The only option is to lose

[Shakomaru]

You know what I'm talking about. The part of the game where you find a boss, and you're all pumped up and ready, and then they just steamroll you, and THEN you realize that it was a "Supposed to lose" battle. I don't really remember what game had this that really bugged me, but it's gotta be annoying if I remember how annoying it is. Also, has anyone lost and then reset the game during one of these before you fond out due to it being the default reaction to losing a boss battle? And how about boss battles that you have to survive, but you can't win? I actually remember one of these. Megaman Blue Moon. Shademan. Ugh. That smug little... Oh! your turn guys!

 

[hawkeye52]

Lost odysseyy had one of these and it wasn't particularly annoying more it made you feel your progress was inferior since he spent the majority of the battle talking to use and then used his ultimate doom move and wiped out all of our health in one hit

 

[Daystar Clarion]

Yeah, I'm not a fan of 'you're supposed to lose' battles., unless it's made blatantly obvious.

Especially if I waste consumables trying to stay alive.

 

[4173]

I can't remember any supposed to lose fights. I can think of a few (first time with Darth Malak) where you're supposed to win and then the story interrupts and makes you lose.

 

[spectrenihlus]

This was one thing I liked about Deus Ex HR

Spoiler

When your airship crashed and Malik is getting hit you can choose to take Maliks advice and leave her and slip in quietly behind the attackers while they are taking the airship out or stay and defend her. Previous encounters like this in other games ended up with me being able to defend them but in the end it was for naught and the object I was defending was destroyed anyway. With DEHR I was able to defend Malik successfully and have her live on and I personally felt really proud of myself for doing so.

 

[cookyy2k]

Halo reach, wasn't totally sure what was going on once I'd finished my final objective so I just went covenant killing. Lasted about 15 mins or so on heroic difficulty before the inevitable.

 

[Armored Prayer]

Ah yes I remember those from Disgaea 2.

Hilariously though if you did beat the boss you get an alternate ending seeing as you screwed with the story.

 

[esperandote]

THE SORROW. I replayed that fight several times *raises fist*

 

[Drakmeire]

Actually, Persona 4 had a fun Easter Egg if you happen to get one of these bosses down to 0 health.
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I like when games give you the ability to annihilate impossible bosses on the second playthrough.
The World Ends With You was kind of bad about this since I actually killed a boss like this and it played out as normal. At least I got a rare item.

 

[CrazyJew]

Chrono Trigger had one, in the Zeal Palace. in THEORY you could win, but the result wouldn't change.

Soon after there was a boss, on the floating mount, who was even harder, was raping me, had an instant 1 hp move, I thought I was supposed to lose that too. Nope. Only beat that part on another play-through, when I trained and did side-quests more.

 

[OctoH]

The first Deus Ex had you go up against Gunther in the park if you didn't stay to save your brother. You have to lose, and Paul ends up dead. And then you have to fight him again in Paris anyway. How irritating. Of course, you could stay and fight will Paul to save him...and you "die" there too.

Also, the ending to co-op in Splinter Cell: Conviction. I will not spoil it, but if you have played it then you know how much of a WTF moment it is.

 

[Magicmad5511]

THE SORROW. I replayed that fight several times *raises fist*

I'd forgotten that one. I never worked that out myself. It was only a while later once the PS2 had been packed away and we were playing my brother's PS3 that I found out how to beat him.

Halo Reach is the favorite one I can think of though. Battling till death with no consequence.
Actually I think that's the only other one I've experienced.

 

[TonyVonTonyus]

Like 2 worlds 2. Sometimes it feels like EVERY fight is a supposed to lose fight

Winning the "cannonizing" in Saints Row 1.

 

[Georgie_Leech]

I've seen an interesting semi-subversion. In Lufia 2, the first time you fight a sinistral (about 25%-ish through the game), the guy is laughably more powerful than your group and can curb stomp you in 2 rounds, tops. Unless you overgrind and come up with a good strategy, in which case after a long and protracted battle, you can actually beat the guy. You get a really awesome sword, good right up until the end game. Admittedly, he then smashes you in a cutscene so the plot can progress, but hey, close enough.

 

[Aralous]

Legend of Dragoon, some arena fight against this flying elf thing. That fight was just one more reason to make me hate that game.


Also I just remembered another. That part in MW2 where you fight your way through the entire Russian army just to get taken out by your own boss.

 

[Antonidious]

I don't mind supposed to lose battles that much. What I do mind is when a supposed to lose battle doesn't trigger you supposed to lose until you get boss to a certain point. I have spent a while wiping on a boss, only to lose anyway once I get him low enough.

 

[Mr Pantomime]

I liked the first Leon fight in Kingdom Hearts. Hes very powerful for the level you at, but if youre good, it is possible to defeat him. Sora ends up about to land the finishing blow, then passing out due to exhaustion. Story remains the same, but Leon suffers the indignity of getting his ass kicked.

 

[Scrustle]

The only time I've ever come across this it was on FFX. It was so long ago I can't really remember what it was... I remember I was fighting this big boss type character who ambushed me and as the battle progressed you either got pushed backwards or pushed the boss backwards depending on how you were doing. I got him pushed back pretty far until it wouldn't go any further. Then I started losing and got pushed off the edge in to some ravine, which it turns out I was supposed to go. I was really confused and annoyed with it at the time because the idea of being supposed to lose never even crossed my mind, and I was actually pretty pleased with how well I was doing in the battle early on. I have never played any other battle like that since. I guess it's because I don't really play JRPGs any more. Never did much to begin with anyway, but you get the idea.

It's a pretty big dick move in game design if you ask me. It just wastes time and in-game resources. It's not fair.

 

[TheKruzdawg]

The first time you fight Shahdee in Warrior Within on her ship. As soon as you get her down to about 25% health, WHAM! You get kicked (literally) off the ship. I was a little upset the first time I played since I had made such short work of her.

 

[Tilted_Logic]

The only one that comes to mind would be during the Arrival DLC for Mass Effect 2.

Spoiler

At one point you're trapped in a room having to fight off waves of enemies by yourself as a timer counts down. I was playing on insanity and forced myself through it, but when the timer was finished I got knocked out, just as I would have if I had stood there twiddling my thumbs from the beginning.

I was rather upset that surviving by myself on the hardest difficulty resulted in the same outcome as if I had put up no resistance. Made for a nice challenge, but there's really no incentive to try on further playthroughs now.

The only time I've ever come across this it was on FFX. It was so long ago I can't really remember what it was... I remember I was fighting this big boss type character who ambushed me and as the battle progressed you either got pushed backwards or pushed the boss backwards depending on how you were doing. I got him pushed back pretty far until it wouldn't go any further. Then I started losing and got pushed off the edge in to some ravine, which it turns out I was supposed to go. I was really confused and annoyed with it at the time because the idea of being supposed to lose never even crossed my mind, and I was actually pretty pleased with how well I was doing in the battle early on. I have never played any other battle like that since. I guess it's because I don't really play JRPGs any more. Never did much to begin with anyway, but you get the idea.

It's a pretty big dick move in game design if you ask me. It just wastes time and in-game resources. It's not fair.

If I recall correctly you can in fact beat that boss. The Chocobo Eater I think it was. You can get to that ravine regardless of whether you win or lose, but he is beatable; he's just really really tough.