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.
Reviews
- The game features a charming story with endearing characters and a fun, engaging writing style that balances humor and emotional depth.
- Gameplay is unique and challenging, requiring players to manage two characters simultaneously, which adds a layer of strategy and depth to the boss fights.
- The game offers extensive accessibility options, allowing players to customize difficulty settings to suit their preferences, making it enjoyable for a wide range of skill levels.
- Some players found the controls unintuitive and difficult to master, leading to frustration during gameplay.
- The writing and story were criticized by some for being amateurish and lacking depth in character exploration.
- Inconsistent art quality and occasional bugs detracted from the overall experience for some players.
- gameplay24 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by its straightforward mechanics that are easy to learn yet offer depth and variety, particularly through engaging boss encounters that introduce unique twists. Players appreciate the blend of rhythmic bullet-hell elements with a compelling narrative and beautiful aesthetics, enhanced by excellent accessibility features. Overall, the gameplay is described as fun, challenging, and rewarding, making it a standout aspect of the game.
“The many bosses put a lot of fun twists on the core gameplay.”
“A fun boss rush game, the mechanics are straightforward and easy to understand but bosses can add some neat twists to it.”
“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.”
- story23 mentions
- 52 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The game's story is a blend of fun, quirky elements and deeper themes of queer love, community, and overcoming oppression, featuring endearing characters and memorable villains. While some reviews mention inconsistencies in writing quality, many praise the tightly-written narrative that balances humor and emotional depth, making it engaging and accessible. Overall, players appreciate the charming storyline and its integration with enjoyable gameplay mechanics, creating a well-rounded experience.
“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.”
- music12 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its catchy chiptune soundtrack and excellent use of royalty-free tracks that enhance the overall experience. However, some criticism arises from the reliance on Creative Commons music, which may not always fit the game's style. Overall, the soundtrack is often described as delightful and engaging, contributing positively to the game's charm and fun gameplay.
“The first thing that'll hit you is its phenomenal soundtrack, and then its charming sense of humor (and writing broadly), and then its clever battle system, and then just how terrific its representation is.”
“Gameplay is phenomenal, music is top tier, 10/10, would recommend!”
“The music is bad because they didn't create it themselves 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.”
- emotional9 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its well-crafted writing that balances humor with poignant moments, creating a heartfelt experience. Players connect deeply with the likable characters and engaging story, often leading to genuine emotional reactions, including laughter and tears. The game's charming art style complements its narrative, making it a memorable and impactful journey that resonates with players long after they finish.
“The writing was appropriately cute and emotionally devastating when it needed to be.”
“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!”
- humor8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by a goofy tone that cleverly balances biting political criticism with heartfelt moments, making it both thoughtful and engaging. Players appreciate the hilarious and well-rounded characters, sharp dialogue, and memorable one-liners that contribute to a charming and enjoyable experience. Overall, the writing is praised for being fun, funny, and surprisingly emotional, 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 being said, come here for the hilarious and heartwarming characters and dialogue.”
“The 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.”
- graphics4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game's graphics feature a deceptively simple monochrome low-resolution art style that effectively conveys emotional depth and impact, reminiscent of Undertale's aesthetic. Despite its simplicity, the visuals are polished and charming, showcasing a well-executed design that enhances the overall experience.
“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.”
“The art style is simple but well-executed.”
“The graphics are disappointingly outdated, lacking the detail and polish expected from modern games.”
“The art style feels bland and uninspired, making it hard to stay engaged with the visuals.”
“While the game has a unique aesthetic, the low-resolution graphics detract from the overall experience.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been criticized for being plagued with bugs, leading to issues such as unresponsive attacks and broken boss fight mechanics, which detracts from the overall gameplay experience.
“Really buggy; some of my attacks just didn't work, and the ultimates didn't function as intended. It makes no sense. Also, one of the boss fights had completely broken phases.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it nearly impossible to progress without losing progress.”
“I experienced constant frame drops and stuttering, which ruined the overall gameplay experience.”
- character development1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the character design and are engaged enough to explore additional lore, indicating a strong interest in the depth and background of the characters.
“I loved the character design and always found myself reading the wiki entries after a battle.”
“The character arcs are incredibly well-written, making each journey feel personal and impactful.”
“I appreciate how the characters evolve throughout the game, with their backstories unfolding in a way that keeps me engaged.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -300 % neutral mentions
- 300 % 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.”
“The game took about 6 hours for my first full playthrough, and while the boss fights are somewhat replayable, I don't see myself adding many more hours after that.”
“After completing the game, I found that there wasn't much incentive to replay it, as the story and gameplay felt too linear.”
“I enjoyed my initial run, but the lack of meaningful choices and varied outcomes makes it hard to justify going through it again.”
