Summary
- In high fantasy games like God of War and Dragon Age, dragons provide challenging boss battles.
- Titles like Dark Souls and Monster Hunter World feature tough and exciting dragon encounters.
- The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim allows players to face Alduin and other dragons for thrilling fights.
Dragons have been a part of myth, folklore and fantasy for centuries. People across the globe tell stories of giant, flying lizards who spew flames from their maw, capable of leveling entire kingdoms. They are the things of nightmares, so, of course, they are included in many fantasy games.
In almost every game, they appear as a formidable foe that the player is tasked with bringing down. It is never a small feat to do so, but with great risk often comes great reward, as the players' hard work, tenacity, and courage won't go unrecognized. For gamers who think they might be up to the challenge, step forward, and enter these worlds, where they can put their mettle to the test.
Games Every Lover Of High Fantasy Should Play
High fantasy video games really make the case why gaming is art. With well-written stories and worlds full of swords and sorcery, here are the best.
8 Super Mario Odyssey
A Surprising Encounter Awaits Players in the Ruined Kingdom
Super Mario Odyssey
- Released
- October 27, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ for Everyone 10+: Cartoon Violence, Comic Mischief
- Genre(s)
- Platformer
- Platform(s)
- Switch
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Even Mario games aren't immune to the influence of dragons. The appropriately named Super Mario Odyssey has one such fight, which no doubt came as a surprise to many players, who didn't expect to duke it out with a mythological beast in their platforming game.
Once players make it to the Ruined Kingdom, this is exactly what they face. The Ruined Dragon, aka The Lord of Lightning, is a mean and scary-looking opponent, capable of spewing lightning bolts out of its mouth. This sounds easy to avoid, but becomes tougher as the fight goes on, forcing the player to move and jump with skill until they can make an attack of their own. Even after completing this boss fight, players have a rematch against him in Peach's Castle.
7 God of War
Rise Up and Fight the Great Dragon Hraezlyr
God of War
- Released
- April 20, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Santa Monica Studio
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
The 2018 God of War game brought Norse mythology into the fold. It introduced gods, myths, and legends from this folklore, and even dragons, which have seemed to spread to most ideologies and tales across the world. Though it is not the primary danger in the game, Hraezlyr still proves to be a mighty pain in the axe for Kratos and Atreus.
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Found in the Heart of the Mountain, this dragon first sets its sights on none other than Kratos. He isn't about to let that slide, and challenges the dragon directly. A challenging dragon means one heck of a boss battle players won't soon forget, as the combat in God of War is nothing short of excellent. Though there is only one dragon fight to enjoy in this game, it is one players are sure to never forget, and it gives them another excuse to play God of War again.
6 Baldur's Gate 3
Putting the 'Dragon' in Dungeons and Dragons
Baldur's Gate 3
- Released
- August 3, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Larian Studios
- Genre(s)
- RPG
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, macOS
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Despite the game being called Dungeons and Dragons, sometimes there is a glaring lack of the former. Thankfully, Baldur's Gate 3 understood the assignment, and made sure to add a couple in their adventure. Even those who have barely touched the game will recognize the red dragon, as it was marketed heavily running up to the game's release. It appears in the exciting opening cutscene, and shows up again as an enemy in the final battle.
The second dragon might go unnoticed, as players must complete the hidden trials beneath Wyrm's Rock Prison. Then, they encounter the fearsome undead dragon that continues posing a threat even beyond the grave. Both of these dragons are not for the unworthy, and fighting them will test all the player's strategy, skill, and luck.
5 Dragon's Dogma
Reclaim What was Once Stolen
Dragon's Dogma
- Released
- May 22, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
The world of Dragon's Dogma is teeming with monsters big and small, which the player character learns after they leave the safety and sanctuary of their hometown. On one fateful day, a massive red dragon attacks, and in a moment of bravery (or foolishness), the player character charges forward, brandishing a sword at the mighty beast. They are, of course, swatted away like a mere nuisance, but they won't escape this fight unscathed, as the dragon takes their heart for the trouble.
Thus, they set out on a grand adventure to take back their heart, recruiting a few pawns and battling monsters along the way. It culminates in an epic fight against the dragon itself, which is unlike any foe they have faced before. In terms of size, it is unrivaled. The Arisen can scale the dragon to try and find a weak point, but the player will have the work cut out for them. This is the final battle, so as one can imagine, this almighty dragon isn't going down without a fight.
4 Dark Souls
Tough Boss Fights & Punishing Dragon Encounters
Dark Souls
- Released
- September 22, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Violence
- Developer(s)
- From Software
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Soulslike, Adventure
- Platform(s)
- Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
One of the earliest Soulsborne games on the market, Dark Souls captured the entire world with its cruel difficulty. Players died in the most ridiculous manners, even just dealing with ordinary mobs on their way to the next big boss battle. But players couldn't help themselves. They wanted to prove they could beat the game, so they kept on coming back, quickly familiarizing themselves with the "You Died" screen.
Though perseverance and patience taught many players to eventually learn tricks and tips to get past most mobs, hardly anything could prepare them for their first dragon. This creature blasted fire breath across an entire bridge, which an unprepared player could not know about until it killed them. The bridge dragon was just one dragon in the game, and all the dragons provided exciting boss fights that players couldn't wait to test their mettle against. After all, the main draw of Dark Souls is taking on the bosses and proving they are the better fighter when they finally get to taste sweet, sweet victory.
3 Monster Hunter World
Become the Ultimate Dragon Hunter
Monster Hunter World
- Released
- January 26, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
Monster Hunter is the series for players who want some seriously intense monster fights. The franchise is a gift that keeps on giving, as new releases constantly push the boundaries. Obviously, the roster of monsters across the series does include dragons, wyverns, wyrms, and every other scaly beast one could imagine.
Every Monster Hunter Game, Ranked
The Monster Hunter series has seen a lot of entries over the years, and they have varied greatly in reception and quality.
Players looking to take on something of the draconic persuasion can't go wrong with Monster Hunter World. Though it is not the latest game in the series, it might just be the greatest for these fights. There are plenty of dragons and dragon-esque creatures scattered across the map to face, and the seriously fun combat makes these challenges such a blast to play. Though they won't be a breeze, they aren't overly frustrating, and who would want the fight to be over too soon anyway?
2 Dragon Age: Inquisition
Don't Miss Out on These Optional Boss Battles
Dragon Age: Inquisition
- Released
- November 18, 2014
WHERE TO PLAY
After the somewhat lukewarm Dragon Age 2, BioWare went back to the drawing board and came up with the excellent Dragon Age: Inquisition, bringing back an old foe with some dangerous and lofty goals to destroy the veil that separates the physical world from the Fade. The main character earns themselves a cool glowing scar on their hand that they can use to close breaches, but they know that in order to completely save the world, they must confront the one responsible and end him once and for call.
As a semi-open-world game, players will traverse from location to location on the map. They have the freedom to wander around, enjoying side-quests, loot, and maybe even a few optional fights. By far, the biggest and most challenging fights they can encounter are the dragons. Given the title of the game, it makes sense they would be able to fight these intimidatingly powerful and large creatures, which are some of the most rewarding and fun fights in the entire game. Forget Corypheus, give the players more dragons.
1 The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
The Dragonborn is the Chosen one to Defeat the World-Eater
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
- Released
- November 11, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- Bethesda Game Studios
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Skyrim became one of the most revered Elder Scrolls games when it was released, promising better graphics, gameplay, settings and stories than its predecessors. Indeed, it was a fantastic game that united the entire community. Everyone whiled away countless hours in Skyrim, exploring the beautiful world, looting everything their sticky fingers could reach, and, of course, ignoring the main quests in favor of completing every single side quest and finding every piece of noisy nirnroot.
But while exploring, they have the chance of coming up against a dragon. These menaces have returned to the world of Skyrim alongside the most feared dragon of all, Alduin. But before the player can take on the World-Eater, it's a good idea to collect as many dragon souls as they can in order to strengthen their shout, which in itself is the best reward a Dragonborn could ask for. Not only that, but fighting dragons is a fun challenge in of itself.
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