Summary
- Giant battles in video games provide players with a satisfying and challenging spectacle.
- From high-fantasy giants to colossal bosses, these battles test player skills against insurmountable foes.
- Giant-slaying games like Elden Ring and Shadow of the Colossus offer epic encounters with massive enemies.
Spectacle battles are always a treat in video games. Thoughtfully crafted and more intimate, emotional moments in a game's narrative or questline are greatly appreciated, but there's something about a fight scene or enemy encounter that just makes you say "woah", which is incredibly satisfying. These battles, of course, often have as much work put into them as any other aspect of a game, and if they're in a game like Dark Souls, where huge enemies are usually as powerful as they look, it can be quite a challenge for players to overcome.
8 Best Open World Games With Tower Defence Gameplay
Quite a few open-world games feature some sort of tower defense style of gameplay that the player must master.
Battles against huge foes can mean a lot of things for a lot of different games. What are we fighting? A huge dragon? Are we going the JRPG route and taking on some kind of belligerent god? In particular, many games have moments where players can take on Giants and their relatives, like cyclopes or huge trolls. Besides being classic high-fantasy fare, these battles often give players a moment to truly test their skills against colossal, seemingly insurmountable foes.
8 Elden Ring
Face Against Giants In True Fromsoft Style
Elden Ring
- Released
- February 25, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- From Software
- Publisher(s)
- Bandai Namco Entertainment, From Software
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
FromSoft is no stranger to difficult bosses on a huge scale, and it's no surprise that as both enemies in the overworld and milestone-defining bosses, giants appear as huge, dominating threats to challenge players and their builds.
Of particular note, besides the halberd-wielding giants outside the capital city, is the huge Fire Giant boss that can be a pretty significant obstacle for many players. It's one of the few fights where your mount is absolutely necessary, not only to close the distance but to take that distance again when some huge AoE attacks begin.
7 The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
Giants Are A Staple Of This Game
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition
- Released
- October 28, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
Giants are an icon of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim not only due to their unique aesthetic and presence in the overworld but also because of their propensity for launching players up into the air with their colossal hammers.
It's a bit obscure, but for those willing to go on some deep dives through Elder Scrolls lore, there is a fair amount of lore on these typically placid creatures who herd mammoths and ponder at campfires.
6 Dragon’s Dogma 2
Giants Like Ogres And Cyclops Offer Incredible Challenge
Dragon's Dogma 2
- Released
- March 22, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Publisher(s)
- Capcom
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Similar to Skyrim, Dragon's Dogma has a huge creature in its series that has become something of an icon. The Cyclops—who acts as many players' first foray into the world of giant-slaying in Dragon's Dogma outside the tutorial—is an iconic enemy who packs a huge punch.
8 Best Open World Games With Animal Taming
Many open world games feature some form of animal taming, from capturing and riding mounts, to using pets to help in combat.
Players can't just slash at the Cyclops like they can with any ordinary enemy - they (or their pawns) need to climb atop these beasts and maneuver around them, climbing up to weak spots that can be hit for enhanced damage.
5 Tales Of Maj’Eyal
Storm And Frost Giants Are Dangerous Foes
Tales Of Maj'Eyal
- Released
- December 31, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
There are many freezing and mountainous areas in Tales of Maj'Eyal that help add a level of variety to the huge open world map, and within them lie different varieties and classes of Giant that can all pack a huge punch.
Giants can hurl boulders at you from afar, doing huge amounts of physical damage at range, while storm giants can blast players with lightning bolts or summon icy vortexes that absorb damage, keeping them alive even longer.
4 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Giants Are All In A Day's Work For A Witcher
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Released
- May 19, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- CD Projekt Red
- Publisher(s)
- CD Projekt Red
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Among the many types of beast and foe that Geralt of Rivia is expected to defeat, Giants are one of the most fearsome and powerful. Following suit with many fantasy titles, including Dungeons and Dragons, there are different varieties of Giant with their own strengths and powers.
The "Lord of Undvik" quest is probably the most famous example of a quest featuring a Giant in this game, with Geralt tasked with defeating an Ice Giant named Myrhyff, who has taken over Undvik for some time.
3 Immortals: Fenyx Rising
Battling Giants Is No Easy Task
Immortals Fenyx Rising
- Released
- December 3, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Ubisoft Quebec
- Publisher(s)
- Ubisoft
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- Platform(s)
- PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Stadia, Xbox One, PC, Switch
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Giant foes in Immortals: Fenyx Rising are given an extra level of spectacle with the vibrancy and art design that colors the whole game. It makes every encounter feel more saturated and present while also helping to engage the player.
Giant, demonic entities or towering minotaurs are all par for the course in this title, and players will need to make sure they've thoroughly explored the open world and gathered whatever loot and experience they can get to take down these huge enemies.
2 Middle Earth: Shadow Of War
Graug Are Huge And Dangerous Opponents
Middle-Earth: Shadow of War
- Released
- October 10, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Monolith
- Publisher(s)
- Warner Bros. Games
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Despite starting off relatively powerful in Shadow of War, the game makes it clear fairly quickly that there are still foes who can crush Talion without a second thought. Graug is the name given to these creatures, colossal giant-like beasts who dwell within Mordor and well outside the bounds of LOTR' s canon, alas.
Graug can be tricked, manipulated, or even temporarily branded to aid Talion in battle, but no matter what approach is taken, trying to tackle these beasts head-on will lead to nothing more than disaster.
1 Shadow Of The Colossus
The Quintessential Giant-Slaying Game
Shadow of the Colossus
- Released
- February 6, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Blood, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Bluepoint Games, JapanStudio, Team Ico
- Publisher(s)
- Sony
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 4
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Few games have ingrained themselves in the collective cultural memory of gamers like Shadow of the Colossus. A legend worthy of its renown, this game is giant-slaying at its finest, with creatures so big they're practically a new bout of terrain for players to explore.
The art design and quiet, ruined beauty of these creatures is absolutely part of what's made this game so memorable, and the remaster helped bring the title to a new generation of players. Felling every colossus feels like a unique and earned experience.
7 Best Open World Games About A Virus Outbreak, Ranked
One experiment goes wrong, and the world pays the price!