Open-world games are, by their nature, built around various elements and systems. They all work in tandem to make a living, breathing game world. What if one of those systems is poor? Does it drag the whole experience down or do the good parts rise above it all? The games below are all proof that the goodness bubbles up to the surface.
More specifically, these games have lackluster combat. Sometimes, they can be downright frustrating. Combat is just one part of the equation, and a small minus on a large sum is still far away from zero. Depending on the game, the janky combat can even lend to its charm and reputation.
This is truly one of the most influential and important video games ever made.Grand Theft Auto 3did not only change gaming; it changed culture. The ability to freely explore such a detailed 3D environment was an absolute revelation and nothing rivaled it for years afterwards. The shooting, however, was unwieldy.
Players were constantly at the mercy of a wonky auto-aim mechanic, and there was not even an option to engage in free-aiming. The protagonist could be standing right in front of an enemy and the auto-aim would point the gun at somebody off to the side. Combining that with no checkpoints in missions andfragile cars that cannot be exited while in motionmakes for a combat system that is almost unbearable today. It was not ideal back in 2001, either.
The debut entry in this monumental franchisedoes not resemble what it became just one sequel later. The mission structure is much simpler and the gameplay is significantly slower. This at least makes it an interesting curiosity to look back on. The combat is not the focus of the adventure, since players are encouraged to be as sneaky as possible and blend into crowds. However, Altair is bound to unsheathe his sword eventually.
When he does, players are treated to a slow and predictable dance with guards. It is all about waiting for enemies to strike before countering and taking advantage of their moments of vulnerability. The sequels fortunately added more tools to the player’s arsenal, but evenAssassin’s Creed 2had a lot of the first game’s DNA in its fights. It’s a lot better these days, fortunately.
Red Faction: Guerrillatakes the geomod destruction system from the debut entry and ramps it up to the extreme. Players can destroy entire structures bit by bit with explosives or vehicles. More than a decade after its release and it is still satisfying to see chunks of a building realistically smash to the ground. Zoom in a little bit to the more intimate combat encounters, however, and the game starts showing some cracks.
Aiming and shooting at enemies just is not satisfying. In the beginning of the game when players want to save explosives for the buildings, they will be frequently shooting at enemies with conventional firearms. It slows down the pace of missions drastically. Mixing that in with the slow movement and sludgy feeling of the driving makes it harder to appreciate the detailed level of destruction.
When Bethesda took over theFalloutfranchise from Interplay Entertainment, they made it a first-person, real-time experience.Fallout 3remains a highlight of the series.Some prefer it overFallout 4and 76, but the sequels certainly improved upon the combat.
Fallout 3is not up to snuff as a first-person shooter. Especially on consoles, the controls just are not tight enough to stand on their own. Fortunately, the V.A.T.S. system is there to slow down the game and let players pick their shots one-by-one. Players end up using this as a cruch. Without it, some combat situations would be nearly impossible.
One can draw a lot of parallels betweenDeadly PremonitionandAlan Wake. They are both horror games taking place in small American towns where supernatural events distrub the peace.Alan Wake’sdeveloper Remedy is known for crafting solid combat mechanics.Deadly Premonition, on the other hand, is infamous for its clunky combat that feels shoehorned in.
Combat inDeadly Premonitionis not a bonus or a reward as much as it is a chore to get through to find the interesting things. No fan of the game is there because of the fighting. Instead, they are in it for the quirky characters,charming small-town atmosphere,and the unconventional game mechanics.
TheMetal Gear Solidseries could always stand on the strength of its stealth before leaning on its combat.Death Strandingsimilarly is not built on direct confrontation, but it happens every so often in its story. The game is at its weakest when Sam Porter Bridges needs to whip out some weapons. Whether he faces off against human enemies or the supernatural threats posed by the BTs,using weapons just feels poor.
It is made worse when players are under prepared or they have a lot of weight on them, making their movement sluggish. Additionally, the stealth gameplay is not as refined as theMetal Gear Solidseries (especiallyThe Phantom Pain) so there are times when it feels like players are unfairly spotted.
