BOSSGAME: The Final Boss is My Heart
- July 20, 2023
- Lily Valeen
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"Bossgame: The Final Boss is My Heart" is a fast-paced action game where you play as Sophie, a sword priestess, and Anna, a fire witch, in their quest to hunt devils and uncover the secrets of Mammon City. The game features lightning-fast boss fights using a unique dual-hero battle system and a colorful cast of queer characters. Fight devils, confront your corrupt employer, and prove that the power of love and friendship can conquer all.
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Reviews
- The game features a charming story with endearing characters and a fun, engaging combat system that encourages skill and coordination.
- It offers a variety of difficulty settings and accessibility options, making it enjoyable for both casual players and those seeking a challenge.
- The art style is cute and colorful, complemented by a catchy soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
- Some players found the writing to be amateurish and lacking depth, with certain characters not being explored adequately.
- The controls can be unintuitive, leading to confusion during gameplay, especially when managing two characters simultaneously.
- There are reports of bugs and issues with certain attacks not functioning as intended, which can disrupt the flow of the game.
- gameplay46 mentions
- 61 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by its simple yet engaging mechanics, featuring two immobile characters with stamina and health management that adds depth to combat. Players appreciate the variety in boss encounters, which introduce unique mechanics and challenges, making the gameplay feel fresh and dynamic. Additionally, the game is praised for its accessibility features, rhythmic gameplay, and the seamless integration of story and mechanics, resulting in a fun and rewarding experience.
“A fun boss rush game, the mechanics are straightforward and easy to understand, but bosses can add some neat twists to it.”
“It's got a wonderful story with endearing characters, really fun bullet-hell type gameplay, a post-game challenge mode, and an options menu that is super customizable.”
“Easy to learn, hard to master rhythmic gameplay that never gets stale!”
“Gameplay concept is simple enough; you have two immobile characters with their own stamina/HP bar. Attacking/guarding takes stamina away, and if a character gets hit while low on stamina, they die or get stunned.”
“This game clearly lays out a possibility space of mechanical and narrative design that at first glance seems super simple.”
“Mechanically, this game ends up blending a bit of Undertale’s aesthetic and creative boss design with Haven’s mechanical controls.”
- story45 mentions
- 51 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The game's story is a mix of silly and heartfelt elements, featuring a charming narrative centered on queer love and community resilience against oppression. While some reviewers found the writing to be lacking or incomprehensible, many praised the well-developed characters and engaging plot that balances humor with emotional depth. Overall, the story is described as fun, relevant, and tightly written, enhancing the gameplay experience with memorable moments and themes.
“Between that is a great story of queer love and community overcoming oppression and mutual support breaking away from toxic support.”
“That story is tightly-written and somehow balances hilarious one-liners, gut-wrenching emotional beats, instantly likable and well-rounded characters, and memorable villains that you want to strangle, all in text you could read through in an afternoon sitting.”
“Really bad story - I said the writing was bad, but I'm talking about how the story is incomprehensible.”
“Linear text chat for storytelling?”
“It's structured as a series of boss fights sandwiched between brief story sections focused on two devil hunters, Sophie and Anna, and their relationship as they do jobs to meet rent, plus their encounters with their friends and enemies along the way.”
- music24 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its catchy chiptune soundtrack and its ability to enhance the overall experience. While some players find the music delightful and fitting, others criticize the use of royalty-free tracks, suggesting that they lack cohesion with the game's style. Overall, the soundtrack is described as "boppin'" and enjoyable, contributing positively to the game's charm.
“The first thing that'll hit you is its phenomenal soundtrack, and then its charming sense of humor, clever battle system, and terrific representation.”
“Gameplay is phenomenal, music is top tier, 10/10, would recommend!”
“Bad music (because they didn't make it and just took it from Creative Commons, so none of it fits (Kevin MacLeod coded)).”
“The upbeat chiptune soundtrack is also very catchy and suits the game perfectly.”
“It has a chiptune soundtrack that I can't stop listening to.”
- emotional17 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its emotional depth, featuring a tightly-written story that balances humor with gut-wrenching moments, and memorable characters that resonate with players. Its simple art style effectively conveys a broad emotional range, leading to impactful experiences that leave players feeling connected and moved. Overall, it is described as a heartfelt and fun game that celebrates queer relationships while delivering both laughter and emotional weight.
“That story is tightly written and somehow balances hilarious one-liners, gut-wrenching emotional beats, instantly likable and well-rounded characters, and memorable villains that you want to strangle, all in text you could read through in an afternoon sitting.”
“Also, I cried and shouted at characters, and I took a little piece of it with me when I was done, which is all I really hope for from a game!”
“The writing was appropriately cute and emotionally devastating when it needed to be.”
- humor16 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by a charmingly goofy tone that effectively balances biting political commentary with heartfelt moments, making it both thoughtful and engaging. Players appreciate the hilarious and well-rounded characters, witty dialogue, and clever writing, which combine to create a memorable and enjoyable experience. Overall, the humor is described as fun, frequently laugh-out-loud, and surprisingly poignant, enhancing the game's appeal.
“It's got a really funny, goofy tone which ironically allows its biting political criticism to go down smooth—thoughtful, but not cynical.”
“That story is tightly written and somehow balances hilarious one-liners, gut-wrenching emotional beats, instantly likable and well-rounded characters, and memorable villains that you want to strangle, all in text you could read through in an afternoon sitting.”
“The characters are very likable, and the dialogue is frequently hilarious.”
- graphics8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The game's graphics feature a deceptively simple, monochrome low-resolution art style that effectively conveys emotional depth and impact. While reminiscent of Undertale's aesthetic, the visuals are polished and well-executed, showcasing a blend of charm and creativity that enhances the overall experience.
“The art style is simple but well-executed.”
“Mechanically, this game ends up blending a bit of Undertale’s aesthetic and creative boss design with Haven’s mechanical controls.”
“It has a deceptively simple monochrome-ish low-res art style which still conveys clear impact and broad emotional range.”
“Don't be fooled by the simple art style; this game is a highly polished labor of love that is consistently fun and charming.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game has been criticized for its significant stability issues, with players reporting frequent bugs that prevent attacks and ultimate abilities from functioning properly. Additionally, certain boss fights are described as having broken phases, further detracting from the overall experience.
“The game is really buggy; some of my attacks just didn't work, and the ultimates were inconsistent. It makes no sense, and one of the boss fights had completely broken phases.”
“The game is really buggy; some of my attacks just didn't work, and the ultimates were inconsistent. It makes no sense, and one of the boss fights had completely broken phases.”
- character development2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the character design and express a strong interest in the lore, often engaging with wiki entries to deepen their understanding of the characters after battles.
“I loved the character design and always found myself reading the wiki entries after a battle.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the game to have good replayability, particularly due to the engaging boss fights, which encourage additional playthroughs beyond the initial six-hour experience.
“Took about 6 hours for my first full playthrough, and the boss fights are very replayable, so I'll likely be adding at least a few more hours before I'm done.”
“Took about 6 hours for my first full playthrough, and the boss fights are very replayable, so I'll likely be adding at least a few more hours before I'm done.”
