5 Worst Boss Fights in Games

Boss fights are a big part of a lot of games, but not all boss fights are the same. Some fights are really good, some are really bad, and some are so bad that we blow a couple of fuses while trying to get through them. With that in mind, I wanted to share my picks for 5 of the worst boss fights in games.

Warning: there may be spoilers ahead. Right, let's get into it.

5: Hadley vs. Samantha - Cayne (2017)

I discussed Cayne in a recent review, and my final verdict was: not great but not terrible. The sci-fi horror elements of this game were a lot of fun, the puzzles were...okay, and the story was fairly well done.

During the course of the game, we read a lot about this person called Samantha. We later encounter a monster and it turns out to be the mysterious Samantha. Now, the first time we see her, she's this terrifying creature on the other side of an electric fence.

You may think you're supposed to fight that thing. Of course, the question is: how are you going to do that? Well...you're not. Instead, you're supposed to bait the creature into standing in a specific spot in another room before flicking a switch and using the laser barrier thing to kill the creature. Now, that does make sense in the context of the game, but it's very underwhelming considering the amount of build-up that Samantha gets.

It's bad, but not quite bad enough to rank higher than number 5.

4: 47 vs. Clones - Hitman: Codename 47 (2000)

The Hitman series has been going strong since 2000, and has seen a major shift in identities over the course of its games. Codename 47 is the first game in the series and sees protagonist Agent 47, working with an organization called the ICA - International Contracts Agency - as an assassin.

He's spent the entire game assassinating key targets before finding out that they were all investors in a secret project who had grown impatient. Towards the end of the game, you end up back at the hospital where you started with the goal of taking out the doctor that masterminded the assassin project.

Of course, it's not that easy; the doctor unleashes a group of clones of 47. The problem I have with this boss fight is that it just feels random and a bit clumsy. The whole fight sees you running around in circles trying to take out the clones before they take you out.

3: Altair vs. Al Mualim - Assassin's Creed (2007)

Assassin's Creed is beloved favorite of many gamers - myself included. That said, I hated the boss fight with Al Mualim at the end for a couple of reasons. Adventure movie logic says that he's going to betray you, okay, I get that; it still feels like a kick in the feels though.

The battle starts out easily enough with Altair teaming up with Malik from Jerusalem and a handful of other warriors as they return to the village of Masyaf after discovering their master's betrayal. The group splits up with Altair going to face the head of the Assassin's Brotherhood while Malik and the others move on to keep his path clear.

As you move through the fortress, you have a few other fights before meeting your enemy in the garden. The fight itself is fairly straightforward, but here's the problem; your opponent is teleporting around the garden. That's frustrating, but it's not the reason this fight is on this list. No, the fight with Al Mualim gets its place because the screen is constantly flashing red and white - presumably to signify a lack of synchronization with the animus.

That may not sound like an issue unless, like me, you have a serious form of epilepsy and have to stop every few minutes. Seriously, it took me a while to get this one finished because I had to beware the flashing lights on screen!

2: Rayne vs. Beliar - BloodRayne (2002/2020)

Beliar is one of two final bosses in the original BloodRayne title - the other being Jurgen Wulf. The main issue that I have with this fight is that Beliar has no presence in the game. He just comes out of nowhere and has little to nothing to do.

Jurgen Wulf would've been a far better final boss as he'd been around for longer. You also would've been able to fight properly, with Beliar's fight you there's no guarantee that you'll hit the required target (the heart).

1: Lara vs. Mutant Willard - Tomb Raider III (1998)

*Dives for cover*

Hey, whoa! At least hear me out before you start throwing things at me! Put those pitchforks down! Right, thank you.

I talked about the difficulty of the third Tomb Raider game in a review a few weeks ago. One thing I didn't discuss was the final boss fight. Why? Because I was still struggling with it, that's why. This fight takes place in a large circular chamber with four alcoves and a meteorite floating in the center. In each alcove is one of the artefacts you've collected in your adventure.

Of course, the crazy scientist dude ends up the worst nightmare of arachnophobes everywhere, but that's the least of your problems here. He shoots lasers at you - yes, you read that correctly. Each time he fires at you, it's a guaranteed kill. You can't dodge his attacks. Oh, and he's immortal...because of course he is. The only way to make him vulnerable is to retrieve all of the artefacts. This lowers the meteorite and makes it possible to kill him. So, you naturally start shooting at him all the while hoping he doesn't get a shot off at you.

This is by far the most frustrating boss fight I've ever had to play. I've never encountered a boss that was so ridiculously overpowered - there's almost nothing you can do against him! In the end, it took me almost a week of practically no sleep to get through it and afterwards I created a save file for the immediate aftermath and vowed never to put myself through that fight again.

What are your Picks?

So, those are my picks for five of the worst boss fights in games and now I want to know yours. Drop your worst boss fight experiences in the comments section and explain why you've picked each choice.

Until next time, thanks for reading and take care!