I've looked for a thread like this already, but the ones I found were defunct and had not had replies in a few months, so I'm making this one.
So, fellow Escapists, what are your truly great boss battles? What made them so great and why did you enjoy them? Anything from huge triple-A title to indie games is acceptable.
I have a couple from the same game:
I can think of a few more, but writing that took a lot out of me so I'll add them later.
So, fellow Escapists, what are your truly great boss battles? What made them so great and why did you enjoy them? Anything from huge triple-A title to indie games is acceptable.
I have a couple from the same game:
Say what you will about the quality/length of the game, it got its bosses right. Two come to mind:
1. Kuma the Arctic Teddy Bear - The boss fight starts in an arctic wasteland. You slowly wander through rows of indeterminate black stone statuettes (small ones, piled into banks) and encounter him a few times. He manipulates the wind and disappears whenever you get the upper hand until you chase him to a snowfield. There the two of you fight before progressing to a towering arc standing on two pillars. You fight and progress to the roof of the arc before the whole thing topples with a moan of broken wood.
Then he monologues from the top of a rock spire about how all those statuettes represent a warrior killed in pursuit of the headbands (the game/anime's macguffins), but nothing is left for the civilians or victims. You've killed hundreds of people to get to this point, so it has a special note of melancholy. Then, you fight, but it's different. Y'see, Afro Samurai is a hack 'n' slash brawler game where you generally cleave through legions of enemies without so much as a second thought. There is a game called BODY PART POKER, which is exactly what it says on the tin. The reason that this stage of the fight is so memorable is because Kuma's guard and attacks are difficult to penetrate and avoid, respectively. You don't die, but the stark ability of his guard to shrug off most of your most powerful attack strings halts the flow of gameplay, forcing you to think (sort of) in a game that doesn't really do it that much.
2. The Flying Android - This one sort of comes out of nowhere, but I'll give you the gist of it. So you're storming this secret base in a volcano (it is every bit as awesome as it sounds) and in order to climb the mountain/volcano you need to cross a lot of bridges. During one of these crossings, the ground suddenly erupts into a shower of planks and debris and you are swept into the air by a flying android. The fight then takes place in a full range of free-falling motion while some awesome music plays (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BV5ozc6R1X8&feature=channel). It's not as poignant as the other fight, but it's just so awesome.
1. Kuma the Arctic Teddy Bear - The boss fight starts in an arctic wasteland. You slowly wander through rows of indeterminate black stone statuettes (small ones, piled into banks) and encounter him a few times. He manipulates the wind and disappears whenever you get the upper hand until you chase him to a snowfield. There the two of you fight before progressing to a towering arc standing on two pillars. You fight and progress to the roof of the arc before the whole thing topples with a moan of broken wood.
Then he monologues from the top of a rock spire about how all those statuettes represent a warrior killed in pursuit of the headbands (the game/anime's macguffins), but nothing is left for the civilians or victims. You've killed hundreds of people to get to this point, so it has a special note of melancholy. Then, you fight, but it's different. Y'see, Afro Samurai is a hack 'n' slash brawler game where you generally cleave through legions of enemies without so much as a second thought. There is a game called BODY PART POKER, which is exactly what it says on the tin. The reason that this stage of the fight is so memorable is because Kuma's guard and attacks are difficult to penetrate and avoid, respectively. You don't die, but the stark ability of his guard to shrug off most of your most powerful attack strings halts the flow of gameplay, forcing you to think (sort of) in a game that doesn't really do it that much.
2. The Flying Android - This one sort of comes out of nowhere, but I'll give you the gist of it. So you're storming this secret base in a volcano (it is every bit as awesome as it sounds) and in order to climb the mountain/volcano you need to cross a lot of bridges. During one of these crossings, the ground suddenly erupts into a shower of planks and debris and you are swept into the air by a flying android. The fight then takes place in a full range of free-falling motion while some awesome music plays (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BV5ozc6R1X8&feature=channel). It's not as poignant as the other fight, but it's just so awesome.
I can think of a few more, but writing that took a lot out of me so I'll add them later.
![Fr]anc[is](https://eg-forums-escapist-data-bucket.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com/data/avatars/l/93/93202.jpg?1620797781){kind=avatar}
