Every Boss in Hyper Light Breaker, Ranked

In each playthrough of Hyper Light Breaker, there are numerous boss encounters, with three battles featured per run, and the ability to randomly choose a handful of special fights to replace some of these.

These supervisors are quite demanding, and they aren’t shy about expressing their expectations. They’ll constantly barrage you with waves of adversaries, powerful strikes, and giant sword swipes without any prior notice. It’s akin to being in the middle of a hailstorm of projectiles – a real “bullet hell” scenario.

As a dedicated gamer, I’m about to grade these boss battles based on three key factors: the balance of their difficulty, the creative design of both the boss and its battlefield, and overall, the quality of the combat experience they offer.

In my evaluation, the incentives for managers can occasionally be unpredictable, as they don’t always guarantee a specific reward. However, the consistent prize is the cloak that enables character selection, which I won’t consider in this boss ranking process.

4. Crown of Tears (Re-Fight)

Dried Up

Contrary to what the user interface might imply, entering a new world will always have you face only two bosses in the entire game. Remarkably, the Crown of Tears has not one but two rematches with identical mechanics for each encounter.

In a nutshell, the initial rematch is undeniably the hardest enemy in the game. It forces you into a curved cavern filled with various crystals, omits the introductory scene, and retains its likeness with only minor differences.

The health meter and defensive capabilities are slightly increased, and it seems that more dogs appear in a somewhat crowded battlefield. These changes make the encounter feel overly challenging and unnecessary.

A more straightforward approach would be to make the Crown of Flames the second boss in each run rather than the initial boss sometimes, thus eliminating the need for a repeated fight. This change would likely yield a superior outcome with less exertion.

Rather than the usual Crown of Tears, which presents its challenge within the designated arena, this one offers a slightly tougher experience by being placed elsewhere, possibly requiring you to face it multiple times consecutively, draining your energy.

The assaults aren’t getting any more exciting; the battlefield feels dull and disconnected from the game’s storyline, and I’m hoping it gets taken out in an upcoming update.

3. Crown of Tears (Re-Fight 2)

Undue Reward

In reality, the ultimate opponent in the Early Access game turns out to be none other than the hapless dog-man character once more. It can be quite disheartening to enter the battlefield with your camera misaligned, only to be ambushed instantly by his powerful leap attack.

I prefer it over the initial rematch because of its intriguing setting – an unusual, multi-hued chapel. This arena features collapsible pillars, which provide exciting opportunities for maneuvering around (kiting) and strategically handling opponents.

Despite its unique qualities, that’s essentially the same battle you’re facing, albeit with quicker assaults, additional shockwaves, and an incredibly durable health meter.

In another phrasing, my build nearly instantaneously defeated the Crown of Flames, yet despite its strength, vanquishing this foe took quite some time due to its persistent use of ranged attacks and summoning minor adversaries to keep me at bay.

The aftershocks grate on me, foes remain just as annoying as before, and beyond the battlefield, everything seems remarkably familiar – much like the initial Crown of Tears battlefield.

I just hope that the initial skirmish, which held a glimmer of possibility, could have evolved into something genuinely distinctive right from the start, but unfortunately, it rarely does.

It ends up being a pale imitation that leaves me sick of playing the game after finishing a run.

2. Crown of Tears

Surefire Sadness

In most cases, the Crown of Tears serves as the initial boss you’ll face in Hyper Light Breaker, often leaving a moderate impact on your initial opinion about boss battles.

This character has several compelling aspects; it’s a corrupt, war-weary werewolf, sporting an unusual, striking appearance, particularly on its sword. Engaging in battle within a cathedral significantly enhances the ambiance.

In addition, their assaults are meticulously synchronized, using subtle signals such as a single or double sword thrust hinting at a single or double slash, while a leap back indicates the creation of powerful shockwaves.

Where this boss falls apart is the massive number of dogs flooding the arena.

It’s problematic to put these aggressive dogs in the same arena because their signals for an impending attack are already poor, making it even more difficult.

In the design, you’ll either need to maintain a defensive stance for an extended period or possess sufficient offensive power to eliminate each adversary with a single strike.

It would be fascinating to explore a scenario where the boss battles aren’t interrupted by predictable generic adversaries, and instead offer diverse strategies through additional attack patterns.

All the Crown of Tears does is slash at you and occasionally jump to make shockwaves.

Despite being foreseeable, these situations allow for an effortless avoidance, as if dodging an attack.

Or,

Though both events are expected, it’s simple to evade them like stepping aside from a confrontation.

It’s not making things easier that you need to battle it multiple times, with certain stages featuring three distinct battles, each one as dull and aggravating as the last. Worst of all, there are no other formidable opponents around.

Over time, I’ve grown weary of countering its assaults using pure intuition, observing how it manages to block every single attack I throw without ever stumbling, and doing my best to survive amidst the constant harassment.

In summary, it possesses an extraordinary ambiance, making it appear suitable as a challenging opponent. However, the approach taken to present enemies is less than ideal if one is expected to have faith in overcoming them during combat.

1. Crown of Flames

Power Scaling

I prefer spending time with the Lizard-like Crown of Flames over the Crown of Tears, mainly because its aggressive style and wide-open battlefield invite direct confrontations.

Or:

I find myself enjoying the Lizard-esque Crown of Flames more than the Crown of Tears, thanks to its combative nature and open combat arena that promotes straight-up fights.

In this setting, the recurring appearance of adversaries remains just as irritating, yet the expansive battlefield provides ample room for maneuvering. This extra space enables you to dodge and lead them into strategic positions, even triggering larger attacks, which makes for an exciting tactical approach.

As a gamer, let me tell you, taking on that lizard boss in the colossal arena is way more exhilarating than battling the dog. The adrenaline rush when he charges at you with giant fists is unmatched, and it’s an aesthetic experience that’s hard to beat. Plus, dodging and parrying his attacks adds a thrilling layer of strategy to the fight.

The most frustrating aspects of this battle resemble those in every other encounter, including bothersome adversaries, overly precise block timing, and the inconvenience of having to retrieve fresh gear upon death.

After surmounting those obstacles, it becomes quite thrilling to persistently pursue him, deflecting his blows when he attacks, dodging the colossal whirlwinds he conjures, and engaging in a fierce battle until one of us falls.

Or simply:

Once you manage to overcome those challenges, it’s incredibly exciting to relentlessly chase him, blocking his attacks, dodging his summoned tornadoes, and battling fiercely until one of us is defeated.

Engaging such a combatant who perceives you as a peer, instead of an overwhelming adversary, makes for an authentic sparring session – one that I find most enjoyable among all battles within the game.

If your weapon is effective against both individual opponents and groups, and delivers decent damage to them, the battle should feel smooth, enjoyable, and balanced. Otherwise, it might be challenging for you to emerge victorious.

Overcoming obstacles with something powerful enough to swiftly defeat adversaries provides a fantastic sensation, often stemming from feelings of aggravation.

Ideally, the battle should have been a fair contest between you and a rival of equal strength. If they adjusted the frequency of enemy appearances, penalized you less for trying new things, and made successful parries cause staggering effects, it would be an amazing experience. Unfortunately, that’s not what we received in this game.

From my perspective, I’d rather steer clear of any repeat bouts against him. Such encounters would undeniably make for a less draining experience.

2025-02-05 14:40