All it takes is for one game to have an innovative combat system for others to follow. Sometimes the games don’t have to be 10/10 masterpieces either, and even subpar or average games can have cool combat systems worth looking into, like the hip-hop swordplay of Samurai Champloo: Sidetracked.
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Can you debunk the trickiest combat systems of all time? These games are so complex combat-wise that most never fully adapt to them.
Not many games copied Samurai Champloo: Sidetracked, but certain modern games might leave an impression that lasts forever. With Hades 2 finally landing on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S this month, we’re seeing a masterclass in how to evolve action combat. However, does Melinoë’s magic-heavy kit actually surpass the greats? From the kinetic perfection of Ghost of Yotei to the newly updated weapon mechanics in Monster Hunter Wilds, here are the combat systems that define the modern era.
Fit the 9 games into the grid.
8
Tekken 8
Brawl In The Family
For a series that started in arcades in 1994, Tekken 8 proves that the Tekken franchise has a lot more to give to fighting game fans. Old-school players will be met with the same series of punches, kicks, grapples, and specials that they have come to expect from this series, from classic characters like Hwoarang and Nina Williams to newbies like Reina. Beyond new characters, two new mechanics may create huge ripples in the fighting game community.
First, players can recover health, depending on the type they sustain, as long as they go on the offensive. Secondly, the new Heat system uses a bar that, when activated, can increase attack power, health recovery, and level extend combos. Both of these features make Tekken 8 more brutal and satisfying than a lot of the past entries.
7
Monster Hunter Wilds
Taking Advantage Of Wounds
Monster Hunter Wilds is more or less the same action RPG Monster Hunter experience that Capcom has been pumping out since 2004. That said, the things that haven’t changed are what make it compelling, like how all fourteen weapons are viable for a character build from the bow to the harder to control insect glaive.
Beyond that, each weapon has a massive branching upgrade tree for players to craft different types of the same weapon, so that they can be prepared for any monster they come across. What’s new in this game is the Wounds system, which allows players to open up areas of monsters during combat, which they can lock onto to do extra damage, which can also lead to bonus materials. Players can also call the aid of hunters from camp, controlled by AI, so if players don’t want to engage with multiplayer, they don’t have to.
6
Ghost Of Yotei
Everything Is A Weapon
Ghost of Yotei levels up the samurai action of the previous game sevenfold. Instead of relying on just stealth takedowns and katana gameplay, the protagonist of this adventure, Atsu, can wield more weapons, from spears to sickles on chains. Each weapon has a skill tree that can unlock new abilities, and there is a hierarchy to weapons where one will be more effective against another, forcing players to constantly switch between stances.
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While hard, these games are also deeply rewarding for respecting your skill and your resilience and properly testing your might.
Beyond that, enemies can also drop weapons which players can use to throw back at opponents, plus there are ranged weapons like bows and guns to further increase Atsu’s reach. Atsu is on a revenge quest, and her motto is to essentially use anything at her disposal to get the job done.
5
Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Mastering Your Mech Forms
Xenoblade Chronicles 3, at its core, can best be described as having an MMO-style combat system. Players can run around the open-world environments with their party, and if they lock onto a target, the party will all attack automatically. Players have a hot bar of abilities they can use that rely on cooldowns, and if players choose the right ones to time with party members, they can create a chain effect.
This has essentially been the gameplay style of the Xenoblade series since the Wii, but Xenoblade Chronicles 3 does have a new trick up its sleeve. Specific male and female duos can lock in with each other, fuse, and become mech-like entities for a brief span of time called Ouroboros. These Ouroboros forms can effectively turn the tide of any battle, be it a boss or a large overpowered creature on the map.
4
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Learning Your Party’s Quirks
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has an active turn-based system that drew from past games like Mario’s RPG series, but still managed to put a twist on things. In battle, players can choose to dodge or counter an enemy attack, and sometimes players can issue a group dodge or defend against bigger attacks. Each character has a ranged attack or weapon they can use freely at the start of battle to perhaps lock onto an enemy weakness to throw them off.
Otherwise, each character performs differently in battle, going beyond just different weapons and class archetypes, which is what really sets the game apart. For example, attacking with Verso will increase his grades, and at higher grades, he can use stronger skills. Lune, on the other hand, can generate magical Stains from attacks, which can be used to cast magic in many forms.
3
Nioh 3
From Samurai To Ninja
This third entry in the series goes for the gold as Nioh 3 introduces a class system. In previous entries, players could build their samurai hero in several ways, from equipping light or heavy armor to using nimble weapons versus long-reaching ones. In Nioh 3, players can swap between a samurai and ninja build on the fly, and this switch, when timed right, can even counter strong enemy attacks.
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In the captivating worlds of these open-world games, exploration takes center stage and surpasses the visceral thrill of combat.
The samurai class operates mostly the same as previous entries, which gives players a slow but steady warrior to control, whereas the ninja build is much faster and has exclusive weapons. Having a Soulslike with fast, visceral action and a way to swap between builds this quickly should hopefully influence the genre going forward. In general, Nioh 3 at least squashed the ninja versus samurai debate since players could inhabit both forms.
2
Hades 2
A Boon For Every Occasion
Hades 2
- Released
-
September 25, 2025
Hades 2 builds upon the first game and makes it better in almost every way. Players will start with a magic rod, but they can then unlock twin daggers, or a gun that can shoot skulls, just to name a few examples. Each weapon has several attack patterns between different buttons, and whether players hold down these buttons or not, and there are also alternative forms to each weapon that will unlock further in the game.
Also, collecting Boons from the gods on a run will change how weapons or even movement works, like gaining a wave that follows the heroine, Melinoe, around as she runs, or striking enemies with a weapon can also call upon lightning. With a handful of weapons, tarot cards to create buffs, and nearly hundreds of Boons, there are so many builds players can create that the possibilities seem endless, making Hades 2 a very adaptable roguelike.
1
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
Midgar Combo Breaker
Beyond combat, there are many things to praise about Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, but let’s stick to battles. Each character has a unique weapon and play style all their own, like Cloud having stances, Yuffie’s ability to use ninjutsu magic, and Barret having a long reach thanks to his gun arm. Materia returns from the original entry, which can grant characters magic to use, new skills to attack with, or a way to boost stats.
Finally, there are attacks called Synergies which let characters combo with each other, like Cloud can boost Tifa with his sword so that she can perform an assault on an aerial enemy. In many ways, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, as the second remake in what will be a trilogy for Final Fantasy 7, has created the new gold standard for action JRPGs, and it revitalized the series as a whole.
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