Games

The Best Boss Battles That Have No Combat

Published

1 month ago

October 12, 2024

Christoph Rediske

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Key Takeaways

Table of Contents

Boss fights can be engaging without traditional combat, challenging players in unique and innovative ways.
Games like The Witcher 3 and Shadow of the Colossus showcase boss encounters that require creative solutions beyond just fighting.
Unconventional boss fights, like in Limbo and Metal Gear Solid 3, add depth and emotional impact to the player experience.

Most people associate boss fights in video games with bombastic battles where the combat system is pushed to its very limits. Players must make it a point to pull off their strongest attacks and avoid the bulk of damage coming their way to emerge victorious, which makes for a dramatic and satisfying conclusion as players finally conquer these challenges and move on to bigger and better things. However, to say that every boss fight features some form of combat would be a hasty statement to make.

6 Best RPGs With Almost No Boss Fights

Many role-playing games feature climactic moments in their boss battles, but these games forego those moments.

Some boss fights do a great job of challenging the player without a single punch or kick, which is impressive and goes a long way in ensuring that players find these encounters fresh and stimulating at all times. After all, there are only so many bosses that players can fight traditionally before things get repetitive, and the gaming industry as a whole needs to innovate on these mechanics from time to time to ensure that players don’t let out a groan of disapproval whenever they need to whittle down another spongy health bar.

5 Gaunter O’Dimm

The Player Must Find A Way To See Their Reflection In O’Dimm’s World

Gaunter O'Dimm boss fight in The Witcher 3 Hearts of Stone

Released: May 19, 2015
OpenCritic Rating: Mighty

Hearts of Stone is an incredible piece of DLC that lets players encounter one of the strongest characters in video game history. Gaunter O’Dimm’s initials should make it clear just how otherworldly his power is, roping people into unfair contracts that ruin their lives. When he gives Geralt the task of manipulating Olgierd to take his soul, the witcher can complete some optional objectives to figure out another way to take out this demon and save Olgierd in the process.

If players meet Professor Shakeslock before the game’s final quest, they can try and trick O’Dimm into letting Olgierd be. The witcher is transported to the demon’s realm and tasked with seeing his reflection. It’s a unique area with numerous distractions where players are on a timer, and they must fill up a fountain with water to see their reflection and beat O’Dimm. While the Master Mirror can’t be defeated for good, Geralt does enough to save Olgierd’s soul.

4 Phalanx

Arguably The Most Cinematic And Engaging Boss Fight In The Game

Systems

Released: October 18, 2005
OpenCritic Rating: Mighty

Shadow of the Colossus is one of the greatest video games of all time, featuring a total of sixteen enemies that Wander must hunt down and defeat to resurrect the love of his life. What makes this journey sadder is the fact that none of these behemoths antagonize the player in any way, making it clear that the protagonist is far from the heroic figure that most people assumed. Wander slowly gets corrupted as he fulfills the will of Dormin to bring back his love.

None of these Colossi are combat encounters per se, serving more as puzzles that players must figure out by manipulating these massive enemies into exposing their weak points. The thirteenth Colossus, Phalanx, is perhaps the most cinematic encounter of them all, with players having to force an airborne Colossus to come down before jumping on it from their horse and slowly whittling away at its weak points until it’s down for the count. Taking down this majestic creature is both satisfying and saddening at the same time, showing the masterful hold Shadow of the Colossus has over the player’s emotions in its latter half.

3 Giant Spider

A Monstrous Presence That Is Slowly Damaged Before Turning Into A Shell Of Its Former Self By The End

Released: July 21, 2010
Developer(s): Playdead

Limbo is an excellent game that shows how atmospheric and horrifying a simple side-scroller can be. Players control a young boy on a mysterious mission where he traverses numerous hazardous locations to eventually find his sister. One of the scariest enemies players find is a giant spider that can take out the boy in a single hit if he gets too close, forcing players to figure out a unique way to take out this nightmarish foe.

5 Best Mirror Boss Fights In Games, Ranked

The scariest opponent is one that utilizes the very same powers that are achieved by the player, which is why a mirror match is always iconic.

This is finally achieved when players find a bear trap that they can use to bait the spider, tricking it into getting its legs trapped on this contraption multiple times. It loses limb after limb but manages to web the boy up after a point, but the player struggles to escape and eventually reaches a point where they must pull out this spider’s one remaining limb to form a bridge they can cross. Figuring out a way to neuter this spider’s threat makes for a satisfying moment after being terrorized for so long.

2 The Sorrow

The Number Of People Snake Has Killed Governs This Boss Fight’s Difficulty

The Sorrow floating over Naked Snake who is walking through a spooky river, another ghost is nearby Metal Gear Solid 3 Snake Eater

Systems

Released: November 17, 2004

The Sorrow is one of the most unique boss fights in a game rife with intense encounters, managing to make a lasting impression on players despite the lack of any direct combat. Rather, the struggle is largely tied to the actions of the player throughout the game. This boss fight is a walk to the end of the stage, with the area being populated with the spirits of the men Snake has killed during his adventure. If players spared everyone, then the only spirits here are those of the Cobra Unit.

Walking through these spirits leads to players taking damage, meaning that players will find it easier to survive this walk as long as they play as pacifists. This isn’t the only threat players must avoid — they must also avoid the beams of light that The Sorrow occasionally fires from time to time. Even if players reach the end of this stage, they’re rewarded with a jumpscare and the game over screen. However, a Revival Pill will ensure that Snake comes back to the land of the living, having successfully bested this boss fight.

1 Wheatley

Shooting A Portal On The Surface Of The Moon Is An Incredible Set-Piece To End The Game On

Portal 2 expands the scope of the first game, letting players take on Glados once again only for another dastardly foe to replace her, albeit a highly inefficient one. For most of the game, Wheatley seems like an AI looking out for Chell, only to lose himself to a power trip after replacing Glados as the new construct in charge of Aperture. He does a horrible job, with Chell and Glados forming an uneasy alliance as they take on Wheatley to stop him in his tracks.

This leads to a memorable final boss fight where players must attach several corrupted cores to Wheatley’s mechanical body to help Glados take control once again. However, Wheatley is stubborn and refuses to give up control, leading to players taking a drastic course of action and shooting a portal at the Moon. A distraught Wheatly is sucked into the vacuum of space, ending this memorable boss fight once and for all.

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