Each game and series approaches combat a little differently. Sometimes stealth removals are the only option available. In other cases, out-and-out blasting through waves of enemies, that is. Still other games can let you choose between the two approaches, with titles like gripping Ghost of Yotei gives you the tools for both.
Where winds meet, fighters right
Where Winds Meet has a bunch of great features, but one of its best is it's combat system.
In games where you're dealing with levels filled with enemies and maybe a combo counter you want to push ever higher, the message is clear: pure aggression is key. Games like these are great when you just want to relieve some stress and cause some mayhem, and this roundup will feature some perfect examples.
Blood borne
The rally mechanic can be a life saver
Now, it's important to note that pure aggression and mindless button mashing are not the same thing at all. If players load into the average enemy loaded Blood borne area or even boss fights with no thought for their own safety, they will probably be flattened in seconds. To survive the horrors of Yharnam, liberal use of dodges and reading enemy actions is essential. But often hunters find themselves dodging through or around enemy attacks to get to a vulnerable spot and continue their attack. This is especially the case with skill weapons like the Blade of Mercy.
Likewise, the rally mechanic allows a certain amount of the player's health bar to be restored if they bounce back quickly enough after taking damage. Hiding behind a shield isn't an option in Bloodborne, and you'll often want to be close to landing that Visceral Attack when you hit a well-timed firearm parry. This horror game requires a lot of skill.
MadWorld
Survival of the most imaginatively violent
Those who have played MadWorldor seen more than a second or two of gameplay, will know that it is one of the purest forms of aggression in the business. The premise is that the main character, Jack Cayman, is trapped in a brutal game show called DeathWatch, with the simple goal of basically just killing everyone else. There's nothing else quite like it on the Wii, and being a PlatinumGames version, the slick action has more depth than players might expect.
Cayman must collect bloody kills, but to do so quickly and inventively for high scores. Environmental hazards should be combined with the player's own arsenal of talents for best effect, and grouping enemies for multipliers is the way to excel. It can take a few rounds of a stage to learn the best way to achieve this (which is encouraged by the game's scene selection once the main campaign is complete), but once this is done there's no stopping the brutal rampage.
Curse of the dead gods
Mastering the game's combat means no worries about stamina
Roguelikes are usually very combat oriented games. The primary goal is often to make the best possible builds from a (largely random) selection offered to the player and then wreak havoc. Between runs there is hopefully an option to gradually strengthen the main character. Curse of the Dead Gods is a prime example of these qualities, themed around Aztec mythology and starring an Indiana Jones-like adventurer. As he digs deeper into a series of temples, he is surrounded not only by a series of hideous enemies but a lingering curse that affects him in various ways (such as affecting the player's vision).
A stamina system is a critical component in combat. Dodging and attacking costs “cores” of stamina, but that doesn't mean a super-aggressive playstyle isn't encouraged. In fact, some stamina is restored through perfect dodges (or other equipment like relics you may have acquired), and so the best players often want to string these maneuvers together and so be constantly on the offensive while remaining untouched. It's another game where reckless button mashing will be your undoing, but keeping up a steady flow of punches is incredibly satisfying. Reward too, as the combo system means there's a lot more reward for chaining kills together.
Doom (2016)
Taking Rip And Tear as far as it goes
When it comes to hyper-aggressive games, Downfall the series is a kind of be-all and end-all. The aftermath of a BFG shot is enough to make it crystal clear. When the series rebooted in 2016, it was important that it keep that spirit alive. Doomguy adopts defensive strategies rather Doom: The Dark Agesbut in this title, it's all about moving as quickly as possible from one demon to another, combining Glory Kills in quick succession to restore health and ammo.
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The player leaves a total carnage in their wake during the average encounter, which is exactly how Doom should be. Playing in arcade mode and shooting for the highest possible score, a lightning-fast, merciless, tactical approach is the order of the day. There is a kind of brutal ballet about effective Downfall play.
Streets of Rage 4
Don't drop that combo!
The beat 'em up genre is full of games that are easy to pick up but difficult to master. Players can often simply dial down the difficulty and wail on enemies coming their way with a single button. More advanced play, of course, requires adopting all of the character's abilities and the game's scoring mechanics at the same time. Dotemus 2020 reboot of Streets of Rage series emphasizes the importance of maintaining a combination of defeated enemies, and also introduces a system similar to Rally i Blood bornewhere HP spent on special moves can be recovered by making quick hits after using them.
The idea is to encourage players to balance the use of common attacks and character specialties, bringing a lot of variety to a genre that can sometimes lack a bit of it. It's a lot of fun juggling enemies and using everything from floor to ceiling and environmental hazards to keep the hits flowing and the combos rolling.
A fast, furious FPS with a fun twist
If there's one central concept that unites the FPS genre, it's the presence of an array of weapons. Although there are many of them for the player to unleash on his many enemies Anger footthe protagonist, a rogue vigilante, has an even deadlier (and far more ridiculous) weapon to use as well: their sneaker.
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As the game's name suggests, a humble kick is a powerful tool in this title, usually used to smash through doors or gangsters' skulls. Similar to something like Hotline Miami, enemies are dispatched very quickly and in elaborate, colorful fashion, and planning the best way to combine your attacks to quickly clear the stages is the way to success. It's pure, blood-pumping, relentless mayhem and leaves little time for defensive concerns in this over-the-top action title.
Bayonetta 3
What time is it? Witch Time
The Bayonetta The series is another one developed by PlatinumGames, and once again showcases the studio's talents as masters of the action arena. As an Umbra witch, Bayonetta has access to strength and agility that humans could only dream of, and she seems determined to use it against angels, demons, and anyone else who dares stand in her way.
She is armed with punches, kicks, her signature weapon (one for each limb) and a selection of unlockable weapons, such as the formidable anchor-on-chain Cassiopeia. It's graceful and fluid combat, but much of the allure is off Bayonetta gameplay revolves around chasing the high ranks for each chapter. Doing so requires the player to engage in the combo system, whereby different types of attacks buy more or less valuable seconds to strike again before the combo breaks. Dodging in and out of enemy attacks with perfect timing activates Bayonetta's Witch Time, the iconic ability that slows time around her. It is, in that sense, as much an offensive as a defensive tool, and an important part of the flow of the series' combat.
An intricate and super aggressive combat system
Raiden, introduced in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Libertywas immediately controversial with fans because he was not Solid Snake. As such, it was important to distinguish him through his agility, his arsenal and his background. All of this would come in handy for PlatinumGames when it came to creating 2013's Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (although he gets some excellent subweapons in this game as well).
Raiden is pitted against Desperado Enforcement, who are trying to spread chaos around the world in order to profit from it. Fortunately, the cyborg warrior is unimaginably skilled and precise with a blade and can cut through almost any target with sufficient precision. In fact, precision is exactly the word, as the game is best known for its innovative Blade Mode, which switches camera perspectives and allows the player to precisely target specific areas. This allows Raiden to tear through a weak point, soften armor and so on, and also heal himself with special components taken from enemies. In Revengeance, parrying is at the center of the player's protection against enemy attacks for the most part, and the end result is a lightning-fast and visually stunning experience where a moment not spent tearing robots to pieces is a moment wasted.
