Bossbattles are a standout feature of the legendaryMetal Gear Solidfranchise. Many of the series' most iconic moments are connected to these special encounters. Whether they be honest one on one fights or the player taking on one of the mechanical walking battle tanks of the IP’s namesake, players are in for a unique experience whenever they encounter one.

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Metal Gear Peace Walker

Some of these memorable encounters are a cakewalk while others make players tear their hair out. Fortunately, most of the games have numerous difficulty modes, ensuring no encounter is truly impossible. Additionally, the difficulty, or lack thereof, does not necessarily mean it is a bad fight.

10Too Hard: Peace Walker (Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker)

ThePSPtitleMetal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, has perhaps the most boss battles of the series. The Peace Walker fight will test players' endurance and patience, even on the first encounter in the story, and it only grows more tedious as one takes on stronger iterations in bonus operations. Without sufficient supplies one will end up in a stalemate, dodging the attacks while having no weapons to hurt the walking tank.

9Too Easy: The End (Metal Gear Solid 3)

A true sniping battle with this geriatric soldier is pretty tough, but one can bypass the fight entirely with a couple of methods. Firstly, he can quickly be dealt with after the cinematic in front of Ponizovje Warehouse with the SVD. Take out the sniper rifle and eliminate him before he wheels himself away. Alternatively, one can either wait a week or fast forward thePS2’sclock while at the battle and the sniper croaks from natural causes.

8Too Hard: The Fear (Metal Gear Solid 3)

WhileMGS3’s bosses are seen as some of the series' best, most of them are quite easy. The Fear is an exception, however. On the harder difficulties, he can be especially troublesome to track down in the arena due to the stealth camouflage and the speed at which he jumps from tree to tree. His attacks also pack quite a punch.

7Too Easy: Fortune (Metal Gear Solid 2)

This one is not so much a boss battle as it is a timed survival test. It is impossible to hit the member of Dead Cell with bullets, so one must simply dodge her railgun until the elevator comes down and a cutscene starts. It is more of apuzzlethan a dynamic fight, and becomes a cakewalk once one remembers how to avoid damage.

6Too Hard: Vamp (Metal Gear Solid 2)

Vamp has numerous tricks up his sleeves inMetal Gear Solid 2: The Sons of Libertywhen Raiden takes him on. To those unfamiliar with his patterns, it can be a particularly troublesome bout.

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If one does not shoot out the lights, his throwing knife stuns the player if it hits their shadow. Onextreme difficulty, the amount of damage each hit inflicts makes it an almost unfair match.

5Too Easy: Metal Gear Rays (Metal Gear Solid 2)

The idea of fighting numerous Metal Gear Rays is more intimidating than the actual sequence. On earlier difficulties, they go down easily. Just shoot the knee to reveal its weakness and then hit the vulnerable opening in their mouths. While the number of Rays one must eliminate increases on harder difficulties, the attack patterns remain largely the same.

4Too Hard: Psycho Mantis (Metal Gear Solid)

For anybody playingMGS1without paying proper attention to the codec, the Psycho Mantis fight is almost unbearable. All it takes to make it a fair match is plugging the controller into the second slot, making it harder for Mantis to read the player’s moves. One can still win without this trick Colonel Campbell suggests, but it will be more frustrating.

3Too Easy: Fatman (Metal Gear Solid 2)

The notorious bomb-maker takes up a significant chunk of the early Plant Chapter inMetal Gear Solid 2, but the actual fight is pretty easy. One simply has to watch out for the bombs he plants and disable them before they explode. One is usually given more than enough time to freeze the Semtex, however. He moves around on rollerblades and shoots an automatic weapon, an attack that is predictable and easy to dodge.

2Too Hard: Sahelanthropus (Metal Gear Solid V)

The Sahelanthropus fight fromThe Phantom Paintakes place on one of the biggest battlefields for a boss fight in the series. The mech chasesVenom Snakethroughout a huge section of the map.

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One can run as far and for as long as they’d like, buthidingis futile. The weapons do little damage, so one can continually feel frustrated if they fail right before finally delivering the finishing blow.

1Too Easy: Liquid Ocelot (Metal Gear Solid 4)

The dramatic concluding bout inMetal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriotsgoes on for a while, but does not take much skill to beat. Once the two combatants are on their last legs, the segment takes most of the control away from the player. It is an undeniably dramaticmoment, and it is probably better for it to be easier than needlessly frustrating. The final fistfight is drawn out, but the final exchange between the two is a beautiful culmination of the characters' relationships.

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Metal Gear Solid 3 Snake Eater The Fear copy

MGS2 Fortune copy

Vamp MGS2 before boss fight floating on water

Metal Gear Ray fight Metal Gear Solid 2 MGS2

MGS1 Psycho Mantis

Fatman MGS2

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