Just once I’d like to see a game where bosses will stop shit-talking and actually become afraid at low health
Just once I’d like to see a game where bosses will stop shit-talking and actually become afraid at low health
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Middle-earth: Shadow of War does this to some degree. You can create a really fucked up enemy this way by repeatedly embarrassing them and denying them death every time you come across them again. Nemesis system is incredible in that game.
Bad Guy: “please stop hitting me! I’m so afraid!”
Good Guy: “Nope!”
Probably because it’s hard to be a good guy and rationalize beating up a terrified enemy. There are lot’s of games that do what you describe, it just happens AFTER the fight because usually that’s the point where the fighting stops and the story telling starts. AKA, the good guy stops beating up the bad guy once the bad guy is sufficiently defeated and afraid.
Part of me would love to see more enemies that know to turn tail, since that in itself can be a power fantasy. Crushing your enemies is par for the course in games, but seeing them driven before you can be a rush too. Though I doubt it’d be all that fun to hear the lamentations of their women. (or partners in general)
That said, I can understand that enemies running away can be frustrating under certain circumstances. If they’re packets of XP and gold and loot, you want to harvest them all. But if killing an enemy doesn’t net you anything, and fighting them drains your resources, seeing them run away can be a relief.
In Dante’s Inferno, I seem to recall when you fight Death at the beginning, he begs you to spare him.
That’s why they’re the boss. Never give up. Never show weakness. 😤
Patches from Elden Ring fits the request.
Victory or Sovngarde!
No more! I yield! I yield!!
Hollow Knight has a boss kinda like this, no shit talk in any phase, but he gets weaker and weaker
Final Fantasy 14, Heavensward.
The final boss of the main questline (Before postgame for Heavensward) throws his ultimate at you when his health is low, and you live.
He freaks the fuck out and cannot understand how you survived. His confident sword stance is gone as he begins swinging his sword in a panic, his swings clumsy and leaving him stumbling. He is *AFRAID.* This is how the rest of the fight goes, for as short as it is. And the victory cutscene shows just how terrified the final boss is.
Your character stands there, darkened by shadow, face not visible, with an absolutely menacing audio effect to accompany it. All the poor bastard looking at you can say is:
“Who-WHAT are you?!”
The satisfaction I felt putting this guy down was…MMPH. So good.
In warframe, the power gap between a low level player and a max rank player is often something akin to the difference between a child and a god of destruction. Yet the low level bosses and special field boss spawns that can happen will still show up talking shit to you like they don’t know they’re about to die on accident. If I don’t have to break stride to kill you, you need to lower your voice.
Ten years in the joint made yiu a fucking pussy.
Lots of games have bosses that get desperate, but isn’t the whole point of boss fights is to tackle the greatest threats? That would generally be the most powerful and confident of their kind.
Early Final Fantasy games did have this, with some escaping. But they were mostly goofy characters doing that. But I can think of at least a dozen times it happens.
Not bosses per se, but when people you fight in Kingdom Come get low on health they start swearing and looking somewhat dismayed (face models aren’t super sophisticated). And they sometimes run away from you, or drop their weapons and ask for you to spare them.
Literally any fight in monster hunter
Monster Hunter? They limp away and try to eat or sleep to regain health
The final bosses for each FFXIV expansion actually do. They will use their ultimate attacks on you, see you survive and start flailing blindly. Fearing that thing that dares to stand in front of them after taking their strongest attacks in the face.
When Sif in dark souls gets to low health he will start limping around like a sad dog… it’s horrible having to kill him 😂
If my memory are correct Armored core does that
Resident Evil 4 Remake does that, sometimes they complain when they take some damage.
This would make the player feel guilty.
Which can work for a few games but I think most devs wouldn’t want that.
It ain’t over til it’s over. They can get a clutch hit the same way you can, after all
V- vii Swinburne
That sort of happens with Dr. Nakayama in Borderlands 2
Spoiler (for a 12 year old game)
>!He panics after you’ve thwarted all his attempts to kill you, and then just falls down the stairs to his death after his health bar appears!<
I like the Janus bossfight in Elderborn.
At first he goes easy on you because he is not expecting much from you. Only on the second phase he starts trying
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4QTuK361JI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4QTuK361JI)
It’s not exactly cowering, but I do believe there are some JRPGs and the like where bosses start going “No impossible!” Or “how does a mere mortal possess this much power???” Or “I can’t be defeated…” And things like that when they get to low health and start using rage/ desperation moves
Doesn’t the monkey boss in the game you’re playing (Black Myth Wukong) beg/pretend to beg for mercy when he has lower health?
Old Demon King in Dark Souls 3 becomes basically useless when at low health.
Armored Core 6 does this pretty well imo!
Cronos in god of war 3 was kinda like this but he was more of a level than a boss.
Old Demon King in DS3 kinda does this, once he gets low enough he does a big AOE and then runs out of steam, just barely able to swat you away
They don’t exactly talk, but cannibals in The Forest have a very clear sense of self preservation. It actually makes them way creepier – a monster running at my face while screaming mindlessly isn’t anything new, a mud covered cannibal running away and then peeking out from behind a tree is genuinely unsettling.
For that, you’re going to have to watch Viva La Dirt League.
like patches in elden ring?