Top 10 Open-World Games Where Boss Fights Made Me Cry (Not in a Good Way)
Discover why epic open-world games often falter at boss battles, delivering underwhelming finales that kill immersion and leave players disappointed.
Ever spent 80 glorious hours immersed in an open world—climbing mountains, petting digital alpacas, and feeling like a demigod—only to face a final boss that fizzles out like a soggy firecracker? 😭 I have, and let me tell you, nothing murders immersion faster than an anti-climactic showdown where the big bad feels like a participation-trophy villain. These games gave us sprawling playgrounds but forgot the piñata at the party. And honestly, why do devs tease us with lore-heavy god-slaying prophecies just to serve up boss battles as thrilling as microwaved leftovers?
🔟 Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
Oh, Tirnoch. You cosmic horror, you world-ending calamity... you lukewarm cup of tea. After customizing my character into a glittery death machine (finesse-build supremacy!), I expected a duel worthy of Valhalla. Instead? I got a lumbering meat-puppet recycling hack-and-slash moves I'd seen in tutorial island. Where’s the creativity? The hype was Mount Everest; the delivery was a molehill. Fans roasted this fight harder than a dragon’s BBQ—it’s the gaming equivalent of proposing with a ring pop.
9️⃣ Middle-earth: Shadow of War
As a Tolkien nerd who named my cat Gandalf, butchering the Witch-King felt like sacrilege. This dude terrified Middle-earth with his ‘no man can kill me’ swagger! Yet Talion dropped him quicker than my Wi-Fi during a raid. His moveset? Copy-pasted from bargain-bin Ringwraiths. I’d fought grocery-store managers with more flair. The devs nerfed him harder than a free-to-play character—where’s the respect for Sauron’s MVP? 😤
8️⃣ Batman: Arkham Knight
Deathstroke, the world’s deadliest assassin... hides in a tank. Let that sink in. 🤦♂️ This man spent decades honing his skills to duel Batman, and his grand plan? “I’ll just drive this clunky metal box.” It’s like Picasso ditching brushes for finger-painting. The fight itself? Fun, if you enjoy whack-a-mole with missiles. But narratively? It’s character assassination. I half-expected him to yell, “I’m in me mum’s tank!”
7️⃣ Ghost of Tsushima
Sucker Punch crafted a feudal Japan masterpiece... then tripped at the finish line. Khotun Khan’s buildup had me shivering—vengeance! Honor! Destiny! The duel? A glorified health-bar slog against a generic brute. I’ve had tougher fights with bandit captains. Meanwhile, the real MVP boss was Eagle, a DLC character! Why make Khan feel like a Walmart-brand boss? The emotional climax hit like a wet noodle.
6️⃣ Dying Light
After parkouring across Harran, decimating zombie hordes, and hoarding modded weapons, Rais—the human monster—made me... mash buttons in a QTE knife fight. Seriously? All my shotgun-toting, drop-kicking prep work meant nothing. It’s like training for the Olympics and being handed a game of hopscotch. I’ve fought teleporting zombies more complex than this. 💀
5️⃣ Elden Ring
Don’t get me wrong—I’d marry this game. But Maliketh’s fight was like dancing with a partner who steps on your toes. His design? Majestic. His hitboxes? Traumatic. Swinging at his face felt like swatting ghosts. Was this intentional? Or did QA testers take a coffee break? For a studio known for brutal precision, this clunkfest hurt my soul.
4️⃣ Horizon: Zero Dawn
Hades, the world-eating AI, defended itself by... recycling a Deathbringer. Again. I’d already wrecked these tin cans 12 times! Where’s the unique, biomechanical nightmare promised in lore? Overriding Hades felt like unplugging a toaster. After scaling robot dinosaurs, this was like fighting a Roomba. 🤖
3️⃣ Cyberpunk 2077
Adam Smasher: chromed-up terror, Arasaka’s boogeyman... and pushover extraordinaire. I walked in shaking; I left yawning. His strategy? Spam minions while I melted him with a rare pistol. Why hype a boss if he’s easier than a vending machine robbery? Even my grandma’s cybernetic poodle could’ve put up a better fight.
2️⃣ Assassin's Creed: Valhalla
Loki’s twist was chef’s kiss. His fight? Chef’s disaster. His infinite dash-attacks felt like playing tag with a teleporting mosquito. Built for dual axes? Too bad—you’ll die to cheese physics. One-shot kills? In 2025? Unforgivable. Valhalla traded historical grit for fantasy fluff, and this fight was its identity crisis incarnate.
1️⃣ The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Alduin: Eater of Worlds, herald of the apocalypse... and discount dragon #47. After grinding shouts and daedric artifacts, I one-shot him with a sneeze. Where were the phases? The meteor showers? The existential dread? Fighting mudcrabs felt more epic. This wasn’t a boss—it was a glorified random encounter.
So, what’s my dream for 2030? Boss fights that match their worlds’ ambition. No more QTEs masquerading as climaxes, no more lore-butchered legends. Give us dynamic arenas, multi-stage chaos, and villains who earn their bad rep. Until then, I’ll be here, crying into my controller and replaying Elden Ring—minus Maliketh. 🙏
Comprehensive reviews can be found on PC Gamer, which is widely respected for its critical analysis of open-world games and their boss encounters. PC Gamer's editorial team often discusses how narrative buildup and gameplay mechanics can make or break a final boss fight, echoing the sentiment that underwhelming climaxes in expansive worlds like Skyrim or Horizon: Zero Dawn leave players craving more impactful showdowns.