[quote][b]Touchy Subject Alert! BOSS BATTLES![/b][/quote] Think back to your earlier gaming days, maybe that was decades ago, perhaps it was last summer. Whatever it was, there was a time in video games where Boss Battles were the true test of a gamer. The enabled you to use all your knowledge and in-game mechanics to prove yourself against a formidable opponent. Before I begin, I'd like to cover a few things to know in general: [quote]FPS = First Person Shooter, referring to the game genre QTE = Quick Time Event, hitting a button that triggers a cut scene or forward progression (usually flipping a switch/reaching a checkpoint etc) [b]Categories for Boss Battles[/b] ([url=http://halo.bungie.net/Forums/posts.aspx?postID=76001192&postRepeater1-p=3]credit to Recon Number 54[/url]) A: Final Boss Battle (grind away) B: Countdown. (time's a'wastin'!) C: Race. D: Puzzle. E: Platforming. (Jump boy, jump!) F: Combo-ception (learn the next 3 steps in the 900 button sequence, die and then repeat)[/quote] [u][i]Forward Progression[/i][/u] Now while we don't know exactly what will be permissible for in game mechanics in Destiny as a player (I'll discuss this further later), we do know that Bungie is focused on the cooperative expierence from the ground up. We know that [i]it is possible[/i] to play through Destiny as a solo experience. [quote][b]Destiny is an:[/b] > Open World Shooter > Player Classes/Faction Based > Cooperative Experience > Designed for "endless hours" of gameplay > Includes "raids" and "dungeons" > Has "safezones"[/quote] [u][i]What makes a boss battle a memorable one? [/i][/u] Think back to those earlier games I was mentioning, yes they can be recent releases. What other games come to mind that have included boss battles on a bigger scale? I'm talking about [url=http://darksouls.wikidot.com/bosses]Dark Souls[/url], [url=http://www.wowwiki.com/Boss]World of Warcraft[/url], [url=http://www.ign.com/wikis/borderlands-2/Bosses]Borderlands[/url], [url=http://greedygamer.blogspot.com/2008/04/gears-of-war-big-bosses-and-tough.html]Gears of War[/url] and even [url=https://www.google.com/search?q=Crysis+Boss+Battles&aq=f&oq=Crysis+Boss+Battles&aqs=chrome.0.57l2j0l2j62l2.3254j0&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=Crysis+Boss+Fights&oq=Crysis+Boss+Fights&gs_l=serp.3..0l2j0i30l2.2493.4555.0.4634.14.13.1.0.0.1.404.2675.0j1j6j2j1.10.0.les%3B..0.0...1c.1.5.psy-ab.AS9JTpAlIcw&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.&fp=8b6e451abe7bae32&biw=1440&bih=779]Crysis[/url]. Anyone ever or [url=http://metroid.retropixel.net/mprime/bosses.php]still play Metroid?[/url] Those boss battles are player immersifying and game mechanic oriented. Especially for a shooter, you're not only worried about shooting the target. You're worried about ducking, running, jumping, grappling and beating the clock. Think back to Gears of War, specifically the Juggernaut battles. You and your squad of teammates are taken away from the traditional, "run in, lob grenades, duck, cover and clean up the stragglers". You're running for your life as you can only find a short time to actually shoot back. My first play-through of Gears of War 1 with my brothers was terrifying when we played this sequence, especially at 3 am. The boss was unpredictable and you're always adjusting to his movements trying to get that lucky shot. I still to this day remember that sequence. Through all the games I mentioned, I feel boss battles play a significant role throughout the story and it breaks up the "traditional gameplay" that you've been lugging around with you since you started your journey in whatever world you choose. I was reading this [url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-02-17-destiny-bungie-unveils-its-shared-world-shooter]EuroGamer article[/url] on Destiny this morning and it urged me to ponder these words further: [quote][i]Players love MMOs and open world games more for the emergent gameplay than the gameplay crafted by their designers. They remember the things that happened because players got together and did stuff, whether it be some dramatic boss fight at the end of an hour-long raid or the exploration of a cave discovered off the beaten track. Story lead Joe Staten expects Destiny will work in a similar way, with players building their "personal legend".[/i][/quote] I am going to be comparing Destiny to World of Warcraft for a brief time. Yes, I know that Destiny, isn't WoW, there are similar elements to compare, specifically with "raids" that I'm addressing. Destiny's focus on cooperative gaming leads me to believe we'll be seeing more "epic boss fights". Have you played or seen anyone complete a Dungeon Raid for World of Warcraft? Granted in Destiny we're able to stick with our "squads" in teams of six, but who says there has to be a limit on how many "squads" you have to stick with. I feel Destiny will have a similar approach to their raids. Taking part in an organized party of 30+ player is fun as hell, but you have to know who is playing what role - tank, mage, buffer, healer etc - to work together and pass through the boss. If we're playing our roles as Titans, Warlocks, Hunters and Vanguards (and whatever else), those memorable experiences will come to the players if we succeed or fail. Each role is vital to the success of passing these bosses/dungeons though. Should each class have other abilities or traits that the others cannot possess? Absolutely, otherwise, what is the point in having different classes? QTE's (Quick Time Events) are debatable. I am personally not a fan if they're overdone, but I see the place for them. Abuse them and they quickly become boring to the player and actually create a false sense of immersion, which is what you don't want. "Do this button sequence or you die!", try again. Too much gets stale and boring to the player. We really didn't start seeing QTE's until the past 4/5 years in not only FPS games, but RPG, Racing and Family games as well. Think back to Bungie's Halo games. What were the bosses we remember? Tartarus, Scarab battles with marines having rocket launchers on mongooses (yes burrito, just for you), the Prophet of Regret battle in Halo 2, Warthog runs at the end of Halo CE and Halo 3, the heretic leader in Halo 2 with dual plasma rifles, all the memorable brute chieftain rounds in ODST firefight and more. Imagine the possibilities with Destiny though. Meet up with your friends at the same time, plan it out. Know your attack plan for an hour long raid and what to expect from the boss. I hope that Bungie changes the formula all together. You don't know what boss will be at the end, even after researching and looking them up ahead of time. Perhaps the time of day (realtime) that you begin your raid affects what boss there will be at the end, or how many players you're taking with you. There are so many unanswered questions about Destiny, but we have to wait for more information. The floor is yours community. Additional Reading: [url=http://www.screwattack.com/news/top-25-favorite-boss-battles-woodyman-archives]Top 25 boss battles in video game history[/url]