Hyper Light Breaker offers players an exhilarating array of intense boss battles, consisting of three encounters per gameplay run and a roster of unique foes to challenge. As players engage in these encounters, they are met with relentless assaults, formidable adversaries, and moments reminiscent of the tortuous battles found in Dark Souls.
This article ranks the game’s bosses based on several criteria, including the fairness of their challenges, the design of the encounters and arenas, and the overall engagement level of each fight. However, the rewards dropped by these bosses vary randomly, with the only guaranteed items being cloaks needed to unlock new characters. Thus, rewards will not influence this ranking.
4 Crown of Tears (Re-Fight)
Dried Up
While the game’s interface may indicate otherwise, players only encounter two primary bosses during gameplay, with the Crown of Tears offering two similar re-fights utilizing the same mechanics. Unfortunately, the first re-fight serves as the weakest encounter in the game, placing players in a U-shaped cave decorated with crystals. The absence of an opening cutscene combined with marginally increased health and defense makes this battle feel redundant and uninviting.
This encounter adds a few more dog enemies, compounding the difficulties of navigating a cramped arena. The frustrations are exacerbated by the fact that a more engaging option could have easily replaced this fight, allowing the Crown of Flames to serve as the second boss in every playthrough instead.
Ultimately, the re-fight presents a Crown of Tears that is more tiresome than challenging, inviting fatigue rather than excitement with its uninspired attacks and lackluster arena.
3 Crown of Tears (Re-Fight 2)
Undue Reward
As players make their way through Early Access content, they inevitably face the game’s so-called “final boss, ” the dog-like antagonist once again, leading to disappointment upon entering an arena where you immediately face assault from a surprise leap attack.
This re-fight becomes slightly more engaging due to the visually intriguing chapel arena filled with destructible pillars, which promote tactical movement. However, it still falls flat as it retains the same lack of innovation as its predecessor, featuring slightly quicker attacks and more shockwaves without introducing anything new.
The frustrating aspect of this encounter lies in its lengthy health bar, stretching the inevitable victory beyond enjoyment, even when players are equipped with the best gear. The barrage of ranged attacks and relentless enemy spawns add to the challenge, but ultimately detract from any sense of uniqueness.
2 Crown of Tears
Surefire Sadness
Typically serving as the initial boss encounter for players in Hyper Light Breaker, the Crown of Tears sets a somewhat underwhelming tone despite its impressive character design as a corrupted wolfman brandishing an elaborate sword. The atmospheric cathedral setting enhances the battle, contributing to the overall experience.
With well-orchestrated attack patterns and unique animations, players receive clear cues regarding single and double sword slashes, as well as shockwave attacks. However, the presence of numerous dog enemies complicates the encounter significantly.
The chaotic nature of these smaller foes, compounded with their unclear attack signals, detracts from the primary boss fight, ultimately leading to a tedious experience. Ideally, the focus would remain on the Crown of Tears, but the overwhelming presence of other enemies forces players into a defensive position, feeling less like skilled fighters and more like overwhelmed survivors.
An ideal scenario would involve the removal of these additional enemies to allow greater focus on the engaging boss mechanics and diverse movesets. Nonetheless, players are left to combat predictable slash attacks and shockwave jumps without the depth that variety can provide.
1 Crown of Flames
Power Scaling
Among the bosses, the Crown of Flames stands out as a more thrilling and engaging encounter compared to Crown of Tears, boasting a more aggressive fighting style within a spacious arena that promotes dynamic engagement. Despite the frustrations with enemy spawning, the larger battleground allows for greater mobility, enabling players to maneuver strategically while luring the boss into powerful attacks.
The lizard-inspired design of the Crown of Flames, coupled with its dramatic combat aesthetic, creates an undeniably captivating experience when paired with the opportunity to parry its imposing assaults. Although it shares challenges common to other encounters, such as annoying enemy factions and strict timing for counters, overcoming these obstacles reveals the depth of this particular fight.
Players relishing in powerful single-target damage attacks will find themselves enjoying an exceptional balance of flow and combat strategy, while individuals unprepared to tackle additional enemies may encounter significant difficulties. Successfully defeating this foe offers a sense of accomplishment, especially when it involves overcoming prior frustrations.
In a more refined setting, this battle could truly emerge as a hallmark of boss design, emphasizing fluidity and engagement, especially if adjustments were made to reduce enemy respawns and enhance parry mechanics. Luckily, the absence of rematches with the Crown of Flames ensures its place as a less exhausting but satisfying challenge.
Overall, despite some imperfections, the Crown of Flames encapsulates the thrill of engaging with a worthy opponent, solidifying its title as the standout boss in Hyper Light Breaker.
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