Don't Screw Up
(How to Live to See the Credits)
We all know the excitement that goes through you when you're at that final moment in a boss battle. The time when you realize that all of the hard work that you've done in this game is about to pay off, and you're finally finally about to defeat this boss that you've tried to kill eight times before but failed. You're so excited you're now standing up, jumping up and down, shouting at the characters on the TV, hardly paying attention to what you're doing as you blindly press the X button... And then before you know it, you've hit the wrong button, accidentally did a healing spell instead of attacking, and you're done. We've all been there, and I've got just a few tips to help you keep your head in these last few crucial moments so you can finally break out that victory dance you've been working on since attempt #2.
Don't Panic
Okay, this is the biggest concern, which is why I'm addressing it first. Do not, and I repeat, do not think about all of your past defeats (or, if you're doing this boss for the first time) the possibility of defeat. Don't do it. You need all the confidence you can get in these last few moments, and thinking about failure is just going to undermine your resolve and make you second guess your actions. Just think about victory in these moments, the sweet smell of it, the final cutscene that you get to watch once you're done with this, and how happy you're going to be that you finally beat this game. Now, that's not to say that you should throw caution to the wind. Just approach this portion of the battle like it's just another segment of the boss battle; changing things up here is only going to throw you off and cause you even more distress. Just keep to your usual strategies and plug away at that boss's hit points.
Don't Celebrate too Early
Don't give your victory war cry when you go in for that final hit, only to realize that in your overzealous celebration you decided to heal your party member from paralysis instead of actually aiming for the boss. You can whoop it up all you want once that final hit is scored. Besides, your victory dance will look much better if you're dancing in front of the credits as opposed to the death screen.
Don't Hyperventilate; Take Things Slowly.
If you're playing a turn-based RPG, take your time, think things through. You have all the time in the world to make your decisions, and now's the time to use that head of yours. If you're the only one left standing, you'd probably be better off bringing up one of your party members that's a tank as opposed to trying to get in those last few hits by yourself. As I've said before, you need to keep your focus. You've come this far, you can't jeapordize your efforts now.
And Finally, When You Beat the Boss, Celebrate Like You've Never Celebrated Before
Last Friday I finally beat Nyx in Persona 3 FES and I was so excited about it I believe that I shouted loud enough that the entire house heard me. (Not to mention me flailing about it for a good two hours afterward and being jittery for the rest of the evening. I think everyone thought I was drunk, and I was...On victory!) Let yourself loose, the worst is over! (Well, until you see that final cutscene and have your heart ripped out... But that's a blog post for another time.)
So how do you guys deal with the pressure of those last crucial seconds of a boss battle? Let me know!
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