RE7: End of Zoe - How To Beat Every Boss Battle

A new threat crawls out of the marshes, and you’ll have to face it at least three times as you progress through the End of Zoe DLC for Resident Evil 7. The mysterious creature known only as the Swamp Man makes a surprise appearance early in the story, and continues to chase Joe as he searches for a cure to help Zoe’s deteriorating condition. If you remember how we left Zoe in RE7, you’ll know the Baker’s daughter wasn’t doing so well.

Swamp Man is a threat pretty much unlike any you’ve faced before in a Resident Evil game, and it all comes down to the mechanics. The End of Zoe add-on is closer to the Condemned series than your traditional survival horror experience, even if you’ll still be trudging through derelict bogs, old warped houses, and bloody camp sites. The further you go, the stronger Swamp Man becomes. Learn all about this agonizingly ugly creature in the guides for each encounter.

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How To Beat Every Boss Battle | All Bosses Guide

There’s only one boss in End of Zoe, but he becomes progressively more difficult in each encounter, culminating in a tough final encounter. Learn how to counter his moves and exploit his weaknesses.

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Swamp Man – First Encounter

The Swamp Man isn’t your regular Molded monster. No, this guy has got some serious fighting moves. He’ll start with a three-combo punch, or use a quick kick to knock Joe back if you’re too close. Standard Molded rules apply – use the power-combo and block when he’s about to strike.

Combat Tip: Block just as an attack is about to land to deflect the attack. You’ll take less damage and recover faster. But, blocking is always better than not-blocking if you’re about to be attacked.

The Swamp Man’s third punch will often lead to a wind-up. Quickly back away or block if you can’t. There isn’t much room to run here, so blocking may be required. If you can avoid the wind-up punch, you’ll have plenty of time to attack.

When the Swamp Man raises both hands, he’s about to grapple you. Either punch him in the face quickly to stagger him, or sprint away. Like the wind-up, he’ll be left stunned for a good amount of time if his grapple fails.

Aim for the head and just keep punching. Block when you need to, and use the power-combo until this beast is defeated. You can also retreat and smash through the barrier. If you drop into the water, the monster will give up – when it ambushes you, just run! Don’t stick around. He’ll give up.

Swamp Man – Second Encounter

When Joe collects the E-Type Infection cure from the Paddle Boat, the Swamp Man returns for a rematch. This is the first true boss fight – Swamp Man doesn’t mess around in this battle, and he’ll change his tactics. Grab the two First Aid Meds on the areas marked in yellow paint in the first phase of the fight.

The first phase of the battle is pretty much identical to your first encounter. Once you do enough damage to Swamp Man, he’ll change his moveset. The second phase begins after you use a “Finisher” type move – when Swamp Man falls to his knees, approach and press [R2 / RT]. If you’re slow, Swamp Man will recover some health.

All of Swamp Man’s attacks are now two-hit combos. He’ll always follow up a single punch with a second punch right away. He’ll also sprint forward and body splash Joe! If you manage to dodge the body splash, you can actually stomp him while he’s on the ground.

Keep fighting until Swamp Man falls to his knees – your second Finisher will end the battle.

Swamp Man – Final Encounter

Before fighting Swamp Man, stop at the save tent to your right as you enter the Baker’s Yard. Joe will be able to recover his lost items from the item box here. Stock up on First Aid Meds and critters before attempting this battle. In the arena itself, grab the two First Aid Meds before approaching Zoe.

This fight is a little different from previous battles. Jack is so tough, only charged left punches will hurt him. The tricky part is finding enough time to charge your punches. Joe can’t block while charging, and any damage you take will cancel a charged punch.

Jack has also gained an annoying new long-range attack; he’ll grow a tentacle, and swipe horizontally or vertically. Crouch to avoid horizontal swings, and move left to avoid vertical swings. If you crouch too early, Jack will aim low with his horizontal swing.

Combat Tip: Learn Jack’s tentacle patterns and you can easily get in some powerful charged punches.

When Jack falls to one knee, use a fully charged punch to knock him down and initiate the second phase of the fight. In the second phase, Jack will move much faster, and string his tentacle attacks together into combos.

Jack will (periodically) enter a judo-stance and slowly approach you with his hands raised. Don’t attack him! He’ll just counter any punch you throw his way. Charge your super punches, back away, and strike between tentacle attacks to bring Jack down for good.

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