Why are modern boss fights so shitty?

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > Why are modern boss fights so shitty?

icantfindaname: Jul 1, 2008

SunAndSpring posted:

I do, though. Maybe I should have made the title "Why are modern Western boss fights so lovely?"

no pure nihonjin blood, unfortunately

# ¿ Feb 16, 2015 22:51

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# ¿ May 15, 2024 04:54

icantfindaname: Jul 1, 2008

A Steampunk Gent posted:

Japanese developers generally seem more at ease putting mechanics at the forefront and designing games around cool encounters and challenges rather easily completable 'content' and scripted sequences, I think western bossfights being bad is to an extent just a side effect of western games having trash, boring design all over, especially as most of the honourable exceptions (Baldur's Gate, Metroid Prime, Doom to name a few) are design heavy games themselves

but but but my game is ~*art~*!!! pay special attention to the vaguely libertarian 7th grade level analysis of American history

# ¿ Feb 17, 2015 01:22

icantfindaname: Jul 1, 2008

SunAndSpring posted:

I'm having flashbacks to Bioshock: Infinite and that lovely fight with the ghost mom now, thanks.

glad that came across

icantfindaname fucked around with this message at 01:31 on Feb 17, 2015

# ¿ Feb 17, 2015 01:29

icantfindaname: Jul 1, 2008

Corvo posted:

I remember a few years ago there was a talk at some indie developers panel, and a Japanese member of the audience asked Johnathan Blow, Phil Fish and a few others (the Super Meat Boy/Binding of Isaac guys etc.) for tips on game design. These developers just flat-out said that Japanese games are terrible and that Japanese developers suck and have no idea what they're doing. They were actually pretty rude and harsh to the guy, and I felt sorry for him because the whole room erupted into laughter while these guys went on a rant and he just stood there embarrassed after asking a genuine question and seeking advice.

At the time there was some controversy over it but on further reflection I'd honestly say that Western game development is such a mess that the opposite of what those developers claimed is true. Western game design mostly revolves around cinematic experiences, quick time events, dumbed-down game mechanics and very linear/scripted progression with players being held by the hand through the entire game. I think that well-designed and fun, engaging boss battles are something you'll only find in Japanese games these days, in titles from Platinum Games, Kojima Productions and From Software.

I look forwards to the future of all games being either clones of HBO serial dramas, mapgames, or industrial equipment simulators

# ¿ Feb 17, 2015 19:29

icantfindaname: Jul 1, 2008

Devil Wears Wings posted:

End boss fights in general suck. They're lazy game design and an artifact of the days when games were quarter-munchers. There's got to be a more interesting way to bring a game to a close than, "let's throw something big at the player and ramp up the challenge a few notches and then roll ending cutscene."

And how does it make any sense for them to be from arcade games? Like what? Arcade games wouldn't expect the player to get to the end at all. It's an artifact of story based games that weren't trying to be cinematic experiences and were aware that they're video games. It's a tonal decision to be pulpy and over the top

icantfindaname fucked around with this message at 19:51 on Feb 17, 2015

# ¿ Feb 17, 2015 19:49

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > Why are modern boss fights so shitty?