This time, we'll reminisce over some of those amazing/harrowing/nasty/tense video game (mini-)boss fights that really impressed me. Remember, this is not just focusing on the gameplay of the fight itself (although it is a decent factor I consider). Again, as mentioned with my Top Ten lists, feel free to (dis)agree with my choices or wonder why I chose whoever I chose. It's my list after all, so I'm obviously going to have differing tastes than you.
As some of these fights are driven by the plot, there are bound to be spoilers. I won't black them out. You have been warned, so read at your own risk!
Anyway, who are they, you ask? Well, keep on reading this entry and find out for yourself!
Video Game (Mini-)Bosses
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis
(PlayStation - 2000)
Starting off this list is a favorite amongst the Resident Evil community: the titular nemesis of Nemesis... Nemesis-T Type, commonly shortened to "Nemesis."
Now some of you who know my gaming history know that survival horror isn't amongst the top of my favorite video game genre list. Those of you who are just finding this out are now probably wondering why the S.T.A.R.S. hunter would even be considered as a contender for one of my Top Ten lists. Here's a little backstory to explain why:
A few years back, a couple of my friends (all of 'em Resident Evil fans) decided to have a marathon to go through the series. I wanted to hang out despite not being familiar with the games, and so the marathon also became a sort-of "educate our newbie friends about Resident Evil" class. (I do this with all my friends who've yet to experience the Metal Gear saga, so it's only fair I have a turn to learn as well.) I watched them go through the first Resident Evil (where they decided to play as Jill Valentine, the master of unlocking) and the second one as well (I think they chose Leon's route).
Then came Nemesis. Jill's running around in devastated Raccoon City when out of nowhere comes this trenchcoat-wearing monster who keeps growling "S.T.A.R.S.!" and chasing after you. (Well, he begins chasing you after giving Brad Vickers a face full of
Up until this point I was under the impression that each room and area was like a "zone" of sorts. For some reason, you (the player character) were able to evade any threat and avoid certain death by simply going through a door/gate/ladder/whatever. It was like magic! Nemesis however was able to circumvent this sorcery of the magical door/gate/ladder/whatever - a little fact that our knowledgeable friends purposefully did not tell us newbs. You'd be roaming through the police department when Nemesis just crashes through a window four feet behind you - sometimes with a rocket launcher on hand, yelling "S.T.A.R.S.!" and causing a jolt of adrenaline to surge through you. Ooh, double-doors! Thank goodness for that. Safe at- "S.T.A.R.S.!" What the - !?
...and then you get a rocket in the face. (Or a tentacle, if you're not fast enough.)
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| Nemesis-T Type - Form III |
...yeah, I think I'll choose "death" for this one. *whimpers*
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| Now if only the fight actually looked this cool... (Image made by "JoeAdok" and found on DeviantArt.) |
Super Mario Galaxy
(Wii - 2007)
Interesting choice on my part, I have to say. While I knew that I wanted a boss from a Mario game on this list, I felt that it would be cheating if I had simply used Bowser. I mean, he's an obvious bad guy, and when we first played 3, World, 64, and Galaxy (2), there was a sense of accomplishment and a subtle amount of epicness surging through you when you beat him. While that may be true, it was a bit too obvious to use Mario's longtime arch-nemesis. We needed someone else. So, I dove through the many Mario games I own in search of a boss worthy of this spot on this list.
Bouldergeist ended up being that boss.
Now, who is this guy? The name should be obvious to anyone who knows a little bit about words. Simply add boulder (a large rock) to geist (German for "ghost") and you get a pretty interesting boss. While he's not that hard to fight in Super Mario Galaxy, he becomes a menace when you face him with a Daredevil comet.
When you encounter Bouldergeist he has two forms of attack:
- Five to six rather large rocks levitate in front of him and are then thrown in your general direction.
- A line of spikes erupts from the ground, starting from Bouldergeist and ending at the arena's edge. (You can break the spikes by spin-attacking, but only after they pop up - otherwise, they hurt you.)
After getting hit like that, Phase Two begins and he gets pretty serious. His armor reforms and with it come a pair of nice stone hands. In addition to his moves from Phase One (which get souped up - more rocks are thrown, and a second row of spikes shoots up), his new-found limbs grant him some extra attacks:
- a rocketing punch that seems reminiscent of one of Andross' attacks from Star Fox 64
- a "table slam" (need I explain what this looks like?)
Now, while this may seem simple to any decent gamer, it becomes a royal pain in the ass when you go back and face him for the Daredevil star. Normally, Mario/Luigi has three hit points, and that allows for some breathing room if you're not good with the game just yet. (Just don't sit under any Thwomps.) Go in with the Daredevil comet active in a galaxy, however, and Mario/Luigi suddenly becomes a one hit point wonder - making any decently-obtainable star a near-nightmare.
As a general gamer, it didn't take me long to master the Bouldergeist fight. I figured I was ready for the Daredevil comet once it came into the galaxy. One comet and seven lives later, I realized that the rocky ghost really meant business this time around. See, with enough persistence and abilities that cause players to (want to) throw controllers around in frustration, you, too, can become immortalized in someone's top ten list.
(Surprisingly, defeating Bouldergeist while under the effects of the Daredevil comet usually isn't considered as the most annoying star to get in Galaxy...)
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4
(PlayStation 2 - 2008)
While I composed this list I figured I was going to have at least one boss from an Atlus game featured on here. Why is that? Well, for those of you who don't know, Atlus is a gaming company responsible for the famed Megami Tensei series. Amongst the video game community, they have a friendly reputation with their fans (apparently, Atlus actually listens to 'em), but are also known as being one of the cruelest video game developing companies - especially when it comes to boss fights.
Atlus "explained" their reasoning behind their brand of sadism with an official statement on their forums: "We get off on your tears." (No joke - run a search on this page if you don't believe me.) As such, it only seemed right to throw one of their many (horrifyingly frustrating) bosses on here. But what game to pick from? I haven't had much experience with Atlus' games; I've only played the following:
- Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 (PS2)
- Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 (PS2)
- Trauma Center: Second Opinion (WII)
- Radiant Historia (DS)
- By the time I beat Radiant Historia, I had mastered the battle system to the point where none of my party members would die (barring an all-powerful attack or the extremely rare occasion where I'm underleveled).
- I have yet to finish Trauma Center. One word will explain why: "TRITI."
- Even if I did beat Trauma Center, GUILT isn't really a boss per se. If it was ever considered one, though, I know which strain I'd pick.
Anyway, onto the Shadow Bosses of 4. They won a spot on this list mostly because of their rather unique designs and how they came to be in the first place. Each of your eventual party members have some kind of shortcoming that they don't feel comfortable accepting about themselves. Before they're able to join your merry group, they must first literally confront this flaw... this inner demon (but we'll call them "shadows"). Said confrontation usually looks something like this:
- "SHADOW" PERSON: [mocking]
- "Boo-hoo!" "Waah-waah!" That's all I can do, huh? I have to suffer from this injustice of this shortcoming of mine! "Ooh; woe is me! Nobody else has to deal with a shortcoming like I do!"
- PERSON:
- W-What? I would never say that!
- "SHADOW" PERSON:
- Oh, come on. We both know you would. Especially that poor girl at the bus station. You remember the one... how she was tearing up over her shortcoming? How you rubbed it in her face and acted like some big damn hero(ine) invulnerable to emotional pain? Huh? "Invincible" my ass! Stop deluding yourself!
- PERSON:
- Stop it! That's not... you're not...!
- "SHADOW" PERSON:
- Oh, I'm sorry; I didn't hear you. "You're not" what?
- PERSON:
- Me! You're not me!
The picture I used up above is the transformed shadow of Yosuke Hanamura, the first person to join your party. While I could have chosen any other character's shadow (a lot of 4's fans don't really think Shadow Yosuke is all that impressive looking), I chose him for a couple of other reasons.
- The Shadow Yosuke fight is a sort-of tutorial.
While it's certainly not your first fight in the game (that'd just be cruel, even for Atlus), it is your first boss fight. As such, it teaches the player (in the event that this is their first Persona game about the mechanics of weaknesses and guarding. Quite handy knowledge to have, as virtually all of your party members are weak to something. - Using Yosuke's shadow doesn't force me to spoil anything for the game.
This is a good thing - the other shadow bosses are quite interesting to look at, and showing you the earlier-appearing "mediocre" one helps with keeping suspense up. - The YouTube video I placed here is just perfect for this list.
It showcases everything you need to know about Persona 4's bosses - how they're formed, an example of actual confrontation dialogue, how fights work in-game, and the shadow's eventual defeat.
We'll be using Yosuke as an example. His problem is that being in a small town with jack to do leaves him bored and wanting excitement in life. Then out of nowhere, a bunch of mysterious deaths occur and some weird "Midnight Channel" begins broadcasting itself randomly in television sets. It's revealed early on that this Midnight Channel contains a mysterious and foggy world where these shadows of real people run rampant, and if one couldn't embrace their own shadow, they eventually end up dead.
Yosuke finds all of this to be quite intriguing. His shadow even attempts to call him out on it, dismissing an earlier reason of scouting the Midnight Channel to look for a missing friend he had a crush on. As such, his shadow (who sounds like someone who's easily bored) transforms into what can be described as a frog with the top half of a human sticking out of it - and if you have never dreamed of using a giant frog as some kind of mounted transport, then you clearly need to get out more.
Hey, this just goes to show what could happen in real life if you don't accept the bad sides you have. Someday you just might be trampled by a giant frog-thing that wanted to erase your boredom... or worse. (I mean, you could get scissor-kicked by a spell-casting, pole-dancing, extremely promiscuous shadow version of yourself who orgasms half the time they cast a spell. No, I'm not kidding. Shadow Rise: you're a slut. It has to be said.)
Einhänder
(PlayStation - 1997)
A good portion of you probably have never heard of Einhänder before reading my blog. I've featured the side-scrolling shoot-em-up's music a couple times on this blog already, and one of its tracks even made it to a prior Top Ten list. It's a great game (one of the few jewels SquareSoft made that wasn't related to Final Fantasy) and if you ever get the chance (read: if I ever bring my PlayStation to your house), I suggest that you try it.
Digressing.
Honestly, this list would not be complete without some kind of mech. People are fun to fight, and so are otherworldly beings, but mecha? Anyone who has ever watched snippets of Gundam Wing or Transformers knows how cool mechs are (and if you think they're incredibly lame, give me a call and leave your name - I figured I could work on some kind of genocide when my friends and I take over the world) Since the myriad of enemies faced in this game are mechs, I figured I could choose one, and after some deliberation, I decided upon the Ausf de Gestell, Stage 5's mini-boss.
The above video showcases a decent portion of the Gestell's abilities. Known for being one of the most ape-shit crazy bosses ever experienced by (shmup) gamers (it's known as "that ax-crazy ape-mech" on TV Tropes), Gestell has a myriad of attacks that can easily swat your ship out of the sky. (What's worse: it feints. Dear Lord; the AI knows how to fake us out.) And this is all before you decide to play Hard Mode (which is what the above video plays). He gets faster than he already was, makes his already random attack pattern even more random, and will often combine these boosts to the point where if you're not already on your toes, you die.
I can get through Stages 1-3 without losing a life. I can occasionally break through Stage 4's mad zerg rush of enemy forces inside cramped spaces without dying. Gestell for some reason is still able to claim my life in every encounter. And this is on Normal. I can only imagine how frakked I'd be when I play Hard Mode...
(Author's Note: Yes, I'm aware that the player in the video doesn't actually defeat Gestell. If anything, he was intent on showing the world how insane it gets on Hard.)
Plus, the music that plays during the encounter just rocks. Yep; Gestell's awesome enough to warrant his own frakking theme music in the (mostly) fast-paced techno soundtrack.
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
(PlayStation 3 - 2008)
It would figure that a Metal Gear boss would end up on this list (what, with me being a die-hard fan and all), but it seems surprising how one only shows up right now. That's because I had to get the others out of the way so that my bias towards the Metal Gear franchise didn't seem so apparent.
Metal Gear RAY was developed by the United States Marine Corps to answer the growing threat of nuclear proliferation and the risk of every country possessing technical specs for REX. Designed as a swift and amphibious anti-Metal Gear, its function isn't to launch nuclear warheads like the lumbering REX, but to take down REX and all its derivatives. Possessing artificial muscles that boost its maneuverability (as opposed to not-so-mobile hydraulics) and armed with multiple missiles, machine guns, and a military-grade waterjet, RAY is capable of holding its own.
When it was introduced in Sons of Liberty, we got to see it in action as it launched its weapons during various points of the story. You even had to fight a bunch of unmmaned versions near the end on foot (a recurring theme with the Metal Gear games, really). But while the first three games had fights against Metal Gears and were fun and all, a question burned in my mind: Will we ever get to pilot a Metal Gear?
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| Metal Gear RAY, moments before being ROFLstomped by Metal Gear REX. |
After escaping Shadow Moses' underground facilities with REX, RAY jumps out of the water (with Ocelot onboard) and my dreams of a Metal Gear fight using nothing but Metal Gears comes true. The above video showcases the escape and the "weapons" method of fighting RAY (using REX's weapons payload minus the rail gun), while the video below showcases the "extremely awesome" method of killing the amphibious Metal Gear: by smashing RAY's face in with REX itself (and showing the world how awesome mecha combat can be).
Shadow of the Colossus
(PlayStation 2 - 2005)
The hulking behemoth you see to the right is named Gaius. See that dude near the lower-left? That is Wander, the player character. Gape in awe over the insane size difference. Oh, and before we continue, here's a nice fact: Gaius is the third Colossus you encounter. The two before him are about two-thirds as tall and still hurt as much as Gaius would.
PlayStation 2's Shadow of the Colossus can best be described as a minimalist adventure/puzzle game. The premise? Wander sets foot in a cursed land void of civilized life, with nothing but his sword and bow, his horse Agro, and the corpse of his lover Mono. Wander seeks to locate Dormin, a god-like entity with the apparent power to resurrect the dead. After locating a shrine, Dormin (or rather, his disembodied voice) says to him that while this is possible, he will suffer a terrible price. Wander accepts the risks, and so a deal is struck: slay the sixteen gargantuan beings (known as the Colossi) that roam the vast, forbidden land and Mono will be alive again.
...and that's it to the story. I say this because the story is that minimalistic when you compare it to the lush and vast world you have to explore in order to locate each Colossus. The gameplay is also minimalistic in regards to the fact that the only enemies in the game are the Colossi. Matter-of-fact: there are no other people in the game. No bustling towns or cities, no travelers roaming the world - just the occasional ruins and a bit of wildlife roaming about. And since the world area is huge, you might end up wanting to explore the land and enjoy the scenery rather than hunt down the Colossi.
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| This is a size comparison chart of all the Colossi in Shadow of the Colossus. Gaius is marked for reference. You see that little tiny speck at the left-most part of the image? That's your horse. |
When you take a look at the size comparison chart up above, you can see why all the Colossi made it onto this list - no single one proves to be a cakewalk (not even the first one). That, and they just look cool. How you take them down is pretty cool, too.
Metal Gear Solid
(PlayStation - 1998)
The Metal Gear franchise is a tactical espionage series of games that began when creator Hideo Kojima came up with the idea that hiding from your enemies could be as much fun (if not more fun) than actively killing them. The series became a smash hit using this kind of thinking (I mean, look at the sequels and spin-offs) and is often referred to as the codifier for all the stealth-based games out there today. Apart from that, the series is widely known for knowingly (and blatantly) break the fourth wall, and the games use its own brand of humor to add in to the fun. Between characters using cardboard boxes to avoid detection (and subsequently developing a cult-like obsession with it) and your support staff lampooning the protagonist for using a mono television, it's hard not to get a laugh in a playthrough.
Now, why didn't I use that last paragraph to open up for the Metal Gear RAY entry? Because while the franchise known for this stealthy silliness, it's also known for creating some of the most twisted mindfraks ever to grace a video game. Ladies and gentlemen: meet Psycho Mantis, "the most powerful practitioner of psychokinesis and telepathy in the world!" Any gamer who knows a thing or two about the Metal Gear franchise knows who this spandex bodysuit-wearing, fourth wall-breaking lunatic of a psychic is. That's because the gamers who actually faced him without knowing anything about him freaked out like they've never freaked out before... and lived to tell their friends about them.
Here's why. As stated, Psycho Mantis breaks the fourth wall, but (at the time of Metal Gear Solid's release,) it was done in such a clever way that it spooked every budding fan. As Snake ventures further into Shadow Moses Island to stop terrorists from activating of Metal Gear REX, he rendezvous with Meryl Silverburgh, a soldier who wanted no part in the plot. Without warning she begins suffering headaches and eventually succumbs to what appears to be mind control. After subduing her without killing her, Psycho Mantis appears.
After prattling on about his powers and how they're real, he begins to prove it... by analyzing your game data. Depending on how well your current playthrough of the game is, he'll either compliment your skill ("You are a highly skilled warrior, well suited to this stealth mission.") or insult your suckiness ("You are extremely careful of traps. You are either very cautious... or you are a coward."). Then the mindfraks begin when he reads "more deeply into your soul" and begins reading your memory card.
Now, as a ten-year-old playing this game, that freaked me out. Prior to popping in Metal Gear Solid into my PlayStation, my friend and I were screwing around in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and we had used my memory card to save our files. So after he left, I continued playing the stealth game and got to Mantis, who seemed to be reading Snake's soul. Out of nowhere he lets off a devious "Hmmmm!" and then surprised me by saying "You like Castlevania, don't you?"
Egoraptor summed up everyone's reactions perfectly when this happened - mine included.
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| You thought your television just kicked the bucket, didn't you? NOOOOOPE! |
After calling your support staff numerous times in a desperate attempt to find a way to beat this crazy psychic, they suggest the most insane idea ever: using the second controller port. The reason behind Mantis' ability to read your mind being a fourth wall-breaker was just clever. So after switching ports (or using a controller already plugged in the second slot), the tide of battle begins to turn. He even complains about not being able to read your mind, and even comments on it upon his defeat as he dies ("So... you used the other...").
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| "We have no past, no future. We live in the moment. That's out only purpose. Humans weren't designed to bring each other happiness. From the moment we're thrown into this world, we're fated to bring each other nothing but pain and misery." (Image created by "darksavior" and found on DeviantArt.) |
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
(Nintendo 64 - 1998)
You enter a doorway and find yourself in a rather large room. One inch of water covers the stone floor of the entire area except for one little sand "island" of sorts with a tree. On the other side of this room is a doorway. Shrugging, you walk to the other side, crossing over the "island." You reach for the door handle and turn it, only to find that it's locked. Confused, you look around for another way out of this soggy location and find only the door you came from. You begin to walk back, thinking it's a dead end, when you notice something in the water's reflection - or rather, something missing in the water's reflection.
You don't have a reflection.
Your eyes gaze back towards the island, where a black shadow is now standing. Aside from red eyes and a lack of distinguishing features, this new form seems to look exactly like you. Just as you're about to wonder out loud who this doppelgänger is, it unsheathes a sword from its back and lunges at you.
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Dark Link.
Possibly one of the coolest boss fights in a Zelda game, Dark Link pretty much takes everything you knew about combat and tests your skill. For the most part he mirrors your every move, barring the occasional moment where he decides to attack first. Many fans of Ocarina of Time seem somewhat split with how they run the fight. Some decide to go "the way it was meant to be" - slashing relentlessly with the sword, blocking with the shield at the right time, sidestepping any swings too fast to block. Some go for a cheap method and bring other items into the mix (Din's Fire or Biggoron Sword, anyone?).
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| Dark Link om-nom-noms on fairies, apparently. (Image made by "hiyoko-chan" and found on DeviantArt.) |
Hats off to you, Dark Link. IMO, best Zelda (mini-)boss ever.
World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King
(PC - 2009)
Prepare to lose part of your sanity to the second-place entrant on this list.
World of Warcraft joins the Metal Gear games as the only two series thus far to possess characters that occasionally haunt my nightmares. Psycho Mantis was capable of giving you one giant mindfrak if you didn't know what you were doing, but Yogg-Saron? The Old God was capable of doing that, too, but if his power was an iceberg, the mindfrak would be the tip.
Yogg-Saron is an entity that ruled over Azeroth in chaos eons ago. He is the second named Old God and is (obviously) modeled after various entities from Lovecraftian lore. Despite having been stripped of his power and sealed away under the icy depths of Northrend, his influence was implied to still be strong enough to help shape Azeroth's history into what Warcraft fans know today. Notable events include:
- the Great Sundering, a world disaster that destroyed 80% of Azeroth's landmass
- the corruption of the world tree Vordrassil
- the assassination of King Llane Wrynn during the First War
"Since discovering Ulduar in the Storm Peaks, adventurers have journeyed to the titan city to learn more about its mysterious past. Further exploration has revealed that the magnificent complex is above all a prison, intended to permanently confine the Old God of death, Yogg-Saron. This ancient horror has corrupted its guards, and now it is breaking through the last of its restraints. Faced with the peril of Yogg-Saron's imminent freedom, a band of mortals has made preparations for a sweeping assault on the city. Overcoming the legions of iron minions and towering defenses at the city's entrance will take tremendous strength, but even that great victory may not be enough to overcome the madness that dwells below."When I had first started playing World of Warcraft back in 2009, it was when the "Ulduar" raid was still fresh and new. I had never imagined that a simple guy like me would eventually be able to go inside this grand prison and have a chance at defeating the Old God. Yet two years later (as evidenced by an old blog entry from last year) I would get that chance... and hilariously fail afterwards. After leaving, I thought myself done with the encounter, never having to deal with it again (until we decided to retry... and fail again)... but a voice in the back of my mind said otherwise.
- from Blizzard's World of Warcraft Patch 3.1.0 notes
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| "I am the lucid dream. The monster in your nightmares. The fiend of a thousand faces. Cower before my true form! BOW DOWN BEFORE THE GOD OF DEATH!" (Image made by Patrik "UnidColor" Hjelm and found on DeviantArt.) |
"Picture a massive brain-thing with psychic powers, multiple fanged maws around its body, and tentacles that both figuratively AND literally mind-fuck you. Congratulations; you just got raped by Yogg-Saron."Essentially, that's what the fight boils down to. At the start of the encounter you get a debuff called "Sanity," which (as you can guess) is your character's current level of sanity. It starts at 100% but as the fight with the Old God drags on, various things begin to drain your sanity until you descend into madness. At that point, Yogg-Saron taps into your mind and possesses permanent control of your character. It's so permanent, not even dying and getting resurrected will save you from his insanity. (Don't worry; you regain control of yourself should the raid kill Yogg-Saron... or die trying.)
What makes this fight a challenging one is that there are many, many things that can easily deplete your sanity. From shadowy spells being cast at you to looking into the many maws of the Old God to looking at nothing but a harmless laughing skull inside of a (seemingly) harmless room, it's virtually impossible to stay at 100%. Not only that, but there are numerous other things to contend with while in combat. Just read what happens during the second phase of the fight (his actual appearance) - if you can make any sense out of it, then the Old God won't be able to consume your mind. (After reading all that, tentacle rape's probably the least of your worries at this point...)
*shakes self* Geez, we need to get away from him before we lose more of our sanity. Onward to the last contestant and our first place champion!
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
(PlayStation 2 - 2004)
The Boss earns the number one spot on this list, and it's not because of my Metal Gear fanboyism. (Okay, maybe a tiiiiiiny bit, but not enough to influence the other contenders' spots.
If you were looking at the alt text I threw with The Boss' picture here, I now ask you that same question. (For those of you unfortunate enough to be using a browser/device incapable of showing alt text, the alt text quotes The Boss herself: "There's a saying in the Orient: 'Loyalty to the end.' Do you know what it means?") For those of you who answered with "Being... patriotic?" then not only did you use the exact same words Naked Snake did, but you also got it incorrect.
"It means devoting yourself to your country."
Early on, we don't know what she means by this, and at first it sounds like she was spouting off philosophy as she explained to Snake how to think like a soldier and how "the times" dictate the missions:
"People's values change over time. And so do the leaders of a country. So there's no such thing as an enemy in absolute terms. The enemies we fight are only in relative terms, constantly changing with the times. As long as we have 'loyalty to the end,' there's no point in believing in anything... even in those we love. The only thing we can believe in with absolute certainty... is the mission."Then you play through Snake Eater and as you progress through the story, you slowly begin to realize what she meant by it. She defects to the Soviet Union and because of that, she becomes the enemy. Subconsciously as you play, the logic behind her words begin to weave themselves together, and it is only during the final confrontation between her and Snake that her message is revealed. Before their fight begins, she asks Snake another insightful question and answers it for us:
"So then what is an enemy? Is there such thing as an absolute timeless enemy? There is no such thing and never has been. And the reason is that our enemies are human beings like us. They can only be our enemies in relative terms."She talks about her past and how this shaped her opinions and philosophy behind why she's doing what she's doing. Before long, she assumes a combat stance and tells Snake to "prove your loyalty" by defeating her.
(Author's Note: Explaining what happens next is a feat that I can barely accomplish without subtly shedding a few tears, and while I'm capable of writing while crying (anyone who's written depressing poetry can attest to this), this next part is quite an emotional moment for a gamer (or anyone, really) who's emotionally invested in the story. Thus, the majority of the following text is taken word for word from this Destructoid article (minus any annotations I make or typos I fix), so I'm giving credit now. I'll tell you when it's back to me talking.)
Once The Boss is defeated, her body collapses onto the ground, crushing the white flowers underneath her. It is at this moment when the traditional Metal Gear Solid cutscene begins. Snake walks up to The Boss and finds out that she is still alive, although barely.
Like in almost all dramatic death scenes, The Boss uses her last words to speak poetic about her life and the traumatic events that led up to her defeat. Suddenly, the Boss hands you her gun (a Patriot) and asks you to take her life and put her out of her misery. She whispers that "There's only room for one Boss" as you hesitantly grab the weapon from her and slowly stand up.
This is when the game presents a very dramatic and completely unexpected task for the player. Almost out of nowhere, the letterbox black bars that appear during a cutscene quietly fade away and you realize you have now entered actual gameplay. [You won't see this in the above video, but you'll hear them retract.] Now you are faced with a horrible decision: as a player, you actually have to pull the trigger (by pushing a button on your controller) to kill your one time mentor and friend. The game won’t even continue until you do so.
Sadly, you can’t even move your character around the screen or re-aim your gun (in the hopes of maybe shooting somewhere else). All you are allowed to do (and all you have to do) is just push one simple button to end it all. Once you summon up the courage and finally pull the trigger, a loud shot is heard as The Boss lets loose her final breath.
(Author's Note: Thank you for tapping in for that moment, Destructoid. I needed it. *sniffle* Me talking now, folks. Whether that's a good or bad thing will be left for you to decide...)
When the letterbars retracted for me on my first playthrough, I was sitting in shock. My mouth might have been open from the sheer horror of what the game was telling me to do. Snake's not the one pulling the trigger in the cutscene? That means... I have to kill The Boss? The greatest soldier in (Metal Gear continuity) existence? Naked Snake's tutor and (former) comrade? I found myself unable to hit Square (the game's weapon button) for about a good... I think it was two minutes. By then the music had faded out and all I heard was the noise of nature around Naked Snake and the soon-to-be-shot Top Ten winner. Finally, I drew in a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and proceeded to pull the trigger.
(Hideo Kojima: you're a magnificent bastard for making this part of the game.)
I'm going to be perfectly frank with you readers - I cried. Never in my life had I experienced such a dramatic moment in my video game career. Never in my life had I had been in control of someone else's life as I had then. And never in my life had I heard of a war philosophy so twisted and cruel before. At that point I had finally begun to understand what The Boss meant when she said:
"The Cobras - my comrades who trained and fought alongside me - were torn apart as well. The foibles of politics and the march of time can turn friends into enemies just as easily as the wind changes. Ridiculous, isn't it? Yesterday's ally becomes today's opposition. And this Cold War? Think back. When I was leading the Cobras, America and Russia were fighting together. Now consider whether America and Russia will still be enemies in the 21st century. Somehow, I doubt it. Enemies change along with the times, and the flow of the ages. And we soldiers are forced to play along."
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| Big Boss sums up the pain behind this better than I could. (from The Last Days of Foxhound by Chris Doucette |
While I was seething with rage over this stark revelation, something came to mind: she knew about this going in and still went with it. *blinks* Wow. Try to imagine being sent on a potential one-way mission that gets frakked over and becomes a one-way mission - where your mission objectives switch from "get the microfilm, leave via whatever means necessary, and become a hero greater than you already are" to "get the microfilm, give it to the allied agent who we sent to kill you, and have your name tarnished forever." Kinda proves how she wasn't throwing around philoso-babble when she explained "Loyalty to the end."
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| "Go home. Go back to your boss. There's no need to prove that you are virtuous here." |
Well, that was certainly worth the many hours I spent typing. I hope you enjoyed this massive entry as much as I enjoyed typing it up for you readers.
Until the 'morrow, everyone! Stay calm and you, too, can also beat the bosses in your life!
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