It All Comes Down To This
With the year coming to a close, many a gamer is looking back and reflecting on 2018’s biggest and best additions. While there have certainly been some incredible contenders, very few have come close to delivering on what many consider to be a “final battle.” Oh sure, there have been plenty of epic small scale skirmishes, but nothing that quite measures up to these larger than life conclusions!
#5: Desperate Alliance
“StarCraft†(1998)
When playing through the Terran campaign of this sci-fi real time strategy classic, it’s not long before you come to this intense standoff. The mission’s objective is simply to defend your base and survive the Zerg onslaught until the timer runs out. The mission is both difficult and fun, making the player feel like they are part of a intense alien conflict. Balancing resource and unit management forced players to learn the game fast or fall to the Zerg. Whether you decide to go on the offensive or play it safe and protect your base, this video game battle manages to stand out from the rest.
#4: Battle of Endor
“Star Wars: Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader†(2001)
The climactic battle of the second Death Star is brought to life in this space combat classic. In the final mission of the game’s campaign, you take control of Wedge Antilles and are tasked with holding off the Imperial forces until the Death Star’s shield generator is deactivated before taking the fight to the Death Star itself. The game does an excellent job of placing you in the midst of a massive and iconic space battle in the Star Wars universe, and holds up exceptionally well even today. Finally, at the game’s conclusion, the player destroys the Death Star and makes their big escape alongside Lando piloting the Millennium Falcon.
#3: Complete Mayhem
“Bully†(2006)
A prep school riot serves as the backdrop of one of Rockstar’s most memorable missions. At the conclusion of “Bully,†main character Jimmy Hopkins has earned the respect of each of the school’s factions one-by-one, but arch-enemy Gary has gotten Jimmy expelled and instigated a riot. Jimmy teams up with the allies he’s made over the course of the game to quell the school’s riot and expose Gary, eventually getting himself re-admitted to Bullworth Academy. The level serves as a perfect cap to the hilariously ridiculous game, one that we hope Rockstar might revisit one day.
#2: The Battle of Kaer Morhen
“The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt†(2015)
One of the highlights of CD Projekt Red’s modern day RPG classic was this defense against the Wild Hunt assault on the Witcher stronghold of Kaer Morhen. Taking on the role of Geralt of Rivia, players are tasked with protecting the fortress from a supernatural army known as the Wild Hunt. The player begins by making several strategic choices that can affect the outcome of the battle. When the assault begins, Geralt must protect the stronghold from being overtaken by the Wild Hunt forces. It’s an immensely enjoyable experience with strong gameplay, superb storytelling and a fitting emotional payoff.
#1: D-Day
“Call of Duty 2†(2005)
It doesn’t get much more iconic than this. Back before it became the military FPS behemoth that it is today, “Call of Duty†was a young upstart franchise looking to overthrow “Medal of Honor†as the king of World War Two games. With the game’s second numbered installment in 2005, players eventually found themselves storming the beaches of Normandy as an American soldier, watching allies being gunned down as the deafening sounds of artillery and conflict surround you. It’s a truly stunning experience that feels incredibly cinematic, and one that the “Call of Duty†games have been unable to recreate in the years since.
Be sure to check out the video below to see our picks for the Top 10 Epic Boss Battles of All Time.
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