What Makes a Good Boss

While working on a recent project I started with some Research. I intended to try and make a good and interactive boss fight, so I decided to dissect the various bosses I had fought throughout my time playing games, as well as looking at several boss fights lauded as the best fights in gaming. In addition to looking at some of the best I also did a great deal of research into bosses that the community seems to think are less than stellar in their execution to find what went wrong and what could be improved on and learned from. Throughout my research on this project I decided to divide my research and efforts into two categories, The Purpose of a Boss and What makes a Fun Boss. I've found several common through lines through each boss, while not every principle is needed for a fun and meaningful boss, more should be present than absent. Additionally I was able to present this research to the SCAD Chapter of GDN and had a great turnout of students, Pictures and the presentation I presented can be found below!

Part 1: The Purpose of a Boss

Bosses Should have Purpose, obviously. But the Purpose of a boss can certainly vary from game to game, genre to genre, and player to player, as such these are some general guidelines for making sure a boss fight is warranted and enjoyed fully:

Skill Checks: Bosses are often used as Skill checks, an excellent use for a boss, Most bosses rarely introduce systems, but encourage mastery of previously introduced mechanics. Think of Zelda bosses. You always defeat the boss with an item you found and have been using throughout the dungeon up to this point. By having you solve puzzles with the slingshot it teaches you the uses of the item. The Boss's purpose, then, is not to teach you how to use it, but to ensure you know the items application for later usage. 

Genre Linked: Now this may seem obvious at first, however it can provide an interesting pitfall in the areas where this is not adhered to. Simply put all bosses need to be intrinsically linked to the genre of a game. When followed normally, it ensures a standard boss experience, platforming bosses should involve platforming, action adventure bosses should be action-ey. However this has the chance for brilliance and failure just as well. Resident Evil 2 does this Incredibly. By making Mr X menacing and initially immortal it adds to the horror and tension, making his eventual defeat all the more satisfying. On the other hand, bosses like the community criticized Bed of Chaos seems more like it belongs in a 3d platformer than the deliberate and tactical combat of Dark Souls 1

Recurring Progress: Many games uses recurring boss fights to great success. This shows the players increasing skill as time goes on. This is usually paired with a tutorial boss in which the player looses the fight, and as such shows the player progress from the beginning of the game. By giving the player a second chance at a tough enemy later in the game it encourages the player to keep playing. Genichiro Ashina, Baldur, or your Pokemon rival wouldn't be so memorable if they never came back. 

Narrative Use: Most, if not all memorable bosses that make youtube top ten lists all have a narrative purpose as well as a mechanical one. By imbuing a boss with a story, especially when tied with having a recurring boss, it adds and extra emotional layer to the fight. The Boss from Metal Gear Solid 3 wouldn't be as beloved without the painful goodbye and the narrative surrounding her. The final defeat of Safer Sephiroth wouldn't be as sweet without the backstory. 

Placement: Boss placement is incredibly pivotal to good and memorable designs. By limiting the frequency of bosses to only key moments (Skill checks, narrative moments) it lets the experience shine. Oversaturation, consequently, can harm an otherwise excellent experience. Bosses loose their luster and purpose if you've already fought them before, or a pallet swap. Bosses also loose that special purpose if they just appear in the world, and don't offer something else of worth, like a Superboss. 

Part 2: Good Boss Design

While the purpose of a boss is extremely important, making sure the boss is designed well is equally, if not more important. Sometimes you can get away with few or none of the above principles if the boss is good enough. Here are some key elements to making a fun boss:

Satisfying Counterplay: Good bosses should have emotionally satisfying counterplay. While a mechanically interesting counterplay can lead to good design, making the player feel satisfied, eliciting emotion, from a counter truly makes a fight fantastic. Being able to Deflect and stomp down with a Mikiri Counter in Sekiro or perfectly deflecting the blows of Yang in Sifu feel incredible, and bosses that allow for this kind of play are always a joy to experience. 

Mechanical Exploration: Many bosses serve as skill checks, but an excellent boss takes the mechanics and pushes them to the limit. By taking existing mechanics, not introducing others, and using them in ways the player never thought to, or leading the player to play in a more engaging way, many bosses stand out amongst the swell. Bosses like Mother 3's Barrier Trio push the rhythm mechanics of the combat to an absurd while Subsistence Missions in Metal Gear Solid V test the players resourcefulness and observation skills. 

Player Expression: Good Bosses always allow for player expression. Even in minor ways many bosses do this already. If a player can take on a boss with a sword or spells a boss allows for player expression. Some bosses, however take this to an extreme and allow for incredible interactions based on player choice. Fallout final bosses are often a great example, as players can usually just talk to them, providing players an ideological battle moreso than a physical one, and allowing a player to fully roleplay as their character, instead of forcing unnecessary combat. 

Uniqueness: Uniqueness is a great boon in terms of good design. Reusing bosses can be efficient but each reuse of an asset or moveset lessens the impact of the fight. Instead using a new moveset marks a boss as interesting. In addition, if reusing a boss or asset, change the dynamics of the fight. The Valkyries from God of War are an excellent example. Each fight is similar, but different in enough aspects to make each encounter feel unique, worthwhile, and memorable. 

Spectacle: As obvious as it may seem good spectacle can make or break a fight. Often this comes down more to the visual departments rather than the design team, however be sure to focus on the flashiness of a moveset when creating a fight. Even to more basic bosses adding a flourish to the end of a sword swing or some flair on a reload gives the enemy personality and interest. Bosses like Devil May Cry's Vergil show such style and personality in their fight due in massive part to the over the top spectacle associated. 

Narrative THROUGH Combat: While having the bosses be important narratively seems like a must, telling a story through the combat itself can bring the experience to another level. Within the fight itself you have the capability to tell a story, with phase changes, dialogue, and other effects or moves. By doing this within the gameplay itself it immerses the player and makes them feel as though each button press has lasting effects for the world. The Reckless Abandon of Jetstream Sam wouldn't be as potent when expressed in a cutscene, but when fighting him, the dialogue and his unrelenting attacks make clear just who he is as a person. 

Perceived Challenge: All good bosses seem like a major threat. A good boss should seem almost insurmountable, almost. Be sure not to make bosses seem to all powerful, just tantalizingly strong. Bosses should incentivize players to continue to try, but by making a boss seem, and be, exceedingly powerful in comparison to the player it makes the players eventual victory all the sweeter. 

Part 3: Conclusions

Boss design is an extremely delicate art. Balancing satisfying mechanics, while pushing the limit, ensuring uniqueness while testing skills, emphasizing story and spectacle but allowing for player freedom. it's quite a fine tightrope to walk, but through great research a bit of a through line can certainly be found. As always, when in doubt, analyze the things you enjoy the most and see why you like them. If you can figure out why you like something you might be able to replicate it and learn from your analysis. Throughout this research I also did a bit of playtesting on other games and found some good metrics to playtest in terms of boss design. 

Does the Fight Feel Fair?

Does the Fight allow Player Expression?

Does each move feel interactive?

Does the Challenge Feel Balanced

Is the Fight Fun?

Does the Fight Teach you in any Way?

Is there enough Spectacle?