Board Thread:Element Knight 375's Discussion Board™/@comment-4743273-20150429004013/@comment-4743273-20150701003059

Well, I don't actually have anything particular in mind, but I know I've seen boss battles (or more generally, hard parts in a game) that are so difficult and time-consuming that getting through them stops feeling rewarding and just feels like a relief to be done with. I feel like if it goes that far, then the player's time is being wasted.

Don't get me wrong, if a boss battle is hard and takes a few tries to beat, that's fine. If it gets to the point where it takes upward of, say, ten tries... then I feel like something is wrong. Basically, I feel like a boss battle should involve a balance of challenge and learning. An ideal boss battle is one where you learn something with each attempt, and become better and better equipped to deal with the challenge. But, if the challenge is so serious that learning all the details of it barely matters, I feel it's probably too hard.

It seems like a good example is the Shao Kahn boss battle, because he flings projectile after projectile at you and repeatedly cuts off your rhythm, so you can't help but have a hard time.