Survival games take players to the farthest fringes of the wilderness across a variety of biomes and terrains, whether that be dense forests and wetlands orfrigid, icy wastes. These games focus on challenging players not with any lofty goals, but with getting the bare necessities needed to continue living. Shelter is a constant factor in survival games, with many also focusing on acquiring food or water to boot.
Whether survival games encourage players tobuild great strongholdsagainst the elements or push further into hostile terrain, some games go the extra step beyond simply having the natural world pose as a threat. These games, tracking across the many sub-genres of sandbox survival, survival horror, or plain old pure survival, have tough or terrifying bosses to work towards defeating.
Far Cry 4is one of the most celebrated titles in the series long and winding history. While still somewhat lost in the shadow of the monolithicFar Cry 3, which most games in this series are to an extent,Far Cry 4has been celebrated for many of the staples it introduced into the series, and really doubling down on what would become one of the most iconic parts of the newer games overall - their incredibly compelling villains. Pagan Min isalmost as widely celebratedas Vaas Montenegro.
But in terms of sheer difficulty within these survival games that has players hunting and sneaking, a tremendous boss from the incredibly unique psychedelic line of missions inFar Cry 4takes the cake. The Rakshasa eagle, culminating as the final boss in the Shangri La mission line, is a terrifying demonic entity that keeps players on their toes, spewing fire and swooping with colossal claws from above.
For a while, the Ender Dragon stood as a uniquely terrifying enemy inMinecraft, the only mob worthy of being called a boss, this tremendous beast and tyrant of the End would serve as the final challenge for players dedicating themselves to the survival aspects ofMinecraft.All the mining for diamonds, all the enchantments, all the xp grinding and mob hunting, all the exploration, it all reaches its apex at the face of this mighty creature.
Today, the game has a few more mobs that could be considered bosses, but none shinequite like the Ender Dragon, who still holds a unique place as the capstone to the player’s mob slaying achievements. This creature represents the full culmination of the survival experience inMinecraft, while other mobs such as the Wither are simply milestones on the way to this spot.
Terraria’s survival experience prioritizes shelter and safety over all things - the main factors deciding how well the player is doing is what kind of base they have to return to after returning (or respawning) from an expedition across the world or underground. Bosses are far more common inTerrariathan they are in other sandbox survival games likeMinecraft, but this does not diminish their quality. To the contrary, every boss from that first Eye of Cthulhu through to the mechanical bosses of hard mode and beyond all feel like cinematic, monumental battles.
But thelong line of bossesin this game has to end somewhere, and the Moon Lord is that final obstacle for players who have run the gambit of every other boss-related challenge in the game. Summoning the Moon Lord is a saga in itself that asks players to slay many previous foes, and for the final battle, players should be prepared for a tough, stressful battle. The rewards for beating this boss are great however, and players can expect some fantastic loot from such an achievement.
Psychopaths are some ofthe most iconic aspectsof theDead Risingseries, showing that even in a zombie apocalypse, it’s often the humans who remain the most dangerous threats. From neurotic grocers to glamorous assassins and ruthless kingpins, the series does a fantastic job not just in showcasing psychopaths, but showcasing them as a spectrum. On one end there’s the delusional villains who have been broken by the apocalypse, while on the other, there are those opportunists utilizing the apocalypse to stay one step ahead of the other survivors.
The Bailey Twins are closer to the latter end of this spectrum, a dual boss fight that sees them attack the player with both strength and speed. They’re both able to trip up Chuck and their blade attacks can be lethal very fast.
Valheim has an interesting system for its bosses - there aren’t that many of them, but the each represent another escalation in the game and act as a milestone of sorts for players as they continue to make a settlement for themselves in the wilds.
The Queen is easilythe hardest bossin the game, and as the final boss, she provides an excellent, cinematic finale to the player’s efforts. She is a colossal insectoid creature who can ruthlessly tear through the unprepared.
The King Titan is considered by many to be the hardest boss in a game renowned for its difficulty. The King Titan and its armies are an essential part ofArk: Survival Evolved’s lore, and one of the central reasons for the creation of the Arks to begin with.
Tackling this monstrosity of a boss will require high level gear, several allies, and several tamed beasts ready to push forward the frontlines. Players should not go into a fight with this colossal boss expecting a picnic.
