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Games where the final boss isn't the hardest mandatory boss
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MadJackChurchill
Banned
I TOTALLY FORGET ABOUT THAT ONE!!!!!
JareBear: Remastered
Banned
I think this applies to numerous games. Just thinking of some games I've played recently:
Persona 5
Titanfall 2
Bioshock 2
Persona 5
Titanfall 2
Bioshock 2
capitalCORN
Member
The tutorial boss in the original Witcher is the hardest boss in the game.
MrSaturn99
Member
Breath of the Wild is probably the best recent example.
As far as older games go, Tales of Symphonia is one that comes to mind.
As far as older games go, Tales of Symphonia is one that comes to mind.
harrisk954
Member
Bloodborne for sure!
sixteen-bit
Member
Gradius comes to mind.
The Nameless King is optional, not mandatory.
I feel most JRPGs are like this. By the end of the game you might have mastered the mechanics, have all options/abilities unlocked or even crazy prepared (overleveled or hoarding healing items). Plus devs want people to finish the main game, so the most challenging bosses are optional.
DiipuSurotu
Banned
Technically, Chrono Trigger (
)
Lavos at the Ocean Palace is harder than the normal Lavos final boss
AdmiralMikey
Member
The first game that always comes to mind is Super Mario RPG. I don't remember if I've ever beaten Culex.
EDIT: I didn't read the full OP. If I were to pick another game, I'd say all of the other bosses in RE7 were harder than the final boss.
EDIT: I didn't read the full OP. If I were to pick another game, I'd say all of the other bosses in RE7 were harder than the final boss.
He was such a pain if especially if you were unprepared.
I remember restarting my first playthrough of FFX because of Evrae.
SargerusBR
I love Pokken!
All souls games
As I said before I think it's related to pacing. Usually towards the end of the game the player is much more likely to endure the hardest fight than at the end of the game, when generally they've had enough of it already and just want to see the credits.
God Of War 3, I think Hades (2nd boss) is the hardest in the game. I replayed the game on Hard mode and the toughest section was the fight leading up to and including Cerberus Breeder.
In general I think the balance of God Of War 3 is bad. The opening part of the game and first boss (Poseidon) is also difficult even when playing through a 2nd time. On hard mode I had to cheat a bit and climb down to a corner of the screen to avoid the hit box so the fight took a LONG time!
In general I think the balance of God Of War 3 is bad. The opening part of the game and first boss (Poseidon) is also difficult even when playing through a 2nd time. On hard mode I had to cheat a bit and climb down to a corner of the screen to avoid the hit box so the fight took a LONG time!
FF7 has really easy bosses, can't think of a tougher one than Sephiroth. I guess maybe the guy right after Aeris scene?
LordKasual
Banned
Final Fantasy VIII
I remember me and my sister getting stuck on Adel for like a week for some reason.
Baiten Kaitos
That one boss on the ship where you have to fight 3 fucking bosses at once. I never actually got past that boss, but i know for a fact the Final Boss wasn't harder.
I remember me and my sister getting stuck on Adel for like a week for some reason.
Baiten Kaitos
That one boss on the ship where you have to fight 3 fucking bosses at once. I never actually got past that boss, but i know for a fact the Final Boss wasn't harder.
JensenBeeswax
Member
Moon Presence
Ebrietas
Final Fantasy back then was known for this (i remember that Omega weapon fight in FVIII very well...also these Dark Aoens and Penance in FF X).
Old King Doran in Demon's Souls is probably harder to beat than all of the other bosses (without cheese or beeing a parrygod)
Ohhps. Read that wrong.
Forget everything i wrote above or keep that post in mind when the next Games where the final boss isn't the hardest boss pops up in a few weeks.
Old King Doran in Demon's Souls is probably harder to beat than all of the other bosses (without cheese or beeing a parrygod)
Ohhps. Read that wrong.
Forget everything i wrote above or keep that post in mind when the next Games where the final boss isn't the hardest boss pops up in a few weeks.
Lorinthia (I think that was her name ? ) in Xenoblade Chronicles, I wiped so many times on her and then I proceeded to utterly destroy the joke that was the final boss of that game.
Those are all not mandatory at all.
Those are all not mandatory at all.
Bloodborne
I envy you. It took me three hours TWICE to beat him in FES lmao
Gehrman was an infinitly more challenging and satisfying fight than the Moon Presence
I envy you. It took me three hours TWICE to beat him in FES lmao
JareBear: Remastered
Banned
There is no best example. There are tons of examples, this happens all the time. All the damn time.
I hate when people drop high and mighty "my opinion is fact" posts like this.
that "mandatory" slipped under my brain (reading only the second half of OP too). Had less than 4 hours sleep the last 3 nights. Sorry.
Breath of the Wild: The White Lynel have more HP and is more relentless than Calamity Ganon.
Xenoblade: The Final Boss is a joke compared to
and that acid pool + slowdown.
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne - Each of the 3 Demonic Sponsors are more harder than the final boss... unless you are going the True Demon Path and then you are presented against a Fuck You wall if you don't pick a particular skill for at least the main character.
Xenoblade: The Final Boss is a joke compared to
Lorithia
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne - Each of the 3 Demonic Sponsors are more harder than the final boss... unless you are going the True Demon Path and then you are presented against a Fuck You wall if you don't pick a particular skill for at least the main character.
DarkConfidant
Member
Probably most games with bosses.
Came here to remind us that Ozma exists.
Came here to remind us that Ozma exists.
The Witcher series has this in pretty much every game. The Beast in The Witcher 1 is the hardest boss in the game (unless you exploit a certain Sign), the first fight against Letho is easily the most difficult thing in The Witcher 2 and in The Witcher 3 and the expansions all the final bosses are pretty much pushovers compared to what came before.
Armoured Priest
Member
Many Castlevania games, both pre and post SotN:
Death/Grim Reaper is often more difficult than Dracula.
One of the interesting excpetions was Castlevana: Portrait of Ruin
Death/Grim Reaper is often more difficult than Dracula.
One of the interesting excpetions was Castlevana: Portrait of Ruin
You fight both at the same time.
zelhawks37
Member
This is Spikey Tiger from Secret of Mana, the third boss you fight. He is one of the single hardest bosses in the game for several reasons.
He is the last boss you fight before getting access to magic. He however has powerful spells. And while the bosses prior to him have spells too, they are not particularly strong.
He also has an arena that allows him to go to spots where you cannot hit him (where magic would help tremendously!!), and has an attack that has him curl into a ball and roll all over the arena.
He also deals massive damage with his attacks.
And then there's this asshole:
This guy has an AoE attack that paralyzes and also deals a lot of damage (plus poison, yay!). This is Lufia 2 btw.
This guy gets it.
For me, No More Heroes comes to mind. I found
Henry
yanipheonu
Member
Persona 5. The obligatory Velvet Room attendant fight is always very hard.
I love that it's not only hard in a bigger numbers kind of way, you actually need to understand and exploit the game to beat them.
There's also the Reaper wandering Mementos, though there are some funny ways to deal with it.
Justine and Caroline can Baton Pass, at one point can hit literally any weakness you have, and even have an All Out Attack complete with Finisher Animation.
"Don't get cocky."
"Don't get cocky."
I love that it's not only hard in a bigger numbers kind of way, you actually need to understand and exploit the game to beat them.
There's also the Reaper wandering Mementos, though there are some funny ways to deal with it.
I'd say it's more rare to find a final boss that's actually the hardest part of the game. Off the top of my head I can think of a few like Shinobi (PS2), Metal Gear Rising, Jet Force Gemini. But more often than not the hardest boss comes early on especially in RPGs or games with RPG-like systems, when your party or character is weak and has few options.
Anyways, as a recent example, in Yakuza 0 I spent more retries on the first boss (Kuze) than I did on every other fight in the game combined. After you get past him you can stock up on healing items, learn new moves and such. But he was so hard I considered turning down the difficulty to normal. I stuck to my guns though and the rest of the game was pretty easy. I was so happy when I beat him, I kept the video.
https://youtu.be/GuQIWR0NtNM
Anyways, as a recent example, in Yakuza 0 I spent more retries on the first boss (Kuze) than I did on every other fight in the game combined. After you get past him you can stock up on healing items, learn new moves and such. But he was so hard I considered turning down the difficulty to normal. I stuck to my guns though and the rest of the game was pretty easy. I was so happy when I beat him, I kept the video.
https://youtu.be/GuQIWR0NtNM
striferser
Huge Nickleback Fan
Persona 4 vanila version. Shadow Yukiko is harder than last boss fight due to your limited skills and party member when you fight her. After that fight, the game opened up and you can easily broke the game by fusing the right persona.
Wait, what?!
I finished them in my first try, how weird. Then again i played on Normal.
I think the only mandatory boss i died to multiple times in that game was Okumura because i didnt understand completely how the burger attack worked.
Technically speaking both of those bosses are optional.
NickWright
Member
I found Shadow Yukiko and Shadow Kanji to be far more difficult than the final boss in Persona 4 (vanilla).
In Persona 4 Golden I'd say Shadow Yukiko is easier, but Kanji is still challenging. Or vice versa. Still, I didn't have any problems with any mandatory bosses in there because
In Persona 4 Golden I'd say Shadow Yukiko is easier, but Kanji is still challenging. Or vice versa. Still, I didn't have any problems with any mandatory bosses in there because
both SHadow Marie or whatever creatures were quite gimmicky and easier
IndieJones
Member
I was going to say Darkbeast Paarl but i think he's optional? Anyway, MANY Bloodborne bosses were harder than Gerhman.
Hmmm I guess
Mergo's Wetnurse
The Artisan
Member
digimon world 2
Stallion Dan
Member
Every boss in Resident Evil 7 is harder than final one.
John Dunbar
correct about everything
Death in the first Castlevania is way harder than Dracula.