10 All Time Greatest Boss Battles From Metal Gear Franchise
5. The Sorrow (Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater)
The Sorrow's a boss quite unlike any other. First of all, he's completely and utterly already dead. Secondly, you can't do any damage to him. Thirdly, he'll seemingly murder YOU at the end of his boss fight. It's quite the ride.
In the 'battle', if you can call it that, Snake must wade through a river of waist-high water. The Sorrow floats ahead of you, reciting creepy lines and Snake must trudge ever forward, the Sorrow keeping pace with him all the way through.
In the river, you'll start to see dead creatures either floating towards, or reaching towards you to sap your life. These creatures (and humans) represent everything that Snake has killed so far during his adventure. If you're playing as a pacifist, you'll see absolutely nothing - the game takes into account how many kills you've racked up and adjusts the encounter accordingly.
The Sorrow is a constant present throughout Snake Eater - he regularly appears in cutscenes on hidden camera views. The boss battle is designed for Snake to 'feel the sorry of those whose lives he had ended.' and also implies that The Sorrow has knowledge of the future as he makes reference to 'light and darkness dwelling within him', a reference to Big Boss eventually having two sons: Solid and Liquid snake respectively.
The whole section is a stunningly realised setpiece in a series that's full of them and if you've played Snake Eater, you can guarantee this one stayed with you afterwards.