5 Underwhelming Boss Fights That Almost Ruined Masterpieces

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As a dedicated gamer, I can’t help but appreciate the pivotal role that boss battles play in action-oriented games. They serve as climactic showdowns, often making or breaking the entire gaming experience. When a game is hailed as a masterpiece, whether it’s an adventure like The Legend of Zelda or a Soulslike such as Sekiro, its boss fights are usually flawless, adding to their legendary status. However, there have been instances where a lackluster boss fight nearly tarnished even the most celebrated games. This list aims to highlight some of these significant missteps in otherwise great games, focusing on factors like mechanical flaws, narrative disappointments, and design choices that fall flat.

For those who are deeply knowledgeable about video games, here’s an interesting tidbit: You might find it fascinating to discover the extraordinary games listed below, and their close calls with major mishaps.

1) Adam Smasher — Cyberpunk 2077

Experience the thrilling journey through a vibrant, futuristic realm with Cyberpunk 2077. The expansive open world is more than just life-sized; it’s a living, breathing testament to creativity. Characters, or NPCs, are technologically enhanced, which gives them unique and intriguing appearances. Navigation is effortless, combat with firearms is exceptional, and the customization possibilities for your character, V, are endless. Despite a challenging initial release, Cyberpunk 2077’s visual appeal and gameplay are currently unrivaled in its genre.

Without a doubt, one major criticism leveled at Cyberpunk 2077 concerns the final boss battle. Adam Smasher, who has been built up since the prologue as an unstoppable mercenary, leaves a lasting impression with his imposing presence and fearsome reputation. His ruthless nature is emphasized throughout the game, leading players to expect an intense and prolonged confrontation. However, when it comes time for the final showdown, the battle falls short of expectations.

1. Adam Smasher has few attacks and does minimal damage, making him quite predictable. If you’ve completed many side quests before reaching the end of the game, Adam Smasher is hardly a challenge. The boss battle design is disappointing as Adam Smasher repetitively uses the same attacks, which makes it an unremarkable and one of the least memorable fights in the game. However, Cyberpunk 2077’s exceptional quest design and story compensate for this weakness. Here’s hoping CDPR avoids similar mistakes with Cyberpunk 2.

2) The Arkham Knight — Batman: Arkham Knight

Regarding the game often praised for its exceptional combat system, Batman: Arkham Knight, its boss battles are disappointingly lackluster. The visual splendor of Gotham City, the exhilaration of piloting the Batmobile, and the pleasure derived from pummeling foes dressed as a bat are unquestionable. However, when it comes to the boss encounters, none manage to make a lasting impression due to their lack of originality or distinctiveness.

For example, during the storyline, there’s an instance where you engage Deathstroke in combat, but he’s operating a tank, forcing you to use the Batmobile for battle. The Arkham Knight, the main villain, is fought four times throughout the narrative. In the initial encounter, he’s piloting a helicopter; the second time, it’s a tank; the third time, a drill; and in the final fight, you must catch him off guard from behind. It’s almost comical how poorly designed the boss battles are.

As a gamer, let me say this: In Batman: Arkham Knight, it’s not like you’re really fighting the bosses head-on. Instead, you’re beating them indirectly through some tedious methods. However, despite the less-than-impressive boss fights, this game has truly withstood the test of time. The captivating open world and jaw-dropping combat sequences are what keep me coming back. Sure, the boss fights might not be their best work, but overall, Batman: Arkham Knight is a masterpiece that’s hard to beat.

3) The B.T.s — Death Stranding

In simpler terms, the game known as “Death Stranding” is categorized as a “strand-type” game, which essentially means it’s a simulation focusing on traversal across a vast open world, blended with action elements. The narrative, graphics, and gameplay in “Death Stranding” are seamlessly integrated, but similarly to other games mentioned, the boss battles could use some improvement.

In the game “Death Stranding,” the primary antagonists are known as B.T.s or “Beached Things.” These eerie entities are enshrouded in pitch-black tar and respond to Sam’s presence by launching attacks. Although the run-of-the-mill B.T.s wandering around the game world can be quite frightening, the boss battles surprisingly aren’t as daunting. On several occasions, Sam engages in combat with colossal Beached Things. However, labeling these encounters as fights may be a bit of an overstatement.

In Death Stranding, your supervisors seldom pose a threat to Sam. Instead, they meander about, lurking menacingly while you pepper them with countless bullets. They are essentially bullet-absorbing, visually appealing entities that lack any harmful qualities whatsoever. It was disheartening to witness such mundane boss encounters in Death Stranding. However, fortunately, Kojima Productions acknowledged this and significantly upgraded the boss battles for Death Stranding 2, making them more engaging.

4) Basim — Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

In the grand scheme of “Assassin’s Creed Valhalla”, the battle with Basim, the boss character, seems surprisingly underwhelming and unsatisfying. For a large part of the game’s 50-hour narrative, Basim supports Eivor in England’s conquest. The objective for much of the storyline is to establish Viking rule over England. However, towards the end, with just a few hours remaining, Basim abruptly opposes Eivor, seeking some form of retribution instead.

In the storyline, Basim transforms into the main adversary, leading to a significant shift in events that seemingly devastate Valhalla. Shortly following his treachery, Eivor pursues Basim, resulting in a rather lackluster boss battle filled with ordinary combat and chase sequences. Unfortunately, the tale abruptly concludes post-battle without addressing Eivor’s destiny or the conquest of England, leaving many unanswered questions about their personal journey. However, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla remains an exceptional game due to its expansive open world and engaging gameplay. Nonetheless, it would have been more satisfying if they had avoided such a disappointing ending with Basim.

5) Elden Beast — Elden Ring

In 2022, Elden Ring clinched the Game of the Year award along with numerous other accolades. It offers a rich blend of intricate exploration, an aesthetically pleasing open-world setting, and no less than 300 formidable boss battles. Yet, Elden Ring nearly missed the mark when it came to its final boss encounter. As you approach the conclusion, you engage in roughly a hundred boss fights, including Rykard, the colossal lizard, and Godfrey, the First Elden Lord.

It’s reasonable to assume that, given the intensity of the boss battles throughout your adventure, the final one would stand out. However, it falls short of expectations somewhat. The initial stage of the final battle sees you squaring off against Radagon, a miniature powerhouse who is as distinctive as he is challenging. Unfortunately, the second and main phase disappoints.

In my opinion, when I faced the Elden Beast in its second form, it felt like a colossal amorphous entity with an unremarkable repertoire of moves. The only standout feature was its astronomical health pool, but apart from that, the Elden Beast fell short of expectations. Nonetheless, Elden Ring boasts such a diverse array of bosses that it more than makes up for this experience.

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2025-07-10 14:10