Summary
Tutorial bosses, in many cases, differ from first bosses in both forgiveness and skill. They exist primarily to teach certain mechanics, or to kick-start a plot that will unravel at a faster pace throughout therest of the game. Despite such a mundane purpose, tutorial bosses, if designed right, can be a lot of fun.
With FromSoftware turning their tutorials into encounters that distribute bragging rights, many games have started to evolve tutorial bosses into more advanced encounters that reward immense skill displayed early on. They might not necessarily be encountered from the word go, but players reaching the end of a gentle first area tend to be surprised with what’s in store for them when a boss well above their skill level comes crashing into a tutorial area.
Players familiar with the first outing inBioWare’sKnights of The Old Republicserieswould be forgiven for putting their trust in the docile HK unit found in the maintenance bays of Peragus 2. While seemingly helpful, attempting to progress the story reveals its far more malicious motive.
Upon the arrival of the derelictHarbinger, attempting to board the ship and leave the tutorial area sees players face off against the two-faced droid, immediately inverting the trusting companionship of HK-47 from the previous game. It’s a great way to introduce the idea that much has changed since the last game, even if the fight itself is a little repetitive.
Aptly named, Toriel guides the player early on inUndertale,introducing them to the lore and some of the mechanics of the game. She seems hesitant to allow the player to travel freely throughout the Underground, but can be persuaded should the player defeat her in a small battle.
Whilst it is a safe encounter that cannot be failed, it serves as a great way of foreshadowing that combat is not the only way to playUndertale- if the player desires,peace can be achievedthrough a handful of different methods.
Metal Gear Risingopens with Raidenprotecting the Prime Minister of an unnamed African country, and quickly escalates into a bold, violent encounter with multiple RAYs as they attempt to assassinate him. They may only be there to teach the game’s controls, but they do an apt job of showing the new way in whichMetal Gearis being interpreted.
No longer stealth, extreme swordplay is key, and Raiden marches around dicing up RAYs like there’s no tomorrow. It’s clear thatMetal Gear Risingis a different game from this encounter, and it beautifully integrates the game into the series' well-established canon.
One of the most iconic openings in gaming, The Goliath immediately introduces the massive scale ofNieR:Automata’ssci-fi universe. Tiny mobs are sprinkled through this stage, teaching various mechanics along the way, until 2Bfaces the gigantic machineherself.
The huge scale of this fight immediately impresses on players the type of gameNieR:Automatawill be, compelling them to play on if the tutorial boss can bethatgood. It might be simplistic, as most tutorial bosses can be, but it is nevertheless engaging, and the scale of the fight is jaw-dropping.
Devil May Cryboss fights arealways ludicrously fun affairs; from the killer soundtracks to the meticulous nature of stacking combos, these features carry over into the fourth entry of the series to create an intriguing first boss, and there’s even a great twist to accompany it.
Series protagonist Dante is on the receiving end of a beatdown this time around, and despite offering very little in the way of new abilities, manages to call back to many of his old moves in a way that’s fun and rewarding for seasoned players of the series.
Demon Soulsmight have begun the punishing tradition of merciless tutorial bosses, but it wasDark Souls’Asylum Demon that made them infamous. Deceptively challenging, the Asylum Demon is a masterfully challenging encounter, wielding strong attacks to hide a soft underbelly.
Careful character creation canmake the Asylum Demon ridiculously easy, while practice and patience can mean the beast is felled even without some handy tools. This boss creates an excellent atmosphere of mystery and wonder that FromSoftware has yet to replicate.
There’s a lot of build-up tothis first beast hunt, given Geralt’s profession. The amount of work that goes into this boss, from the tracking to the weapons to the oils, makes this a highly immersive introduction toThe Witcher 3for new fans.
It’s incredibly engaging and offers a suitable distraction to the drastic hunt for Yennifer that takes up many of the earlier missions. The fact that CD Projekt Red dedicated an entire area to tutoring players in the area - with White Orchard serving little purpose outside of this boss hunt - should be commended.
The tragic arc ofShadow of The Colossus,and the implications of the player character’s path of violence, are first seeped into the narrative in the battle with this first Colossi, whose simplistic method of defeat hints at the possible brutality of the main character.
With such an immense enemy, the scale and scope ofShadow of The Colossusare immediately laid out before the player in an enjoyable and minimalistic way. While other games might want to showcase a more diverse set of controls and qualities, it is toShadow of The Colossus’advantage that this fight is sparse.
The first mission ofFinal Fantasy 7immediately informs players they are not getting anything like the slow, patient opening ofFinal Fantasy 6. A mission gone wrong, the party ambushed by the Guard Scorpion, while some of the most iconic music in video games plays in the background is an unforgettable experience.
With two distinct phases and an experience rooted in the new cyberpunk world ofFF7, the Guard Scorpion is an engaging beginning to one of the best games in the franchise. Sure, Barrett’s instructions don’t quite make sense in the English localization and mightmake the fight harder than necessary,but aside from such a small flaw, the Guard Scorpion encounter does well to distinguish itself from what came before in the series.
Sekirois as a film as it is a game. The poetic cyclism of starting and ending the game against Genichiro Ashina, with both fights being winnable (even if the rewards in the tutorial are poor), is beautifully crafted and intense.
Genichiro’s first fightis a battle of swords, and the later skills (and arms) The Young Wolf can make use of are absent. It’s a challenge, to be sure, but a fair one. Most players are bound to lose this fight anyway, and only the most skilled swordsmen - or New Game+ players - will see the hidden cutscene that comes with a victory.
