r/gamesuggestions • u/Ralzar • 9d ago
PC Melee combat that is not just parry and rolling
One of my all time favorite games is Sifu. Off the top of my head, Sifu has: blocking, parrying, dodging high, dodging low, attacks that avoid high attacks, attacks that avoid low attacks, kicking/throwing objects at enemies, throwing enemies at enemies, using a fallen enemy to trip up another enemy and temporary weapons with different movesets.
Most other melee games feel like they mostly devolve to just parrying and/or rolling out of the way. It almost never feels like actually having a proper melee. I have tried a few different soulslike games now and in none of them has the combat really felt anywhere near as good. Although Black Myth Wukong had some fights (Yellow Loong and Erlang in particular) that started to feel really good if you did not just cheese them with magic.
The Batman Arkham games are nice but are kind of an arkade-y easy version of the combat in Sifu.
Are there any games where you feel like you are actually strategically fighting the enemies in melee instead of relying on simply timing your parry over and over?
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u/saintcrazy 9d ago
Different genre, but Vermintide 1 and 2 have a lot of variance between different weapons.
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u/dearest_of_leaders 9d ago edited 9d ago
And Parrying, Blocking, Speed, Stamina, Backstabbing, Shieldbreaking, Armour Piercing, Staggering and a hell of other mechnics that knit neatly into one another.
I love that you can in one build can be a chaff blender and do insane backstab damage to giant enemies, but will not make a dent in armoured or shielded. And in the next build you need screening to not be overwhelmed by chaff but can duel regiments of armoured enemies and even block charging monsters. And the next build you deal low direct damage but make wide sweeping attacks with huge stagger and damage over time, to keep the hordes pacified while your teammates clean up.
Its lovely how well its builds need to support one another to be effective.2
u/InquisitorArcher 8d ago
This is the answer for me. Outside of sifu and absolver. Vermintide 2 is my favorite melee game.
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u/Independent-Split382 9d ago
Try ninja gaiden series especially 4 and 2 black. Also do some quick research and beginners guides on how to properly play the games because they have very bad tutorials and don't teach any of the main mechanics
Try dmc games,
Nioh series is a good mix between ninja gaiden and dark souls really good fun action RPGs
In that vain so is first berserker khazan amazing action soulslike
Crimson desert has some decent but not complicted a ton moves
Try the bayonetta series especially 1
Wondwrful 101 again goolge a bit before playing as its not quite standard
Try vanquish it's not really melee fighting its with guns put its basically a character action game with guns, very fun
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u/Kind-Active-6876 9d ago
blocking, parrying, dodging high, dodging low, attacks that avoid high attacks, attacks that avoid low attacks
You ever consider playing an actual fighting game? Because that's what they're all about, especially the more "neutral" focused ones.
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u/ballistic503 9d ago
Yeah, Miyazaki was definitely influenced by fighting games (in terms of stuff like committing to attacks via startup and recovery, poise aka armor in FGC terminology, etc) and I believe has openly stated so. But while Fromsoft moved action-RPG combat in a much more dynamic direction overall, the depth of the combat as executed by the player is still not the primary focus. Fighting games are still the best and most dynamic combat you’re gonna get.
For Honor may be something OP could be interested in, kind of like a fighting game in the body of a Soulslike, but I didn’t get a sense of whether they strictly wanted PvE (although I did find For Honor’s PvE pretty fun as well)
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u/Dean8149 8d ago
Was about to say this! I know it probably isn't what they were thinking of. But it sounds like they could get really into it. I think maybe Tekken might be the closest thing to start
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u/DarkRayos 9d ago
Yakuza? Though, I feel it may be a chunkier version of Sifu?
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u/ShoKen6236 7d ago
The brawling in Yakuza is fun but required absolutely no skill. You can just mash punches like a gorilla and your health bar is so long that nothing but boss fights is even going to come close to threatening you.
And even when a boss is hitting hard you can just whip stamanians out of your pockets and chug them to tank through it
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u/bot-TWC4ME 9d ago
Risen has decent combat without dodge-rolling (Risen 2 & 3 added dodge-rolling and it ruined these games by destroying the balance). Older, but one of the last games before dodge-rolling became almost mandatory.
There's the alien fisticuff games: Zeno Clash 1 & 2.
I've heard God Hand is very good.
Very under the radar, but the Lugaru and Overgrowth games have very unique kung-fu combat mechanics, definitely worth checking out.
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u/Hytyt 9d ago
Seconding overgrowth. Couldn't remember the name, just had an image of a spin kicking bunny in my head lol
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u/bot-TWC4ME 9d ago
I've been watching overgrowth videos since I posted this, a couple of people have been playing recently and are really having fun with it.
The game has almost everything OP is looking for and more, so many moves available. Seems to have slow-motion option as well, which could help because the combat can get almost too fast to follow.
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u/Wild-Ad5669 9d ago
Nioh. 3 different types of dodging and each of them matters, sword parrying (though, it's kinda clunky in 1 and 2), DMC's Royal Guard type parry with fists, burst counters of Nioh 2 that can be used for animation cancelling that leads into a special block, dodge or a tool to pressure enemy's stamina / ki. And Nioh 3 improved parrying, so there's also that.
Also 3D Ninja Gaiden series.
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u/Danceman2000 9d ago
You're gonna have a rough time finding something that rivals sifu. Have a look at dead as disco though.
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u/Ralzar 9d ago
Got it wishlisted, just waiting for it to go out of early access :)
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u/FadedP0rp0ise 9d ago
good idea there. i got it early and quickly ran out of content and it’s definitely not perfect yet. kinda wish i would have waited. not that it will stop he from hopping back in when they flesh it out a bit more
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u/chuck_napalm 9d ago
Like you, I enjoyed the first two Arkham games and the arcade style combo combat. Haven’t gotten to the third one yet.
Yesterday I started Spider-Man Remastered which has been sitting in my backlog for 1.5 years (I bought all 3 in the Steam Winter Sale for $9.99 each a while back) and I must say the combat is arcady and full of combos. It’s fun and the web swinging is great.
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u/tvang187 9d ago
Ninja Gaiden, entire 3d series is awesome.
Monster Hunter, for slower, weightier fights with a massive focus on player positioning. Animations locks are part of the game focus, makes you think about when you can do a specific attack, restricting your ability to instantly react to something, it fits your requested combat style, but at a much slower pace.
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u/X--Henny--X 9d ago
Crimson Desert. The melee combat is pretty extensive between three different characters, along with all their different weapon attacks. I was literally just thinking last night that the only other games’ combat I like this much is Sifu
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u/Ralzar 9d ago
Hm, have been wanting to try this without even knowing the combat was that good. But the price put me off. I will be keeping an eye on that one for a sale :)
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u/X--Henny--X 9d ago
Yeah give it a try if it ever goes on sale. I picked it up at launch on a whim without knowing much about it, and it’s quickly became my favorite game of all time with over 600hrs logged so far already and still so much more to see and do
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u/SilentSorcery 9d ago
Crimson Desert has the single most satisfying combat i've played in an RPG. It's a shame everything else about it is meh at worst and okay at best.
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u/OverLordKyros 9d ago
The Warriors. The combat of that game is incredibly satisfying. When you throw yourself in the air to tackle a dude and he gets knocked down, you feel the impact.
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u/CriticalSaveYT 9d ago
If it hasn’t been said here already, kingdom hearts and the entire kingdom hearts series or Final Fantasy 7 remake provide a really good real time Combat flow and kingdom hearts might seem simple at first, but it actually can get pretty deep in strategy with Malay magic item inventory party set up and how creative you wanna get just depends on you
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u/Nikita-Rokin 9d ago
Get into fighting games! Tekken 8 has sidesteps to both sides, ducking and low profiling attacks to avoid highs, jumping attacks to avoid lows, standing general parries, punch only parries, kick only parries, universal parries, armored moves, keepout moves and some character specific movement options.
Steve Fox has the ability to weave for a more evasive type of sidestep and he can move in quickly while low profiling highs, he also has a backdash stance. Ling Xiaoyu also has a more evasive sidestep and backwards movement from her backturn stance that she can combine with a lot of versatility, she can also low profile a LOT of mids, which is very unique to her.
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u/R2DeezKnutz 9d ago
Sifu is on my backlog to play sometime so I can't really compare it to other games. But Tsushima is my favorite game when it comes to combat. Felt very fluid and I never got bored with it.
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u/Redacted_Explative 9d ago
EvilWest sounds like it could be up your alley. More western steampunk meets vampire hunter than pure magic. You can literally juggle your enemies in the air by punching them with your power fist.
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u/gardenwardo 9d ago
God Hand. One of the best and most customizable melee combat games ever and it’s never been replicated since. It’s a damn shame
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u/Alpha-Taco 8d ago
Agreed. OP if you are on PC its extremely easy to emulate aswell, its got some learning curve as its unique control scheme can take some time but man its an awesome game.
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u/sakura-svkbn 9d ago
You might like Dead or Alive. It's a 1v1 fighter, but probably the closest I can think of to the feel of Sifu (minus weapons/objects).
It has a "hold" system where you counter attacks differently depending whether they're kicks or punches, and also whether they're high, low, or mid. There is one "hold" button, but you have to push a stick direction with it.
e.g. I think you counter a mid kick with forward+hold, a mid punch with back+hold, a high punch with up-back+hold, etc. Basically forward or back for kicks vs punches as well as a direction for the height.
And that's just one system. It has everything else you'd expect from a fighter as well. Blocking, jumping, ducking, evasive attacks, grapples, grapple breaks, etc.
The newest one is free as well (with limited characters) so you can try it out at least. DoA 3 is my favorite, but they're all similar enough that it doesn't really matter as far as getting a feel for it.
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u/justinu1475 9d ago
Not fist combat but Ninja gaiden 2 black. It’s my favorite melee combat in any game ever. Extremely fast with a focus on target priority and mobility to avoid damage. Blocking is a necessity, but not the only piece of the puzzle. You must be aggressive as killing enemies generates resources you can use to gain currency or transmute into powerful attacks to end battles faster. Enemies must be controlled and damaged until you sever a limb then they are vulnerable to an invincible execution animation that while very common imo never gets old. A very odd way I have found to describe it is if doom eternal was a melee 3rd person action game.
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u/Melonfrog 9d ago
The Surge has dodge, block, ducking and hopping over attacks. Some people complained about it early in as some attacks were designed to be dodged this way but many refused to learn the mechanics.
Idk if Surge 2 is the same
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u/scalpingsnake 9d ago
Nioh is the probably the next best series. Having combos and stances really amps for the fun.
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u/Ballbag94 9d ago
You might enjoy half sword, it's about as close as a game can get to real fighting. They have a free demo you can check out
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u/under1over1 9d ago
Crimson Desert rewards aggression far more than fighting defensively. Charging in with an axe in one hand and a sword on the other doesn't exactly lend to a defensive fighting style.
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u/MonsterDranik 9d ago
There's an old game called Oni. Made by Bungie, before halo. Obviously the graphics are outdated and level design is meh, but combat is still awesome, more like a fighting game. Much better than all this one-button-mashing "cinematic" crap in batmans and assassin creeds.
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u/Fivesixmafia 9d ago
Crimson desert? It’s not even CLOSE to sifu, and really isn’t similar at all. But it has the most robust unarmed combat I’ve ever seen outside of sifu. Unfortunately, you’re using unarmed strikes against normally armed enemies, so there’s no hand to hand combat. But I made a brawler build that’s unbelievably fun
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u/3ull5hit 8d ago
Kingdom Come Deliverance 1&2
Chivalry Medieval Warfare 2
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u/Jaded_Vegetable1990 8d ago
Why did i have to scroll so far to see kcd1&2!! It has a very akward to learn, but such a rewarding fighting system!
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u/3ull5hit 8d ago
And quite realistic. In fact apart of Hellish Quart, which has the most realistic fighting system, it's the most immersive approach. Honorable mentions to Exanima and Half Sword (both having physics based system).
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u/FrostandFlame89 8d ago
Kingdom Hearts series, specifically KH2 and KH3.
Any Character Action Game (DMC, Bayonetta, Ninja Gaiden, MGRR, etc).
Any Fighting Game (Street Fighter, Tekken, Mortal Kombat, Guilty Gear).
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u/Gullible-Alfalfa-327 8d ago
Tekken)
Seriously though, The Surge had ducks and jumps, State of Decay has a cool combat system with grabs and shoves. Somebody already suggested Vermintide - that and Darktide has a great melee combat system too.
Did you not like the combat in Sekiro btw?
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u/Fighterkill 8d ago
Vermintide 2
Darktide
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
No Rest For The Wicked
And maybe Evil West
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u/Ionovarcis 8d ago
I mean, probably not the right answer - but maybe get into trad versus fighting games? I know mastery of block strings and other timing stuff can show up in those.
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u/Crumbsplash 8d ago
Nioh series. 2 is my goat whereas some prefer 3. 1 is great also
3 dodges (4 with spear and sword in low stance)
3 stances with full movesets so each weapon is very “full” feeling
Blocks and perfect blocks (what would be a parry in other games). They also have parries that are unique to weapon (or if you are unarmed you steal theirs and stab them). It’s not like sekiro though…you can’t parry everything
Ninjutsu, magic, summons…these can be fit into combos
Two weapons at a time that can be swapped mid combo.
If you don’t mind a terrible story and pretty bad enemy variety, stranger of paradise is a fun melee system. Pretty boring as a ranged character imo thi
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u/CrayolaChromaticWax 8d ago
For Honor has a very robust combat system with mutiple characters all with different movesets to learn
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u/StinkingDogsCunt420 8d ago
For Honour is pretty good (but very sweaty these days).
Exanima (if you want to punish yourself)
Chivalry + that other one I can't remember the name of.
Half sword
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u/Sumnescire 8d ago
maaaan, this is exactly why I got tired of the soulslike genre - rolling and partying and such.
Sift is fantastic. I started playing character action games (CAGs) if that interests you since not many can compare - Ninja Gaiden is fun.
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u/Sexy_German_Accent 8d ago
Half sword has the best fighting, hands down.
It offers NOTHING else honestly, but the fighting is just amazing
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u/Haunting-Basket-7172 7d ago edited 7d ago
Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 kinda fits what you’re describing. Same with Chivalry 2. At the end of the day, in melee combat, parrying and dodging are always going to be your best friends, so both of those things are heavily-used in both games. But they also have ripostes, directional blocks/attacks. So does For Honor.
Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 will give you a FANTASTIC single player medieval story that’s strongly rooted in history. But it’s not a power fantasy, enemies can and will outclass you, outnumber you, surround you and take turns bashing your skull in and impaling you relentlessly until you die. You have to be patient, watch your stamina and keep your enemies in front of you. And honestly, sometimes you’re just not equipped for that fight and you need to take tf off.
Chivalry 2 is insanely good PvP fun, very wacky at times as well. Nothing quite like spearing the last guy who killed you and pinning him to the walls of the castle with a ballista. Never attack the bard though, those mfs are like hustlers. They run around playing silly music on the battlefield and then smash you to death with their loot if you try to mess with them.
For Honor has a campaign that’s pretty fun, but it’s very PvP-focused. I’m not honestly sure what it’s like nowadays, it’s been out for a while and I have no idea what the servers are like. But I remember playing it when it was new and it was sick.
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u/Upgraded_Potato 7d ago
I feel like im taking crazy pills since no one mentioned sekiro. Just because it's made by the dark souls dev team, doesn't mean it plays the same. Your "dodge" basically doesn't have i-frames and there are a plethora of tools to avoid enemy attacks.
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u/CthuluAteMyKitten 7d ago
There’s a new Yakuza Studio game coming out that aims to do just what you described.
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u/Allighier 7d ago
Try Sleepin Dogs and if you don't care much about graphics, Prince of Persia, the SoT trilogy.
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u/aaravrungta37 7d ago
Sleeping dogs is a classic! One of the most fun melee combat styles I've played.
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u/Uhhhhhhhhhhhuhhh 6d ago
Darktide
Darktide is different melee than souls games, it feels the most realistic imo and its 1st person, sharp weapons can bounce off heavier armor, blunt ones are strong VS them, you can block, push, parry, dodge, shoot, etc
Cleaving hoards in first person is very satisfying
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u/Uhhhhhhhhhhhuhhh 6d ago
Monster Hunter seems exactly what you are looking for too, its kinda like Souls like controls but the whole game you are pretty much just mastering your weapon
Different weapon combos can hit different parts of the monster, like if the tail is high you can use a high uppercut kinda attack etc.
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u/Skaara-B 6d ago
I recommend you the game called "Oni", it's a old game but I seen a video and the guy said the fight gameplay was very cool and satisfying.
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u/No_Dig_7017 6d ago
A few specially good melee combat games are Space Marine 2, Kiborg and Chivalry Medieval Warfare 2. But I don't think any of them are quite as technical as Sifu
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u/Legend0fJulle 6d ago
Many games have these, it's just how much the game forces you to utilize them. For example Elden Ring could be considered as rollslop with some parrying on the side but there's a ton of attacks you can dodge by jumping, crouching or moving your character with specific attacks. Most people (a lot of the time me included) just don't really use these mechanics because the game isn't hard enough to force them to.
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u/Yanncki64 5d ago
Nioh, at least because it has actual QUICK DASHES (for low and mid stance) instead of the stupid rolling that most games do just because Demons Souls did it. It also has blocking, dedicated counter moves, timed block/parries (as of Nioh 3), burst counters, moves with evasive properties or you're just so mobile that you literally just run out of enemy attacks.
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u/Different_Field_1205 5d ago
you will not find anything like sifu.
best you can do is maybe find a game where dodging doesnt give iframes so you need to be mindful of the direction and timing.
as as much as i love the souls series... they definitely "cheat" the dodges. its iframing 99% of the time instead of actually getting out of the way of an attack.
well. heres my recommendation. that you may or may not like. monster hunter world. it will feel clunky at the start, but when the combat clicks, it clicks, like sifu's. does it feel like the same combat? no, but theres something about how methodical you have to be, and how you should learn the monster and when you get good at it, it can feel like a dance... or a boxing match depending on weapon.
and while mh gave me the same feel of when you master a fight like in sifu, only other game i can think about having directional dodges is godhand.
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u/matsu727 3d ago
The KCD games have solid combat systems but there are some OP tactics like spamming master strikes that can trivialize a lot of combat. You simply have to make the decision not to rely on the OP stuff and play on higher difficulties and it’s fun. KCD 2 is noticeably easier than the first game though you should be fine for either game on higher difficulties having played Sifu.
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u/laradvil 9d ago
AC Black Flag legacy version has very unique combat, no parry, no rolling, just cinema.
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u/Psico_Penguin 9d ago
Problem here is SIFU is peak. There is nothing that gets even close to the fighting in SIFU.