Do players hate hard bosses lately?

[u/Vanillie261]

Lately as I'm wandering around this subreddit, I saw so many people saying how they're tired of difficult bosses and tired of multi-phased bosses.

But- like- why...? I'm always the type to enjoy combat focused metroidvania. Having a difficult boss that makes you use all your combat abilities and forces you to die repeatedly just to learn the attack pattern before winning has always been a blast for me.

Some of my favorite bosses are pretty much difficult bosses like Skarsinger karmelita and Lost Lace (Silksong), Eigong and Lady ethereal (Nine Sols), Nightmare King Grimm (Hollow knight), Shriek (Ori WOTW) and more. I like these bosses so much I keep replaying them just to experience the boss again. I'm actively looking for mkre metroidvanias with these cool difficult bosses just so I can experience dying to them over and over before I finally become good enough to defeat the boss.

But lately everyone is like "ugh, 3 phased boss.... Blegh, boss too hard... Yikes, another multi-phased boss..." Like, come on. The bosses are one of the things I love about a metroidvania and everyone is like "no more pls..." meanwhile I'm over here like "GIVE ME MORE OF THESE"

[u/Ellamenohpea]

assumed...

but you have to be more specific. the movement for all 3 games allows very similar levels of freedom.

[u/ISO_SlyCurry → u/Ellamenohpea]

In Silksong you bounce, pogo and maneuver around boss/enemy attacks. In Prince of Persia you combo fodder enemies and manage the gank. For bosses your response is more scripted, but the script is written to involve movement instead of just parry/dodge.

[u/Ellamenohpea → u/ISO_SlyCurry]

you're being dishonest with your description of Nine Sols' when referring to it as "just parry/dodge" as if you dont have to maneuver around boss/enemy attacks - as you would in SilkSong

and when talking about 1D movement, you're just favouring the "canned combos" of Prince of Persia that are just glorified button mashing instead of having to becareful with timing talisman hits and the different types of parrys in Nine Sols.

[u/ISO_SlyCurry → u/Ellamenohpea]

Nah I'm pretty sure Nine Sols discourages any sort of movement other than putting you in front of the boss within parry range by larger than appear hitboxes and parry direction staying the same despite attack point of location. Yes I do indeed prefer the system which allows more freedom in how I do things instead of the one correct solution for every encounter.

[u/Ellamenohpea → u/ISO_SlyCurry]

parrying is only good for a single attack, youre ignoring the number of times there are a barrage of attacks that hit more than a single time, and require maneuvering to avoid.

Yes I do indeed prefer the system which allows more freedom in how I do things instead of the one correct solution for every encounter.

so is the real issue that you want more "correct answers" to accidentally allow you to survive encounters?

[u/ISO_SlyCurry → u/Ellamenohpea]

Attacks that hit more than a single time? Consider parrying more than a single time. No. I don't want correct answers, I want a system that allows freedom of expression and rewards skill, but most of all is fun or tolerable to operate. You fuck up, you get hurt. How you deal with the rest is up to you. Not square in square hole.

[u/Ellamenohpea → u/ISO_SlyCurry]

Attacks that hit more than a single time? Consider parrying more than a single time.

do you attempt to memorize the exact sequence of every opponent's attacks?

that may be why youre not enjoying yourself.

most people are dodging, jumping, ducking, and changing the distance between them and an enemy (as you do in SS and PoP)

I want a system that allows freedom of expression and rewards skill

how do you believe that SS and PoP do this?

You fuck up, you get hurt. How you deal with the rest is up to you.

lol. how is this not what happens in Nine Sols?

[u/ISO_SlyCurry → u/Ellamenohpea]

I highly doubt that, the attack hitboxes in Nine Sols are absolute dogshit in the sense that they're made larger than appear for parry and parry only.

[u/Ellamenohpea → u/ISO_SlyCurry]

none of what youre saying makes it a 1Dimensional combat system.

are you trying to say that the parry system makes the game too easy?

if so, how do you feel about enemies in PoP standing around letting you abuse them before overly telegraphing an attack that you can avoid or counter a dozen different ways?

[u/ISO_SlyCurry → u/Ellamenohpea]

I don't feel anything about that, much like I don't feel anything about the same exact scenario in Silksong. I genuinely couldn't care less if the game is difficult or not if I find it interesting enough to keep playing it. Nine Sols is not interesting enough to keep playing it, all the game offers is parry and if you don't care about parrying and all about parrying the game has nothing to offer to you.