Topic: Your favorite boss battle from a recent-ish game?

[Phil]

I figured it might be fun to talk about some recent boss battles (perhaps from the past five years?) that really resonated with us and were enjoyable. If it requires it, please put the boss battle in spoilers (but do mention the game, so they're not just a spoiler with no warning of what is being spoiled).

Star Fox Zero final boss spoilers:

For me, it's the encounter with Andross in Star Fox Zero. At first I was struggling with it, because he can be a real pain. However, once I got more comfortable with the dual screened system, I ended up doing well.

The boss fight starts with you outside a column where Andross hides. He can shoot a myriad of lasers that rotate with the column, requiring you to dodge while looking at the TV screen. To get inside the column you have to use the alternate screen to see where the holes in the column are and fly inside to face off with Andross. I just used the GamePad screen to maneuver myself into one of the many available holes.

Once you reach the inside of the column, you enter Chicken Walker mode to strafe around Andross's fists' attacks, such as a slap or a slam. However, if your lasers are strong enough, you can destroy a hand when it readies one of its attacks. Doing this for both hands will have Andross charge up energy, requiring you to exit the column in a quick fashion or take lots of damage.

Once he does the laser attack again, you can once again go through one of the holes in the column to take on Andross's head. He does different attacks like a well-choreographed bite attack, but it's when he opens his mouth to unleash a series of flying debris that you can shoot down and avoid that you can shoot him. Eventually you'll daze him, allowing you to enter Arwing flight mode, fly around to Andross's rear and shoot his weak point.

You have to daze him twice, because I have never been able to defeat Andross in just one pass. Anyway, when that is done, a new phase will begin where Andross chases you. The Arwing flies forward with the view facing the front of the Arwing and a pursuing Andross near behind. He'll signal when he'll lunge his giant head at Fox through the corridor, having you move to the other side to evade.

Soon, James McCloud will swoop into the scene, distracting Andross enough for the big bad ape to turn his head completely around. You can either keep going forward, or you can get ten bonus hits and the Mission Accomplished message by pulling a U-turn and blasting at Andross's exposed weak point to finally put the kabosh on the mischievous monkey. Yay! Game completed!

[sudoshuff]

The Splatoon boss is by far one of my favorite bosses in recent memory (if not of all-time).  The music, mechanics, and ridiculousness of the whole situation were quite enjoyable.

[Phil]

Yes! It was such a good challenge too. "I'll remix your face!"

[TOPHATANT123]

Xenoblade Chronicles X
Zu Pharg, such an epic looking boss and gigantic at that. If I were to make some changes though to skell combat it would be to encourage movement more, skells have such mobility but the most efficient way to play is usually stood still. Also it's a big shame that you can't refight it.

Bayonetta 2
The Lumen Sage was a really cool to fight against, every battle feels really smooth and kinetic as if it were a closely choreographed anime fight sequence, when really everything is happening in real time and you are in control. The fight that most sticks out to me is when you fight against him in the courtyard, then it escalates and you are fighting along side a pit of lava, then it escalates further and you are fighting in the air and then finally the CULMINATION where you're playing Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots with the two giant summons.

[NWR_insanolord]

I like the final boss battles in Super Mario 3D Land and Super Mario 3D World for making the battle more about platforming challenge than straight combat. Boss battles in platformers often feel out of place because they turn the game into something very different, whereas those games stay true to their mechanics for the climax.

[ClexYoshi]

Lady Maria of the Astral Clocktower (Bloodborne: The old Hunters)

Bloodborne is a gmae that has a TON of really good bosses (except for The one Reborn. that boss can go **** itself.) and the pinacle of this is in the Old Hunter's DLC. what an elegant one on one duel with an opponent who's so skilled, with such a deep variety of attacks to pull from, and one that perfectly tests how you've learned to combat swift humanoid opponents. It was either her or one of your potential final bosses, but just... damn. <3

If you'd rather have something from something on a nintendo platform that's an incredible boss...

Lord Brevon (Freedom Planet)

Specifically, his final form, which is an easy enough pattern to memorize, but the insane pressure this boss puts on from his breakneck speed and his signature weapon having most of it's cutscene properties, the fight with lord brevon can very easily go south if you fall off your rhythm, don't save your invincibility frames to dodge the right attack, or try something stupid like running on the ceiling because he punishes that tactic pretty hardcore.

[Wah]

The final fight in Undertale was really fuckin epic, and then the final final boss was really good.
And Sans..... son of a bitch, so fuckin hard like hands done the hardest boss fight I have EVER done. The game even pulls this off really well because once you bet him you cheer/dance making you feel like a monster for killing him.

[Wah]

look at this ****! and imagine x500 speed!
this doesn't really count as a spoiler because the internet and the horrible fanbase of this is all over the internet.

[Evan_B]

I was quite impressed with the Zu Pharg in Xenoblade Chronicles X. I did have to move around during its second phase quite a bit, but I only had one very powerful Skell at the time.

I would also say that the final boss of Splatoon is truly something, though its a shame that it caps off the experience rather than being a milestone one the way to something more over-the-top.

In Kid Icarus: Uprising, I enjoyed the buildup to the mind-controlled Palutena fight, which made the whole thing quite epic and powerful. I can't say the final boss was all that enjoyable, but I did think it was suitably ridiculous.

Shantae and the Pirate's Curse has a number of great battles, but the final boss in 100% Tinkerbat collection mode is truly fantastic. High stakes, great music, and satisfying depiction of great power.

Kirby: Triple Deluxe has a pretty awesome final boss, with several great phases.

I also think a number of Pikmin 3's boss battles were quite fantastic, mixing strategy and resource management in interesting ways.

And of course, Code Name S.T.E.A.M. has a few epic skirmishes, but the battle against Star Face before facing the Shugguth in A.B.E. is a tough fight with dangerous enemies. However, it pales in comparison with the first time you face a Dreadnought (pretty much Cthulhu) in Queen Ozma's Throne Room.

[Phil]

Speaking of Kirby, the final boss in Kirby and the Rainbow Curse is tremendous. Really puts the drawing paths to guide Kirby as well as a means to dodge attacks to great use.

[Soren]

Phil mentioned my pick, but I also give props to the prologue battle at the start of Bayonetta 2 because things have already escalated insanely by the end of that prologue.

[ShyGuy]

Arkham City boss fight against Mr. Freeze. Finally a stealth boss battle done right, it was a ton of fun because each attack had to be different than the last.



Deus Ex: Human Revolution - Director's Cut All the boss battles except the last one. In the original release the were much more straight forward and there was one way to beat the boss. In Director's Cut, they tweaked them so that you could have multiple approaches to taking down the bosses. I wish more Boss battles were like this.

[Phil]

Yes, the Mr. Freeze fight was really the only Rocksteady-developed Arkham fight I really enjoyed, but it was a masterful one regardless.


Speaking of Arkham, I really liked the battle against Deathstroke in Origins.

[Wah]

So no Arnie as Mr.Freeze? awwwww

[lucreciazak3]

Bayonetta 2
The Lumen Sage was a really cool to fight against, every battle feels really smooth and kinetic as if it were a closely choreographed anime fight sequence, when really everything is happening in real time and you are in control. The fight that most sticks out to me is when you fight against him in the courtyard, then it escalates and you are fighting along side a pit of lava, then it escalates further and you are fighting in the air and then finally the CULMINATION where you're playing Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots with the two giant summons.

That my favorite part too, it took my 1 whole day to finish that part.

[pokepal148]

Kirby: Planet Robobot's final boss is ridiculous and beautiful at the same time.

[Phil]

Very anime-ish final fight. I liked it even though I don't usually prefer when boss fights completely eschew the established gameplay of a given game to make for something completely different. At the same time, Kirby games do this a lot for the final battle.

[TofuFury]

I've been playing Dark Souls and Dark Souls 2 on Steam for the past month, and I've run into a ton of memorable boss battles there. My favorites that I've encountered so far from from Dark Souls in the Artorias of the Abyss DLC.


The Sanctuary Guardian


This boss is a manticore that can breathe lightning and poison you with it's spiked tail. You meet the Sanctuary Guardian as soon as you step into the DLC. He's fast, aggressive, and can quickly kill you, especially since the arena is about ankle deep in water. I had to stay close to him, lay into the monster with my halberd, and heal up when he was jumping away. I felt a genuine adrenaline rush when I put him down.




Knight Artorias the Abysswalker


I had much more trouble with Artorias than I did with the Sanctuary Guardian, taking about fifteen tries to down him. Artorias is so fast, he could take me out within moments of starting the battle with his homing leap attack. What I love about this battle is that it feels like a one on one duel. You're facing an opponent who wants you to put him down, only having a shred of humanity left in him. He jerks around a bit like one who is possessed, and you feel like you're doing him a service by ending him. It's hard to heal in this battle, and dodging is much more important than blocking. I ended up using a great shield and switching to my claymore to have a fighting chance to beat him. When I finally killed him, I felt a true sense that I had grown in skill in Dark Souls.


Manus


Many players consider this to be the toughest fight in the game, and it deserves that title. Manus hits like a truck, and uses dark magic once you get him down to half health. Thankfully, the game provides an item that you have to activate to absorb his magic, as well as a summon to distract him so you can heal. Both those tools helped me beat him in three tries, but it was a tense battle through and through. 

[ClexYoshi]

I'd actually say that the two mini-sanctuary guardians that spawn in Sanctuary Guardian's boss arena are harder than Manus. still, it's all relative to build and such. also, Shoutouts to Kalameet without Hawkeye Gouh's help.

I'd probably still put O&S above all that stuff, but all the artorias of the abyss stuff is great on the overall.

I'm also glad to hear the relative quality of bosses is up in Planet Robobot from Triple Deluxe. I've unfortunatley hit some financial rough times so I need to save my money and can't spare $40 for an amazing Kirby experience, because bosses are probably one of my favorite parts of kirby games, and the bosses in Triple Deluxe more often than not were horrible garbage that soured me on that whole game. I legit think that Return to Dreamland is a much better game and bosses are a big part of that.

[BranDonk Kong]

Del Lago - Resident Evil 4

Since it recently came out on PS3/Xbox 360 and will soon be out on PS4/Xbone I'll submit it for acceptance. Such a cool boss fight.

[TofuFury]

I'd actually say that the two mini-sanctuary guardians that spawn in Sanctuary Guardian's boss arena are harder than Manus. still, it's all relative to build and such. also, Shoutouts to Kalameet without Hawkeye Gouh's help.

I'd probably still put O&S above all that stuff, but all the artorias of the abyss stuff is great on the overall.

I didn't even bother trying the mini-guardian duo, as I imagined they'd wreck me if I tried. Likewise, I didn't even dream of facing Kalameet without Hawkeye Gough's intervention. I wasn't speced out for a ranged battle to take him on. Kalameet was the only boss I brought a summon in with me, as I could never get him past half health when trying to solo him.


O&S, though, that is a great boss battle. I'm going to try them solo on my next try, or just take Solaire with me, as my two sunbro summons absolutely wrecked them and squandered the challenge completely.

[pokepal148]

I've actually grown to really appreciate the Dedede fight in Kirby: Planet Robobot. So erratic yet awesome.

[ClexYoshi]

Oh man, Northsea... you're going to LOVE doing a solo O&S. it's SUCH a good boss fight because of how well the two of them compliment each other's move sets. That fight keeps me on my toes no matter how much I play it.


You know, thinking about it, Dark Souls was 2010, so Saying some of Catlevania Order of Ecclesia's bosses wouldn't be foul.

it's so hard to name just one from the game. Goliath, Rullusca, Dracula, Eligor, Blackmoor, the fish thing from oblivion ridge...

I might actually have to go with Barlowe for a favorite boss fight. he's fair with his tells, but the battle is still intense to dodge all his attacks. the medal feels like it's doable without Glyph union spam, but it's surprisingly trickly.

At least it's not like Albus where he can end your bid for a medal with the random bullet. I really think the game should have given you melio Scutum before him because it's so annoying to have a fight end on getting randomly sniped.

Also Albus mode is amazing. <3

[ShyGuy]

Playing through A Link between Worlds, and Stalblind (Thief guild boss) is my favorite so far.

[TofuFury]

Oh man, Northsea... you're going to LOVE doing a solo O&S. it's SUCH a good boss fight because of how well the two of them compliment each other's move sets. That fight keeps me on my toes no matter how much I play it.


You know, thinking about it, Dark Souls was 2010, so Saying some of Catlevania Order of Ecclesia's bosses wouldn't be foul.

it's so hard to name just one from the game. Goliath, Rullusca, Dracula, Eligor, Blackmoor, the fish thing from oblivion ridge...

I might actually have to go with Barlowe for a favorite boss fight. he's fair with his tells, but the battle is still intense to dodge all his attacks. the medal feels like it's doable without Glyph union spam, but it's surprisingly trickly.

At least it's not like Albus where he can end your bid for a medal with the random bullet. I really think the game should have given you melio Scutum before him because it's so annoying to have a fight end on getting randomly sniped.

Also Albus mode is amazing. <3

I both look forward to and dread the solo O&S fight. I plan on taking out Snorlax first before Pikachu, as he's slower and easier to get hits on, but that can always change. I struggle with the mobs in Dark Souls 2 as it is. Any time I have to fight two or more enemies in Dark Souls, I tend to default into panic mode. Even with the Four Kings, I managed to beat each one before the next King showed up.


Ah Order of Ecclesia, I never made it past the giant skeleton boss. I liked the design of OoE, but at the time I wasn't looking for a very challenging game. While I enjoy the Souls series, I don't usually find punishing games fun. But I respect OoE, and wish I could've seen the bosses that were deep into the game.