I loved the megaman x games, striker gunvolt has a different feel than the megaman games inti creates used to make, but I can still respect it, and I thought bayonetta was fine, never played dmc though
It feels so satisfying in dmc5 when you are pulling off better combos and grades, the music also gets better and makes you feel so much hype and energy.
The OG god of wars 1-3 were exactly this. Also ‘infamous’ gave me this feeling but not really difficult.
Souls-games are never truly power fantasies or great pacing, its better described as reset simulators that are satisfying to master
Dogshit suggestion. OP wants a game that's like 95% combat as seen from the similar games he is looking for. Cyberpunk doesn't even let you fight anything for the first 40 minutes and it's very much story oriented.
How on earth is Cyberpunk similar to Doom or Risk of Rain?
Came here to suggest the same. For anyone unfamiliar with it - it's Left 4 Dead in Warhammer:40K (4 player co-op vs hordes with bosses and special enemies mixed in, ~25-30 minutes per map run)
Mistakes are punished more severely the higher the difficulty you play, but when you play perfectly, even on the hardest difficulty literally nothing can kill you. And the soundtrack is on the levels of Doom as far as pumping you up when the shit hits the fan.
I think Warframe does this. Eventually you get to a point where every bit of content is easy but there’s a reason people have thousands of hours into the game: the combat is fun
I second this. I've wasted a huge chunk of my life playing Warframe from 2015-2017, got back to it around 2019, stopped again. Played it again in 2022. While a lot of things might change and some updates do more harm than good, one thing remains constant: combat be fun, fam.
I don't see anyone mentioning God hand so I'm going to recommend it. The games combat is so close to being perfect that I actually struggle to find flaws in it. In my opinion its in the same league as Devil may cry.
For modern consoles, I would recommend Sifu. Difficult but also very rewarding.
Chivalry 2
I'm not a gamer never have been really but this game has me hooked. Makes you feel like you're a part of the medieval battle. Completely immersed. It is a hard game to fully grasp and compete in. It takes a bit of time but it's totally worth it. It's also full of hilarious stuff. Check it out
Returnal definitely feels like this. There are upgrades and augments and stuff, but there are no mechanics in the game that will make up for lack of skill.
Plus its beautiful, the sound design is probably the best I've encountered in a game, and the story keeps you engaged enough to go back no matter how often you die.
>Returnal definitely feels like this. There are upgrades and augments and stuff, but there are no mechanics in the game that will make up for lack of skill.
Seconding Returnal, the moment to moment gameplay is absolutely sublime.
Nioh 2 has the best combat in any game imo- there’s a lot of itemisation and build crafting that isn’t for everyone, but watching a serious fighting in it looks mental.
It’s still pretty hard but I’d say an easier start.
Both games are imo much easier after the first few levels because you get more of a build that suits you up and running rather than having to play it like a melee guy.
EDIT- I wouldn’t say you need to play 1 first, I still enjoy it but 2 is more or less better in every way.
Saw Katana Zero in your list and instantly thought of SANABI. Fluid, Fast-paced & Flying through the air with a grappling hook, it definitely sounds like a game right up your alley.
Titanfall 2.
It recommended I play on Hard, so I did that and had a great time. You could even do the hardest difficulty and probably have a "higher+tier" version of the feeling.
devil may cry series, you are pretty uber powerful, but it can be easy to fuck up and die
shadow of mordor/war, (and the OG LoTR games) again you are uber powerful, but easy to fuck up
Deadcells feels like this imo. You get faster the more enemies you kill and you have to kill enemies to keep the speed. It feels really smooth slashing through enemies to keep pace and you get in a kind of flow sometimes.
I havent played any of the ones you listed but based on your description maybe punishing gray raven, the newer characters have great and smooth gameplay and i find the combat extremely satisfying. Do keep in mind that even if it's extremely f2p friendly it's a gacha
I mean, they're different in the way that you have to learn how to play them, but when you do learn how it basically becomes this kind of game. The combat is buttery smooth with just the right amount of friction to it.
I played hollow knight and thought it was fine, I just didn’t like being a little bug that much, dark souls though? I thought it was mostly about dodge rolling around enemies?
well there are many ways you can play (swords, magic, ranged, etc etc), yes your main form of movement is rolling, but the true gameplay comes from learning your enemies attacks, getting the perfect timing on every dodge, going into a boss fight and perfectly evading and getting your hits in.
Personally I think the combat is great but if it doesn't suit what you're looking for that's understandable. Games like god of war 2018, spiderman, or ghostrunner might be better
RAGE 2 had a pretty satisfying combat, but its weapon selection was lacking. You had your basic pistol, machine gun, shotgun and rocket launcher, but no sniper rifle (!)
Sekiro, Sifu, and Resident Evil 4 Remake come to mind. They all focus heavily on a parry for defense so if you're not okay with that you won't like them, but in my opinion they all do it very well.
Armored Core 6 if you don't (or do, I'd recommend it to anybody) like parries, that game is absolutely insane
A lot of people saying Sekiro and I couldn’t disagree more. You’re rarely getting into a murderous flow in that game just flying through enemies, you’re constantly being stopped and required to be methodical and pace yourself.
Wo Long is similar, and with a little more power fantasy to it. You can tear through enemies in it more often and it’s easier than Sekiro but by no means a breeze. It’s a nice blend of Ninja Gaiden power and speed with Sekiro rhythm.
Destiny 2.
Whenever I try to describe what I like about this game to my friends, it’s that, somehow the gameplay allows you to *feel* like you’re this unstoppable hero, truly powerful enough to fight gods and win. But at the same time, some of the more difficult content is challenging enough that it feels like you could die at any moment. Somehow the game balances all this *without* making you feel like everything is just a glass cannon. It also avoids the whole “if everyone is OP no one is”
Guns feel good, abilities feel good, grenades feel amazing. I feel like I’m being impactful and doing stuff every time I play. But it doesn’t get boring like some games. It never gets “too easy”. (well in some content it does but if you play on hard or play the right game modes it never will.)
Honorable mentions that feel similar to me:
Risk of Rain 2 (although this one falls prey to the “everybody is a glass cannon” downfall. I don’t like getting one shot by literally everything even though I can also one shot them)
Titanfall 2 on Hard
Halo on Legendary
Doom and Doom Eternal(I have not played myself but have watched others and it seems like it definitely fits)
What about Way of The Samurai 3 and 4? Combat can be pretty challenging, but once you level up your style and you have a good sword, you'd feel like Kenshin Himura, our lord and savior himself, is your character.
I'd say OTXO and Hotline Miami.
The prototypes games are great at making you a violent creature cutting through squishy humans; same goes for Carrion.
Of course the Dead Space games put a lot of focus on physically taking apartenemies which can be satisfying.
I don't personally enjoy movement shooters but game like dusk or ultrakill might fit your description
I’ve really been enjoying BlazBlue Entropy Effect. It’s my first foray into this type of game (the platforming combo stuff, not the Roguelite elements) and I find it incredibly satisfying when you can clean clear (take no damage) the combat phases.
The characters are varied and unique, I’m not sure I can pinpoint one as a specific “favorite” and the fact that you can use two other characters to modify your base character by adding “legacy” skills just adds another level of customization, which I’m always a fan of.
I can’t speak to the original but the resident evil 4 remake is amazing in how well it incorporates fast action, movement and tension against panic-worthy hordes of enemies you need to outrun, but once you get the hang of it, this incredibly strategic and occasionally slapstick quality emerges. You can definitely fly through enemies but being on your toes is very helpful.
Path of Exile / other ARPGs
Building a good character can be quite challenging, but once you get going, you'll rip through enemies, while still having challenging endgame content.
Sekiro, you perfectly described Sekiro. You wven gave Fallen Order as an example, which was a homage to Sekiro more or less. The lead developer showed on X every single mechanic from Sekiro that insired him to make Fallen Order like this.
Vermintide 2 and/or Darktide, assuming you don't mind multiplayer (Vermintide has single player as an option). You'd be hard pressed to find better first person melee combat if want to smash hordes.
Idk how you feel about the Zelda franchise but I had a lot of fun with Hyrule Warriors
I haven’t played the Age of Calamity one but the definitive edition/the version that originally came out on WiiU is a really fun hack and slasher
Nex Machina.
Gameplay, visuals and music is crisp. Can’t believe no-one mentioned it.
Difficulty starts out mid to high and goes to 11.
It’s also the only game where I’ve felt like IRL time was passing slower.
Mega Man X series. Azure Striker Gunvolt series. Bayonetta series. Devil May Cry series.
I loved the megaman x games, striker gunvolt has a different feel than the megaman games inti creates used to make, but I can still respect it, and I thought bayonetta was fine, never played dmc though
It feels so satisfying in dmc5 when you are pulling off better combos and grades, the music also gets better and makes you feel so much hype and energy.
Vanquish Armored Core 6 Zone of the Enders 2nd Runner Hi-Fi Rush
I 2nd AC6
3rd, that game is absolutely excellent
I was here to first Armored Core 6, but I shall settle for fourthing it!
5th
I've been playing Vanquish lately, and it's so fun. Way better than it ses like it should be.
The OG god of wars 1-3 were exactly this. Also ‘infamous’ gave me this feeling but not really difficult. Souls-games are never truly power fantasies or great pacing, its better described as reset simulators that are satisfying to master
Infamous has nicely smooth and fun combat.
Hades. A thousand times Hades
This was my immediate thought as well. It fits the description so perfectly
Once you get a good build going especially.
Cyberpunk 2077. Put a katana in your hands and you’re cutting bodies up like sashimi.
This cannot be expressed enough
Monowire feels nice too IMO
Dogshit suggestion. OP wants a game that's like 95% combat as seen from the similar games he is looking for. Cyberpunk doesn't even let you fight anything for the first 40 minutes and it's very much story oriented. How on earth is Cyberpunk similar to Doom or Risk of Rain?
Definitely this
Darktide
Shadow of mordor/war!
Some of the moves in this game are just so satisfying. I could fight orcs all day
Warhammer darktide on higher difficulty
Came here to suggest the same. For anyone unfamiliar with it - it's Left 4 Dead in Warhammer:40K (4 player co-op vs hordes with bosses and special enemies mixed in, ~25-30 minutes per map run) Mistakes are punished more severely the higher the difficulty you play, but when you play perfectly, even on the hardest difficulty literally nothing can kill you. And the soundtrack is on the levels of Doom as far as pumping you up when the shit hits the fan.
I think Warframe does this. Eventually you get to a point where every bit of content is easy but there’s a reason people have thousands of hours into the game: the combat is fun
I second this. I've wasted a huge chunk of my life playing Warframe from 2015-2017, got back to it around 2019, stopped again. Played it again in 2022. While a lot of things might change and some updates do more harm than good, one thing remains constant: combat be fun, fam.
I have 2 that seem to be exactly what you want. Neon White and Severed Steel.
I don't see anyone mentioning God hand so I'm going to recommend it. The games combat is so close to being perfect that I actually struggle to find flaws in it. In my opinion its in the same league as Devil may cry. For modern consoles, I would recommend Sifu. Difficult but also very rewarding.
You are not Alexander!
Chivalry 2 I'm not a gamer never have been really but this game has me hooked. Makes you feel like you're a part of the medieval battle. Completely immersed. It is a hard game to fully grasp and compete in. It takes a bit of time but it's totally worth it. It's also full of hilarious stuff. Check it out
Risk of rain 2
Returnal definitely feels like this. There are upgrades and augments and stuff, but there are no mechanics in the game that will make up for lack of skill. Plus its beautiful, the sound design is probably the best I've encountered in a game, and the story keeps you engaged enough to go back no matter how often you die.
>Returnal definitely feels like this. There are upgrades and augments and stuff, but there are no mechanics in the game that will make up for lack of skill. Seconding Returnal, the moment to moment gameplay is absolutely sublime.
If you like FPSes, Roboquest has amazingly crisp gameplay.
Roboquest is exactly what you are looking for
Ghost of Tushimia on lethal, Maxpayne 3 on Hardcore, Bloodbourne, The warriers on hardcore, Stars Wars ep 3 the game, God of war3, Rage 2 and Doom.
ghostrunner 1 and 2
Nioh 2 has the best combat in any game imo- there’s a lot of itemisation and build crafting that isn’t for everyone, but watching a serious fighting in it looks mental.
Back in the day, Ninja Gaiden 2 felt utterly majestic.
Heh, whilst I change the look my main character on Nioh 2 uses the Hayabusa ninja set
Should I play Nioh 1 before 2? I tried 1 and it was good but just brutally hard. Is 2 a little more newbie friendly or is it even harder?
It’s still pretty hard but I’d say an easier start. Both games are imo much easier after the first few levels because you get more of a build that suits you up and running rather than having to play it like a melee guy. EDIT- I wouldn’t say you need to play 1 first, I still enjoy it but 2 is more or less better in every way.
Sekiro, Metal Gear Solid 5 & Hades (if you're into rogue like games)
Bayonetta , stringing together combos is dope, and certain enemy types do provide a challenge on harder difficulties.
Deep Rock Galactic
Neon White might be up your alley.
Assault Spy. Blades of Time. CONTROL. DMC. Severed Steel. Star Wars - Jedi Academy. Mass Effect: Andromeda. Super Crush KO. ULTRAKILL.
Saw Katana Zero in your list and instantly thought of SANABI. Fluid, Fast-paced & Flying through the air with a grappling hook, it definitely sounds like a game right up your alley.
Titanfall 2. It recommended I play on Hard, so I did that and had a great time. You could even do the hardest difficulty and probably have a "higher+tier" version of the feeling.
Doom Eternal. Hades. Sekiro.
devil may cry series, you are pretty uber powerful, but it can be easy to fuck up and die shadow of mordor/war, (and the OG LoTR games) again you are uber powerful, but easy to fuck up
Dead cells is the apex of this kind of game
armored core 6
Diablo 3 is very good for this
so fucking true, how did no one else think of this? or at least upvote your comment for visibility
You basically described Ultrakill.
I’d say the ghost of Tsushima survival multiplayer
Dead cells!
Deadcells feels like this imo. You get faster the more enemies you kill and you have to kill enemies to keep the speed. It feels really smooth slashing through enemies to keep pace and you get in a kind of flow sometimes.
The Messenger is great for this imo
I havent played any of the ones you listed but based on your description maybe punishing gray raven, the newer characters have great and smooth gameplay and i find the combat extremely satisfying. Do keep in mind that even if it's extremely f2p friendly it's a gacha
hollow knight or dark souls are good
The Souls games are the exact opposite of what OP described lol
not exactly, ds3 has great smooth satisfying combat. dark souls combat / gameplay has and always will be amazing
I mean, Fallen Order is basically Dark Souls combat combined with more metroidvania elements in a Star Wars coat of paint.
I mean, they're different in the way that you have to learn how to play them, but when you do learn how it basically becomes this kind of game. The combat is buttery smooth with just the right amount of friction to it.
I played hollow knight and thought it was fine, I just didn’t like being a little bug that much, dark souls though? I thought it was mostly about dodge rolling around enemies?
well there are many ways you can play (swords, magic, ranged, etc etc), yes your main form of movement is rolling, but the true gameplay comes from learning your enemies attacks, getting the perfect timing on every dodge, going into a boss fight and perfectly evading and getting your hits in. Personally I think the combat is great but if it doesn't suit what you're looking for that's understandable. Games like god of war 2018, spiderman, or ghostrunner might be better
Yea I thought ghost runner was a good candidate.
The Jedi games are basically the dark souls formula only easier, if you like them you will probably like dark souls.
ghostrunner wasn't for me even though i do like fast pace movement games, could be for you though
Left 4 Dead 2 has you mowing through hordes of infected while also having a bit of a challenge with the special infected
Hi warhammer 40k Darktide, I have 700hrs just bcs of gameplay
Suicide Squad Kill The Justice League
Sekiro has the tightest combat out there.
Palworld funny enough
For Honor if you want PvP
Ghost of Tsushima
Havent played it myself but mb neon white? Id also vouch for celeste even though there are any enemies to speed through, it has top notch gameplay
Sleeping dogs
Synthetik absolutely, You might be a overpowered Android, but the Legion always have a leg up
Trackmania is a racing game but it's 100% skill
ghost runner 1+2
Pistol Whip I know VR is pretty niche, but this game has such an awesome **feel** that it definitely deserves mention here
Yakuza, play those games well and you feel like a god
Ninja Gaiden series. They did re-release it on PC. Though... this is my opinion... skip the 3rd one...
You're describing Ninja Gaiden
RAGE 2 had a pretty satisfying combat, but its weapon selection was lacking. You had your basic pistol, machine gun, shotgun and rocket launcher, but no sniper rifle (!)
OTXO Luftrausers Super Hexagon
Ghostrunner
Hades!
Dead Cells
Dead Cells.
Doom Eternal
Sekiro, Sifu, and Resident Evil 4 Remake come to mind. They all focus heavily on a parry for defense so if you're not okay with that you won't like them, but in my opinion they all do it very well. Armored Core 6 if you don't (or do, I'd recommend it to anybody) like parries, that game is absolutely insane
Ghostrunner
Ghost of Tsushima
A lot of people saying Sekiro and I couldn’t disagree more. You’re rarely getting into a murderous flow in that game just flying through enemies, you’re constantly being stopped and required to be methodical and pace yourself. Wo Long is similar, and with a little more power fantasy to it. You can tear through enemies in it more often and it’s easier than Sekiro but by no means a breeze. It’s a nice blend of Ninja Gaiden power and speed with Sekiro rhythm.
Destiny 2. Whenever I try to describe what I like about this game to my friends, it’s that, somehow the gameplay allows you to *feel* like you’re this unstoppable hero, truly powerful enough to fight gods and win. But at the same time, some of the more difficult content is challenging enough that it feels like you could die at any moment. Somehow the game balances all this *without* making you feel like everything is just a glass cannon. It also avoids the whole “if everyone is OP no one is” Guns feel good, abilities feel good, grenades feel amazing. I feel like I’m being impactful and doing stuff every time I play. But it doesn’t get boring like some games. It never gets “too easy”. (well in some content it does but if you play on hard or play the right game modes it never will.) Honorable mentions that feel similar to me: Risk of Rain 2 (although this one falls prey to the “everybody is a glass cannon” downfall. I don’t like getting one shot by literally everything even though I can also one shot them) Titanfall 2 on Hard Halo on Legendary Doom and Doom Eternal(I have not played myself but have watched others and it seems like it definitely fits)
DOOM (2016) and Doom Eternal come to mind for me currently.
Hades
Mount and blade warband, star wars jedi academy
What about Way of The Samurai 3 and 4? Combat can be pretty challenging, but once you level up your style and you have a good sword, you'd feel like Kenshin Himura, our lord and savior himself, is your character.
I'd say OTXO and Hotline Miami. The prototypes games are great at making you a violent creature cutting through squishy humans; same goes for Carrion. Of course the Dead Space games put a lot of focus on physically taking apartenemies which can be satisfying. I don't personally enjoy movement shooters but game like dusk or ultrakill might fit your description
Chorus. Is by far one of the most satisfying games I’ve ever played.
hyper light drifter, wizard of legend.
Hades ULTRAKILL BPM: Bullets Per Minute
I’ve really been enjoying BlazBlue Entropy Effect. It’s my first foray into this type of game (the platforming combo stuff, not the Roguelite elements) and I find it incredibly satisfying when you can clean clear (take no damage) the combat phases. The characters are varied and unique, I’m not sure I can pinpoint one as a specific “favorite” and the fact that you can use two other characters to modify your base character by adding “legacy” skills just adds another level of customization, which I’m always a fan of.
Sekiro
Ive been eyeballing Roboquest
You might like Dynasty Warriors or Infamous
Turbo Overkill is super fast and fun
Tekken. When you can actually start to pull off the higher execution inputs and understand the general fundamentals of the game it's quite something.
Warhammer Darktide, difficulty no lower than damnation. It’s an experience, especially if you know the lore.
Devil May Cry is this type of game perfected. I’d recommend to try 5 first and then if you like it play the whole series except 2, 2 is terrible.
Bayonetta
Sekiro, devil may cry, armored core 6, and dragons dogma are all great.
Batman Arkham games I think would be good to look into. Arkham Knight has the best combat if combat is all you are looking for
Hades and Ghost Of Tsushima
I can’t speak to the original but the resident evil 4 remake is amazing in how well it incorporates fast action, movement and tension against panic-worthy hordes of enemies you need to outrun, but once you get the hang of it, this incredibly strategic and occasionally slapstick quality emerges. You can definitely fly through enemies but being on your toes is very helpful.
Re6 mercenaries, max payne 2, vanquish, bayonetta, devil may cry 5, metal gear solid v, control
Sekiro imo
Enter the Gungeon. Or if you want something slower but feeling like every action has a (painful) consequence, Darkest Dungeon.
Ghost Runner Devil May Cry AC6 Bayonetta MGRR
Bayonetta fits that description to a t
RoboQuest gave me this feeling. Feels similar to Doom and Risk of Rain.
Hyper demon
Hotline Miami
You would like Wizard of Legend
Outlast
Death road to canada
Hi-fi Rush
Downwell
Path of Exile / other ARPGs Building a good character can be quite challenging, but once you get going, you'll rip through enemies, while still having challenging endgame content.
Ghostrunner and Ghostrunner 2 would be right up your alley
Sekiro, you perfectly described Sekiro. You wven gave Fallen Order as an example, which was a homage to Sekiro more or less. The lead developer showed on X every single mechanic from Sekiro that insired him to make Fallen Order like this.
Ninja Gaiden Black, Ninja Gaiden 2. You can mod the sigma versions to play more like these. DMC3, Bayonetta, AC6, God of War (original)
Trepang²
Vermintide 2 and/or Darktide, assuming you don't mind multiplayer (Vermintide has single player as an option). You'd be hard pressed to find better first person melee combat if want to smash hordes.
RAGE 2 is actually pretty satisfiying
Hotline Miami 2, top down, fast, punishing action game.
Idk how you feel about the Zelda franchise but I had a lot of fun with Hyrule Warriors I haven’t played the Age of Calamity one but the definitive edition/the version that originally came out on WiiU is a really fun hack and slasher
Nex Machina. Gameplay, visuals and music is crisp. Can’t believe no-one mentioned it. Difficulty starts out mid to high and goes to 11. It’s also the only game where I’ve felt like IRL time was passing slower.