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Do We Really Need Boss Fights In Gaming?

Gaming has evolved to a point where it’s more of a cinematic experience. In some cases, the action rides shotgun while the plot takes precedence, and the way developers integrate them is crucial. The Boss Battle has been the linchpin of every video game I’ve played since I began my journey through the constant evolution of gaming.

Within gaming, this familiar formula has been used over and over… and over, but have we outgrown the age-old Boss Battle? Pac Man never had a boss to defeat, and there was no story to speak of. Players had to navigate a labyrinth of Ghosts while eating white dots until you got them all. That was an example of a game where a Boss wasn’t needed, and it seemed pretty simple.

When a plot is added to the mix, we get into an array of story elements and revelations that have to be established before reaching the finale. Like a movie, the main protagonist must be introduced along with his/her core abilities. There is some type of explosive mission or fight where he/she gets to exhibit those abilities. Then, the main mission is revealed. The main character either has to save something or defeat someone, but that’s about it. Secondary characters are sprinkled throughout the story, and they help you along your journey, either by unlocking new powers or forging a new weapon. Once you’ve defeated a bunch of enemies and solved some puzzles, the main villain or monster emerges. Of course, you have to defeat this final level to save the scantily clad princess or retrieve the ancient artifact that could destroy the world in the wrong hands. This usually involves some type of pattern (shoot, block, dodge, shoot) that ends with you beating the Boss and the game.

Nowadays, the formula has become a bit stale since there is a lot of thought and effort put into the rest of the game. Now, it seems that the Boss Battle is there to add some type of spice to the game play. If the game is already stellar, it’s not worth the extra work to have the villain transform into some powerful monster for the sake of making the game longer.

Keep in mind that there are games out there that need Boss Battles at the end. Sometimes, the main character is gunning for one person/monster the entire game, and that fight is inevitable as soon as you open the packaging. For example, Kratos has two objectives in the God of War series; kill Ares, then kill Zeus. Eventually, he reaches his goal through determination and outright ruthlessness. It is in those games that a Boss Battle is necessary. Ares is the king of bloodshed and murder, so you expect that he will be even more powerful than anything else in the game. The same goes for Zeus.

Now, in something like Medal of Honor, a final boss isn’t expected as much. There won’t be some faceless bear-like creature waiting for you in a dungeon after you’ve defused a nuclear bomb and killed the terrorists. Actually, considering the subject matter that would be pretty cool and unexpected.

The video games of today are articulate and well executed, providing gamers with an in-depth experience through story, graphics, and control. Don’t get me wrong; Boss Battles aren’t completely outdated since they are still appropriate for some games. But don’t give me almost twenty hours of absolute awesomeness, and then throw a Boss Battle in to make my experience longer. There are a few games that have done that, and it threw me off. They didn’t turn me off to the point where I couldn’t enjoy the game, but they definitely didn’t need a boss at the end.

*SPOLIER ALERT*: If you haven’t played these games, but you want to, don’t read on!

Uncharted 2: Among Theives (PS3):

Nathan Drake makes his way to stop a war criminal, Lazarevic, from achieving invulnerability. After the villain gains it (sort of), you have to spend the next level trying to defeat him. This wouldn’t be a problem, but you have to shoot these sacks filled with flammable tree sap. Lazaravic chases you around for a bit, and you have to shoot the sacks when he passes by them.

The entire game is centered around you figuring out what happened to the lost fleet of Marco Polo, and the story gets more exciting as it goes, but this final battle proves that they couldn’t come up with anything else. These exploding sap sacks are supposed to hurt the villain, but isn’t he invulnerable?

I guess Lazaravic was supposed to be partially invulnerable, but it still made for an awful fight. Then, you don’t even get to kill him. The natives pummel him to death, which is fine, but what was the point of that fight in the first place? I was a bit turned off by it, but the game redeemed itself by having you run for your life across a collapsing bridge.The Uncharted series is notably the first game that has put me into situations that keep my heart pumping, and I hope that continues in the third installment this Fall. However, I’m hoping there isn’t some over-powered guy that can only be defeated by jumping on his head.

Batman: Arkham Asylum (PS3, Xbox 360):

The Dark Knight has had many epic fails when it comes to video games, but Arkham Asylum set the standard for what Batman games should be like. In this installment, the Joker takes over the entire asylum and taunts Batman the entire way. He uses his influence in an attempt to create an army of Bane-like cronies. Between trying to stop Joker, and a few run-ins with Scarecrow, Batman seems to be pushed to his limit.

By the end, Batman finally confronts the Joker mano y mano, but something strange happens. I thought that Batman would let himself lose control and beat Joker within an inch of his life. That would compliment the dark approach to the game and leave players with a sour, but satisfied experience. Through the years, Joker has pushed our buttons, and to see Batman so close to crossing that line is something that fans want to see.

The end to Arkham Asylum was weird in that none of that happened. Joker turned himself into a super freak and fought Batman on a rooftop. The battle wasn’t that exciting since it followed the same formula as any boss fight (fight, block, dodge, fight). Batman’s attacks had no affect on this buffed up Joker, so players had to resort to electrocuting him several times before punching him in the face with exploding gel. Are you serious? We’ve gone through an exceptional adventure to stop the Joker, collected some awesome gadgets and combo attacks, and all we can do to thwart a menacing, hulk of a Joker is punch him in the face? It reminds me of the first season of Heroes. They build up this epic story; Save the Cheerleader, Save the World. All of these super-powered people converge in New York for on massive showdown with lives at stake and the future unknown, and it all ends with a corny first fight.

Honestly, I would have preferred having to fight through a slew Batman’s worst villains. I’d be challenged, but at least I would be happy that I passed such a difficult test. Instead, I was left hanging when I finally won. Hugo Strange better not transform into a giant lizard in Arkham City!

Mass Effect 2 (PS3, Xbox 360, PC):

Anyone who knows me is aware that I LOVE Mass Effect to death. It has great characters, game play, cool weapons, fantastic story, and an epic conflict on a galactic scale. Despite the ignorance of some who believe having sex with aliens is the core focus of the game, I love it. But the end of the second installment was a bit… no. Just no.

You survive the first game and stop the lone Reaper, Sovereign, from calling his buddies from deep space to ravage the galaxy. The day is won, but the Reapers are still coming. You die in the beginning of the second game only to be revived by a terrorist organization for a desperate mission.

Dangerous beings are abducting entire human colonies, and it’s up to you to stop them. You spend the majority of the game recruiting the roughest, toughest allies this side of Cybertron. It is said to be a suicide mission, so everyone has to get closure on personal matters before jumping into action.

By the time the suicide mission begins, your ship should be tricked out with the best upgrades, and you should have the loyalty of the entire crew. You infiltrate the base and plant explosives at the core giving you and your team ten minutes to escape. The team then has to shoot their way out, fighting hordes of enemies. Then, they do a slow motion, dramatic run to the ship and fly away just as the base explodes. That’s what I wanted to see happen.

The dramatic run never happens because of the boss fight that ensues after you plant the explosives. You find out that the missing humans are being liquefied for their genetic material to fuel a Human-Reaper hybrid. The purpose of this monstrosity is unknown, but it needs to be destroyed.

Keep in mind that I don’t mind destroying this thing, but why does it come online in the first place if it’s not finished? I was content with shooting my way out of tough situations the entire game, but I found myself fighting a gigantic thing that has little impact on the bigger plot at hand. Your mission is to destroy the enemy base and stop their attacks on humanity, which is exactly what you do. But why do we need a final boss at the end of the game? And of course, the pattern is the same (shoot, take cover, wait, shoot). Mass Effect 2 had a very cinematic approach when it came to storytelling, and it seemed like they were on a roll, but the boss fight at the end reminded me video game equals boss fight to some. With ME3 on the way, I hope Bioware takes a lesson from this by leaving bosses out of the equation.

Whenever a video game is mentioned, it is associated with a boss fight at the end. With the way gaming has grown over the years, there is no need for them in every game. I’m not sure if developers are afraid that the game won’t be good if they don’t have a boss fight at the end, but that’s a fear that needs to be squashed since games can stand on their own with them. Maybe it’s time to reinvent the Boss Battle, or maybe it’s time to lay them to rest, but developers should determine whether boss fights are necessary in the type of games they develop.

About the Author

Vernon is an amateur video game journalist when he isn’t working or going to school. He loves keeping up with news in gaming culture, and he makes frequent posts about it to his blog, Get Tuitt.

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