Thread by @jasondeheras

What are some design elements that make a challenging boss in Sekiro? Overall, Sekiro bosses skew hard compared to other action games so each boss needs to provide unique challenges. Let’s look at one of the middle difficulty bosses - the Guardian Ape. #gamedesign #combatdesign

ARMOR - Hit armor is an attribute that allows the enemy to absorb hits without taking hit reactions or having their current action become interrupted. This provides a risk / reward element in which the player must learn when each attack will hit. 1/3

There’s a limited number of attacks the player has time to land after the Ape has finished attacking. The player must be deliberate in how many swings to attempt before deciding to stop, block or evade. 2/3

In the video, Sekiro attacks the Ape during his attack windup, but only the head flinches while the swipe attack fully plays. The player only has time to sneak in 1-2 attacks before taking big damage. 3/3

HIT THRESHOLD - The designers built in a method for the skillful player to trigger large reactions. If the player is able to land a large amount of hits in a row within a small time frame, the Ape will stagger and not be allowed to attack. 1/3

In most cases, parrying does not cause the Ape to react but it can be used to gain a time advantage in order to reach the hit threshold. In the video, if the player parries the final 2 attacks, the player has more time to land hits as the Ape recovers. 2/3

There are windows of opportunity after attacks where the player can risk it and try to trigger the hit threshold but that requires precise spacing. Here you can see how one missed attack is the difference between the Ape staggering and the player getting hit by the fart. 3/3

MIXUPS - A common fighting game term, mixups is where the opponent uses various attacks in similar situations that forces the player to read and react in different ways. The Ape has 2 right handed attacks that start in similar poses. 1/2

The 1st attack is unblockable where the Ape hops before swiping. The player must wait a second before jumping or get grabbed. In the 2nd attack, it’s more upright before swiping; this attack can be parried so the player must learn attack posture to optimize their defense. 2/2

SETUPS - Bosses need to make the player uncomfortable and force the player into certain actions. The Ape’s fart attack forces the player to evade backwards while the Ape retreats forward. This creates the necessary space for the Ape to throw his poo which is hard to dodge.

PERSONALITY - The aggressive nature of being an ape/sword stuck in head contributes to unorthodox attacks the player isn’t normally used to seeing (majority of enemies are weapon humanoids). The overall cadence of attacks/body posture creates an illusion of unpredictability.

EVASIVE ATTACKS - Generally, enemy evasive actions are separate from attacks. In the Ape’s case, its evade is an attack with fast startup frames in which it's extremely hard to react to. The player must learn the windows where button mashing is not optimal and instead parry.

PROGRESSION / PATTERNS - Generally, the longer a boss takes to defeat = less room for error. Predictability allows players to solve the PUZZLE of a boss whose goal is to STRESS TEST the player’s technical/cognitive skills. Patterns allow players to gain mastery over time. 1/5

Ironically, patterns serve to highlight OUTLIER behavior. Early on, the Ape has a small chance to perform a hyper aggressive combo that must be defended with precision. This attack frequency increases later, forcing the player to master it faster and with more on the line. 2/5

Hit Thresholds can also serve as mini-progression states. If the player lands enough attacks in row, the Ape will stagger. If the player continues to land attacks, the Ape will play a HUGE reaction, escape and always follow up with an unblockable attack. 3/5

The Ape has a FINAL PHASE where its moveset is completely new. The last phase is more predictable but requires a more focused skill test, namely multiple parries in a row in order to topple it. The player is able to land ~ 5 hits before it recovers. 4/5

The difficulty of this phase lies in its CONTEXT. Since there’s no checkpoints, the player must perform parries under extreme pressure. Additionally, there’s a large window to prepare for the final parry to topple the Ape. This serves to throw the player out of rhythm. 5/5

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