• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

The best FromSoftware bosses, as picked by PlayStation Studio devs

tommib

tommib

Banned
Ahead of Elden Ring, Santa Monica Studio, Insomniac Games, Naughty Dog and more reflect on their most memorable enemy encounters.

8fd7d21e9829f8c20462a65c2fa924132f11cc24.jpg


51859328972_9fc6f0e725_b.jpg



Old Monk | Demon's Souls

"If we're talking about a boss that I'm 'most proud of' (to use those specific words), it would probably be the Old Monk from Demon's Souls. The reason being is there was a lot of pushback against that design and what we were trying to do with it. But it was something I really, really wanted to do. I wanted to get that boss concept into the game, both from a visual design perspective and gameplay perspective, including the multiplayer element. From both the implementation and fun factor, we got a lot of pushback, and no one believed in it at the time. But in the end, we came through, and I think it turned into an intriguing boss that the fans appreciated.
With Demon's Souls, there were a lot of mechanics throughout the development that were difficult to design. For instance, the asynchronous online features were complicated, but I think the Old Monk encompasses those tribulations and how we pushed through and made something we were proud of."
– Hidetaka Miyazaki, President and Director, FromSoftware
Click to expand...

Great Grey Wolf Sif | Dark Souls

– Tom Clercx, Animator, Nixxes Software

Owl (Father) | Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

– Israel Rey, QA Analyst, Bluepoint Games

Guardian Ape | Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

– Joe Pettinati, Narrative Lead, Naughty Dog

More here.
 
How in all living fucks is Lady Butterfly there? Quite literally the worst boss in ANY From Soft game out there.

Absolutely fucking awful list solely for that.
 
Mine are the ones I remember most:

Tower Knight
Phalanx
Artorias the Abysswalker
Ornstein and Smough
Nameless King
Vicar Amelia
 
Old Monk is truly unique, one of my favorites. Sif is also great.

I gotta give it to Ornstein and Smough though, that was a slap in the face that I'll always remember.
 
I still love Storm King.
Its not the best fight mechanically, but visually its so damn strong and I feel like its the best "gimmick" boss in any Souls game.
 
GermanZepp said:
I liked that fight. it was the first boss of my playthrough.
Click to expand...
juzou the drunkard was your first then, and it was 10000000x better.
 
lh032 said:
KADOKAWA ACQUISITON CONFIRMED
Click to expand...
Doesn't Tencent also owns a percentage on them? Sony owns 2% or 3% if i recall correctly, i dont think it would happen.
Also i would assume Fromsoft just like Capcom is enjoying the PC and Xbox market, once Elden Ring sells a lot on PC and Xbox i think they would rather stay like that.
Capcom also seem to be doing well.
The only one i see happening from big Japanese devs is Square Enix or maybe Konami.
But me personally i dont like this acquisitions trend at all.
 
Just going to echo, I am surprised there is no sword Saint isshin, probably one of the greatest bosses ever and one of the most satisfying to beat.
 
From a design standpoint Rom, the vacuous spider was really good. Something about the way the boss room is accessed, what happens once you start approaching the boss, and the purpose of the monster's existence. Same with Ebrietas and almost all of Bloodborne's bosses, they all have something to admire about them. Be that their art style, their aggressive fighting style, and their lore. As much as I enjoyed Sekiro, the bosses from the Dark Souls trilogy and Bloodborne stay with me the most.
 
The dragon prince in Ds 3. Fucking optional and the hardest of all in the main game. What an epic godam battle. Just the epicness of it all while he rides his dragon.

Lady Maria Bloodborne. I was NG+ and spec in arcane so it wasnt too hard. Parrying her with a squid arm and ghost dashing right in her grill was amazing. The battle had final fantasy levels of back and forth.
 
Shame Isshin isn't on there, but good choices from Sekiro. Guardian Ape and Father Owl are memorable for both story reasons and fun boss design for the former. Artorias and Lady Maria are also ones I agree with.
 
Fuck the Dancer.

O&S was a battle for the ages. The tension was unbearable. Too bad From decided that was too unique and went "ya know what DS2 and 3 really need to be awesome? Half of the boss battles should be against multiple bosses, that's what!"

But thinking back, Storm King and the False King are the ones I remember most fondly. One gimmicky battle and a frantic, but very honest one-on-one fight.
 
YukiOnna said:
Genichiro makes you a man.
Click to expand...
Most importantly IMO can't be cheesed by hit and run tactics like the first Owl or Isshin Sword Saint. Great very readable cadence, nowadays I prefer Inner but still just enough moveset variety to stay interesting. Perfect third phase introducing the awesome lightning reversal mechanic. Just an amazing gaming memory for me.
 
Bartski said:
Most importantly IMO can't be cheesed by hit and run tactics like the first Owl or Isshin Sword Saint. Great very readable cadence, nowadays I prefer Inner but still just enough moveset variety to stay interesting. Perfect third phase introducing the awesome lightning reversal mechanic. Just an amazing gaming memory for me.
Click to expand...
I remember when I wasn't use to lightning reversal at all at the time, I just learned to dodge them and it was incredibly difficult and narrow. The satisfaction of doing it and being in the zone was immense though. But yes, he's an excellently designed fight.
 
For me it's probably a tie between Ludwig and Isshin (both of his versions)
I like the actual fight better in Isshin, but that moment when Ludwig picks up the sword and the music changes:
Andy Samberg Brooklyn 99 GIF by PeacockTV


ToxicWeeb said:
images
Horseboy is objectively the best.
Click to expand...

The dude from Nixxes in the article actually puts it nicely:
"What starts out as the typical hunter versus beast ordeal, suddenly reveals itself as something truly special halfway through.

Ludwig stumbles to the ground, wounded. By his side, he finds his long-lost Moonlight Greatsword. Rage makes way for clarity, wiping away Ludwig the Accursed. Weapons that deal extra damage to beasts, no longer do so. The screeching beast is replaced by a monstrous man.

Welcome home, Ludwig the Holy Blade.

What follows is one of the best songs composed for Bloodborne. As Ludwig begins to swing his blade, the fight turns into a violent waltz of blood and cosmic starlight. Every attack follows the rise and fall of the music, giving the fight a dance-like rhythm. What began as an erratic fight ends as an elegant duel between hunters in a blood-soaked ballroom.

Ludwig is the perfect summary of the Bloodborne experience, shaped in the form of a boss; capturing the struggle between hunters, beasts, and the Old Blood."

– Keano Raubun, Narrative Designer, Nixxes Software
Click to expand...
 
Fbh said:
For me it's probably a tie between Ludwig and Isshin (both of his versions)
I like the actual fight better in Isshin, but that moment when Ludwig picks up the sword and the music changes:
Andy Samberg Brooklyn 99 GIF by PeacockTV




The dude from Nixxes in the article actually puts it nicely:
Click to expand...
Yeah, Ludwig's boss music just screams "epic".
 
I have a soft spot for the Flamelurker from Demon's Souls.

It was the first boss I struggled with (this is the original DS back in 2010) and I must have tried beating that motherfucker about 20 times.

When I finally beat him..........my god. The feeling that I felt. It was like an intense orgasm mixed with a religious awakening.

That was me popping my Souls cheery. After that I was hooked.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Former PlayStation Dev Says FromSoftware Has Rejected 10+ Studios That Pitched a Bloodborne Remake, Sequel or Spin-Off
2 3
145
1K
ZoukGalaxy replied
Every PlayStation Studio That’s Closed Since The PS5 Launched
Business Game Dev Platform  2 3
100
1K
yogaflame replied
TTK - Brand new studio formed by ex-DICE devs.. Could they be working on Battlefield type of online shooter?
13
460
Lokaum D+ replied
Pragmata devs take the comparisons to Xbox 360 shooters as a 'huge compliment', though I'm not convinced by their theory for the connection
Opinion Game Dev 
24
162
Durin replied
FromSoftware parent company Kadokawa criticized for relying on third-party publishing and allowing "profit leakage" by activist shareholder
23
269
Loomy replied
Top Bottom