*All opinions are my own and serve as a means for me to brainstorm ideas for development.
An Impressive Boss Fight : Dev Log #1
Today I will start a personal project with the theme of creating an impressive boss fight. Before I go into the details of what I hope to achieve, I first need to ask myself to define:
What is a Boss Fight?
RPGs at their core are a means to tell a story. The focus of these stories revolve around the main character, that will be assumed by the player. It is important to define that both the player and the character are separate entities that experience the story together but do not evolve the same way as the story progresses. The boss fight serves as an ultimate test to both the player and character to use the experiences that they have culminated through the story to overcome this challenge. To the player, overcoming the boss fight represents their growth from learning the game mechanics to being able to flawlessly execute them. For the character, overcoming the boss fight represents their growth in being able to achieve something that they would not have been able to without experiencing what they have up to this point within the story.
Simply put, it is a milestone that signifies the culmination of all the experiences up to that point within the story for both the player and the character.
So what makes a Boss Fight impressive?
Everyone has differing opinions that are entirely subjective to their own experiences and preferences. There are many games with boss fights that though are by no means perfect, I have been impressed by. Whether it's the sense of awe and fear during the first encounter, to the catharsis of finally overcoming the challenge. Here is an example of one that comes to mind:
The Souls series has no shortage of impressive boss fights, but the most iconic of them all would be none other than Ornstein and Smough from Dark Souls 3. One aspect that the Souls series does well, and is highlighted in this fight, is the setting up the scene as a David versus Goliath scenario. Right from the get go you are introduced to two imposing enemies that tower over the character. The character is immediately instilled with the idea that they are at a disadvantage from the 1 versus 2 scenario, against entities that are elite combatants no less. I feel that this is a key element in building up the atmosphere for a boss fight, the idea that the character is attempting a feat that they are expected to lose.
A scenario that is seemingly impossible for the character to beat, yet there is a chance. At first glance, against a relentless flurry of attacks, the player is left with the thought "How am I ever going to get a hit in, how am I even going to approach this?" The initial expectation would be that their coordinated attacks would not leave an opening, but upon further observation, the player will realise that is not the case. An important aspect that might seem obvious is to give the player an enjoyable option of counter play. Perhaps for the most hard-core players out there, it would be exciting to overcome a boss fight that has little to no counter play with cheap tactics, but in actuality, it would be extremely unfun to attempt for most players. There has to be a balance between seemingly impossible versus actually being impossible. An impressive boss fight gives the impression of impossibility yet allows for clear chances for expressive counter play. This chance is what both the player holds on to which leads to a satisfying catharsis after overcoming this fight.
Cause and effect is something I feel this fight represents very well. Within the fight itself there is a timeline of events that occur, that the player and character will influence based on their actions taken during the initial phase if the fight. This makes the fight less linear and have the character own their own story as opposed to feeling like a scripted outcome. Whether intentionally or not, the flow of the story is directly influenced by the actions of the player and character. Having elements in the fight itself that tells a story within a story is also what makes it memorable. Whether it's the silent respect Ornstein shows for the fallen Smough or the sheer brutality in which Smough crushes Ornstein, both results in a memorable experience that gives the player and character insight of the bosses themselves and pave way for a world that extends past this fight.
Where do I begin?
In the form of a mind map, I decided to layout my ideas as to what I felt I would lead to the outcome of an impressive boss fight, as well as elements I would like to have included. I broke it down into three main elements: Player Fantasy, Rewarding Mechanics, and Cinematic Composition.
Player Fantasy represents the bridge between player and character. Having the player feel a sense of belonging to the world they are brought into and giving them a sense of satisfaction portraying the character. This includes everything that the character does, from movement to combat.
Rewarding Mechanics represents gameplay elements that affect the progression and outcome of the boss fight, and how they must be satisfying to execute and reward both the player and character. They can also be experiences that help the player and character overcome the boss fight.
Cinematic composition represents all the elements within the scene that will help portray a story. Even within a single experience of a fight, it is possible to achieve and expansive world outside of fight itself through visual storytelling.
What's next?
In my next post I will a more in depth break down of the idea of the Player Fantasy and how I plan on incorporating those elements into the design of a boss fight. Stay tuned.