Games That Front Load the Game With the Hardest Boss Fight

[Rirse]

So I am watching a friend of mine stream Batman Arkham Origins, and the first real boss in the game is against Deathstroke, hands down the toughest boss in the game by far. Probably hardest boss in the series by far outside of high level difficulty Mr Freeze in City. This got to think of other games which the game put their toughest fight very close to the start of the game instead of saving them for late.

Another one I can think of is Secret of Mana, the classic action rpg that can be played with three friends. The first two bosses are pretty standard but Spikey Tiger, the first boss you get after getting your third party member is a huge pain in the ass and has a lot of cheap moves. This is made worst by the lack of magic, which is a half hour away in the game while at the same time healing items are tough to get due to money being tight early game and Neko in the dungeon over charging on the revive cups. Almost every boss after Spikey Tiger including his palette swap on Gold Tower are no where near as tough as him.

 

[TeenageFBI]

I can't remember the specifics but Persona 4 is significantly harder at the start.

Oh and Ninja Gaiden Black! The first boss is just about the toughest thing in the game. Team Ninja: "Figure it out, assholes!"

 

[Annabel]

Since you brought up Mana, the Trials remake had a ridiculous boss in the early game that would just bullet hell your entire party.

He wasn't actually all that hard, but the rest of the game never pulls any surprisingly difficult bosses at you after that (at least on the Duran/Angela route which is the only one I've done so far.)

I also think of Kingdom Hearts 1, while it's not the hardest boss of the game (that honor goes to Dark Riku imo), Trickmaster ends up being a pain in the ass especially if you do Wonderland right away (which the game more or less railroads you to do, but you don't have to.) But if you do this fight after already having done a few worlds he's just annoying and not very difficult.

 

[Dark Knight]

While not actually the hardest, it's contextually quite hard depending on your experience and because of how little options you have for battle: Iudex Gundyr in Dark Souls 3

 

[finaljedi]

The Witcher 1 had the hardest boss fight in the game in the opening area imo

 

[playXray]

Not necessarily first (but can be), but I found Father Gascoigne the hardest of all the bosses purely because I hadn't got used to the gameplay of Bloodborne. Coming from the Souls games, it took several hours to really click for me. I found BB didn't really get any harder from that point, as I powered up my character and improved my gameplay style in an almost linear fashion while the game got (ostensibly) more difficult at the same pace.

 

[Knight613]

Castlevania Lords of Shadow kind of comes to mind.

 

[Crazymoogle]

I'm surprised Spider-Man (Insomniac) hasn't been mentioned yet...throws a lot at you at first. The game noticeably breathes once you escape that intro.

 

[Seda]

Lost Odyssey has an early boss that can be a bit of a crapshoot if he does his most powerful move frequently because you simply don't have a lot of HP at that point or other ways to mitigate damage (and the way Lost Odyssey is structured, you can't really 'grind')

 

[NPTinker]

Smt 4, the minotaur was hard af

 

[Deleted member 23893]

Oh and Ninja Gaiden Black! The first boss is just about the toughest thing in the game. Team Ninja: "Figure it out, assholes!"

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Was that the guy with the nunchucks? I remember buying Ninja Gaiden vanilla, and just bashing up against that guy for like a day or two straight. I was concerned that I just didn't have the reflexes to play the game. But everything after him (while hard) seemed more fair.

 

[TeenageFBI]

Was that the guy with the nunchucks?

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Yep! The two biggest hurdles for me are Nunchuck Guy and Offscreen Explodey Bomb Throwing Ninja Dudes. Once I figured them out, the rest of the game was much less stressful.

 

[Okabe]

 

[br0ken_shad0w]

Brock if you chose Charmander or bought Pokemon Yellow. Gamefreak also realized how difficult he was with all the new ways you can counter him in FR/LG and Pikachu/Eeevee.

 

[Grunty]

Neir: Automata. That first section is just far too difficult and too long when you factor in that you have to start all the back at the beginning of the game if you die. I actually had to revert to Easy Mode to get through it, and even then it was a challenge.

 

[touchfuzzy]

Dragon Quest 8, there's some asshole in a waterfall that's the hardest boss for sure

 

[Deleted member 72415]

yeah ninja gaiden black is a good example

 

[the_wart]

The Witcher 1 had the hardest boss fight in the game in the opening area imo

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Oh man, fuck that bullshit dog.

 

[Ayirek]

Quest 64 has one of my most bullshit first bosses of all time. Really sets the "wow this really isn't going to be fun" tone for the rest of the game.

 

[Firima]

yeah ninja gaiden black is a good example

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No! Why do people always says this? It's a terrible example! Just because some people got their asses hand-delivered to themselves doesn't make Murai the hardest boss. Just...don't be a ding dong and he goes down easy. Block and dodge. Don't be greedy.

 

[Deleted member 72415]

No! Why do people always says this? It's a terrible example! Just because some people got their asses hand-delivered to themselves doesn't make Murai the hardest boss. Just...don't be a ding dong and he goes down easy. Block and dodge. Don't be greedy.

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damn you are right, i ignored most of the thread and my brain instantly went to "first boss hard"

 

[matrix-cat]

Father Gascoigne was the biggest hurdle in Bloodborne for me. Once I got past him the rest of the game went down fairly easily. Even the DLC bosses, which I think are obviously much more difficult, didn't pose as much of a challenge because ol' Daddy Gas comes at you when you're still feeling out exactly how the game works.

Cerberus in DMC3 is a similar situation. Not the hardest boss in the game, but still pretty hard, and thrown at you when you haven't really got the mechanics nailed down yet.

 

[Melpomene]

Smt 4, the minotaur was hard af

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Yup. If you're not expecting it, the first few boss fights in SMT IV will eat you alive.

But then again, the same could be said of the first few encounters period.

 

[Deleted member 31092]

Nier: Automata is a recent example.

 

[carlsojo]

I can't remember the specifics but Persona 4 is significantly harder at the start.

Oh and Ninja Gaiden Black! The first boss is just about the toughest thing in the game. Team Ninja: "Figure it out, assholes!"

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Yukiko came to fuck your shit up.

 

[AllMight1]

Neir: Automata. That first section is just far too difficult and too long when you factor in that you have to start all the back at the beginning of the game if you die. I actually had to revert to Easy Mode to get through it, and even then it was a challenge.

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True winner

 

[viciouskillersquirrel]

I can't remember the specifics but Persona 4 is significantly harder at the start.

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You're thinking of Yukiko's Castle. It's a hell of a first dungeon and you don't have that many ways to counter her shadow. When you're that early in the game, you're also inexperienced, practically broke and probably haven't realised that the soda pops you get from vending machines replenish SP.

 

[Tigerfog]

Yooka Laylee and the Impossible Lair.
The first level IS the Impossible Lair, and you're expected to fail!

 

[KushalaDaora]

Minotaur from SMTIV. Especially if you get Walter as support character.

The Witcher 1 had the hardest boss fight in the game in the opening area imo

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Kayran from Witcher 2. Fk that last moment QTE bullshit.

 

[kurahador]

The Butcher in Diablo 1.

 

[Leonsito]

Trax in Secret of Evermore, it was the hardest challenge of the game for me. The game has a couple more of difficult bosses, but that first one... oh god.

 

[Kinsei]

A mini-boss, but I would argue it's tougher than every actual boss in the game.

Dr Salvador (the chainsaw guy) in the opening village segment of RE4.

 

[Rirse]

The Witcher 1 had the hardest boss fight in the game in the opening area imo

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Ugh yeah that dog in Witcher 1 sucked. Even worst I didn't know that the witch whom there with you can die in the fight and still be spared so I kept reloading if she died in the fight.

 

[Fauve]

Gattuso from Tales of Vesperia is an absolute nightmare for the point of the game you have to fight him in.

 

[Xita]

Minotaur from SMTIV. Especially if you get Walter as support character.

Kayran from Witcher 2. Fk that last moment QTE bullshit.

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I always thought people were joking about Walter being terrible with Minotaur since for me he almost always did physical attacks before then

Then I got paired with him.
Walter's very first attack: Agi
Minotaur: *blocks and smirks*
Me: 🙃 Guess I'll die

You might as well reset if you get him lol, beating Minotaur with him is the true hard mode

 

[Mark It Zero!]

While not actually the hardest, it's contextually quite hard depending on your experience and because of how little options you have for battle: Iudex Gundyr in Dark Souls 3

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I was going to say Gundyr as a joke, but DS3 was the first souls game I played and he killed me at least 30 times. He's still extremely easy once you get used to the controls.

 

[potato]

FZero GX. The challenge against the Japanese racer was ridiculous hard and was like the second challenge. After days and days of trying I only beat him by milliseconds. Challenges after that we're much easier (though still not easy). That game was effin brutal.

 

[Jhn]

Neir: Automata. That first section is just far too difficult and too long when you factor in that you have to start all the back at the beginning of the game if you die. I actually had to revert to Easy Mode to get through it, and even then it was a challenge.

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Yeah. I love that game, but hoooooooooly shit that first section is completely bonkers.
Started on hard and it felt literally impossible.

 

[Mauricio_Magus]

Minotaur from SMTIV. Especially if you get Walter as support character.

Kayran from Witcher 2. Fk that last moment QTE bullshit.

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yep, SMT4 has this and Medusa which are harder than most bosses in the entire game, even if they are a joke when you just a build a team with their weakness like usual.

 

[ChrisD]

Minotaur from SMTIV. Especially if you get Walter as support character.

Kayran from Witcher 2. Fk that last moment QTE bullshit.

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Walter supports Minotaur. :))

 

[KushalaDaora]

I always thought people were joking about Walter being terrible with Minotaur since for me he almost always did physical attacks before then

Then I got paired with him.
Walter's very first attack: Agi
Minotaur: *blocks and smirks*
Me: 🙃 Guess I'll die

You might as well reset if you get him lol, beating Minotaur with him is the true hard mode

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Some time ago, someone of Megaten subreddit made LTTP post of SMTIV and asked for tips for the game. I told them when they get into Minotaur fight, they should reload the game until they get Walter as support as it would make the battle much easier. Too bad the OP already know about Walter-Minotaur meme beforehand....

yep, SMT4 has this and Medusa which are harder than most bosses in the entire game, even if they are a joke when you just a build a team with their weakness like usual.

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Completely took me by surprise they throw you Medusa so soon after Minotaur.

Also I forgot about the Dance of the Dead sidequest (I think you can do this before reaching Tokyo?). Just when you thought you already win against the Macabre horde and their Blight.....David shows up....

 

[Garbrenn]

+1 to whoever has mentioned Bloodborne so far, Papa G is a real nightmare and even gives me a bit of trouble now and again. The mix of hunter with a long range axe and punishing shotgun then the transform into a beast with super fast swipes and aggressive rushdown is tough.

I'd also say Yakuza 0, Kuze was a pretty tough opponent for the first proper fight sequence in the game.

 

[Pokémon]

Neir: Automata. That first section is just far too difficult and too long when you factor in that you have to start all the back at the beginning of the game if you die. I actually had to revert to Easy Mode to get through it, and even then it was a challenge.

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Especially the part where you have to start the whole stage all over again if you die was so off-putting to me that I shelved the game for several months. The game glitched out for me at the boss fight, I got stuck and he wrecked me.

 

[timmyp53]

Just recently completed the game Furi. The difficulty jump on the line boss surprised me. I was considering giving up before beating it. The rest of the game is trivial.

 

[Sanctuary]

Opinions on this are all over the map, but I always found Flamelurker to be a bastard for how early you can fight him in Demon's Souls. Capra, while not exactly at the start of the game, is on the first third, and annoying as hell (until of course you've killed him for the first time) due to how frantic of a situation it is with
two rabid rat-dogs rushing you, almost always poisoning you, and Capra swinging two giant swords in a small ass room.. That fight is considerably more manageable if you enter already having a really good shield, but initially, or even the first few attempts feel like complete bullshit without one. For as much flak as S&O get for being "the toughest", I only died to them once before killing them.

The most recent example I can think of might be DQXI when playing with tougher enemies (so the game doesn't play like a completely brainless "press X to win" JRPG). Most enemies feel about right with that enabled until you hit Slayer of the Sands very early and even worse once you hit Dora-In-Grey. Prone to too much RNG unless you already know the cheese strat going in for the Slayer at least.

Lost Odyssey has an early boss that can be a bit of a crapshoot if he does his most powerful move frequently because you simply don't have a lot of HP at that point or other ways to mitigate damage (and the way Lost Odyssey is structured, you can't really 'grind')

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Are you talking about Grilgan (the bird/wyvern thing), or Bogimoray (the centipede thing)? If so, then yeah, completely agree. On consecutive playthroughs neither is that bad, but can still be tough even when you already know what to expect.

Dragon Quest 8, there's some asshole in a waterfall that's the hardest boss for sure

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Haha. After the first time I finished that game, I always made sure to be at least 1-2 levels higher than normal for that area, and also have a nice collection of healing herbs.

edit: If intro bosses that you can beat, but aren't actually expected to initially count, then Vanguard in Demon's Souls. By far. You only get a single chance.

 

[Xita]

Some time ago, someone of Megaten subreddit made LTTP post of SMTIV and asked for tips for the game. I told them when they get into Minotaur fight, they should reload the game until they get Walter as support as it would make the battle much easier. Too bad the OP already know about Walter-Minotaur meme beforehand....

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You are so cruel!

 

[Sixfortyfive]

The boss stages in the 8-bit version of Sonic 2 have no rings, which means that you have to hit each boss 8 times without getting hit yourself once. That's a pretty strict margin of error on its own, and it's compounded by the fact that the Game Gear version of the game (right) has its screen cropped to the point where you have barely any time at all to react to the first boss's attacks and dodge properly. Every other boss in the game at least affords you more room to move around and telegraphs their attacks more obviously.

 

[BordyDogue]

Agree with you on Secret of Mana, that tiger is just a bitch in how he jumps away from you and spams magic you can't do anything against. Every boss afterwards can be beaten in 1 or 2 tries.

 

[Triggerhappytel]

I'm not sure it's the toughest boss in the game, but for how early it shows up and the experience you will have gained by that point I always found Phantom in Devil May Cry to be a total bastard. He's at the end of the second or third level and you've probably only fought two or three dozen smaller enemies by that point (mostly marionettes and those scissor reaper things) and it was my first character action game and I remember really struggling on this boss.

 

[danmaku]

Doom 2016 has only 3 bosses, but the first one (the cyberdemon) is way harder than the others, which kind of make sense because even in the original he was the hardest but not the last.