I vote Pure Vessel for the best boss in the history of games

[Doctor Fetus]

Insanely difficult.
Absolutely, purely fair.
Perfect mix of pattern memorization and reflexes test. you will not win if you just memorize patterns but your reflexes are not on point.
The fight is super fast and action filled, it's you or him, no other things included.
Great and very unusual (for a boss fight) visual style and music, that fit the fight 100%.
Even after 200 hours spent in a game it's still a pleasure to rematch him, he even gets me sometimes if I am not careful.
And, dont forget - No mind to think.No will to break.No voice to cry suffering. Jump every time he prepares a new attack and you will be fine.

[TheMighty3]

While "in the history of games" is a bold statement, I think I have to...

...agree. Even after defeating every boss in the game in a row, completing steel soul mode 100%, 112%ing the game, and finishing the spoiler path of pain /spoiler, he always provides a very fun challenge that I have not found anywhere else.

[Boksha]

Hmm. I feel he's not even the best boss in this game.

The following is relevant to what I think about this fight:

Originally posted by Doctor Fetus:

Insanely difficult.
Perfect mix of pattern memorization and reflexes test.
[...]
Jump every time he prepares a new attack and you will be fine.

This seems contradictory. I agree with the second part; just being in mid air whenever he starts a new attack is pretty much all you need to do to win. But that also means there's relatively little pattern memorization going on, you don't need much in the way of reflexes and the fight's definitely not insanely difficult. I think I needed three tries or so to beat him the first time.

My biggest issue with him though is his story relevance. Although this should be a big impact fight given what the Pure Vessel is, the way it was worked into the game pretty much guaranteed most of that potential impact is wasted. I have the same issue with the other end-of-pantheon bosses added in the Godmaster update.

[Doctor Fetus]

Originally posted by Boksha:

Hmm. I feel he's not even the best boss in this game.

The following is relevant to what I think about this fight:

Originally posted by Doctor Fetus:

Insanely difficult.
Perfect mix of pattern memorization and reflexes test.
[...]
Jump every time he prepares a new attack and you will be fine.

This seems contradictory. I agree with the second part; just being in mid air whenever he starts a new attack is pretty much all you need to do to win. But that also means there's relatively little pattern memorization going on, you don't need much in the way of reflexes and the fight's definitely not insanely difficult. I think I needed three tries or so to beat him the first time.

My biggest issue with him though is his story relevance. Although this should be a big impact fight given what the Pure Vessel is, the way it was worked into the game pretty much guaranteed most of that potential impact is wasted. I have the same issue with the other end-of-pantheon bosses added in the Godmaster update.

I kinda disagree that being midair everytime he starts a new attack is all you need to win. It's a good way to start but your next moves depend of what he is doing and what is your position and since he is VERY fast you have very little time to figure what to do.

I can only bow my head in the respect of your skills if you actually beat him on a third go, as it took me more than an hour to beat him first time and 4 hours to gain consistency in that fight when I was practicing before going for the 4rd pantheon. Whatever he is the second strongest boss in a game after AR (maybe the third if we talk about radiant bosses as I do belive radiant Markoth > Radiant PV, but attuned/accended Markoth << attuned/accended PV), and making a boss actually strong but fair and enjoable is very very difficult. In most games I played actually hard bosses are either RNG based (hello, Cuphead), or they are based on blind pattern memorisation (Boshy type of games).

[Boksha]

I dunno; I had a lot more trouble with NKG; I tried that one for probably an hour and a half and couldn't beat it until I'd slept on it. PV just felt very intuitive to me once I got the timing of the first jump before he attacks down.

[Callum]

I agree

[mongi]

I do agree, but I’d say NKG is more fun when you’re doing well. It makes you feel like a god when that happens. He is also agony to learn. Pure vessel is just fun all around

[Callum]

I think I had more trouble learning PV for the first time actually. They are still 2 of the most fun bosses I've ever fought.

[Syndiciate]

Based on my personal experience with games, I'd honestly agree.

[momkey]

primal aspid

[SuperInkLink]

Pure Vessel definitely is the best. Perfect speed, attacks designed around the knight and the player's reactions. Amazingly satisfying. All the ingredients for the perfect boss. Unlike a CERTAIN other boss. (Absolute Radiance)

[Sunwave]

Originally posted by momkey:

primal aspid

Imagine.... ascended primal aspid... O_o

[pcdeltalink]

Actually my favorite thing about Pure Vessel is the music. My gosh the music is amazing in that fight. Also, I wish he kept the armor and the cape, those looked amazing at the start of the fight. The closest comparison for how the fight made me feel was against the Abyss Watchers in Dark Souls 3, also mainly because of the music. You just feel like a different and deeper story is trying to be told than just a boss fight by the tone and the vocals of the music. It's incredible.

[ramonpontes]

I don't agree about "the best boss in the story of the games". There is a large pool of candidates here, and even for Hollow Knight, I think there are better designed bosses.

I'm not saying that Pure Vessel isn't a good boss. He is well designed, and you can really learn his patterns and have a tough, but fair fight against him.

Particularly, I enjoyed more the fight against the Sisters of Battle, and secondly, against NKG.