15 Final Boss Battles That Almost Ruined Great Video Games

10. Sauron - Middle-Earth: Shadow Of Mordor

When you've birthed one of the coolest new mechanics in gaming (the nemesis system, soon to be implemented in Mafia 3), the final fight should've been something a bit deeper than a bleedin' quick-time event.

Yes, your own personal 'nemesis' pops up if you've been killed by a particular foe multiple times beforehand, but Shadow of Mordor's actual final fight is against Sauron, and you defeat him in a naff cutscene.

Why? Because the 'real' battle came in the DLC. Or at least, the one where you actually fight him toe-to-toe. Unlike the blink-and-you'll-miss-it encounter in the base game, this bout required you master all your previous orc-brandishing abilities and quickfire tactics to keep Sauron's armies at bay, slowly wearing him down for the big finish.

Even though the overall narrative dictates The Dark Lord must win anyway (which he does in the following cutscene) this remains a far more satisfying battle.