PSU's top ten PS3 boss battles of all time
- Posted September 7th, 2009 at 10:30 EDT by Mike Harradence
- 70 Comments
Let’s face it – everyone appreciates a good boss brawl. From Sonic’s duel with a mechanized Dr. Robotnick at the climax of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, to Naked Snake’s arduous confrontation with legendary sniper The End in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, boss battles have provided some of the most memorable encounters in videogames over the past two decades. They continue to push the innovative boundaries and generally become even more outlandish as the technology available to developers evolves.
As you’d expect, Sony’s black box of tricks has played host to some particularly grueling encounters since its inception in November 2006, and as a result, PSU decided to endeavor to pick our top ten boss battles available on the console, plucked from a variety of both first and third party offerings. We’ve also included footage to illustrate each battle for your viewing consumption, though be warned – spoilers are in abundance throughout this feature, so view at your own discretion. As ever, feel free to post a comment below the article and let us know your own personal favorites. Without further ado, let’s get started.
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10) Fallout 3 / Super Mutant Behemoth (Galaxy News Radio appearance)
Bethesda’s post-apocalyptic romp Fallout 3 is chock full of some memorable boss duels, though none of which impressed us quite as much as the ubiquitous, hulking chaps known as the Super Mutant Behemoths. Our pick focuses on the confrontation with one of these inexorable beasts at the Galaxy News Radio establishment, where the creature makes a decidedly dramatic entrance by crashing through a nearby wall to ambush you. Behemoths live up to their name in every respect, standing 30 feet tall, boasting tons of HP, immense strength and highly damaging attacks, making for a grueling battle. If this one particular fight wasn’t enough, there are many other Behemoths waiting to scrap it out with you throughout the course of the game.
9) Portal / Chell Vs. GLaDOS
Despite Valve’s turbulent relationship with Sony and controversy surrounding the PlayStation 3 version of The Orange Box, we couldn’t overlook the intriguing gem that is Portal, and its unique boss battle in the shape of GlaDOS. As you’ll see from the video below, this particular duel is highly idiosyncratic of your traditional boss fight, with players not actually required to dish out any physical damage to your foe in the typical manner. Instead of brute force, you’re required to use your head and disable your foe by doing what Portal allows you to do best - employing the talents of your trusty ASHPD.
8) Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots / Metal Gear Rex Vs. Metal Gear Ray
Hideo Kojima’s masterpiece makes its debut in our top ten in the form of the iconic clash between metal monstrosities Metal Gear Rex and Metal Gear Ray on Shadow Moses Island. Make no mistake, this gargantuan clash is an all-out epic brawl evocative of the series’ past boss battles, albeit this time instead of Snake attempting to take down the marauding nuclear battle tank on foot, he’s jumped into the pilot seat. While not a particularly tricky duel, players have a chance to unleash an assortment of attacks, utilizing Rex’s memorable missile payload and shredding machine gun against Ocelot’s Ray unit, who also boasts his own array of equally destructive attacks. In short, a Metal Gear aficionados’ wet dream – it’s just a pity it’s all over too quickly.
7) Heavenly Sword / Nariko Vs. King Bohan
A frequently overlooked gem, Ninja Theory’s Heavenly Sword nets itself a well-deserved spot in our top ten thanks to the stellar duel against King Bohan (voiced by the utterly ... (continued on next page)
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disposableheroV |
disposableheroV- 11:27am BST - September 7th, 2009
- 6
Not a bad list, I would move around some of them, but I agree with pretty much everything. I never played Heavenly Sword though, and that battle didn't look like much imo.
Number one is a TOTAL given. One of the greatest moments in video game history. -
supergamer |
SilentNightz- 11:32am BST - September 7th, 2009
- 7
Agree with most of them, #1 was a given. The best 100 times over.
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TheMadTitan |
EcksMane XBL: XdaKing WKS- 11:34am BST - September 7th, 2009
- 8
i was hoping inFamous would be in the top 3 but after seeing what did make it i cant complain. i dont think a boss battle will top the last match in MGS4 for a long long time. part of what made it so epic is the history the 2 snakes had. also the battle with vamp while raiden is fending off the metal gears..... WOW
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O_G_H
- 12:17pm BST - September 7th, 2009
- 10
I love Uncharted, but I don't think the battle with Navarro was paticulaly special. Snake Vs. Ocelot was a boss battle I think fans could appreciate (A LOT...thanks Hideo, you're the man and always will be), but c'mon...there were better boss fights IN THAT VERY GAME. Otherwise, good List. But then again, it really is a "what's what" of good games on the PS3.
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Fijiandoce |
Fijiandoce- 12:17pm BST - September 7th, 2009
- 11
agree with the bosses in the list...just not the ordering of some of them. most are fine :) nice one psu. a nice read. and watch
P.S no one had better not call out spoilers!...if you haven't played the games in this list yet then its ur fault ur being spoilt :) shame on you lol
@2 that would take forever!! too many bosses too little time. your comment casued myself to have a brain jam :) lol
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sonny23 |
sonny156- 2:14pm BST - September 7th, 2009
- 14
def MGS4 Snake vs LiquidOcelot deserved #1, but you would only understand really why and get the most out of it if u understand the story of the series.
btw, didnt kno Nariko (heveanly sword) does Cloud's Advent Children Omnislash finisher xD
..come on it was near the exact same lol BUT AWESOME ;D -
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tristan88888888 |
Tristan88888888- 3:14pm BST - September 7th, 2009
- 18
i knew that would win. such a difficult and memorable boss battle. a great way to end the game.
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samstewiefisher |
samstewiefisher- 4:05pm BST - September 7th, 2009
- 21
would have thought Psycho mantis from MGS4 would have been in there. I thought it was way better than the Mech boss fight.
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almonte23
- 4:20pm BST - September 7th, 2009
- 23
The #1 fight is probably for this gen the greatest bost fight ever (and the greatest conclusion to the greatest game this gen). I have been playing since the NES, so practically my whole life I have been playing video games and I love games like FallOut 3 and MGS 4 because with their amazing storytelling and detailed worlds I can inmerse myself and be the main character and I prefer that to just fight a hard boss, it's the same formula that made Arkham Asylum an awesome game (my choice for GotY imho) because you get to be the Batman not some beat-them-up like the previous batman games.
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Strudel |
Strudel- 4:25pm BST - September 7th, 2009
- 24
My fav boss fights are all from MGS4 each one is completely different and amazing in it's own way.
Fallout 3 is a great game but those big guys were easy to take down with one or two nukes.
Uncharted boss battle was annoying, I hate quick time events and the end of the game was the worst bit in the game in my opinion.
Never played Heavenly Sword and never got that far through Resistance 2 so I wouldn't know.
Portal boss fight was good, but not for the gameplay, I thought it was quite straight forward compared to the rest of the game, but the plot leading up the boss battle made it what it is.
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Son_of_Son_of_Arda
- 4:58pm BST - September 7th, 2009
- 27
I counted 5 mistakes in there. Find them yourself. Oh lookie, and it's Mike Harradence!
Ridiculous errors aside, great list. The Resistance 2 boss fights were epic, albeit a little too easy. Each encounter is memorable in its own way, but there was never any challenge with any if them. I'd have liked there to be more strategy to them. I hate boss encounters where the player is simply tasked with depleting the enemy's health, without requiring a specific strategy. The sheer scale and beauty of these encounters is what makes them excel, but after the initial shock of such creatures, there's isn't really any logical gameplay required, which is something I'd have liked form this game.
I absolutely hate Metal Gear Solid, but even I agree with your choice of boss fights. As much as I dislike the game, the encounters were undoubtedly innovative, memorable and certainly iconic. I can't stand the gameplay, yet I'm always willing to give this game a chance, and my friend even saved the game prior to each iconic boss fight purely to show me the innovative gameplay behind them. And they sure were iconic.
Fallout 3 doesn't actually have any boss encounters, strictly speaking, and due to the player's task of tracking down the Behemoths being an optional part of the game, I wouldn't exactly consider them bosses, but regardless, they are interesting battles, although they don't particularly require any strategy or kill; just heavy weaponry and logical movement.
inFamous was a great game, I am certainly proud of such an exclusive, but it's way overrated. Especially the Kessler boss fight. I certainly enjoyed the game, but it receives too much praise for what it is. The fight wasn't amazing, innovative or exciting - that's why I find this another example of the exaggerated opinions the game receives. Personally it was the comic-book storytelling that made this game so brilliant, although I wasn't too keen on that aspect when I first heard of it, but the final scene after defeating Kessler is what makes this encounter so memorable to me.
Personally I'd have liked to have seen some Prince of Persia battles in there. Although essentially every enemy you encounter is a boss fight, as well as being almost identical gameplay-wise, it's be hard to highlight a single memorable moment, but the combat mechanic is easily one of the best I've ever had the privilege to be immersed in. Some argue this gets a little tedious/repetitive, but the innovation the fighting style introduces, as well as the sheer beauty of such encounters is what makes these fights so memorable to me. I'd have liked to have seen a little more skill being put to use, and the possibility of actually dying rather than simply being tasked with whittling down these creatures' health. Problems aside, these encounters sure were iconic for me, and contributes greatly to the reason why this is easily on of my favourite games of all time.
Great list, I'd love to see more original articles like this from PSU.
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PSX_Legend |
KillZone3000- 5:10pm BST - September 7th, 2009
- 28
What about Lost Planet giant worm? That 1 is way better than than some here on the list.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPZdFgAudCg&feature=related
And Devil May Cry 4 should been on the list to.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNhGTKJuVSQ&feature=related
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Aramil_Caelan
- 5:42pm BST - September 7th, 2009
- 31
of the 1s i experienced, they were cool and all but nothing amazing except 4 R2's leviathan
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jello_snake
- 6:54pm BST - September 7th, 2009
- 33
Drake vs Navarro is more was a better boss fight than rex vs ray, Nariko Vs. King Bohan, and Cole Vs Kessler?
Ummmmm....No.
And as 4 resident evil 5's boss fight? Thats pretty much what ruined the game. It was all good until they bring an active volcano boss fight into the mix. Chriss upercuts a giant rock into the lava!!!!!
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killakevmiket |
kmtburton- 7:33pm BST - September 7th, 2009
- 37
you really should have waited until october 6th to make this list because im fairly sure that the amazing bosses in Demons Souls will be better than most on this list and also RE5 SERIOUSLY but i do agree that the end of MGS4 was pretty epic
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Funeralfog |
blksabbath- 7:40pm BST - September 7th, 2009
- 38
can't disagree with number 1 there. good list
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Zswordsman |
zswordsman- 8:03pm BST - September 7th, 2009
- 39
R2 boss battle took like 2 minutes on Superhuman. it wasnt even a boss battle, more like a interactive cutscene. *run, shoot,fall,walk,shoot.over.
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KillerUnleashed |
KillerUnleashed- 8:06pm BST - September 7th, 2009
- 40
The music for Snake vs Liquid does not fit at all. The woman singing in the background like... I don't getting. I was never much for metal gear solid cause like come on you frisk guys and grab there nuts or break penis off statues it just takes away from the seriousness of the game. The jokes they try to do are just terrible. And like I'll make your controller rumble thing or the jokes about the blu ray are just unimmersing.
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killakevmiket |
kmtburton- 8:35pm BST - September 7th, 2009
- 41
OHHH Yeah forgot one thing how could you not include the Collector
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tadpole3159 |
faulkner8991- 9:58pm BST - September 7th, 2009
- 43
didnt think to much to kesslar,even on hard i never died once. now heavonly sword boss battle was something. i saved just before that battle so i could come back to it over and over
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bigCman123 |
bigCman123- 11:59pm BST - September 7th, 2009
- 47
I agree with number one... It's the most epic boss fight I've ever seen, and one of the coolest.
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CSUPSU
- 2:36am BST - September 8th, 2009
- 49
SMH!!! PSU totally stole this idea from a thread I made a while back!!!...
Lol...I'm sure that's not the case, but alot of what's on this list were mentioned by most of you all in that thread...I'm just glad the Portal boss is on this one, seeing as how I'm the ONLY ONE who listed it back then :(...
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SolidDrake86
- 3:57am BST - September 8th, 2009
- 50
Number 1 is well deserved, loved that fight so much !!
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