Do you like big bosses?

[Spirit]

Bosses are supposed to present a challenge and be imposing.

A lot of the time they're big creatures that need taking down to progress, and these big creatures often pour on the spectacle to get that adrenaline pumping.

But do you like big spectacle bosses?

Do you like going up against giant creatures that look like they're going to tear straight through you?

Zelda does the big boss thing a lot, especially in the 3D games where it is easier to show scale, but we've also had the likes of Debbie/Ghirahim who are standard human size who have still put up a fight.

So, do you like big spectacle bosses, or do you prefer the more intimate tests of strength with something your own size?

 

[Dizzi]

It depends....

 

[GrooseIsLoose]

Depends on how skilled the boss is if it's big but unskilled, like imprisoned then it's a no. If it's powerful like hraezlyr, then it's ok. Similarly for human sized.

 

[twilitfalchion]

In most cases, yeah. I do like big bosses. Like in Dragon Roost Cavern where Link faces off against a giant Gohma that jumps out of the lava, or when you fight Koloktos in the Ancient Cistern, or when you fight Argorok in TP, etc. I think it makes the fights feel like they're on a grander scale when the big bad you're fighting is large or even massive.

EDIT: I just realized that this thread was in General Gaming and not World of Zelda. My mistake, but my opinions are generally the same.

 

[Azure Sage]

I do like seeing them, but I also don't need them to be all that size. Having variation is a good thing, but yeah it's definitely fun to beat up a monstrosity towering over you thinkin its hot stuff just cuz its big.

 

[Vanessa28]

It depends on the boss itself. I really enjoyed fighting some big bosses and also normal size bosses. It depends on the situation but it's fun to kill off a giant

 

[Fraxinus]

I was gonna post a pic of Big Boss from Metal Gear as a joke but I'm too lazy

I like size variety on bosses, yeah. It's not usually what I think about as a defining trait in making a climatic bossfight intimidating, but it can definitely add to it. Bosses are supposed to be the end of a trial, and a size difference can right away be something that shows its difference in class and strength from the other enemies you faced prior, for instance. But it'd be hard to appreciate the scale if all bosses tower over you to the same degree.

There are also other ways to convey the grandeur of a boss, especially if they have a strong story role and are intimidating due to the storytelling. The more intelligent your opponent, I think the more likely they can achieve their threat level without towering over you. Their threat factor is different for that type of enemy; physical strength isn't the full picture in these cases. While Ganondorf is still taller that Link, swordfights with him versus fights with the big ol' pig definitely create a different feeling but retain their threatening nature. And Ridley in Metroid is infamous for the "too big" jokes, yet he is the smallest of the main bosses in Super Metroid while still being the most threatenig of the bunch because of his cunning nature.

The way you face a boss can change based on their size too. Large bosses can be handled in a very puzzle-like fashion, as a way to sort of take them down from the inside like a machine as seen in Zelda very frequently which also adds to their appeal. Puppet Ganon in the Wind Waker is a pretty concentrated example of this, and it does work well under the right conditions.

 

[MapelSerup]

As long as it’s a fun and well-designed boss, I don’t really care about the size! Variety is the spice of games!

 

[Dizzi]

Now im getting that big butts song in my head!! Sorry!!!

 

[mαrkαsscoρ]

I was gonna post a pic of Big Boss from Metal Gear as a joke but I'm too lazy

I was gonna do the exact same but I just scrapped it

 

[TheGreatCthulhu]

It depends, actually.

For games like Dark Souls, I much prefer bosses with interesting designs, and are challenging. That can either be smaller bosses, or large bosses.

Though, I have criticized Dark Souls II for having way too many bosses that are basically men in armor.

One of the physically biggest bosses after the Ceaseless Discharge, the Moonlight Butterfly, and Seath the Scaleless is the Bed of Chaos, and it's the worst boss in the game.

Because it isn't a fight. It's a puzzle. And not even a fun puzzle.

The other bosses are fun, so it really comes down to design and execution no matter the size of the boss.

For Zelda, it depends again, on the design. Some bosses I feel are better designed than others.

Ideally, I feel a boss should fall somewhere in the middle on the Sliding Scale of Strategy vs. Skill.

In other words, a well designed video game boss requires a plan, and skill to avoid attacks and execute your plan.

Most of Zelda's bosses fall more on the strategy side, as they are in essence, a puzzle of sorts, whereas in games like Ninja Gaiden: Black, and Ninja Gaiden II, it's based purely on skill at the game.

Interestingly, in games like Dark Souls I, II, and III, as well as Bloodborne and Sekiro, the bosses actually fall moreso in the middle of this scale, requiring a plan, and offering a challenge that you need skill to overcome.

As far as what I prefer, it all purely depends on if the boss is fun, and I tend to prefer bosses that give a genuine challenge where I have to come up with a plan to overcome them.

Zelda does this quite well, as do the other games I mentioned, so it all comes down to other aspects about the game's design that really sells a boss well.

For example, Genshin in Ninja Gaiden II is a fantastic human sized boss, and Manus, the Father of the Abyss in Dark Souls I is a fantastic large boss.

Genshin is great because you actually fight him a few times, and each fight is a test of your skill, and the narrative builds him up to be a master ninja, and the gameplay delivers on that narrative, really making him an iconic boss from that game.

Manus, the Father of the Abyss is a great boss because of the narrative, and it being a test of your patience, strategies, and skill, and the narrative builds him up to be a big freaking deal.

Two bosses, from two completely different genres of games both used other aspects about the game to build up or reinforce these two bosses.

So everything, in my opinion, is dependent upon how the boss is designed, the challenge it offers, the reward overcoming the challenge, and other aspects about the game's design will really sell a boss.