Home Games Boss Rush: Bravely Default (3DS)
Boss Rush: Bravely Default (3DS)

Boss Rush: Bravely Default (3DS)

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In all honesty, the title ‘ Boss Rush’ could actually serve as an adequate description of Bravely Default‘s second half. The first half was absolutely brilliant, proving that despite how old and overplayed the idea is, travelling around the world to purify the four crystals of the elements can actually still work. The only problem is that you then do it again. And again. And again. And again. And-

If that was boring to read, imagine how mind-numbingly dreary it is to play. The guardians of the crystals don’t change their tactics in the slightest and become bloody pushovers by the game’s end, the dungeons are still the exact same layout and basically, I would have more fun listening to a Smiths record at a funeral.

So, what’s the saving grace of the game, then? The final bosses make it absolutely worth it. They’re some of the most epic and cathartic confrontations I’ve ever had in an RPG and absolutely made up for the slog of fighting the crystal guardians sixteen times in total over the course of the game. But who are these final bosses? Spoilers abound, obviously, but the game’s been out for a good while so I imagine anyone who cares that much has either played the game themselves or already knows regardless. On with the article, then!

[SPOILER WARNING]

Airy

airy

This bint. God I hate her stupid face and her squeaky voice and her annoying fixation on the crystals and just EVERYTHING ABOUT HER I HATE HER. My hate was completely justified as well when it turns out she’s a little traitor as well, orchestrating the events of the game in order to bring about the return of her master. The lying wee cow.

Each time you enter the Holy Pillar after purifying the crystals, you’re transported to an alternate version of the same world, weakening the boundaries between them to allow the coming of her dark master. She played you for a sucker the whole time! Upon her gloating revelation she transforms into a disgusting larva-like creature, whom you fight on the deck of your airship. This first form has a few nasty tricks, such as Slaughter which is not only an immensely powerful attack but inflicts poison on your entire party, which she follows up with Poison Punisher which will probably deal enough damage to down your party. She then transforms into a pupal form, which uses mainly magical attacks. Her big danger this time is Acedia, which removes all buffs on the party and makes every member weak to every single element. She can also cast Charm on the entire party which is immensely annoying, but if you have a high-level Spiritmaster to block Acedia you shouldn’t have too much trouble.

After being defeated on the airship, she flees to the Dark Aurora to recover, by which time she has blossomed out of her cocoon to become a humanoid butterfly fairy type thing. In this form she uses Acedia again, but follows it up with Zeta Flare, a hugely powerful fire type spell which will probably down your party due to Acedia making you weak to it. She’ll use the Brave and Default battle system to get herself two turns in a row so she’ll hit you with Acedia and immediately follow up with Zeta Flare which can be an instant game over if you didn’t prepare. Follow the same strategy as the pupal form and you’ll be fine, and ready to face the game’s true final boss.

Ouroboros

Infernalrealm

The true devourer of worlds, Ouroboros is fought in a massive five forms, all with different attacks. The first phase is a fight against Ouroboros taking the form of Tiz, the protagonist, and using abilities from all the game’s classes. Upon reaching one-sxith of his health, he transforms into the serpent of ruin and begins regenerating massively at the end of each turn, making the fight seem near-impossible. Ouroboros demonstrates his power by devouring some of the worlds that Airy has already linked, which seems to number in the hundreds, to force the party into accepting defeat. if not for the intervention of Lester DeRosso, a major character from the game, the fight would be impossible.

DeRosso is an immortal, as discovered during his sidequest. Formerly an enemy of the Crystal Orthodoxy, he and the Orthodoxy’s Sage Yulyana used to battle endlessly against each other, until visited by an angel who warned of the coming of Ouroboros. The two then hatched a plan – using DeRosso’s immortality, they would halt Ouroboros’ regeneration and allow the protagonists a chance at defeating him. DeRosso intervenes and sacrifices himself by diving into the monster’s core, tipping the scales in Tiz and friends’ favour.

Ouroboros then attempts to destroy even more worlds, but the main characters reach out to their alternate selves across the gulf of dimensions, urging them to sever the link between the worlds and prevent Ouroboros from consuming them. With the main source of his power gone, his regeneration disabled, his prey unconsumable and his minion slain, it is only a matter of time before Ouroboros falls under your onslaught.

Overall, it’s a sequence worthy of the best RPGs. A massive chain of eight boss forms in the final fight, the literal destruction of worlds, noble sacrifices, vengeance against that little boot Airy, the death of physical gods and the revelation that Tiz had been harbouring a Celestial inside the whole time (heavily implied to be the player themselves in a nice bit of meta-commentary) make this a final battle that will forever remain in the upper echelons of JRPGs for a long time. Now to see what Bravely Second brings us!

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