Bosses are the cornerstone of most games. We would dare to say that, in some cases, a game is only as good as its bosses. And part of what makes a boss good is the variety in their fight; that feeling when you think you’ve learned all the boss’s patterns, and then they throw a curveball.
It’s even better when it’s a surprise, be it a complete change in the boss’s move-set or when the game tricks you into thinking you’ve actually beat the boss, only for their health bar to fill all the way back up again.
Masayoshi Shido is the boss that’s been hyped up all game. When you finally get to face him, he is no push-up, especially in vanilla Persona 5. The fight is really epic, thanks to theiconic song Rivers In The Desertplaying in the background.
Maybe his second phase is not exactly a surprise, but thelastone is. Once you beat his initial forms of Human Sacrifice, you’ll get to face his Samael form, and next his True Samael form, but when you drop him low, you’ll get an epic one-on-one battle, just Joker and him.
The Metroid Prime series is known for having some mediocre bosses, but also some awesome ones. The Chykka fight is one of the good ones. You start the fight against the larva, which swims around in a poison pool with a huge health bar. Nothing too crazy.
Once you beat it, though, you’re left thinking that was it, but out of nowhere, the adult Chykka flies in, and the second phase begins. You are left shocked and caught off guard. This phase is better - much harder and exciting, with a lot of things to take into account at the same time.
Of course, one of the best games ever made ends with a surprise second-phase boss fight. The fight against Mother Brain starts off just as you expect, and the same way it went in the first Metroid. Just shoot at the one-eyed brain while avoiding the lava and projectiles.
After ‘beating it’, you might think you’ve won the game. But Mother Brain thinks otherwise, standing up with an entirely new bipedal body and being a lot more dangerous. In fact, Samus alone is not enough to beat it, and requires the help of her infant -now Super- Metroid, in an epic and cinematic ending to the game.
Jedi: Survivor is basically Star Wars meets Dark Souls. It is an excellent game that translates all the Jedi’s powers and abilities we see in movies and shows to the game. The exploration and metroidvania-esque features make for a fun experience for any Star Wars fan.
Rayvis is one of the game’s main bosses, and it can be a challenge if you’re playing on the Jedi Grand Master difficulty. He pulls the classic trick of revealing his true form once you deplete his health bar; now, the fight is much harder, since he’s very aggressive, making the fight less about attacking recklessly and more about patience and parrying, like a true Jedi.
For the first couple of hours, the only thing you’ll see of the game’s main boss, Hades, are his passive-aggressive comments and mockery whenever you fail to escape the underworld. He is obviously not a contender for Father of the Year. But things get interesting when you manage to reach him.
Just getting there is ordeal enough. Now you have to fight the guy, and he hits you with everything he’s got. You’ll need to make use of all your boons, synergies and death defiances. And even then, it might not be enough, especially because once you finally defeat him, he gets up, fills his health bar, and comes at you even harder.
Another boss that is hard enough to reach as is, let alone the fight itself. For a first-time player, the Soul Sanctum is a horrible place, full of Mistakes and Follies that keep on respawning, not to mention the mini-bosses: Soul Twisters and Soul Warriors. If you survive all that and reach the bench, you are in for a treat.
The Soul Master really tricks you into thinking you’ve beaten him: he deflates, screams dramatically and flashes all over the screen, as if he was really dead. But, as you are getting ready to continue with your adventure, he slams the floor and starts the second phase that you never expected.
Probably the best boss in a game full of good bosses, Ludwig came in the acclaimed DLC for Bloodborne, the Old Hunters. He starts the fight as The Accursed, a tragic figure totally consumed by beasthood, attacking with very erratic and unpredictable behavior.
Halfway through the fight, he will regain much of his consciousness and turn into The Holy Blade. This is a massive and unexpected change in battle. He becomes much more rational with his attacks and much harder, making for a thrilling and tough fight.
This is the big one. Never has a game made so many people suffer and struggle with one of the game’s toughest bosses, showing you the “Shinobi Execution” screen, literallytelling youthat you beat the boss, only for it to revive a couple of seconds later with a completely new move-set.
The now headless Ape becomes completely erratic and unpredictable, which is to be expected. He now fights with a huge sword that covers a lot of range, making it hard to get up close and personal to deal damage. This really is one of those moments you’ll never forget, thinking you’ve already beaten him and realizing you were only halfway through.
