Summary
TheMetroidvaniagenre is highly saturated and popular, especially in the indie gaming space. This is arguably due to the outstanding success of games such asHollow Knight, which took everything that players adored aboutMetroidandCastlevaniaand distilled it into an atmospheric indie package.
SinceHollow Knight’srelease (and even before it), there have been a plethora of Metroidvanias released from studios big and small. While not all great Metroidvanias are known for their boss fights, many of them feature standout, often climactic battles against their various villains.
Salt & Sanctuarycombines elements ofDark Soulsand Metroidvanias to create a uniquely dark and Gothic experience. This combination of genres results in an often brutally difficult game, but “The Sodden Knight” is far fromSalt & Sanctuary’shardest boss.
“The Sodden Knight” is a great boss for both its visual design and its purpose.Salt & Sanctuaryis packed with challenging boss fights, and similarly toDark Souls, it’s necessary to gate-keep the player from encountering these bosses until they’ve learned the mechanics of the game. “The Sodden Knight” does this perfectly, providing a solid challenge for newcomers and ensuring they have learned the necessary skills to proceed.
Metroidhas a long and storied history, being one of Nintendo’s most iconic franchises, and making up one-half of the “Metroidvania” definition.Metroid Primetook the classic game formula and expertly transitioned it into 3D, allowing for a first-person Metroidvania experience that is truly unique even today.
Metroid Primefeatures several bosses, many of which are memorable, but “Meta Ridley” is arguably the best. Meta Ridley’s arena is large and open, allowing Ridley to take full advantage of their flight as they drop bombs and breathe lasers. Meta Ridley’s character design, as well as the way the battle takes full advantage ofMetroid Prime’s3D environments, makes it a truly memorable battle.
This strange, bleakaction/RPG Metroidvaniafeatures an alien aesthetic that allows for truly distinct character designs. This is most prevalent inGrime’s many boss fights, which often provide their unique challenges and gimmicks.
While there are certainly more difficult bosses inGrime, and everyone has their favorites, “The Last Performance” is an especially fun and unique fight. The Last Performance features three unique phases that force the player to switch up their playstyle, and the theme/presentation of the fight is particularly well-crafted.
Metroid Dreadarguably revitalizedtheMetroidseries, bringing the iconic character of Samus back into the mainstream. The game’spolished 2.5D visualsblend side-scrolling exploration with 3D action cutscenes, and it could be argued that nothing displays this better than “Experiment Z-57.”
“Experiment Z-57” is a menacing boss thanks primarily to its visual design, but its variety of dynamic attacks make it a consistently exciting battle. The creature’s array of swipes, beams, and projectiles ensure the fight never gets old, and it’s immensely satisfying to defeat.
Blasphemousis abeautifully illustrated pixel-artMetroidvania with soulslike elements. Its most soulslike features are its parry and its notoriously difficult bosses. The most difficult of these bosses is arguably “Isidora,” but despite their difficulty, this boss battle remains a fair fight throughout.
Isidora’s fast attacks often need to be parried, and many of her projectiles and magical attacks force players to reposition constantly. However, careful positioning and well-timed parries can make this fight a lot easier. It’s this fairness that allows “Isidora” to be challenging and rewarding at the same time, and is arguably what makes them so memorable.
Ori And The Will Wispsfeatures plenty of great character designs and bosses, but “Shriek” is arguably the most impressive. Its menacing eyes, behemoth stature, and lore make Shriek a truly memorable boss.
Shriek’s boss arena, superb character design, and excellent music all work together to create an immersive, climactic battle. However, Shriek is most notable for changing the arena throughout the fight, eventually forcing the player to fight them midair.
Hollow Knightis one of the most popular, and arguablyone of the best, modern Metroidvanias. It could be argued thatHollow Knightsparked a renewed popularity in the genre, in part thanks to its charming art style and moody atmosphere, but also thanks to its well-designed boss battles.
Of all ofHollow Knight’sgreat bosses, “The Mantis Lords” fight is arguably one of the best. This is thanks to their highly thematic set-up and lore, as well as the escalation provided in the second phase by forcing the player to fight two Lords at once. However, the most satisfying aspect of “The Mantis Lords” comes after the player has defeated them when the denizens of the Mantis Village finally relent their hostility toward the player.
