We all love a good boss fight in our games, but the most memorable encounters dare to do something different.
If you’re hunting for some unforgettable boss fights, here’s a selection with crazy gimmicks you’ll remember long after the credits roll.
There are dozens of memorable fights that could have made this list, but I’ve tried to focus specifically on battles where you must do something mechanically different from usual.
10Underpants Warlock
South Park: Stick of Truth
South Park: The Stick of Truth
South Park: Stick of Truthis aturn-based RPGfull of crazy encounters that’s far better than it has any right to be.
TheUnderpants Warlockis an unforgettable encounter for the grossest reasons. For starters, you’re fighting on your parent’s bed… while they are having sex.
As for the gimmicks, they are unique, to say the least.
Alongside background antics you must try your best to ignore, you mustinfrequently dodge body partswith Quick Time Events (QTEs) as you battle. I’ll leave it to your imagination as to what those are, but they certainly make the fight memorable!
If you nail the timing for the QTEs, your character avoids obstacles in style. If you fail, you might just take a giant pair of balls to the face.
9Zora Magdaros
Monster Hunter World
Zora Magdaros is a mighty Elder Dragon and is so enormous that you’re able to’t fight it in a conventional setting.
Monster Hunter Worldhas its fair share of unique beasties, but Zora Magdaros is so colossal that you battle it twice. Each encounter has unique mechanics.
You’re on top of the boss for the first engagement, and the Elder Dragon is so massiveyou’re basically fighting the groundbeneath your feet.
During the second encounter, you must repel the beast with mighty siege weapons before rappelling over to finish the job once and for all.
While it’s quite a spectacle, I admittedly hate this entire encounter as I couldn’t tell you what Zora Magdaros actually looks like. Still,it’s a grand battle nonetheless, and there’s nothing else quite like it inMonster Hunter World.
8Kazuma Kiryu
Yakuza: Like A Dragon
Kiryu is the beloved protagonist of theYakuzagames and makes an appearance as a formidable boss in the spin-off,Like A Dragon.
Everyone knowsKiryu is absurdly tough, but he’s also a gentleman. Kiryu would never hit a woman, and that character trait becomes an interesting gimmick inYakuza: Like A Dragon.
You play as Ichiban, and combat is turn-based as you control a party. If you have any ladies in your squad, Kiryu will never attack them and willfocus his attention on the men.
The downside to this is you instantly lose if Ichiban falls. If your party is mostly girls, you’re in for one hell of a fight.
Few RPGs keep you on your toes quite likeUndertale, but the Flowey encounter is so outrageous that it’salmost impossible to preparefor.
Flowey is the final boss ofUndertaleand is a terrifying monstrosity that throws everything at you, from nuclear bombs to lasers and ballet slippers.
The fight hasbullet-hell mechanicsand starkly contrasts the turn-based combat you’re used to. You have no time to think and are forced into a relentless, fast-paced encounter that will wreck your health bar until you learn the patterns.
Oh, and if you lose on PC,Flowey can even shut down the game completely. How’s that for a middle finger?!
There’s really nothing quite likeUndertale, and it’s evenfree to playif you have PlayStation Plus.
6Scarecrow
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Batman is a lethal close-combat specialist, but one particular boss usespsychoactive gasto level the playing field.
InBatman: Arkham Asylum, the most memorable foe is arguably Scarecrow, withseveral unforgettable encountersto his name.
Rather than relying on your fists, you must sneak around and stay out of Scarecrow’s sight if you want to survive. These sections are challenging asplenty of demanding platformingis involved, and Scarecrow’s gaze never stays still for long.
There are plenty of superb boss encounters in theBatman Arkhamgames, but they peaked with these incredible sections that reduce the caped crusader from predator to prey.
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5Pagan Min
Say what you like about theFar Crygames, but they absolutely nail charismatic villains.
Pagan Min fromFar Cry 4makes the list as he’s the main antagonist who relentlessly hounds you throughout the entire game. But what if I told you there was a way toend that conflictwithin the first 15 minutes?
You play Ajay Ghale on a quest to scatter his mother’s ashes in the fictional region of Kyrat. Pagan Min captures you during the intro cutscene and takes you to his Royal Palace. You share dinner with him, and you’re supposed to escape when he leaves the room.
However, if you just sit and wait for 15 minutes, Pagan Min returns, thanks you for your patience, helps you scatter the ashes, and the game ends.
This whole section blew my mind when I first experienced it, and it’s aphenomenal easter egg. It’s technically not a boss “fight,” but there aren’t many gimmicks as wild as this one.
Metal Gear Solid 3
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (2004)
This entire list could easily be justMetal Gear Solidbosses, but for fairness, we only have two.
The End fromMetal Gear Solid 3is an ancient sniper who’s over 100 years old. Hisprowess with a rifle is unmatched, and he will even attack you if you’re foolish enough to save your game in the forest he patrols.
This Boss makes the list because you’re able to use his long years against him. If you wait long enough, The End willdie of old age, removing the encounter completely!
That’s right. You can defeat The Endwithout even firing a shot, and it’s a crazy addition to a game already overflowing with secrets and easter eggs.
Final Fantasy XIV
Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail
Many bosses inFinal Fantasy XIVcould have made this list, but Odin is too unique to pass up.
Odin is a world boss whorandomly spawns on the map. There’s no timer or guaranteed location; you only know he’s spawned as his arrival changes the weather.
Many players will rush to take on Odin as part of a massive team effort. The fight itself is pretty straightforward until Odin is on his last sliver of health. Odin starts charging hisZantetsuken attack, and if it goes off, everyone nearby instantly dies.
If this happens, Odin casually wanders off on his horse, leaving the battlefield littered with corpses. The funniest part happens if Odin is defeated. When he returns, he takes on the form of whoever landed the killing blow.
This bizarre quirk is even funnier if that player is a Lalafel!
2Crayk, Bane of Courage
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
Many of the mostmemorable games on the Nintendo DSuse the system’sunique dual-screen setupto its full potential.
TheLegend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglassdoes precisely that with an unforgettable boss encounter. Crayk is a mighty crab whose eyes are a predictable weak point. The catch is that Crayk can go invisible, but there’s a clever solution.
You can see through Crayk’s eyes through the top DS screen during the fight. Using both screens, you can move into position andshoot yourself in the faceto deal damage.
It’s a bizarre fight, but the mechanics work remarkably well, and it’s a genius way to use multiple screens in an engaging encounter.
1Psycho Mantis
Metal Gear Solid
TheMetal Gear Solidgames are well-known for their iconic, over-the-top roster of incredible characters and bosses.
Psycho Mantis is in aleague of his ownregarding unique mechanics. As you probably guessed by the name, Psycho Mantis is a Psychic who can read your mind.
He knows when you’re about to pull the trigger, so you’re able to’t even shoot him. He’llgladly recite feats from your saved datain other games, and it’s a feature that’s impressive even today.
The trick is Psycho Mantis isn’t reading your mind.He’s reading your controller port. Swapping your controller to Port 2 breaks his psychic connection, allowing you to level the playing field.
Needless to say,this fight is legendaryamong even the most iconic boss battles in gaming. And utterly unforgettable on original hardware.
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