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Favorite Combat Systems in a Video Game?

shoz999

Back when Tigers used to smoke.
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You got your button-mashing combat systems, your soulslike combat systems, your turn-based combat systems, your Monster Hunter tripping-your-fellow-players-with-a-long-sword combat systems and of course your basic shooters. There's all sorts of ways to combat enemy NPCs and bosses in video games and I especially love it when it is just pure fun and excitement that you can't put down the controller. It is very rare for me to find that one game that keeps your interest for hours and hours on the combat alone to be honest. I'm talking about some really wild and over-the-top gameplay you've seen where you fight monsters, powered-up superhumans, robots or in Splatoon's case, the floor.

I think however for me though, one of the more unique button-mashers I've seen is Astral Chain where the analogue stick has a much bigger role than ever seen before in a button masher as your controlling two characters at once. It's definitely one of the more original button mashers I've seen but it does feel a bit strangely slower as opposed to Bayonetta and DMC which is way more faster. Also I'm a big stealth fan so I've always enjoyed Dishonored's combat system where you are given the freedom to either run wild or play your cards carefully for bigger rewards. However my favorite stealth game in terms of combat would easily have to be Metal Gear. In the realm of multiplayer however, I absolutely love Splinter Cell's Spies vs. Merc where it's basically ninjas vs. hulking guys with guns. That is so much fun, easily one of my favorite multiplayer experiences.

So that's just me, what about you guys?
 
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NPC

sleep researcher
I'm a big fan of unique combat systems in RPGs. Grandia combines turn-based commands with real-time actions to really keep you engaged every second. Phantasy Star IV has an active turn-based system that rewards timed combos. And Valkyrie Profile assigns each of your party members to a face button, allowing you to rack up combos so naturally that it almost feels like some kind of team-based fighting game.
 

SBaby

Dungeon Master
I'm a big fan of unique combat systems in RPGs. Grandia combines turn-based commands with real-time actions to really keep you engaged every second. Phantasy Star IV has an active turn-based system that rewards timed combos. And Valkyrie Profile assigns each of your party members to a face button, allowing you to rack up combos so naturally that it almost feels like some kind of team-based fighting game.

I was just getting ready to mention Grandia when I saw this topic. I love how everyone essentially uses the same ATB bar and you can cancel attacks and positioning is really important for AoE moves. I could write an essay on how great this combat system is. I seriously hope they bring this series back.

Valkyrie Profile is really cool and unique. As you mentioned, the way combat is done with the buttons being assigned to each character makes it flow really well.

Another battle system I really enjoyed was the one in Eternal Sonata. This one was a ton of fun, effectively giving you more and more handicaps the further you got into the game. It sounds kind of intimidating if you've never played the game, but it's actually really addictive.
 

SerebieNi

Active Member
When it comes to my Favorite Combat Systems in a Video Game, well, No.1 has to be WoW, but I really love Guild Wars2.. So I'll just share both of them with you guys.

World of Warcraft. Despite being Hotbar combat, it's become faster, better animated, and more responsive than it used to be. There's a good deal of impact, and every class feels like it fights like it should, Channeling spells feels good. Hitting things with big weapons feels good. .. Tanking can feel a bit lackluster, though. I miss my Prot warrior from Cataclysm. Devastate felt much better when it was more spammable and had the Sunder Armor effect.


Guild Wars 2. The perfect amount of buttons for hotbar combat, and a good blend of action and skill rotation. Marred by a lack of tanking mechanics and the worst stat system... and it's way too 'floaty' - I always felt like I was attacking at the enemies, not actually engaging them.
 

Captain Jigglypuff

Leader of Jigglypuff Army
I like Mortal Kombat 11’s customized variation system. You can easy create a fighting style you like and choose certain moves to be present in the variation. I created one for Shao Kahn that I named Hammer Time which utilizes his war hammer to its fullest. It is surprisingly good in AI battles as I assigned the honing hammer attack so the weapon can attack from literally anywhere.
 
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