Most games feature some degree of combat.

Sometimes it’s extremely abstracted and simplified, other times it’s the main focus. In this list we’re taking a look at the latter: we’re here to bring to your attention games  which have tight, polished, exciting combat systems. Most are melee-focused action games, but there are a few surprises which break this trend, but still very much qualify.

Some of these systems will be complex, others will be relatively simple, but responsive and impactful. Other still may be amazing by their tactical depth or sheer fun factor. The one thing that unifies them is the joy and satisfaction you get out of them once you master the skills necessary to turn into an engine of destruction.

Update (July 18, 2024): We’ve added five new games featuring the best combat mechanics and updated the descriptions of several existing games for improved clarity and detail

Without further delay, let’s take a look at some of the best combat systems in video games.
GameReleaseGenreDeveloperTrailer
Dragon's Dogma II 2024-03-22 Action RPG CAPCOM
Ghost of Tsushima 2024-05-16 Action RPG Sucker Punch Productions
Sifu 2023-03-28 Fighting (beat'em) Sloclap
Warhammer: Vermintide 2 2018-03-08 Cooperation Fatshark
Hi-Fi RUSH 2023-01-25 Rhythm & Action Tango Gameworks
Elden Ring 2022-02-25 Action RPG Triternion
Titanfall 2 2016-10-28 Action & Shooter Respawn Entertainment
MORDHAU 2019-04-29 Indie Triternion
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order 2019-11-15 Adventure Respawn Entertainment
Chivalry II 2022-06-12 Action & Shooter Torn Banner Studios
Sekiro : Shadows Die Twice - GOTY Edition 2019-03-22 Adventure FromSoftware
Nioh: Complete Edition 2017-11-07 Adenture Team Ninja
Nioh 2 – The Complete Edition 2021-02-05 Action Team Ninja
Baldur's Gate 3 2020-10-06 RPG Larian Studios
Hollow Knight 2017-02-24 Action & Shooter Team Cherry
Bulletstorm 2017-04-07 Adventure People Can Fly
Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition 2017-04-07 Adventure People Can Fly
Monster Hunter World 2018-08-09 Action CAPCOM
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance 2014-01-09 Action & Shooter PlatinumGames
Dark Messiah of Might & Magic 2006-10-25 Fighting Arkane Studios
Mount & Blade: Warband 2010-03-31 Adventure Taleworlds
Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord 2020-03-31 RPG Taleworlds
Star Wars Jedi Knight Collection 2013-09-16 Adventure Aspyr Media
Devil May Cry 4 Special Edition 2015-06-23 Adventure Capcom Production Studio 1
Devil May Cry 5 Standard Edition 2019-03-08 Action Capcom Development Division 1
GUILTY GEAR -STRIVE- 2021-06-11 Fighting Arc System Works
GUILTY GEAR XRD COMPLETE 2015-12-09 Action Arc System Works
GUILTY GEAR Xrd -REVELATOR 2016-12-14 Action & Shooter Arc System Works
GUILTY GEAR XX ACCENT CORE PLUS R 2015-05-26 Fighting Arc System Works
For Honor 2017-02-13 Action & Shooter Ubisoft Montreal
TEKKEN 7 2017-06-01 Fighting Bandai Namco Studios
Dark Souls: Remastered 2018-05-23 Action FromSoftware
Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin 2015-04-01 RPG FromSoftware
Dark Souls III 2016-04-11 Adventure FromSoftware
Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen 2016-01-15 Adventure
Star Wars The Force Unleashed: Ultimate Sith Edition 2009-11-03 Action & Shooter LucasArts

Ghost of Tsushima

Released2024-05-16
GenreAction RPG
DeveloperSucker Punch Productions

Its recent arrival on PC is a great excuse to put Ghost Tsushima on the list of the best combat sytems in video games.

Most of the system revolves around swordsmanship, with the family katana as the primary weapon, but there’s also a bow and smaller gadgets like thrown kunai or distracting firecrackers. Blended together, they give the protagonist, Jin Sakai, a range of tactical options for any situation.

Swordfighting is governed by four stances effective against specific enemy types, and coming with their own special attacks. Beyond these forms, the system heavily features dodges and parrying, including perfect variants which might even trigger unique mechanical effects. Combined with high lethality, combat in GoT is tense, fast, and satisfying, complementing the game’s themes and story.

Key Features
  • Excellent third-person melee-first action game
  • Tense, dramatic duels
  • Stealth is a valuable tool, and is sometimes the preferred approach
  • Historical setting

Sifu

Released2023-03-28
GenreBeat'em up
DeveloperSloclap

Sifu is an absolute treat for enthusiasts of unarmed martial arts.

This third-person action game goes to great lengths to present a believable and realistic depiction of a style closely related to Bak Mei kung fu. The system takes some time to learn, but when you do, the flurry of dodges, blocks, whip-fast strikes and crowd-controlling holds looks and feels incredible to unleash.

Over time you’ll learn additional maneuvers, learn how to better utilize improvised staffs or loose pipes, letting you knock out goons and elites as if you were an incarnation of Bruce Lee himself. The game has several stages, each following a different theme, and culminating in a boss fight which is perfectly easy to pass… as long as you have mastered your basics. It’s that kind of game.

Key Features
  • Tough as nails beat’em up
  • When you die, you get a few years older… can you beat the final boss before getting too old?
  • Incredible animations and responsive controls
  • A challenge mode for people who crave more combat

Scarlet Nexus

Released2021-06-25
GenreAction RPG
DeveloperBandai Namco Studios

Scarlet Nexus flew a bit under the radar when it launched in 2021, despite its obvious quality.

It’s an action RPG from Bandai Namco, which makes it a cousing to Code Vein and Tales of Arise. It’s a strong competition, and Scralt Nexus is keen to meet it fair and square with a sword and impressive telekinetic abilities, which turn the environments into, essential an arsenal of improvised weapons.

What’s important, is that stringing a random debris toss into your combos feels smooth and convenient. Swordfighting itself also feels great, and through SN’s dual protagonists you’ll experience two different playstyles. Yuito focuses on using a katana first, telekinesis second, while his counterpart, Kasane, prefers ranged combat with a stronger focus on TK and helpful throwing knives.

Key Features

 

  • Two, eventually converging, paths
  • Excellent, telekinetically enhanced combat
  • Distinctly anime-like art style
  • The enemies you fight have excelent, freaky designs

Warhammer: Vermintide 2

Released2018-03-08
GenreCooperation
DeveloperFatshark

Warhammer: Vermintide 2 take s a combined arms approach, in that it won’t take long before the ground will be littered with the combines arms of Chaos worshippers and Skaven.

Jokes aside, combat in Vermintide 2 isn’t ass deep as in other games here, but it’s incredibly satisfying anyway, and feels fantastically tactile when you slice through a swarming horde of humanoid rats.

Each weapon has its own specific traits, some having substantial buffs to defense, others capable of cleaving through multiple enemies, etc. These attributes make a big difference in how the given character is going to fight even withing a single career. An Ironbreaker fielding Hammer and Shield with Drakefire Pistols will be very different from one using A War Pick with a Handgun, for example.

Key Features
  • 5 playable characters, each with four very different careers
  • Intense first-person melee and range combat
  • A ton of weapon types and an upgrade system to make them stronger
  • More story-driven than you’d expect it to be

Hi-Fi Rush

Released2023-01-25
Genre
Developer

Hi-Fi Rush was a sneaky hit of 2023, a character-action game taking the best lessons from the likes of Devil May Cry, but mixing them with… a rhythm game.

For plot reasons, the entire world of the game obeys the same rhythm. Platforms move to the beat, enemies’ attacks are timed accordingly, and your own strikes are much stronger if you can sync with the music. It creates a fascinating mix.

When you figure out the timing, you know when you’re going to be hit, giving you an edge for dodging and parrying. When you know the beat, you know how to maximise your damage and possibly unleash an extra-powerful special or a team-up move. Attaining a state of flow in Hi-Fi Rush feels incredibly satisfying, especially since the game’s aesthetic and animations make it vibrant and lively.

Key Features
  • A lighthearted sense of humor
  • Mixing melee combat with a rhythm game was a match made in heaven
  • Excellent, cartoonish, cel shaded art style and designs
  • Developed by studio behind The Evil Within and Ghostwire: Tokyo

Jedi Survivor

Released2023-04-28
GenreAction-adventure
DeveloperRespawn Entertainment

Jedi Survivor built very competently on the foundations established by its predecessor, Jedi: Fallen Order.

In terms of combat, which interests us here and now, it deepened and expanded the combat styles. Each of the three forms from JFO (single blade, two sword, double-bladed sword) received a dedicated progression trees, and we got two more styles on top of those.

The new styles are an interesting mix sword and blaster combo giving you impressive ranged option with customizable special shots, and a two-handed form which is slow, but hits like a ton of bricks. You can have two styles equipped simultaneously, switching between them with a button, which makes you much more responsive in combat and encourages mastering several playstyles.

Key Features
  • Five fully developed forms of lightsaber, including an odd but cool Sword and Blaster
  • Drastically improved movement options, including a grappling hook
  • Many fantastic, thrilling scripted sequences, this time with way fewer slides
  • A fun hub for the story: a cantina on a remote planet

Baldur’s Gate 3

Released2020-10-06
GenreRPG
DeveloperLarian

The full release of Baldur’s Gate 3 was a momentous even for gaming, and cemented Larian’s game among the genre’s best.

It doesn’t have dynamic sword fighting or anything of the sort, but its turn-based combat is excellent for the task of making you feel like you can do anything. Toss an exploding barrel, throw an enemy off a cliff, or turn into a massive beast and dropkick people to death…

With twelve distinct classes, each with several subclasses, a complex system of actions and reactions, powerful abilities, and a reactive environment, fights in BG3 are impressively tactile. The reason you might have not heard of all that, is because the community discussions focus a lot more on the dramatic, well-written, cinematically presented and incredibly reactive story. Truly, a cRPG for the ages.

Key Features
  • A lot of fun tools to define your build… and an easy respect if you mess up
  • The battlefields are hardly ever static, something weird is always likely to happen
  • One of the unquestionable hits of 2023 and the genre in general
  • Many different endings, including a few for the most villainous of you

Devil May Cry 5

Released2019-03-08
GenreAction
DeveloperCapcom Development Division 1

It’s not unusual for Devil May Cry games to have multiple playable characters.

What is somewhat unusual is to make them central to the game and THAT different in playstyle. In DMC5 we’ve got weapon-juggling Dante whose combos looks like a flurry of weapon swaps, Nero, who’s committed to his sword and gun, but has a gallery of cool prosthetic arms with various powers, and then there’s V.

V is an odd one, because this fellow is rather un-athletic and vulnerable, so instead of weapons he uses summoned creatures: a raven, a panther, and a goliath, all with their own range of attacks and abilities you can deploy. Oh, and of course there’s also a Vergil DLC. Truly, DMC5 is a treat for any fan of figuring out ridiculous combos and playstyle diversity.

Key Features
  • Three playable characters in the core game, each with a very different style
  • The peak of DMC gameplay complexity, but it’s not inaccessible to newcomers
  • The better you play, the richer the soundtrack
  • Looks fantastic, thanks to RE Engine

Dragon’s Dogma 2

Released2024-03-22
GenreAction RPG
DeveloperCAPCOM

Many years after the original came Dragon’s Dogma 2, and it brought with it a lot of new things to enjoy.

In addition to a fresh world to save, it also brought back the original’s juicy combat system, now best experienced through ten vastly different vocations AKA classes. There are classics like a sword-and-shield fighter or a support mage… but there’s also Warfarer, the star of the game.

Warfarer is a vocation which can use every other vocation’s armor, weapons, and abilities, letting you assemble your own unique playstyle. The trick is that you have to switch active weapons to use associated skills, and you have to predefine the rotation. It takes some planning, and a lot of skill to use it effectively, but when you do it’s where DD2’s combat system becomes absolutely brilliant.

Key Features
  • A sequel to an action RPG classic
  • Ten distinct vocations, including one built for multiclassing
  • A large world which never lacks in enemies to climb onto and stab in the… eye
  • Your NPC companions, Pawns, are plugging the gaps in your offense and defense alike

Titanfall 2

Released2016-10-28
GenreAction & Shooter
DeveloperRespawn Entertainment

Surrounded by a list of sword masters of all sorts, Titanfall 2 nevertheless deserves a spot, because it does all sorts of cool things about its shooting.

It comes mostly through the exceptional mobility, which allows you to run circles around you enemies and attack them from unexpected angles. The tutorial alone teaches you to shoot and throw grenades while wall-running and sliding.

Before long you’ll also gain access to a Titan, a hulking mech/robot with its own growing selection of abilities. Shields which allow you to throw bullets back at you enemies, flamethrowers, swords, there’s a loadout for every situation. Jumping into the fray in Titanfall 2 is exciting every time, and once you score three headshots while wall-running you won’t want to go back to earth-bound shooters.

Key Features
  • A perfect mix of parkour and deadly firepower
  • You also get to stomp around in a big mech
  • With practice you’ll fluidly slide and wall-run from enemy to enemy
  • Excellent level design

MORDHAU

Released2019-04-29
GenreIndie
DeveloperTriternion

Mordhau is a treat for any enthusiast of medieval armed combat. And unarmed too, if you’re determined enough.

The game features an impressive arsenal of weapons and armor you can equip to battle, limited mostly by the very sensible points system. Once you’re on the battlefield, that’s when the fun begins. There are plenty of maneuvers you can perform, including the titular Mordhau.

Each weapon handles differently, each armor has its benefits and drawbacks (like speed penalties), and while the fights tend to be quite hectic, there is a lot of room for technique and skill to shine. Dodging blows, parrying, even mounted combat are all in there. Techniques are more about spur of the moment decision than deploying specific combos, but that just adds to the realism.

Key Features
  • One of the most realistic PvP melee combat simulators
  • Plenty of equipment options
  • Satisfying customization
  • Frenetic combat

Chivalry II

Released2021-06-08
GenreAction & Shooter
DeveloperTorn Banner Studios

Chivalry 2 functions in a similar space as Mordhau: an online multiplayer game focus on melee PvP.

It doesn’t go too far into simulation, settling for three attack paths (two slashes and a stab) which you can chain together smoothly. On the defensive side, you can, of course, block attacks, and a well-times parry can stagger your attacker, opening them up for a counterstrike.

A neat thing is that if you happen to sever an enemy’s limb you can pick it up and clobber the next opponent with it. On top of individual combat, you can also get behind a ballista, or join other players in a siege. Battles can get quite large, with up 64 players supported. You’ll always have plenty of opponents but be careful where you swing your weapons: friendly fire is a thing.

Key Features
  • Large PvP melee battles
  • Relatively simple, but fast and satisfying combat system
  • Exciting sieges
  • Several maps and three core modes: Free-for-All, Team Objective, and Team Deathmatch

Sekiro : Shadows Die Twice

Released2019-03-22
GenreAdventure
DeveloperFromSoftware

After Dark Souls and Bloodborne, the famous FromSoftware studio decided to make something familiar, but a bit different.

See, in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice the default way to win a fight isn’t to whittle the healthbar down to zero. Instead, if you can throw the enemy off-balance they’ll be open for a lethal blow, ending most fights immediately. The thing is…you need good timing for that.

To do that, you need to fill the opponent’s Posture bar, but perfect parries or special dodges will help you along. Timing is absolutely crucial in Sekiro, but, thankfully, you also have a number of ninja gadgets which can help you tremendously. Sekiro’s combat is fast, precise, leaves little room for blunders, but when you perfectly parry a boss’ barrage of blows, it feels amazing.

Key Features
  • Set in a fantastical version of a Sengoku period Japan
  • Tight, precise combat system
  • Several endings
  • Beautiful and well-designed levels and encounters

Nioh

Released2017-11-07
GenreRPG
DeveloperTeam NINJA

Created by the developers of the Ninja Gaiden series, Nioh can draw on years of experience to deliver an excellent and varied action game.

Where Sekiro focused on a single weapon, the katana, Nioh takes a broader approach, and lets players pick and choose from a broad arsenal of weapons, all of which have their own progression independent from your character’s William Adams.

In addition to the multitude of weapons, you also need to consider the three stances you can assume in combat, the aggressive high stance, balanced medium stance, and defensive low stance. Add to THAT Ki management techniques and you get an action game with a combat system with plenty of depth and breadth. Choose your weapon, master your skills, and complete William’s vendetta.

You can read our comparison between Sekiro and Nioh

Key Features
  • Inspired by the history of a real-life Irish samurai
  • Several weapon types, three stances, plenty of skills to master
  • Received a great sequel
  • Weapons have their own progression

Hollow Knight

Released2017-02-24
GenreAction & Shooter
DeveloperTeam Cherry

A combat system doesn’t need to be incredibly complex or realistic to be awesome. Hollow Knight is a great example of that.

Its combat system is fast, responsive, and features special “Nail Art” abilities to use in conjunction with the basic dashes, strikes, and jumps. And you will need to get the hang of them all, because the boss fights don’t mess around and require focus and concentration.

Oh, in addition to Nail Arts you ALSO get spells which cost Soul but their effects are worth the price. Once you get all the abilities, the boss fights turn into a flurry of well-timed dashes, exploding spells, and quick strikes. Hollow Knight is rightfully held as one of the best Metroidvanias currently on the market, and one of the best-animated 2D games you can play right now.

Key Features
  • Tight, responsive combat system
  • Interesting story and world
  • Exciting, hard-as-nails boss fights
  • Stunning 2D animations

Bulletstorm

Released2017-04-07
GenreAdventure
DeveloperPeople Can Fly

Bulletstorm wants nothing more than to give you the tools and motivation to be as creative with its guns as you could possibly be.

It accomplished that through Skillshot system, which awards you points for…almost everything that isn’t just boring shooting. It ranges from targeting specific body parts to using alternate fire modes to accomplish some highly specific things.

And you can combo all of that! Sending your enemy into the air, setting them on fire, leashing them back down you just so you can kick them into a cactus is a thing you can do, and the game wants you to be even MORE elaborate. All for the sweet, sweet points you can then use for (special) ammo and upgrades. Furthermore, the Skillshots also have delightfully silly names, which is a big plus.

Key Features
  • The Skillshot system does a great job motivating you to get creative
  • Eight cool guns with explosive alternate fire modes
  • Absurdly R-rated dialogue
  • Received a remaster in 2017

Monster Hunter: World (Iceborne)

Released2019-12
GenreAction
DeveloperCAPCOM

Monster Hunter: World already has a great, deep combat system, featuring 14 weapons with unique moves and qualities.

Even weapons which might seem similar, like greatsword and longsword function in fundamentally different ways, and that’s not even getting to odd weapons such as a charge blade or the hunting horn. And then the Iceborne expansion came and added a new bunch of new stuff.

Monster Hunter World

In addition to a whole new world to monsterhunt in, Iceborne introduced the clutch claw. With this buffed up grappling hook you can dish out some damage or steer a monster towards a wall. There are also new weapon-specific moves worth adding to the usual move flow, not only because they are very useful, but also because they look pretty damn cool, which is nothing to sneeze at.

Key Features
  • 14 weapon types, all with unique move sets
  • Excellent boss fights and creative monster designs
  • Tons of weapons and armor to craft
  • Strong emphasis on assembling a proper loadout for the hunts

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

Released2014-01-09
GenreAction & Shooter
DeveloperPlatinumGames

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, produced by the creators of hits like NieR: Automata and Bayonetta.

Platinum Games, is a pretty interesting game, really. With the cyberninja Raiden as its protagonist, it has a perfectly functional core combat system, but what gets it the spot on this list is the Blade Mode, AKA “Cut Everything” AKA “Oh dear lord, so detailed”.

If something has a discrete model, then there is 95% chance you’ll be able to cut it to tiny pieces. If you’re determined enough, you can cut a watermelon down to party-appropriate pieces. The game launched in 2013 (where did the time go?) and yet nobody seems eager to do something similar. We do have dismemberment in many games, of course, but nothing near the freeform of Revengeance.

Key Features
  • You can cut through anything
  • Excellent soundtrack
  • Features Raiden, whom you might know from other Metal Gear games
  • Nanomachines, son

Dark Messiah of Might & Magic

Released2006-10-25
GenreFighting
DeveloperArkane Studios

Dark Messiah is a spin-off from the Might and Magic series, a first-person perspective shooter/slasher with deliciously meaty combat and its systems were full of kinetic joy.

If you pick melee combat as your focus, you’ll find yourself hacking orcs to pieces with swords, whacking them around with staves, and every hit and every parry feels like it has proper weight behind it.

If that’s not enough to provide a nice immersion, you quickly discover the joys of ragdolling enemies with well-aimed kicks, swinging chandeliers, or falling barrels. If you’re tactical enough, you’ll impale your foes on spikes abundant in the game’s environments. Magic works like wonder, too, with a level of interactivity unseen until Divinity: Original Sin (and its successors) decided to make it one of its core features.

Key Features
  • Responsive, dynamic melee combat
  • Each weapon feels sufficiently different
  • You can use the environment to your advantage
  • Magic is very fun to use as well

Mount & Blade: Warband

Released2010-03-31
GenreAdventure
DeveloperTaleworlds

Mount & Blade: Warband is a very good for for this list mostly because of its massive variety of melee weapons.

Each of them has its own stats you need to consider: things like speed rating or separate damage values for each attack type. Some weapons even have different modes (e.g. you can use a bastard sword one-handed or two-handed), or special properties, like punching through parries.

Mount and blade Warband

You control the type of attack with mouse movement and parrying is managed in the same way. Momentum has importance too, especially if you grab a lance and choose to kill someone from horseback. The game isn’t pretty, true, but the combat and battles are a ton of fun, and every weapon feels unique.

UPDATE: The sequel, Bannerlord, launched in 2020, improved on virtually everything.

Key Features
  • A sandbox experience in a medieval-like world
  • Plenty of realistic weapons, both ranged and melee
  • Large, dynamic battles
  • Great sequel

Star Wars: Jedi Knight games

Released2003-09-16
GenreAdventure
DeveloperRaven Software

Yeah, we had the Force Unleashed series, which made lightsaber combat look cool, but it never managed to make lightsaber feel cool.

This is where the Jedi Knight games come in. First with Jedi Outcast II, specifically, and then in Jedi Academy, which added a few very welcome features and extra variety to the gameplay.

Running around slashing foes, directing attacks with subtle movements of your mouse buttons and pre-determined maneuvers was a blast, especially with Raven Software’s dismemberment engine. Jedi Academy added dual lightsabers, and Darth Maul-like staves, each with unique movesets, of course. Buff it all up with acrobatics, and The Force Unleashed can hide.

Key Features
  • Responsive, immersive lightsaber combat
  • Kyle Katarn is awesome both as a protagonist and as a mentor
  • Jedi Academy features dual lightsabers and double-bladed lightsaber
  • Melee combat blaster shooting

Guilty Gear (the whole deal)

Released1998-2021
GenreFighting
DeveloperArc System Works

Keeping up the theme of abnormally fast games with absurd skill ceiling, let’s talk Guilty Gear.

The decades-old franchise is in some ways a fighting game version of Devil May Cry. Although it has entered the 3D world with the release of Xrd, it lost none of the speed and crispness of the previous, sprite-based incarnations.

There’s all the complexity expected from fighting games, with cancels, five types of attacks, specials, and more. GG’s systems are complex and require split-second reaction speed, which make it less friendly to newcomers, but very satisfying once you get the hang of them. Oh, and the soundtracks are some prime-quality hard rock, as befits the franchise so heavily inspired by rock history.

Key Features
  • Very fast, very technical, very stylish
  • Huge roster of colourful weirdoes
  • Looks fantastic, but has a very pronounced anime aesthetic
  • Badass soundtrack

For Honor

Released2017-02-13
GenreAction & Shooter
DeveloperUbisoft Montreal

At its core, For Honor’s system unitially seems to boil down to picking one of three directions: top, left, or right. If your enemy matches the direction of their guard to your attack, it’s blocked.

Then you add fast and heavy attacks, specific moves of the various and numerous classes…

Before long you figure out that what looks like a fairly simple rock-paper-scissors type of deal gets enough modifiers and complexities to turn it into a competent, deep 3D fighting game. There are several modes to check out, plenty of classes from several factions, and a lot of customization options to unlock, because looking good on a field of battle is important.

Key Features
  • Several factions, many different classes
  • Skill-heavy
  • A third-person melee fighting game
  • Tons of customization options

Tekken (currently up to 8)

Released2017-06-01
GenreFighting
DeveloperBandai Namco Studios

Tekken 8 being playable on PC is a cause for celebration already. It also happens to be a pretty darned nifty fighting game, perfecting the more than 20 years old system, and pushing it to the logical conclusion.

This is what a long time of “testing” in Japanese arcades does to games, it seems. Tekken at its core is focused on controlling individual limbs, chaining attacks, and looking great.

It’s probably among the smoothest fighting games out there, system and animation-wise. The hitboxes are also very detailed, which can lead to some amazing replays. Tekken might not be the most complex of them all, but polish and cutting away things which do not work is also an important part of development. And Tekken is great at this.

Key Features
  • Precise martial art-focused fighting game
  • 3D movement
  • Represents many different fighting styles
  • Large roster

Soulsborne games

Released2016-04-11
GenreRPG
DeveloperFromSoftware

The presence of this series is probably no surprise to anyone here. Soulsbornes have become something of a measuring stick for many people.

The games have a certainly demanding combat system, which is typically reasonably fair, but also knows no mercy. The key to victory lies in managing your stamina, which is drained by…everything, and in learning your enemies’ attack patterns.

Working out the proper timing to attack, block, dodge will hopefully keep you beyond the striking range of your opponents. It’s a series of games with a very deliberate tempo, nothing like DMC’s mad speed. The always present threat of violent death, and combat system unlike many we’ve seen before all put From Software’s games as the shining example of how to do challenging combat in games, for better or worse.

Key Features
  • Patience is rewarded, as is learning your enemies’ moves
  • Many different weapon types from which you can choose your favorite
  • Excellent boss designs
  • Stamina control is important

Final strike

So there you have it. Twenty games with good combat systems. Some require skill and patience to master, others are simpler, but with a large scope, or offering excellent interactivity. We’ve even found room for turn-based Baldur’s Gate 3, and two dedicated shooters.

However, you can’t “try again” until you take the first step, so head on yonder to our marketplace and grab the game which sounds like the most fun, considering your preferences. You’re bound to find attractive deals which will sweeten the experience.