10 Video Games That Start With The BIGGEST Boss Fight

The God of War series has a habit of thrusting the player into a gigantic boss fight, moments after starting the story. This tradition stems all the way back to the first GoW, released in 2005.

As soon as the game boots up, players are introduced to the protagonist, Kratos, while he's slaughtering enemies on a fleet ship. Barely two minutes after learning the basic mechanics, Kratos finds himself facing the legendary Lernaean Hydra.

What makes this standoff more shocking is the fact there's no build up whatsoever. The Hydra just... shows up unannounced while Kratos is exploring the inner confines of the vessel. Before players have a chance to register what they're looking at, one of the serpent's numerous heads tries to take a bite out of the rage-filled demi-god. As the bout continues on the upper deck, the Hydra unleashes its remaining heads, kicking off the real meat of the battle.

Although some first bosses are pretty simple, the Hydra forces the player to quickly utilise all offensive and evasive techniques they learned... two minutes earlier. This confrontation is more enthralling than most final bosses, since it involves multiple phases, different locations, and innovative fighting techniques.

Just when it feels like things couldn't be more epic, Kratos finishes the Hydra off by impaling its final noggin with the ship mast.

Now, that's how you start a game.