6 Life Lessons I’ve Learned from Difficult Video Game Boss Fights

We’ve all been there. An hour later and you’re still stuck on the same boss fight. Whether it’s because of impossible to dodge one-hit KO moves or a health bar the size of a cruise liner, here’s some life lessons I’ve learned while trying to distract myself from my growing ungodly rage.

(Brought to you by like, the entirety of Hollow Knight.)

1. Sometimes the run where you think nothing is going right and you should give up is the one where you succeed. See it all the way through.

2. Some attacks are only deadly if you panic. Keep calm and don’t rush into a reflex reaction that may take you straight into danger.

3. There will always be a window of opportunity. Don’t take needless risks to try to win faster. Chip away at it if you need too.

4. If you’re getting really angry and frustrated, step away and take a break. Sometimes your anger makes you sloppy. Coming back refreshed could be what you need to succeed.

5. Every attempt is useful. Even if you fail, you’ve practiced and made the next try easier. Sometimes you might even learn something or figure something out you can use next time. No failure is a waste.

6. If you keep at it, success feels really, really good. Enjoy it!

– Joce Kofke, Class of 2019

Overcooked!

“Overcooked is a chaotic couch co-op cooking game for one to four players. Working as a team, you and your fellow chefs must prepare, cook and serve up a variety of tasty orders before the baying customers storm out in a huff. Sharpen your knives and dust off your chef’s whites, there isn’t mushroom for error and the steaks are high in these crazy kitchens!” Steam

Popular User Tags: Local Co-op, Local Multiplayer, Casual, Co-op

Specs:
– Single Player
– Local Multiplayer
– Local Co-op
– Shared/Split Screen
– Full Controller Support

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice

“From the makers of Heavenly Sword, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, and DmC: Devil May Cry, comes a warrior’s brutal journey into myth and madness. Set in the Viking age, a broken Celtic warrior embarks on a haunting vision quest into Viking Hell to fight for the soul of her dead lover. Created in collaboration with neuroscientists and people who experience psychosis, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice will pull you deep into Senua’s mind.” Steam

Popular User Tags: Atmospheric, Psychological, Female Protagonist

Specs:
– Single Player
– Full Controller Support

Lara Croft GO

“Lara Croft GO is a turn based puzzle-adventure set in a long-forgotten world. Explore the ruins of an ancient civilization, discover well-kept secrets and face deadly challenges as you uncover the myth of the Queen of Venom.” Steam

Popular User Tags: Adventure, Puzzle, Female Protagonist, Lara Croft

Specs:
– Single Player
– Full Controller Support

Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light

“Take control of Lara and her new partner Totec, a Mayan tribesman, and uncover the ancient artifact known as the “Mirror of Smoke” in this all new action adventure game.” Steam

Popular User Tags: Action, Adventure, Co-op, Local Co-op, Puzzle

Specs:

  • Single Player
  • Multiplayer
  • Split Screen
  • Partial Controller Support

Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris

“Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris is the sequel to the critically-acclaimed Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, and the first-ever four-player co-op experience with Lara Croft. Featuring stunning visuals and a brand-new story, players must work together to explore the temple, defeat hordes of enemies from the Egyptian underworld, solve devious puzzles, and avoid deadly traps. All the while, players will compete for treasure, powerful artifacts, and ultimate bragging rights.

Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris takes place deep in the deserts of Egypt. In her new adventure, Lara must join forces with rival treasure hunter Carter Bell and imprisoned gods Horus and Isis, to defeat the evil god Set. As Lara and her companions fight the elements of nature across the sands and through ancient tombs, they will battle legendary deities and creatures of myth. With the fate of the world at stake, Lara must recover the fragments of Osiris to stop Set from enslaving all mankind.” Steam

Popular User Tags: Adventure, Co-op, Action, Lara Croft, Puzzle

Specs:
– Single Player
– Multiplayer
– Co-op
– Split Screen
– Full Controller Support

Tomb Raider I

“Adventurer Lara Croft has been hired to recover the pieces of an ancient artifact known as the Scion. With her fearless acrobatic style she runs, jumps, swims and climbs her way towards the truth of its origin and powers – leaving only a trail of empty tombs and gun-cartridges in her wake.” Steam

Popular User Tags: Adventure, Action, Classic, Female Protagonist

Specs:
– Single Player

Tomb Raider II

” The second instalment in the Tomb Raider series invites you to join Lara as she travels around the globe to retrieve a precious artefact before it falls into the wrong hands. The legendary artefact, the Dagger of Xian, is said to give its possessor the power of a fire breathing dragon.” Steam

Popular User Tags: Action, Adventure, Female Protagonist, Classic

Specs:
– Single Player

Tomb Raider III: Adventures of Lara Croft

“Thousands of years ago a meteor crashed into Antarctica and the shockwaves of its impact are being felt in the modern age. Lara Croft will follow clues leading to a deadly secret, boldly leaping chasms and blasting monsters that no one has leaped or blasted before. This time she faces a mystery that’s from way out of this world. Tomb Raider III is a complex adventure that combines puzzles with high-speed action.” Steam

Popular User Tags: Adventure, Action, Female Protagonist, Classic

Specs:
– Single Player

Tomb Raider IV: The Last Revelation

“According to Egyptian legend, Horus, son of the light, outwitted the evil God Set and imprisoned him in a secret tomb. Five thousand years later, Lara Croft discovers the lost tomb and unwittingly unleashes the evil God Set, fulfilling the ancient prophecy of his return to plunge mankind into darkness! ” Steam

Popular User Tags: Adventure, Action, Female Protagonist, Lara Croft

Specs:
– Single Player