12 Most Disturbing Gaming Boss Battles Of All Time

It's hard to say how Dead Space developers Visceral Games came up with some of these designs, but the disgusting creativity of it all should be applauded.

As mentioned, though, there’s more to a truly disturbing boss battle than simply being thrown into an arena with a clawed mutant. One of the series’ most affecting battles was Dead Space 2’s final boss, which was (technically) against protagonist Isaac Clarke’s girlfriend Nicole.

Clarke was haunted by visions of her throughout the game, blaming himself for her death (as he had encouraged her to join the doomed Ishimura voyage) and hallucinating that she was still with him.

Players later learn that these visions were planted in Isaac’s head by the Markers, in an attempt to manipulate him into acting for them. The final boss sees him battling a manifestation of Nicole, the Marker codes in his mind and the heart of the Marker itself. It’s very emotional and frightening, in a way that the game’s many grim Necromorphs sometimes aren’t.