety in its patterns to never end up feeling repetetive or dull. Each of the "five great mid-bosses" already have the about the same complexity as you'd expect from a final boss.

...and the actual final boss itself is as close to gameplay perfection as I've ever seen a boss get. I seriously can't think of any way to make that battle better than it already is from a gameplay/mechanics perspective. The only thing that keeps it from being the single best boss battle I've ever played, is the fact that the atmosphere and build-up is nowhere near as mindblowing as the mechanics. It's not 'bad' or anything, but it's not really anything special either. In a way, it's the opposite of Mana Khemia's final boss, where the build-up and atmosphere is everything while the gameplay is pretty average.

...seriously, if the final boss of Ys Seven could just have anything close to the same build up, design and soundtrack as the final boss of Mana Khemia, it'd be the prefect boss battle. So yeah... mechanics-wise, the boss battles in Ys Seven are pretty much unmatched if you ask me.




Moving on, Touhou has some very memorable boss battles as well, and they are especially far more challenging than in most other games you'll find these days... even at the "Easy" difficulty.

For me, the two most memorable final bosses are probably Yuyuko and Utsuho.

Utsuho... is a person who has eaten the soul of a sun god and obtained its powers. And here's the thing... when you fight Utsuho, it doesn't feel like you are just fighting some random pyrofreak. Even the game mechanics plays in perfectly and really makes it feel like you are indeed fighting someone who has the power to set the entire world on fire and whose intention is not to burn you to a crisp, but to vaporize you entierly.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c344/AGAFURO/UtsuhoBoss2.png
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c344/AGAFURO/UtsuhoBoss3.png



To be honest, Yuyuko is far from the most interesting Touhou boss battle mechanics wise for most of the battle. But 'Border of Life' is one of my all-time favourite video game songs, and Yuyuko's final spellcard makes up for all the rest. It's as intense as it gets and the atmosphere is the best you'll ever find in a bullet hell game. A faster and slightly different version of Border of Life starts playing as you try to simply survive for 66 seconds while all hell is unleashed. Not to mention that the spellcard itself just looks absolutely beautiful.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c344/AGAFURO/Yuyuko.jpg


...And then we have the extra bosses. And the 'Phantasm boss' Yukari Yakumo.

I love Yukari as a character, and I do absolutely love her boss battle as well. But holy hell... that said, I probably won't ever make another attempt at beating her ever again. Once is enough. It might not take me another 300 attempts to do it a second time, but... I'd rather fight Kalameeth and Smough and Ornstein at the same time in a small room full of lava than face this lady again:

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c344/AGAFURO/_re__boundary_of_life_and_death_by_traditionalyoungman-d6n6y2j.png
(not actual gameplay footage, but close enough)


But even against the less crazy ones, the bosses in Touhou will always keep you on edge and make you hold your breath as you focus intensly on the screen and the world around you ceases to exist.




Finally, I'd like to quickly mention Star Ocean 3. It's mostly due to its superb battle system, but even so... both during the story and post-game there is a huge number of awesome boss battles. Especially when you play at the higher difficulties.

...I also agree with above posters on both Mana Khemia and Dark Souls. :greenie:

[Del Murder]

The Metal Gear series comes to mind first, particularly MGS1 and MGS3.

Chrono Trigger had some epic bosses too. For some reason the boss fights in that game stand out from other RPGs.

[Wolf Kanno]

The Metal Gear series comes to mind first, particularly MGS1 and MGS3.

Chrono Trigger had some epic bosses too. For some reason the boss fights in that game stand out from other RPGs.

I think it's because the battle system wasn't standard so you had to put into account where every one was placed on the field so your attacks and Dual and triple techs can be more effective. Not to mention the atmosphere of some of the fights like Magus and Lavos are really well done.

As others have mentioned the battle against Luca Blight in Suikoden II is probably one of the best crafted fights in the series.

BoFV Dragon Quarter had some excellent boss battles especially if you decide to try and take them on without using dragon mode. The Reagents were all very clever boss battles.

[black orb]

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y156/rodv/ornstein-and-smough.png

>>> Fight those two was fun. You enter that battle saying "yeah, I will die here again"..:luca:

[Quindiana Jones]

Dark Souls and Dragon's Dogma are two that immediately spring to mind because they are great and I am a fangirl.

[Bubba]

It's already been mentioned but my favourite boss battles were in Shadow of the Colossus. The puzzle element and the sheer epicness of the tasks were amazing. Especially when you were armed with just a sword and a bow and arrow.

The toughest boss I ever faced was Maria the maid from Jet Set Willy. I was tasked with cleaning up my house (surely that is her job?) after a big party and she wouldn't let me in my bedroom until I had picked up all the items.

I never managed it. What a bitch.

54499

[Slothy]

I don't see how being able to pull this off on the other bosses doesn't count as practice against the Boss herself

It doesn't count because you never need to use CQC to beat those bosses. I've honestly never CQC'd any of the bosses before The Boss in that game any time that I've played because there's zero need to.

Anyway, I'd still say MGS3 and Shadow of the Colossus have the best boss fights. Might add MGS in there as well. No major surprises there.

The boss fights in Deus Ex:HR Director's Cut are actually quite fun as well. Rogue Legacy and Painkiller also deserve a mention.

[Wolf Kanno]

Who cares about need, it's fun. :p