Steam Games With Some of The Best Bosses Of All Times
Steam Games With Some of The Best Bosses Of All Times
The Gates Await, Challenges Beckoning You.
All stories are adventures in some sense and adventures are stories. Every story has at least one big defining moment. In the real world, those moments come in the form of final exams, graduation, getting a new job, making a major purchase, and so on. However in video games, more often than not, the defining moments come in the form of either important cutscenes or a big bad boss fight. Any good adventure hosts challenges, and bosses are usually the most intense.
Bosses can do all kinds of things. The worst bosses tend to just be bigger versions of standard enemies with larger pools of health, but the best bosses tend to be memorable for things like their personality, story relevance, new mechanics that mix things up, and more. The stage awaits. You enter the coliseum with your weapons drawn. Are you brave enough to face these monstrosities?
The Gaping Dragon of Gluttony. Image courtesy of Steam.
The flame of life is dwindling. That is the premise behind this grimdark fantasy game. You wander the land of Dark Souls as a creature known as The Chosen Undead, a human who has the ability to return from death. This is fitting considering how the numerous bosses faced throughout Dark Souls can and WILL kill you a number of times throughout your experience. The good news is that when fighting through hordes of skeletons, mimics, and demons, you still have plenty to take advantage of including health elixirs to drink, powerful weapons to find, and who can forget the legendary art of pure invulnerability that is “The Dodge Roll.” A move so powerful that even blades of flame pass through it as though they were reduced to air, even if it were just a single moment.
There are all kinds of fearsome beasts to face including powerful guardians, distorted dragons, giant skeletons, and more. Few are brave enough to face the horrors within and emerge without releasing howls of rage. Will you be the one to take that leap?
One of the many beastly boss beat-downs you will face with an emphasis on the beat. Image courtesy of Steam.
Music is a gravely underappreciated art. So many genres that a person can listen to, or even use as inspiration for the ways they live. In this game, you play as bandmates Mayday and Zuke of the Bunkbed Junction rock group. After being rejected from providing music for Vinyl City’s biggest stage by the ruling organization known as No Straight Roads, the duo vows revenge by bringing rock n’ roll back to the forefront of the public stage. On this quest, the members of the NSR organization are the bosses, each one having its own theme whether it is classical music, space, art, or vocaloids all tying back into EDM in some unique way.
Be sure to also keep your eyes peeled for its upcoming sequel when it comes out.
Beppi is not clowning around! Image courtesy of Steam.
Step right up, folks! Come one come all! Gather around and tell your friends about this grand interactive major motion picture! Take control of Cuphead and his pal Mugman on their quest to escape the clutches of the Devil's Casino by collecting the contracts of the denizens of Inkwell Isle who also sold their souls but won’t foot the bill. This classic run n’ gun game is often regarded as a boss rush styled game. You will be entering the ring with all kinds of cartoonish combatants who like all the graphics in the game were all hand drawn frame by frame like the cartoons they were based on. However beware, for these challenging foes also take inspiration from classic 80’s games like Contra and Gradius.
The show doesn’t stop at the base game! You can also download the Delicious Last Course for an additional isle complete with fast travel, new shots and items, a new story, and even more unique bosses to face down.
Welcome to the Underground. How was the Fall? Image courtesy of Steam.
Developed by the creator of the Earthbound Halloween Hack, Toby Fox’s smash hit Undertale is a pixel sprite turn based rpg that took the world by storm. In this game, you play as a human who fell down a large chasm in Mount Ebbot and entered the Underground, a hidden civilization filled with unique monsters that block your path back to the surface. Each battle you encounter gives you the chance to avoid taking damage by playing through Tohou style bullet hell minigames.
As you play through the game, you will encounter these monsters—the most interesting being the powerful “boss monsters” who have more dynamic personalities and attacks that are a decent amount harder to dodge. Not only that, but the game also carries a unique system of interacting with enemies and bosses using the functions of either Fighting, Acting, or Sparing the opponents. As such, you can choose whether you wish to spare or slaughter certain enemies and bosses. It’s up to you. The feeling of fate resting in your hands fills you with determination.
Put up your dukes! Image courtesy of Steam.
Do you remember Punch Out? The bouts with fierce fighters who act as pseudo puzzles on your good old Nintendo Entertainment System? While we haven’t gotten a new Punch Out Game since the Wii game, many have thrown their hats into the ring to continue the legacy, pun very intended. Knockout League is a VR game where you are the star of the show! Don your headset and gloves to enter the titular knockout league and face off against all kinds of opponents. From hot shot rookies like you to scurvy pirates and from jungle deities to gentlemanly octopi.
This colorful cast of fighters is sure to keep you on your toes for a few reasons. For one thing, you are not using a standard button controller, instead physically moving your body and controllers around to interact with the enemies. The game even has a counter to track the calories you burn when playing. Another thing to keep track of is that most of these bosses also have their own gimmicks. Some are fast and require quick reaction time to properly counter, others require you to pay full attention to them, and some can even affect your actual gloves. The ring is waiting for you.
Beware the Janitor. Image courtesy of Steam.
Most people would not think of the horror genre when thinking about games with boss fights. However, that’s not to say that there aren’t any horror games that let you fight back against the monsters that want you dead. Bandai Namco’s Little Nightmares has garnered a community of horror fans. The first game takes place on a large facility known as The Maw, a massive cruise ship run by monsters all orchestrated by a strange witch-like geisha known simply as The Lady. The second game takes place in The Pale City where a mysterious figure known as The Thin Man or The Broadcaster reigns supreme using hypnotic TVs. Both games take place in a horrific world where players take on the roles of children fighting for survival against these distorted monsters. The monsters you face will require you to go through chases, stealth segments, and puzzles in order to defeat them.
Speeding through the city of Studiopolis. Image courtesy of Steam.
Ever wish you were rolling around at the speed of sound? Got places to go and follow your rainbow? Then here’s a game for you! Developed by Sonic fans for Sonic fans under SEGA, Sonic Mania is a 2D throwback to classic era Sonic with enhanced graphics and an absolutely stellar soundtrack. In this game, the sinister Dr. Eggman discovers a relic known as the Phantom Ruby, a gem capable of creating complex illusions. He uses this ruby to upgrade his robots and now Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles have to work together to stop him, exploring new worlds including the Garden Press and Studiopolis Zone.
With these upgraded machines, Sonic has a unique assortment of foes to face. Eggman faces you with his classic Eggmobile, Metal Sonic, and even some fresh faces including his new robotic commanders, the Hard Boiled Heavies.
Staring down Pepperman the Painter. Image courtesy of Steam.
Mama Mia! Peppino’s Pizza is under the threat of obliteration by a nefarious entity known as Pizzahead. It’s up to Peppino to climb the tower and stop him. Pizza Tower is a 2D platformer with speedy gameplay that harkens back to classics a la Sonic and Wario Land where you explore different levels in hopes of getting enough money to face the bosses guarding each floor. While this game does not have nearly as many bosses as the other games on this list, the small pool of bosses is certainly memorable. Some players have even described the bosses as meatballs, highlights of the meal that are few but leave an impact. The funky music, colorful cartoony art style, and fast-paced gameplay is sure to keep you on your toes.
You stand in this arena preparing to face down these beasts and champions. Be not intimidated by their size and stature. You will conquer these challenges. You will stand victorious so long as you stand.
