Summary
Fantasy games are plentiful in the gaming landscape and it is not surprising. Swords, magic, monsters, and of course, dragons, are perfect for the medium and a great combat system will give players a taste of that power. This can be via anin-depth strategic battle from a CRPGor an up-close and personal brawl seen in an action game.
Whatever it is, many fantasy games are great at creatinga sense of weight and scale with their combat systems. They offer in-depth player expression, tense moment-to-moment gameplay, diverse strategy options, and abilities that feel like they shake the world itself.
Like anyimmersive sim worth its salt,Dishonored 2has a sandbox of tools, weapons, and powers that fundamentally change how players approach each encounter. The fantasy steampunk setting of Dunwall and Karnaca offers a plethora of handy gadgets, such as stun mines, spring razors, and crossbows to use in tandem with a sword, but the real meat of the game is the powers.
These supernatural abilities open up so many options in combat, from letting the player teleport using Blink, pulling enemies and explosives from a range using Far Reach and even stopping time itself to pluck a bullet right out of the air and fire it back at the shooter. The game’s two protagonists, Corvo and Emily, have their own unique set of powers too, so there’s a lot to play with, even on a second playthrough.
ComparingDragon Quest XIto the recent faithful andexcellent remake ofDragon Quest IIIshows that not all that much has changed, but that’s exactly why the combat is so compelling. Opting to keep its classic style of turn-based RPG combat, the game has players select a specific skill and then a target before it plays out each character’s turn. It’s beautifully simple.
That’s not to say the game doesn’t have depth, there’s a variety of different skills that can buff players or debuff enemies and every party member has a highly customizable skill tree allowing players to create specific builds. Dragon Quest XI also introduces pep powers, special abilities that can either give strong buffs or deal huge damage.
Over its lifetime and many, many games, theFinal Fantasyseries has had, sometimes controversially, multiple different combat systems.Final Fantasy VII: Rebirthuses the real-time combat of an action game but with a twist. Every time a party member attacks, it fills the Active Time Battle (or ATB) bar, a mechanic seen in the original game, as well as otherFinal Fantasygames. When a bar is full the player can use a skill, item, or spell. The stronger the skills, the higher the ATB cost.
Each party member has a set of unique skills and different ways of attacking, adding variety to the combat loop. Combat can be paused when selecting each character’s skill, allowing a degree of strategy and planning before the next move is made. It’s reminiscent of the original, showing that Rebirth has not forgotten its roots.
If there was ever a game that perfectly summed up the phrase “easy to learn, hard to master”, it would beDevil May Cry 5. The game sees players hack and slash through demons across an urban fantasy landscape while aiming to keep the style rank as high as possible to achieve that coveted S rating in each mission. With how many wacky combos and special moves that can be executed, it at timesfeels like a playable action anime.
Each playable character in the game has their own unique skill set and upgrades, all of which require dedication and skill. For example, Dante requires constant switching between both with his various melee and ranged weapons, as well as his styles, which fundamentally alter his play style on the fly. It’s a rewarding game for those who take the time to learn it.
Preparation is the name of the game inMonster Hunter: Rise, as players must take careful consideration when deciding what armor, items, and passive abilities they take when facing down one of the game’s many aggressive monsters. A fire-type weapon isn’t going to be much good against a fire-type monster, but a water one certainly will be. Still, being prepared can only do so much as players must also learn each monster’s move set and weak points to succeed.
The upgrade system is whereMonster Huntertruly shines. Players who focus on removing parts of a monster are rewarded with materials to upgrade or craft new weapons and armor to combat the next monster. This gameplay loop is incredibly satisfying and ensures the game is always moving forward.
Atlus' recent foray into the fantasy genre,Metaphor: ReFantazio,has a combat system of two distinct but equally important parts. The first is another iteration of the now iconic press turn battle system (seen in other Atlus titles), allowing players to take extra turns by exploiting the enemies' weaknesses. It also forces players to cover their own, as the game’s large bestiary of monsters can also gain extra turns the same way.
Secondly is the game’s Archetypes, a class system not dissimilar from JRPGs of a similar ilk. There are the classics like healer and mage, but in typical Atlus fashion, they put their own spin on it with some stranger options, like The Sniper and The Merchant. The interesting twist here is that, once a character has unlocked a skill, that skill can be applied to any class irrespective of stats, allowing players to create some of the most powerful or strangest parties possible.
It’s one thing to develop an engaging combat system, it’s entirely another to create and refine a new subgenre likeElden Ring, (as well as the Souls games before it) did with the creation of the Soulslike.Elden Ringis the most refined Soulslike by From Software so far, polished to a mirror sheen. The punishing, yet gratifying combat has players dodging devastating attacks, waiting for the perfect opening to strike or heal themselves, rewarding patience and skill with the satisfaction of a victory well-earned.
Players have a variety of builds to play with, allowing many ways to approach each fight with a plethora of weapons, skills, and spells, meaning that two playthroughs never feel the same. Naturally, the boss fights (a series staple) are where the combat system truly shines. These quite literally larger-than-life foes challenge players to use everything they have learned in a deadly dance where the player must win or die trying.
Masterfully adapting theDungeons & Dragons 5th editionrule set (as well as adding some homebrew rules of its own)Baldur’s Gate 3’stop-down, turn-based combat feels like the tabletop game come to life. Players have myriad classes, spells, and abilities that can vastly change how each combat encounter plays out. Rouges can use their stealth for extra damage, Druids can transform into an owlbear to slam into monsters and, of course, Sorcerers can blow everyone up with a fireball when all else fails.Multiclassing is also an option for players who want to min-maxand create devastating character builds.
Environments are also a factor to consider. Enemies can be pushed off cliffs to their doom, flammable surfaces can be set on fire and barrels can be blown up for heavy damage. The game also features a selection of magic items that can drastically change combat. All these elements come together to make a satisfying tactical sandbox experience.
