When done right, boss fights create some of the best gaming memories. Join me as I discuss what I think makes a boss fight stand out, as well as my favorite boss fight of all time! Also, SPOILERS for Undertale!
Great job on the video. For some reason it didn't occur to me how many conventions Sans was breaking, probably because he was kicking my ass too hard. Boss fights and music are probably my number 1 and 2 in terms of what it takes for a game to be "good" for me, and Undertale nailed them both. I keep my folder of Undertale saves so I can rechallenge Sans and Undyne, because they are 10/10. Undertale also inspired me to make a long form video review about how exceptionally it uses the game mechanics to further the games narrative, which I'm honestly hoping I can wrap up editing today.
+Legendsofskill I appreciate the kind words! And yeah I definitely didn't notice at first - like you I was too busy getting my butt kicked haha. But yes music is huge for me too! After his first attack when megalovania starts playing I was like daaaaamn this is gonna be good! Also that sounds super cool!! Please let me know when you finish I'd love to watch your review!
I love an epic battle but what really does it the most for me is when you get an emotional feeling from it. Facing David in TLOU, near the end really gave me those feels. Almost a little too much.
+wolfflow Completely agree about the David fight. A strong emotional presence in a boss fight is almost guaranteed to make a lasting impression on me. One of my earliest memories of that is playing Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. During the final boss fight all of the characters you met on your journey appeared to cheer you on, and that was a special moment to me.
David's up there for me, mainly because he also breaks the established rules of how a boss fight works. You're fucked if you try to actually FIGHT fight. You've gotta sneak around and get a few suckerpunch hits in, and the lack of music just makes it that more tense. One of the reasons Asmodeus in Pony Island was my personal favourite
Ah, undertale. After this game's immense hype seeing undertale praise like this always makes me roll my eyes now. Bias aside, I could agree with you that it was a great game that had you on emotional roller coaster. Although I am not a fan of scripted fights it was definitely one of the most memorable ones. I like how you placed shadow of the colossus in the beginning when introducing the video though. That game holds some of my favorite fights. Although what make it for me in that game is the beauty in which they are presented in their own unique environments. The atmosphere was just amazing while facing overwhelming odds.
