FPS bosses suck: Yes, No, Why?

Holding the FPS genre up to others, I've noticed that it stands pretty well, especially broadened with elements from others (stealth, RPG, adventure, etc…), but there's two things FPSs don't seem to do well, platforming and boss fights. The former is understandable as a side effect of the camera angle (and perhaps the decline of platformers during the FPS era,) but I can't really think of a good reason for the latter.

Sadly, every FPS boss I can think of is a boring Damage-Sponge Boss, with a few oddball examples like Descent's reactor or Doom's Icon of Sin, which are basically the same thing with a bunch more little tiny sponges. Can anyone else recall an FPS boss that they really liked?

I've thought about this myself. Portal was the only example I could think of with a interesting first person boss fight — but then again, it's a Puzzle Boss, and not really a fight. And Portal's not your average shooter, either.

Half Life 2 had Strider and Helicopter fights which were kind of interesting.

You're right, though. There aren't too many at all.

Meta Ridley. Just to name one. The Prime series did first-person boss fights pretty well (barring some exceptions).

Does Saxon Hale count?

Well, the reason they kinda suck is that a lot of FPS bosses tend to be humanoid in some way, and you can only have it go "Dude, I shot you point blank with a 12-gauge" "Nuh-uh, had Kevlar on" for so long before it gets frustrating.

Anyway, good FPS bosses... I honestly can't really think of any that were incredible or anything, and I'm a big FPS fan.

edited 22nd Jul '11 4:35:57 AM by TravisBickle

I think you mean "modern FPS bosses suck".

Portal, Portal2, the Metroid Prime series..the boss battles in them didn't suck. Mirrors Edge technically didn't have a boss battle, but considering it's basically "Speed Run: The Game", the last level is a bitch to complete in a short amount of time.

edited 22nd Jul '11 4:36:38 AM by tendollarlameo

...How are the Portal games not modern?

Also, here's an FPS boss that didn't suck - Gary. Fucking. Coleman.

And I Bthis topic gets deleted for being "negative"

Maybe just edit the title? The orignal post doesn't come across as particualrly whiney or anything, and the thread so far hasn't been. I, for one, think it's a fairly interesting point to discuss.

Edit: Have just watched a video of Dark Samus from Metroid Prime 3. Kinda awesome.

edited 22nd Jul '11 4:46:42 AM by Nicknacks

Oh, I'm not saying it should be deleted or anything of the sort. Just that this place at times feels a lot like that Treehouse of Horror episode where Ned Flanders ruled the world.

Edit—- nothing to see. :P

edited 22nd Jul '11 4:48:41 AM by Nicknacks

The only real good fire person shooter bosses I can think of all belong to the Metroid Prime series and that's because they were weird and had interesting moves and gimmicks. They didn't just shoot back, in fact, they probably didn't shoot back, they had all sorts of means of attacking and interesting ways to counter back.

Blame it on modern stuff having mostly humanoids now. They just don't open up as much room for doing interesting things.

Modern as in, Call of Duty Modern Warfare, the new Medal of Honor, or Battlefield 3.

As in war games.

You forget Cyberdemon.

Of course, spider mastermind is patehtic if you bear the BFG-9000 (point blank one shot kill, anyone?)

You mean brown, cover based, regenerating health shooters that are ruining games forever and blah blah blah...

edited 22nd Jul '11 5:03:36 AM by Neo_Crimson

I haven't played it, but does Metroid Prime really count as an FPS?

Yes.

EDIT: To elaborate... It's in first-person, and you shoot stuff (as the main weaponry game mechanic thingy.)

edited 22nd Jul '11 5:13:22 AM by Sabbo

Not really. They're first person adventure games.

Uh...what? It's in a first-person perspective and you shoot things. What more do you want?

The entire final level of Deus Ex was essentially one big boss...level...battle...thing.

It has a greater focus on exploration and puzzles, but it's still a first person shooter.

edited 22nd Jul '11 5:22:54 AM by Ramus

It's no more an FPS than Super Metroid is a side-scrolling shump. They're action/adventure games, the perspective has no bearing on the genre of the game itself.

edited 22nd Jul '11 5:43:06 AM by TravisBickle

I reiterate. It's in a first-person perspective and you shoot things. That fits the definition of a First Person Shooter. I don't see why any more distinction needs to be made.

No, Super Metroid is more of a platformer with a greater focus on exploration and item collection. Action/Adventure really has no definition, to be be honest.

edited 22nd Jul '11 6:34:27 AM by Ramus

"First-person shooter (FPS) is a video game genre which centers the gameplay around gun and projectile weapon-based combat through the first person perspective"

Boy you're right, that doesn't sound anything at all like the Metroid Prime series.

Being in first person where you shoot is not the same as being a first person shooter. I guess that means Resident Evil 2 is a third person shooter because you're in third person and you shoot things, right? The focuses are completely different. If you can't see the big differences in gameplay between Metroid Prime and something else out at the same time like Time Splitters 2, then...