7 Games That Begin With Boss Battles

Key Takeaways

• Some games introduce bosses early as a challenge, like Dante’s Inferno & Blasphemous 2.
• Important games like God of War showcase powerful surprise bosses.
• Elden Ring sees the Grafted Scion as a harsh initial boss like the Asylum Demon in Dark Souls.

Video games and bosses go hand in hand. In this day and age, it’s very hard to find a title that does not have at least one boss to guard a precious treasure or block the entrance to an area that’s necessary to complete the game. Not all games have challenging bosses, but even when they’re relatively easy to defeat, they might require a unique strategy and add a layer of depth to any story.

Although many games choose to wait a few hours before introducing bosses to players, there are others that prefer to give them a challenge straight away, even if they only have one phase. In most cases, this leaves players shocked and often intimidated by the early obstacle that’s been placed in front of them. Here are some of the best games that begin with a boss battle.

7 Dante’s Inferno

A Hellish Adventure Based On The World-famous Work Of Dante Alighieri

• Partially based on the Divine Comedy
• Players will face Death in the first few minutes of the game

The Divine Comedy is arguably one of the most famous literary works in the history of the world. Not only did it immortalize Dante Alighieri as one of the most iconic writers to ever exist, but it also gave readers an eerie look into Hell, and an interesting perspective on Limbo, Purgatory, and Heaven. Dante’s Inferno is a timeless classic from the Xbox 360 era that is partially based on the Divine Comedy, presenting players with the nine circles of Hell, and the many nightmares inside each one.

The game opens in the middle of a battle during the Crusades. After a few minutes of hacking and slashing at enemies, Dante is forced to battle none other than Death itself. Once players manage to defeat it, they will be rewarded with its scythe, which they will use for the rest of the game.

6 Blasphemous

Great Art Style And Influence From The Spanish Inquisition

• Amazing 16-bit art and Spanish Inquisition-like themes
• Players will face the Warden of the Silent Sorrow within the first 10 minutes of the game

Following the story of the Penitent One, Blasphemous presents players with an amazing world that shines thanks to its grim elements that combine hideous monsters and religious zealotry, the latter being quite fitting to the Spanish Inquisition. At the beginning of the game, players will have to face the Warden of the Silent Sorrow, who doesn’t have a complicated moveset, especially when compared to other bosses later in the game.

However, given how early he appears, he represents a significant threat that inexperienced players will more than likely die to a few times. While Blasphemous doesn’t feature as many weapons as its sequel, it’s still a wonderful title that successfully kicked off the franchise.

5 Blasphemous 2

Players Are Forced To Face A Boss In The First 5 Minutes Of The Game

• This title builds on its predecessor and fixes many mistakes
• Wider variety of weapons and attack moves

Regarded by many players to be a considerable improvement on its prequel, Blasphemous 2 introduces new weapons, moves, and challenging bosses like Eviterno, that will put players’ skills and patience to the test. Like its sequel, Blasphemous 2 will have players face off against an enemy within the first 10 minutes of gameplay.

Granted, the Faceless One, Chisel of Oblivion, isn’t hard to defeat, especially when compared to bosses like Sínodo, Hymn of the Thousand Voices, but given how early on he appears, it will represent a small challenge for players who never played the prequel and aren’t familiar with the game mechanics.

4 Cuphead

As Soon As Players Finish The Tutorial, They Will Be Challenged

• Several challenging bosses that get harder and harder
• The Root Pack are the first bosses players encounter

The story of Cuphead is amazing. Its creators believed so much in the game and the potential it had, that they even remortgaged their homes to keep financing it. This decision was risky, but it paid off massively and gave players one of the best cartoon-style games out there.

Cuphead is, by no means, a simple game to complete, as the bosses in it get increasingly harder, but what truly stands out at the beginning of the game is the Root Pack boss fight, which can be accessed right after players complete the tutorial. They’re not particularly challenging and are meant to be an additional introduction to the game, but even then, they’re a wonderful surprise.

While Cuphead can certainly be challenging, there are some great weapons in the base game and the DLC that players can use to make their lives easier.

3 Dark Souls

The Asylum Demon Is Almost Always A Losing Battle

• The Dark Souls franchise has many challenging bosses
• The Asylum Demon is not meant to be defeated by players

Few games have put players’ skills and patience to the test as much as Dark Souls and the Dark Souls franchise. The Dark Souls series is known for having powerful demon bosses, hollow humans, and other terrifying creatures that are unforgiving and extremely dangerous. The first boss players will encounter when they begin their journey through the first Dark Souls is the Asylum Demon.

This is one of those fights that players are not supposed to win, as the demon is much more powerful than players and can kill them with a few hits. During their runs, some experienced players manage to defeat it, but it’s not common, and certainly not expected from them.

2 God of War (2018)

A Mourning Kratos Is Taken By Surprise By A Powerful Foe

• Kratos and Atreus are interrupted by Baldur in a moment of grief
• This reboot breathed new life into the God of War franchise

The God of War franchise was already massive without a reboot thanks to the original trilogy that was released between 2000 and 2010. However, when God of War (2018) came out with improved game and combat mechanics, as well as a concept that reintroduced Kratos as a family man, longtime fans of the franchise were immediately captivated by this universe again.

This title opens with Kratos burning the body of his wife, the mother of his son, Atreus. And while this normally would be a moment full of grief, neither of them is allowed to mourn properly, as the Norse god, Baldur, interrupts them and fights Kratos. This unleashes a series of events that lead to the story of God of War (2018).

While the game is already amazing as it is, players who are enjoying it on PC should try some great weapons mods that are available.

1 Elden Ring

Some Might Defeat The Grafted Scion, But It’s Very Hard

• Elden Ring revolutionized Soulslike games
• The Grafted Scion is meant to defeat players

FromSoftware games were already very popular when Elden Ring came out, but this title revolutionized Soulslike games by presenting players with game mechanics often seen in the Dark Souls franchise, but inside an open-world setting that opened many new possibilities. At the beginning of the game, players will find themselves inside a small room. Once they exit it, they’ll have to follow a path that will eventually lead them to face the Grafted Scion, a monstrous creature with various limbs and thrusting attacks.

Like the Asylum Demon in Dark Souls, the Grafted Scion isn’t meant to be defeated, but it is possible if players are hellbent on it and use the right items.