5 hardest boss fights in 2022

Overcoming difficult boss fights in video games is always satisfying, but 2022 had some world-beaters in store. From Elden Ring to God of War Ragnarok, gamers had some truly terrifying foes to overcome. While not everyone will have the same problems fighting some bosses, the ones mentioned below present the biggest challenge.

These bosses can be overcome with enough work, strategy, or skill. A few of them have even been defeated in ridiculous ways. While some can beat boss fights in Elden Ring with their feet, others aren’t quite as talented. When it comes to the hardest bosses in 2022, here are the ones that made players sweat and scream the most.

Note: The boss fights selected here are the writer's opinions.

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Which boss fights made players sweat and struggle in 2022?

5) Xaebos (Brigantys Hall, Chaos Route) (Tactics Ogre: Reborn)

I’ve only played a stage in the tactics RPG genre as hard as this once or twice ever. It reminds me greatly of the Wiegraf battle in Final Fantasy Tactics. This is Xaebos’ last stand on the Chaos Route of Tactics Ogre: Reborn. He comes loaded with powerful buff cards already attached and a full army.

He stands at the back of Brigantys Hall, where his two healers, spellcasters, and archers lie in wait. That’s not enough, however. He also had powerful monsters and Terror Knights.

You don’t have enough room to maneuver and must have enough damage to batter through his forces, so bring Dragons. He’s easily capable of one-shotting player characters unless you can debuff him.

Few tactics bosses are as bafflingly difficult as Xaebos, and he’s not even the final one.

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4) Regalla (Horizon Forbidden West)

In Horizon Forbidden West, you can shut down most of the machine foes you come across. Whether you make them malfunction or shut them down, the most challenging foes can be worked around. However, when it comes to this game’s boss fights, Regalla stands on top.

A lengthy melee battle awaits players, and you need to have perfect mastery of Aloy’s combat abilities. Unfortunately, Regalla can’t be easily shut down. They feel as strong and skilled as Aloy and hold nothing back in this difficult battle. If you don’t have a masterful understanding of archery and melee, you will be in for a bad time.

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3) Chef Saltbaker (Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course)

Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course dropped this year, and fans couldn’t wait to get to work. After all, the base game had plenty of challenging bosses. This DLC didn’t disappoint, and while most of the bosses were difficult, the last one was the toughest, Chef Saltbaker.

The first phase of the fight is a difficult assault of attacks from the Chef, but the next few stages feel much easier. This is a trap, however. The final phase has players going across floating platforms while also parrying the floating heart of Chef Saltbaker.

He’s far from easy, but like all Cuphead boss fights, you can learn the strategy and, eventually, beat him.

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2) GNA (God of War Ragnarok)

Odin has nothing on the Queen of the Valkyries, GNA. In most boss fights in God of War Ragnarok, you don’t need to worry about having the perfect stats, gear, or equipment.

You can learn attacks and get through. However, GNA doesn’t care about your enhancements, as you can be maxed out and still get crushed.

You don’t get much time to avoid or parry her attacks. If you get hit even once, it will be devastating. She has a ton of attacks, and they’re often quite hard to predict. If you aren’t good at parrying and blocking, it will be hard to hit her.

If she stuns you, she will almost certainly kill you. She’s one of the hardest boss fights of 2022 and, indubitably, the toughest one in God of War Ragnarok.

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1) Malenia, Blade of Miquella (Elden Ring)

I was torn between this fight and the Tree Sentinel in Elden Ring. Depending on your status in the game and the loadout, an argument could be made for either.

There are so many reasons for her inclusion. In the early fight, no matter how much you hit her, it doesn’t seem like her health bar is even moving. Why? Because she heals whenever she strikes you. Malenia has multiple instant death attacks, and on top of that, she has a second phase.

In phase 2, any attack you’re hit by will inflict Scarlet Rot, which is the most unpleasant debuff. To defeat her, you’ll have to memorize her attacks and not take a single hit. When it comes to bosses, nobody in 2022 had it worse than the Elden Ring players.