Did any of these shock you ?
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00:00There are plenty of standout games that have become infamous thanks to one or two shoddy
00:04boss fights, however, it's a little bit weird when every boss is terrible in an otherwise
00:10terrific title.
00:11Due to the seamless gameplay, detailed world and rich story, it's perplexing when every
00:15encounter with a major adversary is boring, uncreative or badly programmed.
00:21I'm Jess from Mock Culture and here are 10 great video games with terrible bosses.
00:2710.
00:28Crysis Core – Final Fantasy VII The staggering success of Final Fantasy VII
00:33led to a slew of spin-offs, including the prequel, Crysis Core.
00:37Initially released on the PSP, this instalment focuses on soldier member Zack Fair while
00:42he was allied with the treacherous Sephiroth.
00:45Even though Crysis Core could have been pure fan service, and it is, it has a lot to offer.
00:51It has an accessible battle system, magnificent graphics and it expands on the lore and backstories
00:57of key characters.
00:58On top of that, Crysis Core is surprisingly emotional.
01:01Despite the fact Zack is doomed from the start, nobody was ready to watch such a heart-wrenching
01:07death.
01:08But Crysis Core has its problems.
01:10Although the bosses are well designed and have inventive tactics, they're too easy.
01:14If Zack regularly performs the sub-missions, he'll level up very quickly, allowing him
01:19to wipe the floor with the most powerful of monsters.
01:22By the time Zack has maxed out his most devastating spells, the spiky-haired commando can
01:27win the last few scraps in a minute flat.
01:30Though these extra missions aren't mandatory, they're worthwhile since it's the only way
01:34to access the most coveted spells.
01:37Zack will grow strong enough to dominate almost any battle, even if he only completes half
01:41these side-quests.
01:429.
01:44The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim
01:46It's hard to know where to start while singing Skyrim's praises.
01:50Its immense world, personalised perk system, dual-wielding weapons, accessible user interface
01:55and diverse spells are just a sample of the masterpiece's highlights.
01:59However, one of the few factors that didn't garner acclaim is the bosses.
02:04Considering the story centres around dragons laying waste to the world, fighting these
02:09almighty beasts should've been a sight to behold.
02:12And yet, the most daunting adversaries can be eliminated by chucking a few fireballs
02:17from afar or by hacking them to pieces.
02:19Later enemies don't pose much trouble despite hefty health bars, so long as a dragonborn
02:25has a selection of potions in stock.
02:27Annoyingly, the Elder Scrolls sequel saves the worst boss for last.
02:31Not only is the showdown with Alduin depressingly generic, it's more aggravating since it can
02:36take over a hundred hours to reach him.
02:38What makes this criticism more noticeable is the fact that Skyrim has a bloat of bosses.
02:43If Bethesda focused less on endless draugrs, warlocks and wyverns, they probably would've
02:49had more time to make each encounter enthralling, epic and, most importantly, less crap.
02:558.
02:56Dead Rising
02:57Though the controls in the original Dead Rising are clunky, this doesn't pose much of a problem
03:03while wailing on a slew of zombies.
03:05After all, Frank West doesn't need pinpoint accuracy while armed with a lawnmower.
03:09However, imprecise controls become an issue with the bosses, especially while taking on
03:14armed enemies from afar.
03:16In some battles, it feels like the controls pose more of a threat than the undead.
03:20While Frank desperately tries to aim at the bosses, he can be mowed down before taking
03:25a single shot.
03:26Although not every boss is a nightmare, some have the opposite problem and pose no challenge
03:32whatsoever.
03:33If the enemy has no long-ranged attacks, Frank can pick them off from a distance with ease.
03:37Alternatively, he can use heavy artillery or a chainsaw to deplete their health bar
03:42in a matter of seconds.
03:43In a nutshell, Dead Rising's bosses have no real difficulty curve.
03:48Whether Frank is tangling with a cannibalistic sheriff, a crazed security guard or a demented
03:53clown, it's either insultingly easy or immeasurably frustrating.
03:587.
03:59Tunic
04:00Serving as a love letter to the legend of Zelda, Tunic is an isometric adventure that
04:05focuses on exploration, combat and puzzles.
04:08The world is intuitively designed, so our heroic fox is encouraged to experiment rather
04:13than being told what to do or where to go.
04:16But there's one throwback to classic titles that wasn't appreciated.
04:21Brutal bosses.
04:22For the record, it's not the enemy's strategies that are unfair, but the gameplay.
04:26Due to the protagonist's stubby sword, it's hard to tell if he's in range to hit his
04:31target, especially when the camera is zoomed out.
04:34The camera pans with such regularity, it's hard to see the main character half the time.
04:39In situations like this, the boss can just box in our pointy-eared hero, giving him no
04:43chance to escape.
04:45A similar game which released the year before is Death's Door, which had a more balanced
04:50difficulty despite having significantly harder bosses.
04:53Every time the player died, it felt like it was their fault, encouraging them to get better.
04:58But in Tunic, it feels like the camera and the mechanics pose a greater threat than the
05:02enemies do.
05:036.
05:04Ninja Gaiden 2
05:06Dark Souls and Cuphead prove that bosses can be fair despite being infuriating.
05:11As frustrating as bosses like this are, they can be defeated by memorizing their attack
05:15pattern.
05:16But as Ninja Gaiden 2 proves, there's a big difference between a tough boss and a cheap
05:21one.
05:22Most bosses in Team Ninja's hack and slash sequel have insta-kill attacks, which can
05:26be unleashed at any moment.
05:28What's worse is that these screen-filling foes can be bested through button mashing.
05:33Since these bouts don't involve much timing or precision, there's little satisfaction
05:37to be had on your end.
05:387.
05:39Nuclear Armadillo
05:40Now this guy's gonna blow up after meeting his maker, but there's no hint that the atomic
05:45explosion will kill our hero unless he blocks or performs a certain move at the right time.
05:50Because of this, pretty much every first-timer died at that point, forcing them to face off
05:54against the Nuclear Armadillo from the very start.
05:57Now that's not suggesting every Ninja Gaiden 2 boss is cheap, but even when the nasty bunch
06:02agree to play by the rules, it's not as fun or engaging as it should be.
06:075.
06:08Deus Ex Human Revolution
06:10Deus Ex Human Revolution was a welcome return to form for the sci-fi hacker saga.
06:15Offering a perfect blend of genres, extensive world-building, well-explored character arcs,
06:21and scores of cool mechanics, HR comes pretty close to matching the original.
06:25Having said that, Eidos Montreal ran into a spot of bother during development, which
06:30cost them dearly.
06:32Although the main campaign was supposed to have traditional bosses, the developers strongly
06:36considered cutting them due to time constraints.
06:39Believing their removal would impair the story and gaming experience as a whole, it was decided
06:44to outsource the boss fights to a small studio called GRIP Entertainment.
06:49According to GRIP director, Paul Kraszewski, he worked on the project like a regular shooter,
06:55unaware the property wasn't action-heavy.
06:57For this reason, it's no surprise that these bombastic bosses didn't gel with Deus Ex's
07:02otherwise stealthy gameplay.
07:04To be clear, Human Revolution's bosses aren't bad in the traditional sense, but there's
07:08no question that they feel out of place with the game's tone.
07:11The bosses became such a sore point, they were completely overhauled for the director's
07:16cut of the game.
07:174.
07:18The Legend of Zelda Majora's Mask
07:21Considering The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time has the highest score on Metacritic,
07:26it's arguably the most celebrated video game of all time.
07:30Nevertheless, the follow-up, Majora's Mask, surpassed its predecessor in many ways, focusing
07:35more on character developments, personal conflicts, and mature themes.
07:39After all these years, the intricate time-loop concept is still deemed one of the most innovative
07:44mechanics in the entire series.
07:46But if there's one aspect where Majora's Mask falters, it's its bosses.
07:51Save for the Guardian of the Snowhead Temple, every end-of-dungeon enemy is lame.
07:56In most Legend of Zelda installments, Link needs to utilize a treasure hidden inside
08:01each dungeon in order to vanquish the corresponding boss.
08:04But in Majora's Mask, most of the bosses can be beaten with mindless slashing, including
08:10the main antagonist.
08:12Although the third boss, Gyorg, doesn't have this issue, it's still tedious to fight
08:16the creature, thanks to the awkward camera.
08:19And ironically, almost every sub-boss requires more precision and timing than the major ones
08:25do.
08:26Nintendo seemed to be aware of this criticism, since the boss battles were heavily revised
08:30when the game was remade for the 3DS.
08:333.
08:34Bioshock – The Series
08:36The fight with Frank Fontaine at the end of Bioshock isn't just underwhelming, it's
08:41jarring.
08:42Considering how nuanced and fleshed out the world of Rapture is, it's strange to see
08:46this magnificent story conclude with a face-off against a Hulk reject.
08:51Due to Fontaine's formulaic tactics and tiny health bar, it's anticlimactic when the
08:56credits roll.
08:57Since the boss fights were deemed Bioshock's only glaring flaw, Irrational Games should
09:01have avoided repeating the mistake in future.
09:04Unfortunately, Bioshock 2 had similar issues.
09:08Rather than devising unique adversaries with distinctive strategies, every boss is just
09:13a beefed-up version of a regular enemy.
09:16Anyone who thought Bioshock Infinite would be third-time lucky was also mistaken.
09:20Rather than throwing together some generic baddies, the developers went to the other
09:24extreme, giving the bosses too many strategies.
09:28No boss exemplifies this issue more than Lady Comstock.
09:31This spiritual entity turns invisible, teleports, incessantly heals, and renders herself immune
09:38to most attacks.
09:39Coupled with her mammoth health bar, this brawl is a slog, even on the lowest difficulty.
09:45In a way, it's kind of impressive how the series bungled the boss fights three times
09:50in a row, considering how well the rest of the gameplay turned out.
09:542.
09:55Super Mario Bros.
09:56Wonder Despite Super Mario's influence on the gaming
09:59industry, many of the Italian plumber's earlier titles had surprisingly mundane boss battles.
10:04In the original Super Mario Bros., our coin-collecting hero could beat Bowser just by reaching the
10:09right side of the screen.
10:11In many titles, Mario can defeat colossal machines, dinosaurs, and monsters by repeatedly
10:16bonking them on the head.
10:18Of course, the franchise's gameplay has evolved leaps and bounds over the years, and as a
10:22result, the more recent entries have given the gaming community some of the most entertaining
10:27battles ever.
10:28So what exactly happened to Super Mario Bros.
10:31Wonder?
10:32Rather than having Nintendo's mustachioed mascot contend with a varied group of end-of-level
10:37enemies, every castle concludes with fighting Bowser Jr.
10:41Although each encounter has mild variety, the Koopa Kid relies on the same strategy
10:46every time.
10:48And somehow, it gets even worse.
10:50At the end of each airship level, Mario must fight a robotic version of his nemesis.
10:55However, calling it a fight is probably a stretch, since Mario can destroy robot Bowser
10:59by pressing an overhead switch one time.
11:02No wonder it's overflowing with innovation, the same can't be said about the boss fights.
11:081.
11:09Batman Arkham Asylum Back in 2009, Batman Arkham Asylum cemented
11:14itself as the definitive superhero title almost overnight.
11:18Its masterful combat, imaginative puzzles, and lightning-in-a-bottle voice casting has
11:22allowed Rocksteady's DC saga to endure ever since.
11:26Well, endure until Arkham Knight.
11:28Sadly, those creative juices dried up when it came to designing the big battles.
11:33Not only are the bosses poorly designed in their own right, there's no reason why they
11:37turned out this badly.
11:39Squaring off against Batman's rogue gallery should've been a blast, considering how diverse
11:44these criminals are.
11:46Since the franchise is renowned for its satisfying combat, pummeling Gotham's worst supervillains
11:51should've been a highlight, but that's not the case.
11:53Half the bosses can be defeated by compelling them to slam into a wall like Wile E. Coyote.
11:59The scarecrow sections feel more like stealth levels than boss fights.
12:03The confrontation with Harley Quinn involves fighting off her goons before defeating her
12:06with one punch.
12:08Despite Killer Croc and Bane's immense size and strength, they can be easily stunned with
12:12a single batarang.
12:14And then there's the final boss.
12:16Not only does Titan Joker look ridiculous, it's arguably the easiest fight, since Batman's
12:21health replenishes each time he strikes his archnemesis.
12:25The fact that the boss fights turned out great in the follow-ups makes this blunder in Arkham
12:29Asylum all the more glaring.