Bioshock's Final Boss: A Divisive Conclusion
The Final Boss of Bioshock is widely disliked by players of the classic FPS game, as the game celebrates its 20th anniversary. In the thread titled "What is the worst final boss?", users of the forum site discuss their opinions on the infamous final battle of the first Bioshock.
Some users feel that the boss feels shoehorned into the story and that the game didn't need a typical final boss fight. Others argue that the boss fight with Andrew Ryan was much more impactful than the final boss.
"It felt so out of place. It was like they suddenly remembered the game was ending and needed a boss fight. The game had been so good up until that point and then it was just a letdown," one user writes. "The final battle with Ryan felt so much more satisfying and impactful because it was a final confrontation rather than a fight."
Many users express confusion about the identity of the actual final boss, with some mistakenly believing it was Andrew Ryan. The final boss is revealed to be Atlas/Fontaine, and some users criticize the boss fight for being forgettable and unnecessary.
"The reveal that Atlas was a bad guy all along was dumb and out of left field," one user writes. "I'd have rather Fontaine was the final boss and turned out to be an actual good person instead of a bad guy."
Some users make humorous comparisons, such as comparing Fontaine to Dr. Manhattan from Watchmen. Others suggest alternative ideas for a final challenge, like defending against waves of enemies while making your way to the surface of Rapture.
"I'm going to say that Bioshock Infinite has the best approach to bosses," one user writes. "They are set up like boss fights but ultimately they're killed by Elizabeth or they just give up." The user humorously mentions the memorable boss fight with the ghost in Infinite.
Another user mentions Bioshock 2, which the community generally seems to agree is the worst Bioshock game, and argues that it is actually the best Bioshock game due to the combat. "The combat of Bioshock 2 is so much better than the other games," the user writes. "It's not perfect but I enjoyed it much more."
Another user criticizes Bioshock 2 for feeling like a cash grab and lacking the twists of the other games. The user mentions that there was talk of a sequel for Bioshock 2 but that it ultimately didn't happen. "The publisher wanted a sequel, I think," the user writes.
The idea of a final boss being forced by the publisher is mentioned, as well as the desire for a sequel. "Bioshock 2 is still my favorite," one user writes. "I think it would be good with a sequel."
Some users appreciate the fact that the boss fight with Atlas allows the player to kill Andrew Ryan with his own golf club. "One of my favorite quotes in the game is when you finally get to Andrew Ryan and you can use his golf club to kill him," one user writes.
The concept of the player being stuck in a loop or going through the motions of a video game is discussed, with some users interpreting it as a meta commentary on the player's actions.
"The whole game is about us being stuck in a loop," one user writes. "We kill Fontaine and then get killed by him." They continue, "The whole game is about us going through the motions of a shooter," and express their love for a memorable line from Atlas.
Another user writes, "The meta commentary on the player's actions is what I really loved about it. Most games just want us to be mindless shooting things, but here, the player is stuck in a loop and forced to kill the same people over and over again, and that's the point."
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