With the release of Extinction (read our review here) this week, we’ve been thinking about all of the truly giant enemies we’ve encountered in games. In particular, video game bosses have a tendency for being a lot larger than their puny minions, with some reaching sizes so large that they don’t even fit on the screen. So in celebration of these building-sized behemoths, we’ve gathered together a list of our favorite larger-than-life video game bosses. Let’s dive in.
Cronos – God of War III
Let’s start off with one of the biggest video game bosses of all time, Cronos from God of War III. The God of War series has always featured impossibly epic battles at a scale which is largely unmatched by its peers. Cronos is the very embodiment of this, delivering one of the most action-packed boss fights in the history of gaming. Cronos simply dwarfs our short-tempered warrior protagonist, literally holding him between his thumb and forefinger. He’s so big that he is almost an entire level in himself, offering up awesome platforming, a slew of monster subordinates and plenty of twists and turns.
The fight itself is incredibly violent, with Kratos ripping off Cronos’ fingernails with his chains and then scaling him like the mountain he is. The whole thing culminates in an insanely awesome moment of gory God of War bliss, with Kratos driving a giant crystal through the boss’ chin. There’s one part of this fight though that really takes the oversized biscuit, the one where Cronos swallows Kratos whole. All of this makes Cronos a real boss to remember, one whose size is used in inventive and compelling ways.
Phalanx – Shadow of the Colossus
When thinking of giant video game bosses, it’s impossible not to immediately think of Shadow of the Colossus. And while there are many colossi which deserve a spot on the list, it’s actually the largest one we’re concerned with here. The Phalanx is the top choice not only for its sheer scale, but the way it manages to be just as thrilling while soaring through the sky, as it is burrowing beneath the earth. Discovering this leviathan for the first time is simply breathtaking, even more so once you manage to follow it up into the skies above.
Each of its fins is a massive wall of fur and sand which serves as a seriously daunting jumping on point for the task ahead. The boss fight demands that you make good use of your horse, chasing down the giant sand worm before leaping off and holding on for dear life. It’s simultaneously gorgeous, thrilling, and tragic, managing to up the stakes of the game once again, in a game comprised entirely of amazing boss battles.
Sentinel – X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Probably one of the lesser known entries on this list, the Sentinel boss from X-Men Origins: Wolverine is a truly awesome foe that demonstrates exactly just how powerful Logan can be. Now I’d forgive you for recoiling in horror over the name of this game, given just how much of a dumpster fire the movie was, but honestly, it’s a really cool hack and slash action game with really big ideas and even bigger enemies. This is perfectly shown off when Wolverine faces off against a Sentinel, essentially a mutant killing machine.
The fight starts off fairly simply, with Logan lunging towards exposed wiring and panels on the robot’s leg. Things quickly escalate as the fight one-ups itself again and again, culminating in a thrilling moment where the Sentinel blasts off into the upper atmosphere. Wolverine eventually downs his foe by dive-bombing it from space, becoming a one-man adamantium bullet. The scale is genuinely impressive for a game which is essentially just a movie tie-in, but goes to show just how cool fighting a boss many times your size can be.
Zorah Magdaros – Monster Hunter: World
Monster Hunter: World has its fair share of giant beasties. From strange flying squirrel-like monsters to giant dragons, there’s plenty for players to sink their teeth into. A big part of the game’s narrative involves a creature called Zorah Magdaros, best described as a living volcano. When you’re first introduced to Zorah, it’s destroying your ship. After scaling its back and escaping within an inch of your life, plans are quickly drawn to take the monster down. It’s genuinely baffling that the game thinks it is okay to pit you against such a towering beast, but it does so regardless.
Using cannons, ballista, and plenty of potions, Zorah Magdaros can be conquered. Watching the giant creature dominate the screen is a really awesome sight to be hold, let alone how cool the armor you obtain from slaying it is. Zorah encapsulates the sheer sense of scope that Monster Hunter: World holds at its core, cementing it as one of the most ambitious boss fights of the generation so far.
Iustitia – Bayonetta
Bayonetta is just one of those franchises that gets boss fights. Every single one features a uniquely designed, and appropriately epic enemy for players to defeat, all the while looking absolutely fabulous doing so. And while there are many awesome Bayonetta bosses, plenty of them giants, Iustitia takes the cake for being just so wildly grotesque. This ball of blood, gold, and tentacles absolutely dominates the screen, providing a challenging fight that seriously delivers on spectacle.
To defeat it, players must run along one of its tentacles up to its face, where they will sever it for good. It’s exciting stuff, especially when paired with the game’s incredible soundtrack. Iustitia is ripped straight from the pages of a Lovecraft story, managing to be both regal and disgusting, all at the same time.
Storm King – Demon’s Souls
It just wouldn’t be right to talk about giant video game bosses without bringing up the Souls series. The games do a great job of making you feel outgunned and outmatched at almost every opportunity so when they introduce a boss that is so daunting as the Storm King in Demon’s Souls, it’s positively terrifying. The Storm King is like a horrific blend of manta ray and moth, featuring a colossal wingspan and creepy tendrils.
The start of the fight is truly iconic as you watch the Storm King soar through the sky towards you. Its size isn’t immediately obvious, but as it gets closer you realize just what you’re dealing with. To bring it down you’ll need a special sword called the Storm Ruler, which summons lightning down to strike your target. Killing off a few of Storm King’s babies brings it swooping down to attack you. The thing is huge, taking up the majority of the screen with its disgusting winged figure.
Metal Gear RAY – Metal Gear Solid 4
Metal Gear Solid 4 did great job at offering up moments of epic fan service and great boss fights. This is all true of the Metal Gear RAY fight in which you finally get to battle it out against a giant Metal Gear. Not only that but you are actually in a Metal Gear (the REX, to be specific) yourself too, giving the game a sense of scale that hadn’t been seen in its predecessors. It’s pure Metal Gear Solid joy, made-up of wacky cutscenes and awesome action.
To down RAY, you have to use everything at your disposal including machine guns, rockets, and even melee moves, all executed from your very own Metal Gear. RAY is a seriously formidable foe, being both more agile than you, and completely unpredictable the first time around.
Divine Beast Vah Medoh – The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The Divine Beasts are bosses which you have to tackle in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and are as much entire stages as they are bosses. There are four to complete, with Van Medoh being the most exciting for sure. You see, in order to even start completing each Divine Beast, you must first attack its defenses and board it. In this case, this involves enlisting the help of Revali, the bird-like champion who uses his wind powers to get you close.
From then on, it’s a matter of gliding around the giant stone bird and taking out glowing areas on its body, It’s all slow-mo arrow shots and glider tricks here, making for one delightfully dynamic boss fight. Once the initial attack is over, the Divine Beasts become puzzle stages, making them even more memorable. Van Medoh is awesome in this way, as you make it tilt its trajectory to gain access to new areas.
Darkside – Kingdom Hearts
Kingdom Hearts features an excellent cast of heroes and villains, managing to mix fairy tale charm with more classical RPG tropes. The game also has a ton of amazing bosses, many of them larger than life. Darkside is one of these bosses, standing tall with its gross zig-zag feet and weird heart-shaped hole in its stomach. It’s impressive scale for a boss fight, made even more impressive by the fact that you have to fight it over multiple stages.
The first stage takes place inside which does a great job at obscuring Darkside’s massive size. After this, its true scale is revealed against the back drop of spooky purple skies and regular flashes of lightning.
Titan – Final Fantasy XV
The Titan boss fight shows off just how grand and spectacular Final Fantasy XV can be at times. Sure, the majority of the game is spent exploring a zany world filled with fetch quests, fast travel points, and the other usual RPG fare, but every now and then it offers up something unmatched by its peers. The Titan is definitely one of those video game moments where you truly can’t believe that you are being asked to kill something so huge, but through a combination of clever use of the game’s warp abilities and awesome cutscenes, it all comes together nicely.
The fact that Noctis can parry the Titan’s huge sweeping limbs is a testament to just how powerful he has grown throughout the game up to this point, and the way he uses his point warp to evade is always awesome to see. The team eventually bests the Titan by freezing and then subsequently smashing its arm into a thousand pieces, once again proving that size doesn’t matter.
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