Key Takeaways
- Bosses in Core Keeper like Ivy, Glurch, Ghorm, Hive Mother, and Azeos pose significant challenges.
- Each boss requires specific strategies, gear, and preparation to overcome their unique abilities and attacks.
- Players must carefully plan, utilize traps, good pets, and strong weapons to defeat these formidable enemies.
As one of the best new survival games that seamlessly weaves the best elements of Terraria with difficult bosses like what might be found in a FromSoft game, Core Keeper is proving to be a great time for all players. However, its bosses really are no joke. They define the game's structure and can cause massive headaches if a player tackles them when unprepared.
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Whether it's an overwhelming number of traps, an HP pool so high it would require a super weapon to melt, or throwing so many attacks at the player that the game begins to look more like a bullet hell, Core Keeper's hardest bosses can't be underestimated.
5 Ivy The Poisonous Mass
Resist Her Poisonous Embrace

As one of the multiple slime bosses in Core Keeper, it's easy to underestimate this great pink ball of yuckiness, but players do that at their own peril. Ivy immediately leaps at the player, dealing melee damage, and leaves behind a slop of poison on the ground.
That poison remnant is the kicker. Soon enough, the entire arena will become covered in poison, making it almost impossible to navigate without getting hit. However, with the help of some good pets and judicious decision-making, Ivy can be conquered by a skilled and well-prepared player in no time.
4 Glurch The Abominous Mass
Stick The Landing

Another slime, but still one that shouldn't be fought without proper preparation. Glurch the Abominous Mass is an early game boss found in the Undergrounds, but it marks a pretty major skill check for all new players, and can be brutal to overcome if they haven't followed the essential beginner steps.
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Glurch's difficulty comes from its unmitigated aggression. Without proper protection, players will likely be overwhelmed by Glurch's constant attacks, particularly after it drops below 30% health and the attacks start to come much faster. Have well-prepared routes to escape, and good gear, and Glurch should be beatable, but enter unprepared and get ready to be turned into mincemeat.
3 Ghorm The Devourer
A Shai-Hulud To Forget

This absolute menace is a real problem for most players. Ghorm can automatically destroy any and all structures he comes into contact with, and he is immune to being slowed down or stunned, which means there's no stopping him if he wants to destroy some of the player's precious structures.
Even when Ghorm is fought far away from precious structures, he still does a flat 10000 damage on contact, making him an absolute monster. This is made even worse when he enters his second phase and begins circling the player. Judicious use of traps, an inventory full of the best cooked recipes, and well-constructed escape routes are the best way to conquer this truly nightmarish monster.
2 The Hive Mother
Keep Calm And Don't Get Overwhelmed

While some bosses in Core Keeper are a pain because of their incredible movement speed, The Hive Mother is the exact opposite. She stays put and does not move an inch. While that makes her an easy target, the acid slime she spouts is a major problem, compounded by her larvae summons. Strong weapons that do a lot of damage quickly are an absolute must for this fight.
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The acid slime will soon cover the entire arena in a lethal coating of acrid death that melts through most armor almost instantly. Players need to clear the slime, all while fending off larger-than-normal larvae in order to stand a chance at landing a few hits on The Hive Mother. With time, preparation, and a calm head, The Hive Mother is beatable, but she is still a major roadblock for all Core Keeper players.
1 Azeos The Sky Titan
The Ultimate Test

Azeos the Sky Titan is, without a doubt, the most challenging boss in the game. Slinging thunder bolts, beams, and spawning crystals that constantly heal him, Azeos is tailor-made to make the player's life a living nightmare. Paired with a mighty health pool and immunity to knockback and stun, the player is always going to have a rough time here, even with a plethora of strong complimentary skills.
If the player wants to succeed, they'll need to not just bring their very best equipment, but they'll need to have a cogent strategy to avoid all of Azeos' fast attacks (which only get faster when he's below 40% health), all while performing DPS on the blue crystals and the big bad bird himself. However, if the player does manage to overcome Azeos, there's no greater challenge to face in Core Keeper, and the rest of the game should be a piece of cake.

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8/10
Core Keeper
OpenCritic Reviews- Top Critic Rating:87/100 Critics Recommend:90%
- Platform(s)
- PC , PS5 , PS4 , Switch , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , Xbox One
- Released
- August 27, 2024
- Developer(s)
- Pugstorm
- Publisher(s)
- Fireshine Games
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty