Video games pit players against countless odds. No matter the difficulty, the player should come out victorious, driving them to continue playing. The player should feel like they are in control and that the only limitations are determined by the player’s skill. However, that is not always the case in certain games. Some titles require the player to bite the bullet in order to progress further, which completely deviates from the traditional stance. Why then, does this trend persist today? Does the game want the player to suffer from defeat? While that may be the quick and dirty answer, the reason is much more intuitive: a hopeless scenario highlights a game’s narration and connection with the player.
What makes a conflict unwinnable?
But these unwinnable fights add more to the game than just agony. Many of them are staged, paving the way to a proper fight or a story cutscene that sheds light on the situation. Others open opportunities to remind players about the game’s overarching themes. Two games, in particular, Paper Mario and Persona 4, highlight these two scenarios.
The taste of defeat in Paper Mario’s hopeless fight
The first Paper Mario game, released on the Nintendo 64 in 2000, showcases an unwinnable fight early in the adventure. The player’s first battle is against the game’s final boss, Bowser. The battle plays out as normal until Bowser makes himself invulnerable by using the stolen Star Rod, which quickly turns the tides in his favor. Thus, the player can do nothing except witness Bowser effortlessly KO them with an unavoidable attack.
The concept of a baddies easily turning the tables on the player sets a foreboding tone for the rest of the game. For the first time, Bowser defeats Mario in a one-on-one fight and achieves his ultimate goal of kidnapping Princess Peach. He has full dominance of the Mushroom Kingdom and there is nothing the player can do about it. Bowser’s sudden victory plants fear into the player. They can no longer win the game if Bowser is the last thing standing between them and the end. However, the game quickly reminds the player that this is only the beginning of Mario’s quest to reclaim the kingdom from tyranny. By losing all their hope, the player now understands what is at stake. It opens their eyes, motivating them to play the game and overcome the impossible. Thus, when Mario encounters Bowser at the game’s climax and challenges him to a rematch, Bowser’s defeat is made all the more sweeter because of it. That feeling of dethroning Bowser, who had achieved ultimate power over the player, could only be made by Mario’s humiliating defeat earlier.
The somber message of Persona 4’s hopeless fight
Persona 4, originally released on the PS2 in 2008, drives this point home as well with its true final boss. At first, the fight plays out like any standard boss battle. But instead of becoming invulnerable, the enemy begins a series of unavoidable, instant kill moves on the main protagonist. However, three of these attempts are foiled by the player’s current party members who sacrifice themselves in order to save the protagonist. With the player all alone with the monster, the boss succeeds in killing the protagonist, but a heartwarming cutscene miraculously revives him.
Persona 4’s gameplay and narrative revolves around the theme of meaningful relationships. The player is required to forge connections with various NPCs and their own party members throughout the game. Each bond the player makes allows them to not only pursue greater powers in battle, but also connects them on a more personal level. As a result, the player establishes a sense of respect for every person they have talked to. All of that is immediately taken away from the player in the last moments of the adventure. With each party member the player trusts falling to a demise too gruesome to imagine, the player becomes more and more distraught. They were about to discover the truth behind the game’s plot points, but now they have to pay the ultimate price. It is a feeling of loss, which is exactly what the game wants to remind the player that they are dealing with. However, the boss fight prompts the player to recognise what allowed them to reach that point: people. Despite the player losing everything, the authenticity of their bonds with others grants the player the strength to endure the boss’s onslaught. In other words, the player has had that power the entire time; it just needed to be realized. That realization could only come from the devastating nature of the boss fight.
Closing thoughts
Have any thoughts on the games mentioned or wanted to bring attention another game that does a great hopeless boss fight? Start a discussion below!
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