Funnest video game combat?

[Chevywolf:30]

So I did the dark Link fight yesterday, and beat it really just with button mashing. I kept trying to use my hidden skills from TP tho, and I just thought "Dang, TP was some of the funnest video game combat I've ever done." And I've never been good at combat in games tbh. But this isn't a TP appreciation thread, this is a thread where I ask y'all what is some of the funnest video game combat you've ever done?

 

[Fraxinus]

Nothing else is coming to mind, so... I gotta say Hollow Knight. Responsive, fluid, precise, and incredibly customizable. The game in general has remarkable feedback that ensures everything feels satisfying. When you land a hit, it feels good. When you land a hit in between dance-like maneuvers, it feels remarkable. In a lot of ways, I consider myself spoiled to Hollow Knight's feedback, and looking for other 2d games just underwhelms me by the lack of feedback in combat. It's an extremely high bar to reach.

 

[twilitfalchion]

I find it hard to pick just one game, so I'll list a few that I've played that still stand out in my mind even now.

• Wind Waker - 3D Zelda combat hasn't felt as good as it did in WW. The movements are fluid and fun despite the overall simplicity of Link's moveset. If WW had the sword skills of TP, it'd be pretty much perfect, IMO.
• Trails in the Sky - The OP didn't say whether or not it could include RPGs and whatnot, so I'll mention this as well. Trails battling is turn-based, but it also takes place on a grid, combining an aspect from my favorite video game series with a type of combat that I enjoy anyway. The turns have status effects, while changing order continually depending on the speed of your characters. It's a varied and enjoyable system that has yet to be topped in any RPG I've played.

There might be a few others, but these are the ones I immediately think of.

 

[mαrkαsscoρ]

xenoblade and skyward sword, two games where I remember actively looking for fights b/c I enjoyed the combat in those

on that note, red steel 2 was also really good w/ the motion control sword fights

 

[Mikey the Gengar]

Nothing else is coming to mind, so... I gotta say Hollow Knight. Responsive, fluid, precise, and incredibly customizable. The game in general has remarkable feedback that ensures everything feels satisfying. When you land a hit, it feels good. When you land a hit in between dance-like maneuvers, it feels remarkable. In a lot of ways, I consider myself spoiled to Hollow Knight's feedback, and looking for other 2d games just underwhelms me by the lack of feedback in combat. It's an extremely high bar to reach.

the combat is frustratingly unresponsive to me, on the other hand
inputs keep getting eaten constantly, and the level of precision required for what I want to do in my head just doesn't come out with the dualshock, even though it's supposed to be good for platforming, and I never have enough time to actually heal compared to dark souls
getting hit is legitimately terrifying like someone smacked my head irl so hard that I got a concussion or something

seconding wind waker, jump spins are fantastic, and the mini combos that link does automatically are so satisfying, not to mention parries

I'm actually going to say breath of the wild
as much as I dislike the game, the combat, when viewed as something to be savored, is limitless
sure it ends up devolving into optimization along the lines of shiekah armor+sneakstrike or "head shot everyone"
but all you have to do is watch one of those insanely precise rube goldberg machine takedowns of lynels to see just how wild this game's combat can get

 

[Ronin]

Devil May Cry and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance are loads of fun for how tight and precise each combo is. DMC sets itself apart by holding down a trigger to switch between standard melee and long-ranged attacks, which can lead to knocking an enemy into the air and then "juggling" them with guns or what have you. Conversely, MGR focuses more on parrying at just the right moment and then activating Blade Mode to slash an enemy to bits. "Spectacle fighters" tend to be at the top of the fun list for me (discounting gore-fests like MadWorld) because they require more skill than ye olde hack'n'slash titles [ie Dynasty Warriors].

For turn-based/tactical games, I'll throw Fire Emblem and Trails of Cold Steel into the mix. FE battles take place in a field and each unit is moved individually, whereas Trails is more menu-based and makes players think on their toes, but both are quite fun.

Also, Ghost of Tsushima gets mentioned because the samurai combat is so darned engaging. Like let me tell you...

Spoiler

What, you thought I'd make a best combat post without including the best combat series? Xenoblade 1 and X are both superb for making character builds that can suit any playstyle. You've got your tank, mage, warrior, and even jack-of-all-trades spots covered, and X even has a full class system to further flesh out your preferences. Now, all of this ties into the combat: Arts are selected from a battle palette instead of mashing a button, and certain attacks deal more damage based on position (for example, Back Slash is more effective from behind an enemy). The key to success is about timing and patience--waiting for just the right moment to interrupt an attack or inflict a negative status. Most of the time this can be way more satisfying than mashing buttons just to move on to the next lot.

 

[Quin]

Zelda's combat system is usually pretty basic and easy, but as far as they go, I'd have to go with BOTW. I knew this was the best combat wise the series had gone as soon as I fought a lynel, and probably like 200 lynels later I still feel that way.

Anyway, I'm more of a fan of heavier grounded combat, so my vote goes to Monster Hunter, Dark Souls, Sekiro and Dragons Dogma. all of those I can keep replaying just for the combat alone.

 

[Sheikah_Witch]

Sekiro for sure. Idk about 'fun' more like 'most intense/engaging'. The stealth kills, the boss battles... just OMG. <3

 

[Mikey the Gengar]

I cant believe I forgot to say sekiro

Every other game can go home, sekiro is perfect

 

[Ninja]

Ghost of Tsushima, Kingdom Hearts, and Mortal Kombat for their own unique reasons. Those are probably my top three so far.

 

[Spirit]

I'm with Frax on how fluid and responsive HK's combat is. It makes every mistake yours and thus is never frustrating in the way lesser games are.

Tales of Xillia and Berseria both feel excellent and have two of the best JRPG battle systems I've ever known.

Nier Automata, Astral Chain and Bayonetta 1&2 (and most other things Platinum) all feel liberating and cathartic for me.

Odin Sphere is another great mention for fast and fluid combat that feels really satisfying.

 

[Azure Sage]

I think I've gotta say Ys. Specifically new Ys, like Celceta and 8. The skill-based combat and party system is extremely satisfying, fluid, and fun. I cant think of many games that do fast-paced action that well, except Age of Calamity.

Monster Hunter also comes to mind. I dont like all of the weapons, but I love dual blades to death and the monsters are endlessly fun to fight.

 

[AwdryFan1997]

Metal Gear Solid has always been fun, despite not being specifically combat-oriented. It's relatively simple, but still extremely satisfying to pull off. I rely on gun combat in MGS3 more than I did in Twin Snakes, but that might have something to do with the increased emphasis on stealth and the 3DS version not having the most... intuitive controls in the world.

 

[Princess Niki]

Breath of the Wild and Twilight Princess are a lot of fun. BotW cuz of the random shenanigans you can cause with the runes. TP cuz of how creative you can get with fighting with the items, fighting off that room of spiders with the spinner in the Temple of Time is entertaining.

 

[Mellow Ezlo]

Breath of the Wild has an incredibly versatile combat system that, when taken advantage of, has the potential to make practically every fight unique. I saw a video of someone fighting off a bunch of silver bokoblins, moblins, lizalfos, and a gold lynel in Master Mode, using pretty much every trick the game has to offer, and in another video I saw somebody do something incredibly subtle and quick in taking out a remote bomb, korok leafing it, and blowing it up in the span of less than a second. The ability to be creative like that makes it a top notch combat system.

I'm also a big fan of cooldown-based MMORPG combat systems. World of Warcraft is an extremely popular example, though the one relatable to me is Final Fantasy XIV, which has a similar system to WoW only with a shorter global cooldown which actually allows for more fast paced gameplay due to all the skill weaving that is involved.

I also love the combat system of the Ratchet & Clank series, specifically the more intuitive system introduced in Going Commando. That game introduced strafing, which is one of the things that makes the gameplay of the franchise so fun and strategic. The weapon diversity is fantastic and the enemy variety is pretty good all around.