Metroidvania never felt so ominous than in Elderand. The game is a spooky side-scrolling RPG that puts you in the shoes of a hunter tasked with uncovering apocalyptic secrets and vanquishing sinister foes in a sprawling maze full of stomach-churning creepy crawlies and magical, electrified serpents.
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Whether you’re playing for the challenge, the story or just because the gloomy, pixelated world is so dang pretty, you’ll bask in maximum satisfaction—and sometimes frustration—during Elderand’s boss battles, which do not come often, but are always rewarding to complete. Master your weapons, agility and magic as you wind your way through the two-dimensional twists and turns of Elderand, searching for your next big battle. It might take more than one try to vanquish the rulers of this realm, but if you stick around to the end, its more pacifist-minded residents will be forever in your debt.
10 Shakna: The Gargantuan Spider
Deep in the damp, dark, cobweb-laden caverns of Delinquent’s Breach, you’ll get your first taste of Elderand’s particularly potent you-probably-should-have-practiced-the-controls-more-before-you-entered-this-room style of punishment, especially if you’re new to the Metroidvania genre of side-scrolling RPGs.
Shakna is a giant, frustratingly-agile spider boss who deals major damage if you let her get too close. Try using your jumping dodge to keep her at arms-length while you batter her with a mix of well-timed ranged and melee attacks. You can also equip a shield to absorb some damage while you maneuver to within striking distance.
9 Rok’naar: The Floating Boulder
Hopefully you’ve done your geology homework, because the Forest of the Exhausted’s resident floating boulder monster will keep you on your toes with its diverse arsenal of hard-hitting, mana-infused stone projectiles. What Rok’naar lacks in speed, it makes up for in health, so be sure to pack a couple of your own longevity-maximizing healing potions before you charge into battle.
Because Rok’naar spends the majority of the battle in the air, it might be a bit challenging to win this fight using only a bow or a staff. Try familiarizing yourself with jump attacks, or else you’ll have to spend awhile dodging everything Rok’naar rains down from above until it floats into your line of sight.
8 Black Virtue: The Angel Of Death
This chuckling winged disciple of Amon seems more than happy to put a prompt end to your virtuous adventure from her perch atop her vampiric throne in Ark-Sharrak, the Sanctuary of the Tyrant Hope. And to be sure, Black Virtue can pack a punch if you’re not prepared to run, leap and doge across every inch of her Lovecraftian chambers.
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You should have acquired double jump by the time you face her, so try using it to evade her speedy charge attacks and secure an advantageous position behind her back. If you time it right, you can use a melee weapon to land long, health-draining combo chains that will wear her down quickly.
7 Erik Zan: The Grub King
Possibly the creepiest boss in a game with no shortage of creepy bosses, Erik Zan is less of a person than he is a vessel for the army of invertebrate soldiers he employs to do his bidding. Hanging from the ceiling of a blood-flooded dungeon somewhere in the depths of the Sanctuary of the First, Erik will absorb a ton of damage before he succumbs to your blade.
You have to slice or shoot your way through a seemingly-endless dual threat of grubs inching their way across the floor and mosquitos buzzing in your face—all of whom are constantly emerging from a mangled gash in Erik’s stomach—in order to land your health-leeching blows. Stay close to him, though, because it will be easier to deal with the mobs if you destroy them before they get a chance to spread out across the room.
6 Sserthris: The Royal Serpent
Elderand bosses like their thrones, and Sserthris is no exception. The muscular, blade-wielding serpent is never shown sitting on his massive stone cathedra, but he certainly works hard to defend it.
While Sserthris can be a challenging boss to defeat due to the far reach of his double-bladed sword, his battle mechanics are more one-dimensional than those of other bosses you’ll come across in the game. He doesn’t jump or fly into the air, and he doesn’t really utilize magic or employ ranged attacks, so get ready to take him down in a good old-fashioned melee brawl.
5 Chaos-Touched Rejects: An Airborne Menace
The world of Elderand can be explored in a non-linear fashion, so by the time you encounter this team of Chaos-Touched Rejects, you might have already vanquished the loner of the group in Omulore, the Ruined City. But if you thought one was hard, they’ve found some help in Akr-Sharrak, the Sanctuary of the Tyrant Hope, confirming the old saying that bad things do, indeed, come in threes.
If you have any, this boss fight is a good time to equip a ring or two to help up your potency and damage you can deal while on the move. For example, you can use the Ripper Ring to create a line of spinning blades every time you evade.
4 Elderu’tamah: The Multidimensional Giant
This late-game boss will force you to use every trick up your sleeve to stay clear of his arena-spanning magic attacks. Your grappling hook will be of particular value here, since hanging from the ceiling will grant you maximum distance—and therefore, time to plan you next attack—from Elderu’tamah’s crackling electric shocks.
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Despite dealing attacks from his gargantuan mouth and two pounding fists, you’ll have to reach Elderu’tamah’s head to sap his health. He doesn’t have a ton of it, though, so try to make the most of your time before he slaps you into oblivion.
3 Eloria: The Pseudo-Boss
Thankfully, your fight with Eloria is not to the death. But just because you only have to get her down to around half health in order to win the fight doesn’t mean it’s an easy task. Accompanied by a mysterious pink, floating, damage-dealing orb, this small moving target of a boss can summon a forest of dangerous thorny trees with the snap of a finger. There’s no way to know if you’ll be in their path before they erupt out of the soil, so crossing your fingers and hoping for the best is about all you can do.
If you can withstand the evil trees, stay light on your feet and jump out of the way of Eloria’s magic ranged attack. Your patience will be rewarded when she lands on the ground and becomes more vulnerable to your own ranged weapons. And if you’re quick enough, sprint at her with a barrage of melee strikes and don’t give her a chance to get back into the air.
2 Amon, Master of Serpents
Around the same time you battle Eloria, you’ll come face-to-face with the Master of Serpents himself. The leader to whom Black Virtue pledged allegiance and for whom Sserthris unsheathed his sword, Amon will shed his cloak to reveal himself as formidable as any foe you face in Elderand.
His heavy hitting combination of melee and magic means you’ll need to be comfortable using every combination of weapons in your arsenal to take full advantage of all possible angles and distances you find yourself in. If Amon is charging up a laser beam, jump behind him and work in a few swings of your axe. If he’s raining down a barrage of explosive magic, create some distance and unleash a few arrows. Timing is everything, so don’t be discouraged if it takes a few tries to get it right.
1 Dan’nuhrr: The Final Challenge
For fans of pixel art, facing Dan’nuhrr is as much of a battle as it is a cinematic light show that won’t disappoint. Elderand’s two-stage final showdown begins in a dark, candle-strewn corner of Akr-Sharrak, the Sanctuary of the Tyrant Hope with an ominous three-faced entity reminiscent of an Evangelion angel. Defeat this chillingly-beautiful Goliath, and you’ll be teleported to a new battlefield to face Dan’nuhrr’s final form.
Try not to get distracted by its repetitive, creepy-sounding dialogue, this ultra-mobile boss has more than one plan to evade and counter your attacks, including by floating entirely off-screen while saturating the arena with dangerous electrified magical orbs. This is the last boss for a reason, so land as many critical hits as you can and hope for the best.
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