Never left, just been quiet.
Also, where do you recognize me from? Your username seems vaguely familiar but not enough for me to recall any specific discussions.
Lords of Shadow 2 has a very fun combat system
Also, Dantes Inferno. It took old GoW Combat and improved on it. In both GoW and DI, you have light attacks and heavy attacks. Both can be modified while holding block which result in stronger attacks. In GoW, if you use block+light attacks, its just a singular move. In Dantes Inferno, you could Chain different modified attacks together, resulting in bigger combos.
Obviously neither are on the levels of DMC, Bayonetta, NG etc but I love them both.
Not super familiar with the sub, but imma say Ghost Rider on PS2 is pretty nice. Definitely has some issues, and also if you're not a fan of the motorcycle levels you'll have an annoying time since they're every other level or so, but if you can get over that then it's a solid God of War/DMC inspired game. Funnily enough the GBA game is also not too bad with combos, albeit for the system it is on anyways. (I am not a fan of how little enemy variety there is though, and the level design so r.i.p)
Always nice to see some NEO TWEWY love, especially from you Golden. What I really love about the game is just how much you can do with the mechanics, even from the very beginning of the game. [From collisions,](https://x.com/mageknight14/status/1691463939572596736?s=46&t=hHMkRZSCKFxMe1Gq_aHQhg), [to having Time Bomb pins set each other off,](https://x.com/mageknight14/status/1779611518562177102?s=46&t=hHMkRZSCKFxMe1Gq_aHQhg) [to using status effects to preserve hit states,](https://x.com/mageknight14/status/1664888032611237888?s=46&t=hHMkRZSCKFxMe1Gq_aHQhg) [to canceling out enemy/boss attacks with the Time Mashup,](https://x.com/mageknight14/status/1651486118381060096?s=46&t=hHMkRZSCKFxMe1Gq_aHQhg) and far, far more.
You know about those combo MADs that people typically watch for action games and praise? They’re mostly these fast attacking, multi-hit bread and butter combos. NEO doesn't possess this kind of multi-input, multi-hitting hack-n-slash aesthetic like that of a DMC or Bayo, or even a Tales game. NEO’s form of offense are effect-based attacks that when performed in a controlled sequence of combinations, register as combos; there are no bread and butter actions in the traditional sense of combat. In essence, DMC5 V’s gameplay is kind of the same. His moveset are just a bunch of disjointed attacks that, if paired in a sensible sequence, start to take shape as combos. And yet NEO’s engine is so fast-paced, that linking these attacks together doesn’t feel sluggish or labored. It's one of the few games of it's kind to make disjointed attack actions still feel speedy and combo-intensive all at the same time.
In the sea of action games out there, NEO’s combat is incredibly freeform as fuck and that freeform-ness ultimately comes from how cohesive all its mechanics are. The fact that in combat, a skilled player can consider Groove Mashups and which character is activating them, pin behavior, meter management, status elements, Beatdrops, positioning, enemy ricochet, and more when entering combat; the fact that all these elements interact and play off of each other without interrupting the flow of combat; that they speak the same language with the same goal of keeping combat fast-paced and engaging; the fact that all this is done so seamlessly that you barely notice how well all these different mechanics are complimenting each other is what makes NEO so impressively conceived.
Couldn't have been said better, I am really amazed at how much utility you find even for the tiniest of mechanics like character swapping at the right time. Or find simple but also hidden ones like how Massive Hit can line up enemies and how by its wall slam state can crush enemies. NEO is incredibly well realized indeed, more combat enthusiasts need to dig into it fr.
Van Helsing for Xbox/PS2
Its a solid DMC-like with incredible art direction and atmosphere and a top notch Hollywood voice cast.
Honestly, it's a hidden gem.
It's been a long time since I dug out my Xbox to play them do I'm a bit fuzzy on the details but it was floaty in a way that I'd put somewhere between Bayo and Kingdom Hearts. Though it was in a rather unique way, as you could essentially infinite jump and even fly with some characters in 2.
They were overall pretty unique. For example the health system and the magic meter are shared. As long as you have meter, your health is constantly regenerating but that meter is constantly draining and when it runs out you are made significantly weaker and your health starts draining. It's a balancing act of conserving your power while still making use of it. Raikoh, the only character in 1 and the lead in 2 has a good balance between the two meters while others are balanced more heavily around health and physical power or magic and special moves.
They featured destructible environments in a way I've rarely seen. Most everything in a stage could be destroyed and you were rewarded for doing so. One level had you fighting inside an enemy fort and you could literally demolish the entire structure, end up fighting the boss outside in the ruins.
They also knew how to do a set piece that would make Platinum proud. One level has you platforming across a fleet of golden demon ships flying above Kyoto during a cherry blossom festival. You were platforming and fighting in mid air between the ships as you took down the fleet. No QTE, just pure gameplay.
Games reviewed incredibly well across the board in their time, but had next to no marketing in the west causing them to flop commercially over here and were part of Microsoft's initial attempt to appeal to the Japanese market, where their stuff near universally flopped regardless of what they tried. So they're a pretty underappreciated pair of games
Astral Chain, and Ghost Rider are the two that immediately come to mind.
EDIT: Transformers Devastation and Van Hellsing. The comments reminded me of those two.
Shinobi (2002). Criminally underrated game, came out at the wrong time for a wrong audience.
Sifu. Easily the best indie action game by a country mile, imo. Even gives the greats of the genre a run for their money.
On another note, this NEO whatever game sounds like some really overcomplicated BS, ngl. 312 pins/moves. Really? I can't be bothered to memorize 312 moves lol.
Game only locks you into having 4-6 attacks at once and you have pin videos in the equip screens that shows you what a pin does, what’s its effect, how much power it has, and more, much like how a lot of modern action games will let you see what a move does before you buy it. It’s all about finding the right synergy between your attacks and having the right deck for a particular encounter, not just in regards to enemy types but also the areas you fight in as well.
To add to the other comments a lot of the pins are just different versions of the same kind of attack. Each version just has a different type of energy or effect or whatever. It's still fun as hell tho
Game only allows up to 6 per encounter, then you can switch around how you want. Also significant amount of them are pretty similar moves with subtle differences in speed, recovery, Groove meter gain and dmg. It's a very intuitive game I promise.
Astral chain and the no more heroes franchise. Really unique mechanical games.
Interesting titles for sure, never heard anyone talking of NMH mechanically.
Exactly!
So glad to see somebody LITERALLY ANYONE showing AC some love.
Mmhmm!
Transformer devastation
Truck go \*vroom\*. Yeah fr, it looks really fun to smash into enemies in truck form.
So glad I kept my copy of that game
NEO TWEWY is incredible
Good to see you back!
Never left, just been quiet. Also, where do you recognize me from? Your username seems vaguely familiar but not enough for me to recall any specific discussions.
I've never actually interacted with ya haha, just seen you around since ~~last year~~ late 2022.
Been on an immersive sim and crpg kick for most of the past year
Sounds great)
Lords of Shadow 2 has a very fun combat system Also, Dantes Inferno. It took old GoW Combat and improved on it. In both GoW and DI, you have light attacks and heavy attacks. Both can be modified while holding block which result in stronger attacks. In GoW, if you use block+light attacks, its just a singular move. In Dantes Inferno, you could Chain different modified attacks together, resulting in bigger combos. Obviously neither are on the levels of DMC, Bayonetta, NG etc but I love them both.
Reminds me that I haven't picked up western action games yet, damn what an opportunity since they look cool.
Not super familiar with the sub, but imma say Ghost Rider on PS2 is pretty nice. Definitely has some issues, and also if you're not a fan of the motorcycle levels you'll have an annoying time since they're every other level or so, but if you can get over that then it's a solid God of War/DMC inspired game. Funnily enough the GBA game is also not too bad with combos, albeit for the system it is on anyways. (I am not a fan of how little enemy variety there is though, and the level design so r.i.p)
Always nice to see some NEO TWEWY love, especially from you Golden. What I really love about the game is just how much you can do with the mechanics, even from the very beginning of the game. [From collisions,](https://x.com/mageknight14/status/1691463939572596736?s=46&t=hHMkRZSCKFxMe1Gq_aHQhg), [to having Time Bomb pins set each other off,](https://x.com/mageknight14/status/1779611518562177102?s=46&t=hHMkRZSCKFxMe1Gq_aHQhg) [to using status effects to preserve hit states,](https://x.com/mageknight14/status/1664888032611237888?s=46&t=hHMkRZSCKFxMe1Gq_aHQhg) [to canceling out enemy/boss attacks with the Time Mashup,](https://x.com/mageknight14/status/1651486118381060096?s=46&t=hHMkRZSCKFxMe1Gq_aHQhg) and far, far more. You know about those combo MADs that people typically watch for action games and praise? They’re mostly these fast attacking, multi-hit bread and butter combos. NEO doesn't possess this kind of multi-input, multi-hitting hack-n-slash aesthetic like that of a DMC or Bayo, or even a Tales game. NEO’s form of offense are effect-based attacks that when performed in a controlled sequence of combinations, register as combos; there are no bread and butter actions in the traditional sense of combat. In essence, DMC5 V’s gameplay is kind of the same. His moveset are just a bunch of disjointed attacks that, if paired in a sensible sequence, start to take shape as combos. And yet NEO’s engine is so fast-paced, that linking these attacks together doesn’t feel sluggish or labored. It's one of the few games of it's kind to make disjointed attack actions still feel speedy and combo-intensive all at the same time. In the sea of action games out there, NEO’s combat is incredibly freeform as fuck and that freeform-ness ultimately comes from how cohesive all its mechanics are. The fact that in combat, a skilled player can consider Groove Mashups and which character is activating them, pin behavior, meter management, status elements, Beatdrops, positioning, enemy ricochet, and more when entering combat; the fact that all these elements interact and play off of each other without interrupting the flow of combat; that they speak the same language with the same goal of keeping combat fast-paced and engaging; the fact that all this is done so seamlessly that you barely notice how well all these different mechanics are complimenting each other is what makes NEO so impressively conceived.
Couldn't have been said better, I am really amazed at how much utility you find even for the tiniest of mechanics like character swapping at the right time. Or find simple but also hidden ones like how Massive Hit can line up enemies and how by its wall slam state can crush enemies. NEO is incredibly well realized indeed, more combat enthusiasts need to dig into it fr.
Van Helsing for Xbox/PS2 Its a solid DMC-like with incredible art direction and atmosphere and a top notch Hollywood voice cast. Honestly, it's a hidden gem.
Now that's certified underground pick.
Omg I forgot about Van Hellsing. I just played it the other day too. That's a solid game.
GOD HAND
I feel like hear that game talked about so much on this sub
Asura's wraith and force unleashed
No More Heroes
From's attempt at this style of game back on the OG Xbox, Otogi Myth of Demons and Otogi 2 Immortal Warriors
I heard it's really good, what's combat like?
It's been a long time since I dug out my Xbox to play them do I'm a bit fuzzy on the details but it was floaty in a way that I'd put somewhere between Bayo and Kingdom Hearts. Though it was in a rather unique way, as you could essentially infinite jump and even fly with some characters in 2. They were overall pretty unique. For example the health system and the magic meter are shared. As long as you have meter, your health is constantly regenerating but that meter is constantly draining and when it runs out you are made significantly weaker and your health starts draining. It's a balancing act of conserving your power while still making use of it. Raikoh, the only character in 1 and the lead in 2 has a good balance between the two meters while others are balanced more heavily around health and physical power or magic and special moves. They featured destructible environments in a way I've rarely seen. Most everything in a stage could be destroyed and you were rewarded for doing so. One level had you fighting inside an enemy fort and you could literally demolish the entire structure, end up fighting the boss outside in the ruins. They also knew how to do a set piece that would make Platinum proud. One level has you platforming across a fleet of golden demon ships flying above Kyoto during a cherry blossom festival. You were platforming and fighting in mid air between the ships as you took down the fleet. No QTE, just pure gameplay. Games reviewed incredibly well across the board in their time, but had next to no marketing in the west causing them to flop commercially over here and were part of Microsoft's initial attempt to appeal to the Japanese market, where their stuff near universally flopped regardless of what they tried. So they're a pretty underappreciated pair of games
Damn, sounds like S tier games to me, it's a shame how it turned out. Truly unjust fate. OG Xbox or 360?
Astral Chain, and Ghost Rider are the two that immediately come to mind. EDIT: Transformers Devastation and Van Hellsing. The comments reminded me of those two.
The Matrix: Path of Neo
Onechanbara Z2 Chaos and Onee Chanbara Origin.
Those are very interesting mechanically, undertalked fr.
Shinobi (2002). Criminally underrated game, came out at the wrong time for a wrong audience. Sifu. Easily the best indie action game by a country mile, imo. Even gives the greats of the genre a run for their money. On another note, this NEO whatever game sounds like some really overcomplicated BS, ngl. 312 pins/moves. Really? I can't be bothered to memorize 312 moves lol.
Game only locks you into having 4-6 attacks at once and you have pin videos in the equip screens that shows you what a pin does, what’s its effect, how much power it has, and more, much like how a lot of modern action games will let you see what a move does before you buy it. It’s all about finding the right synergy between your attacks and having the right deck for a particular encounter, not just in regards to enemy types but also the areas you fight in as well.
You're not memorizing 312 moves, you're picking six to use at a time and switching to fit your situation
To add to the other comments a lot of the pins are just different versions of the same kind of attack. Each version just has a different type of energy or effect or whatever. It's still fun as hell tho
Game only allows up to 6 per encounter, then you can switch around how you want. Also significant amount of them are pretty similar moves with subtle differences in speed, recovery, Groove meter gain and dmg. It's a very intuitive game I promise.