• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Games where you get to play as a final boss character?

S

Seyavesh

Member
i was thinkin' of this while having the neo granzon from super robot wars stuck in my head. you get it in the last few stages of the DLC for the latest original generation game, and boy howdy does it deliver on that overwhelming power that you get from good final bosses.
normally it's a final boss enemy in other SRWs so having it playable and super broken while evoking that final boss level crazy power is great.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJMTapMJkO0

however, i'm trying to think of other games that let you play as the final boss from the game or previous series at their 'final boss' level and am coming up blank besides vergil in DMC3 and DmC.

and i guess most fighting games since they usually have their bosses playable through some code or through stuff like gold chars in guilty gear.

does anyone got any other examples of this stuff?

temporary party members that have wack stats don't count- i don't wanna see no dang ghaleon or sephiroth or that dumb guy that dark force pretends to be in phantasy star 4!
 
Z

Zukuu

Banned
If memory serves right:
BreathOfFireIV_PSXBOX_US.jpg
Click to expand...

You kind of play the story of both and swap main characters at various points in the game, so it's far more than "temporary whack stats".

Also, indirectly:
Chronocrossbox.jpg
Click to expand...
 
B

BradC00

Member
Gears 3 had a DLC based around the final boss of the first gears I think. Don't think you played the last level of gears one.
 
T

Thorwaldsson

Member
You could say that the Valkyre Profile games does this.
VP2 Spoiler,
Lezzard is kinda the last boss of the first game, and he is in your party for most of vp2
 
F

FluxWaveZ

Member
This isn't what you mean from your examples, but I think it first what you're talking about perfectly from a conceptual level:

Undertale -
Genocide route. You essentially play as the 'final boss' in that playthrough in so many ways, going as far as to face an "awakened hero" who represents the will of all living things to take you down.
 
R

Red Arremer

Member
Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 allows you to play Galactus in a special mode.
Marvel Ultimate Alliance had Doctor Doom, the main villain of the game, playable as DLC (and it's explained with some time travel plot).
 
V

Verder

Member
during the time where sephiroth slayed fucking ERRYTHING in the Nibelheim Flashback

oh man that part will be intense in the Remake

edit- i wish i really got to play as him for most of the damn game
 
MAtgS

MAtgS

Member
Kingdom_Hearts_358-2_Days_Boxart_NA.png

The Mission Mode let you as 19 different characters, some of whom were final bosses in different games in the series: Xenmas from KH2, Marluxia from Chain of Memories, Xion & Riku from Days itself, & Roxas in Coded.

SSB4_Logo.png

Bowser, Ganondorf, & King Dedede off the top of my head. I guess DK too.

EDIT: The entire poke'mon series. Charizard can count as another in SSB to players that chose Bulbasaur as their starter.
 
B

Burger_Baron

Member
Not final boss per se, but Daud from Dishonored: The knife of Dunwall was pretty good.

Now technically, Daud is the "final" boss of Dishonored as he is the only real boss fight.
 
K

Korigama

Member
Tales of Xillia 2
has the final boss duo of Gaius and Muzét from ToX1 as regular members of the main party
.
 
F

FluxWaveZ

Member
From a more literal perspective, some Custom Robo game must have been able to let the players use the parts of the boss robo.
 
G

GreatestHits

Member
SPOILERS ABOUND!!!!!

YAR BE WARNED!!!!!

Revan is my answer, but I didn't read the entire god-forsaken thread....

Although you never fight Malak's boss, you fight Malak as the final
 
M

Multro

Neo Member
You can play as Ryuji Goda, the last boss of Yakuza 2 in Yakuza Dead Souls. Though non canon, still really great.
 
X

Xenus

Member
Zukuu said:
If memory serves right:


You kind of play the story of both and swap main characters at various points in the game, so it's far more than "temporary whack stats".
Click to expand...

Even more so...
You can choose to reunite with him at the end and become an unstoppable death machine that kills what used to be your party.
 
S

SatoAilDarko

Member
semisonic said:
No More Heroes 2

Henry Motherfucking Cooldown
Click to expand...

Yup. It was so beautiful because of how the fight was in the first game.

He also had that sweet dash from that fight as well.

Henry again breaks the fourth wall and also trolls you like he did at Rank 4. Only a single, very fun boss fight. I respect the level of troll.
 
R

RadioHeadAche

Member
MGS4
Piloting REX on Shadow Moses. One of my favorite moments in the series.

I guess not technically the final boss of MGS1, but it felt grander than the shit with Liquid that followed.
 
G

Golnei

Member
Ashnard is a bonus character in FE9 - though the series has done similar things with other antagonists like Lyon in FE8; usually the final boss is too dragon-y to be a playable unit. Also, Lucifer serves as the final boss in several SMT games; as well as being a usable Persona and recruitable in one of the Gameboy spinoffs.

Enter the Dragon Punch said:
Dragon's Dogma.
In new game plus, the final boss is your character from your first save.
Click to expand...

Nier, Fire Emblem Awakening and Xenoblade arguably qualify under that as well.

Acquiescence said:
FFVII, briefly.
Click to expand...
Seyavesh said:
temporary party members that have wack stats don't count- i don't wanna see no dang ghaleon or sephiroth or that dumb guy that dark force pretends to be in phantasy star 4!
Click to expand...
 
P

poipoipoi9

Member
You get to play as Himekaidou Hatate after beating her in Double Spoiler. As you progress through the game through her perspective, you battle your previous playable character instead at the end of her route.
 
S

specdot

Member
Verder said:
during the time where sephiroth slayed fucking ERRYTHING in the Nibelheim Flashback

oh man that part will be intense in the Remake

edit- i wish i really got to play as him for most of the damn game
Click to expand...
Gotta spoiler tag that meng. I know the game is almost 20 years old (yikes), but there are some players that are just experiencing it for the first time.
 
E

Earthpainting

Member
Came in to mention Breath of Fire 4, but I'm glad to see it's already been mentioned. I really enjoyed that perspective, and I'm a little surprised not more games have used it. It can't be because BoF4 already did it, because that game isn't that well known, and recycling ideas is the norm in the industry.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Is Mario Sunshine the worst mainline Mario game?
2 3 4
183
9K
VeganElduderino replied
Games that allow you to become overpowered(or offer OP equipment and abilities): thumbs up or thumbs down?
41
1K
graywolf323 replied
Everyone complains about Blighttown and Shrine of Amana as being unfair in Souls games, but forget about Elden Rings Raya Lucaria....
2
82
3K
mitch1971 replied
Remnant 2 devs did no-hit runs to test their bosses 'if you could beat it the first time, it was too easy'
Game Dev
29
3K
MikeM replied
Blizzard announces massive changes to Diablo 4 starting Season 4
News
2
851
clarky replied
Top Bottom