A lot of video games are defined by their enemies and the creatures within the world. Having a target to chase or a boss to hunt down is an incredibly fun gameplay mechanic, but not all video game bounties are made equal, with some offering a few basic rewards, while others grant players a huge boost in their resources, experience, and even progress entire story arcs.
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Considering whether a boss or enemy is worth hunting down depends on both the satisfaction that comes from fighting them and the actual payoff that players receive after taking them down. These two components combined ensure that players feel like there is an actual reason to pursue the target, regardless of whether they are seeking a specific item or are doing it for the thrill alone.
Fit the 9 games into the grid.
Fatalis — Monster Hunter: World
The Ultimate Dragon Battle
Details:
- Challenging end-game hunt
- Drops needed to craft top-tier gear
Fatalis represents one of the most legendary hunts in Monster Hunter history, and its appearance in Monster Hunter: World delivers a battle that feels appropriately monumental. This ancient black dragon is infamous for annihilating entire kingdoms, and the fight reflects that reputation through its relentless attacks, devastating fire breath, and arena-wide destruction that can quickly take out an entire team at once.
Players need to carefully manage their positioning and work together to survive the escalating phases of the encounter.
When the beast eventually falls, the reward is more than just a badge of honor, as players gain access to several materials that can be used to craft some of the strongest equipment in the entire game, including the coveted Fatalis armor set, making the brutal challenge more than worthwhile.
The Alpha Deathclaw – Fallout: New Vegas
A True Apex Predator
Details:
- Clears one of the Mojave’s most dangerous locations
- Rare crafting materials dropped
The Alpha Deathclaw lurking in Fallout: New Vegas‘ Mojave Wasteland stands far above its already terrifying species. Found deep within the deadly quarry region, this monstrous creature leads a nest of deathclaws that can tear through unprepared players within seconds, mainly due to its insane speed and damage that seems to come all at once.
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However, the rewards for defeating the Alpha Deathclaw are substantial. Players can harvest rare deathclaw materials like their eggs, which are a pretty valuable prize worth 400 caps, but the fight alone is a good enough reason to venture out and take the beast down.
The Redmaw — Horizon Zero Dawn
Feared For A Reason
Details:
- Completion of the Hunter Lodge storyline
- Recognition as a top-tier hunter
Redmaw is one of the most feared machines in Horizon Zero Dawn, specifically encountered during the Hunter Lodge storyline. A monstrous Thunderjaw with a long history of destroying hunters and machines alike, the battle requires careful targeting of components, clever use of traps, and precise dodging to survive its missile barrages and crushing charges.
Defeating Redmaw provides more than just narrative closure for the Lodge’s storyline. Players earn prestigious Hunter Lodge rewards, powerful machine components in greater quantities than a regular Thunderjaw, and the creature’s own heart, which can be used to craft or upgrade top-tier equipment, so even disregarding the story connotations, the hunt is worth the effort.
Exekias The Legend — Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
Cultists Can Be Deadly Too
Details:
- Major progress in the cult storyline
- Significant experience rewards, especially if killed early
Exekias the Legend is a formidable member of the Cult of Kosmos that players will no doubt come across in their adventure through Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. Known for hunting mercenaries across Greece, this powerful warrior becomes a terrifying opponent when encountered, using his elite combat skills and aggressive fighting style to make the fight a challenge even for experienced players.
Hunting down Exekias yields some excellent rewards, notably Typhon’s Mace, but they also make some major progress toward dismantling the network of the Cult of Kosmos. Ultimately, defeating him demonstrates a true mastery of Odyssey’s combat system, or perhaps just the ingenuity of a few players who have found ways to cheese him very early on.
Legendary Moose “Anoki” — Red Dead Redemption 2
Even Nature Has Its Prizes
Details:
- Legendary pelt
- Iconic item crafts
The Legendary Moose is one of the rarest animals players can track in Red Dead Redemption 2’s massive wilderness. Found in remote northern regions, the creature is pretty striking, especially when compared to the more traditional wildlife, and the hunt requires careful tracking, patience, and a clean shot to avoid damaging the valuable pelt.
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Successfully hunting the Legendary Moose provides materials used to craft unique clothing items like the Legendary Moose Hunting Jacket, giving players a very distinctive look to show off their shooting prowess. On top of the physical rewards, taking the beast down cleanly is also a great way for players to prove their skills on a very valuable target.
Six Blades Of Kojiro — Ghost Of Tsushima
Duels Worthy Of Their Legend
Details:
- Multiple intense sword fights
- Kensei Armor set reward
The Six Blades of Kojiro questline challenges Jin Sakai to track down a group of elite swordsmen scattered across the entire map of Ghost of Tsushima. Each warrior presents a challenging duel that demands careful timing, precise parries, and mastery of the game’s stance mechanics, and by the end of the fights, players will be beyond exhausted from the difficulty.
Defeating all the duelists ultimately leads to a final confrontation with Kojiro himself, and completing the quest rewards Jin with the powerful Kensei Armor set, which significantly enhances ghost weapon effectiveness and combat versatility. Yet, even if players choose to give the armor a miss, the duels themselves are a perfectly satisfying reward for those looking to really push their skills to the limit.
An Elusive Thief — The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
More Magic Than Monsters
Details:
- Unique doppler encounter
- Player choice determines the outcome
The contract known as “An Elusive Thief” begins like a standard monster hunt but quickly reveals a much more unusual target. Instead of a simple beast, Geralt tracks a magical doppler capable of perfectly imitating human appearances, using deception rather than brute force, which creates a unique twist on the traditional bounty structure.
The encounter can end through combat or negotiation, depending on the player’s choices, but regardless of the outcome, the contract offers substantial rewards, including a nice trophy that players can attach for a boost to their gold gain. It’s one of the more unique quests in The Witcher 3, as rather than pushing players mechanically, it offers a completely different outcome that can be just as satisfying in the end.
Juno Hoslow, Knight Of Blood — Elden Ring
A Target Hiding In The Snow
Details:
- Progress for the Volcano Manor questline
- High bleed whip drop
Elden Ring has plenty of challenging enemies and bosses scattered across the map for players to find, but there are a few more specific targets that they are actively tasked with taking down. Juno is one such example, being one of the requests given during the Volcano Manor questline, and when players eventually reach him in the snowy mountains, they are in for a real battle.
Juno’s attack style is pure aggression, and there are very few windows where players can even heal, let alone fight back. After all the pain, they are rewarded with his armour and whip, which has a seriously high bleed build-up, as well as being one step closer to finishing one of the more engaging quest lines in the game.
Much More Below The Surface
Details:
- Hidden vampire lord
- Progress towards even better faction quests
When it comes to factions in Skyrim, almost every single player considered the Dark Brotherhood to be the best. Along their journey to become a valuable asset to the group, players are given a task to kill Hern, a seemingly ordinary mill owner who is secretly a powerful vampire living alongside his equally dangerous wife.
The encounter can become surprisingly intense, especially for lower-level assassins. Defeating Hern rewards players with contract gold and progression within the Dark Brotherhood storyline, which is itself worth far more than any item, and brings players one step closer to leadership.
Cyclops — Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen
Taking On A Classic Monster
Details:
- Demonstrates the game’s combat system exceptionally
- High experience and gold rewards
The cyclops bounty known as “Put the Eye Out” represents the kind of epic monster hunt Dragon’s Dogma excels at. The towering creature can smash pawns aside with massive swings while attempting to grab and crush adventurers climbing across its body.
The fight rewards clever tactics and serves as a perfect test for players to use the scaling mechanic, which lets them strike its weak points from above. Completing the bounty provides a decent list of rewards, including gold and experience, as well as a Silver Idol, which not only expands two of the game’s merchant inventories but also reduces the shop prices.
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