Games with the best Boss Battles

[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 smurfing 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.




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.






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.




...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:


(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.

[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]

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

[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.

Maria.png

[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.