Which came last: The Superboss, or the Ultimate Weapon?

[Skyblade]

There's a criticism I often hear tossed around certain RPGS that goes something like this:

Why have a super powerful boss if you get nothing for it?

For example, in FFVIII, defeating Omega Weapon grants you a little bragging rights certificate, and nothing else. Other superbosses such as Solid Arm from Illusion of Gaia offer nothing at all for defeating them. People say that this ruins the experience, putting the player through a difficult challenge but giving them nothing to make their journey worthwhile.

Then, however, there is another complaint I frequently hear:

Why did I get this ultimate weapon/ability from this superboss now that there's nothing in the game left to use it on?

With the greatest challenge of the game behind you, an ability or weapon gained from defeating that challenge loses its luster. There's nothing left to fight with it. In the Golden Sun games you unlock Iris, the most powerful summon, but even the final boss is a cakewalk compared to what you had to beat to get to it.


So, what do you prefer? Do you like being able to acquire the ultimate weapons and abilities to use against the hardest boss in the game, leaving you with no gameplay reward for defeating it? Or do you prefer getting an ultimate weapon from that boss, a sign of your victory, even though there's nothing left for you to use it on, since you can already defeat most foes just by sneezing on them?

[metagloria]

I prefer there to be little to no substantial reward, because I want to have all the power possible to fight the ultimate superboss. XII did it nicely, giving you a token weapon but one that's almost definitely worse than what you had when you beat the mighty Yiazmat.

Actually, X-2 did it best, giving you the Iron Duke which made NG+ awesome.

[Pete for President]

Superboss last please!

[CimminyCricket]

Definitely super boss last. I beat the main story so I can do the truly hard stuff afterwards.

[Karifean]

Superboss last. I'm perfectly fine with receiving nothing at all for a superboss, because I fight the superboss for the challenge, not for the reward. If you can beat the superboss, you don't need to become any stronger, do you?

It's kinda funny actually, how I think XII botched it with the Wyrmhero Blade, but XII IZJS did it perfectly with the Trial Mode and unlocking "Weak Mode" (EXP gain disabled) for beating it.

[chionos]

Superboss last, definitely. Although, "ultimate weapon" is often a misnomer. Sometimes, you'll get a character's ultimate weapon too late in the game to be worthwhile, but it doesn't matter because their best weapon is actually something else.

I don't like games that give you new weaponry in the final dungeon, or in the final few fights. It's more annoying than anything.

[Spuuky]

Don't Achievements mean that you can just get an Achievement for killing the Superboss now? So obviously you want the Ultimate Weapon first to do that.

[Vermachtnis]

I like taking the rewards from Super Bosses and then absolutely destroying the everloving smurf out of the plot line final boss. But in all seriousness, I'd rather get something cosmetic for beating the Super Boss. Like a new costume. So I guess I fall in the Ultimate Weapon first group.

[metagloria]

Vermachtnis sounds like the name of either a superboss or an ultimate weapon.

[Vermachtnis]

Vermachtnis sounds like the name of either a superboss or an ultimate weapon.

The same could be said for you. The Metagloria sounds like an awesome name for an Ultimate Weapon.

[WildRaubtier]

A Superboss really ought to be a test of your skill, once you've unlocked the full potential of whatever the game's mechanics are. So unless the spoils are an "I win" button weapon/skill, or the superboss is repeatable, then the Superboss should come last.