For a boss fight with multiple phases/forms, would you arrange the boss' forms from human to increasingly monstruous, or would you go for a more Frieza-like approach? (i.e. having the final form abandon extraneous elements and opting instead for a lithe but deadly simplicity)
Congrats on being my first ever ask!!! Also hi, it's always nice to hear from you, Eri!
So it's funny because I actually finally had the opportunity to make decisions like this for real in SZX...
I can't speak to it being the exact choice we made in the game with whatever boss may or may not have multiple forms, but I think my ideal "arc" for a boss goes
Initial Form (Human/"disguised" self) -> Transformed 1 (Humanoid/semi-transformed - "revealed" true nature) -> Transformed 2 (Fully transformed, manifest as massive creature, elaborate, ornate, abstracted - the inner self) -> Transformed 3 (Pushed to discovering a new self through desperation, compresses again into more humanoid but even more abstracted, "Perfect" self)
I love it when a boss character believes they've reached the limit of their self, only to discover a layer beyond through conflict with the player - a "dialogue" between the the two where they learn more about eachother. I like the Frieza conceit of the "smaller" final form because it suggests moving "beyond" conventional power, but I think any combination of forms can work as long as that emotional arc is there. My favourite thing is when a boss transforms and the music, the atmosphere, everything supports the idea that what you're seeing is a new horizon, something alien to this existence. I think that can mean getting bigger, smaller or altering shape without changing size, but a dramatic change either way is always welcome.
Of course... there's the temptation to go "Form 4" and find something even beyond the beyond...