The End Game - The Bear and Badger

mk64

What makes a good boss? Do you like end of level bosses or just a final end game boss? How do you think bosses or the mechanic could be improved?

fullspectrum

like this

http://demonssouls.wikidot.com/walk3-3-boss

RedDave2

Very hard to say. I think some games work better with a massive set piece (Halos race to the finish was great) as opposed to a boss but its effectively the same thing. In a strange way, I like being stumped for a little bit with a boss compared to one you can breeze through on first go.

Many didnt seem to like it, but I really enjoyed the game plus version of the Freeze battle in Batman:Arkham City. It was a nice mixture of thinking and planning, mixed with having the needed reflexes to execute.

There were also many a boss in Devil May Cry that I really enjoyed. The Black Knight and the giant spider (nicely spaced out over various spots) being my two favourites.

Also, I like it when a boss makes sense in a games plot if thats what they are pushing with cut scenes. The last boss in bio shock always felt like a different game. It didnt just play poorly, but it didnt fit the game (even though the rest of the game should a bit of class with its end of level fights / set pieces)

So what makes a good boss? Being a bit of a challenege, but not so much to completely slow down progress. Fitting in with the theme or flow of the plot. And Being a mix of brain and reflex challenge.

Dark Soldier

Mother Brain is so awesome. As is the end boss of Prime. Also, Ridley.

The Daddy

Fuck the end boss in Prime!

Jaco

I like a boss encounter to be a challenge, for sure. But I like that challenge to be about my reflexes and thinking ability, not how much damage they can take. Avoiding repetitive attack patterns whilst consistently bashing out combos or firing hot plasma into the weak spot for MASSIVE DAMAGE can go screw itself in the ear.

Dark Soldier

The Daddy wrote:

Fuck the end boss in Prime!

Mate its easy. Not doing the brag or ought but its just knowing the pattern.

The Daddy

I gave up after two tries. Think that boss highlighted a flaw in the design of the gamecube triggers as it seemed to ruin my fingers.

davyK

I like shmup bosses that can optionally be taken to bits

Air_Hair_Lair

I always liked screen huge screen filling bosses that have a relatively hard pattern at first, which becomes easier as you practice. When a boss is humanoid monkey with a gravity hammer, I get sad.

Moot_Geeza

I've always quite liked 'wow' bosses, or at least I did when pushing a console's limits bothered me more than it does now (I find most current gen games pleasing to the eye, in terms of their basic engines at least). Seven Force, huge Panzer Dragoon screen-fillers, hardware defying trickery like Spinderella, or quirky brilliance like Puffy.

I've never been a huge fan of facing all the bosses again in the areas before the final showdown.

Spock

Dark Link in ocarina was a top mid boss. I loved how the environment was totally alien compared to the rest of the level. Also last colossus

Chief

Oh, I despised the final Colossus.

Brooks

A good boss shouldn't rely on hit-the-weak-point shit so much as successful reading of tactics.

They should also look fucking cool. I though the dude with the white peacocks feathers in Bayonetta looked cool.

Outlaw

I absolutely thought we were talking about work here, even when I was three or four responses in...

I like bosses that utterly DESTROY me several times and make me want to hurl my controller at the wall until I just 'get' what I'm supposed to do. Makes victory all the sweeter when I devastate them.

Spock

Chief wrote:

Oh, I despised the final Colossus.

Last colossus was ace IMO. Big fucking lightening storm attacks , zappy heeuge mofo! I'm expecting big things from bayonetta 2.

Chief

I think my biggest problem was that it was boring. All the others were exciting and energetic, the final one just took an age to scale and became frustrating when it inevitably shrugged you off when you're about to strike.

Different strokes and all that.

Paul the sparky

Outlaw wrote:

I absolutely thought we were talking about work here, even when I was three or four responses in...

I like bosses that utterly DESTROY me several times and make me want to hurl my controller at the wall until I just 'get' what I'm supposed to do. Makes victory all the sweeter when I devastate them.

Have you played Demon's/Dark Souls?

Rev

Paul the sparky wrote:

Outlaw wrote:

I absolutely thought we were talking about work here, even when I was three or four responses in...

I like bosses that utterly DESTROY me several times and make me want to hurl my controller at the wall until I just 'get' what I'm supposed to do. Makes victory all the sweeter when I devastate them.

Have you played Demon's/Dark Souls?

That is how to do bosses.

GurtTractor

I've not played Crysis 2, did Crytek screw up the final third of it like the rest of their games?

acemuzzy

What about worst bosses?
- all uncharted games
- metroid prime
- SF IV

acemuzzy

Good recent ones:
- meat boy
- stealth inc
- rayman origins

Natural fits into their games

Dark Soldier

acemuzzy wrote:

metroid prime

eh now

acemuzzy

Heh, not the first time we've disagreed on this one!

Dark Soldier

Trudat

Chief

The first and third Uncharteds had decent end bosses (they weren't really proper bosses, really), it was only the second game that had such a silly final boss.

Outlaw

Paul the sparky wrote:

Outlaw wrote:

I absolutely thought we were talking about work here, even when I was three or four responses in...

I like bosses that utterly DESTROY me several times and make me want to hurl my controller at the wall until I just 'get' what I'm supposed to do. Makes victory all the sweeter when I devastate them.

Have you played Demon's/Dark Souls?

I haven't actually. Might put it on my crimbo list.

JonB

I've definitely gone off multi-part final bosses. I want the ending to be big but not drag on too long. Any more than 2 forms and I get bored. Getting this right is yet another reason that Dark Souls is so great.

Wookienopants

I really enjoyed fighting Metroid Prime, felt like such an impossible task at first but so rewarding once I finally managed it.
I love a big spectacle of a boss, one that just fills you with dread when you first see it, fills you with rage when it beats you and then pure elation once you finally best it.
I want a boss to feel like an achievement

Brooks

Emperor Ing was wayyyy worse than the Metroid Prime.

RedDave2

I dont think Seth is all that bad to be honest. There is a pattern to him - first round he is weak as a kitten so build up your super meter. Round 2, try your best but expect him to spoil (especially his teleport pieldriver thing). Round 3, you should still have plenty of super meter and he is a little less spoilery, meaning you can take him out.

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