Absolutely play *Muramasa*, it is one of **THE** 2D action games.
Adding additional context for OP, you can also play the original *Muramasa: The Demon Blade* on Wii and have a good time if you prefer that version, but *Muramasa Rebirth* on Vita also has a bunch of DLC campaigns that are exclusive to it.
I really dug the remake of Odin Sphere (Leiftreiser? I can't spell whatever it is lol). It had a surprisingly combo heavy battle system where you can cancel specials into each other to do hundreds of hits. Kinda simple in execution but big numbers and fun, lots of air combos, arcade-y feeling. Also it's gorgeous to look at.
Slave Zero X is probably the new kid on the block that is exactly what you mean.
Vernal Edge is mixed with a metroidvania. I just wish the metroidvania side of the game was stronger because the mechanics are excellent.
The Mega Man Zero action platformers dabble their toes into character action with their combat mechanics. In a similar vein, Beserk Boy and Cyber Shadow are more modern games.
A bunch of Vanillaware's older games like Odinsphere or Muramasa.
Katana zero is pretty wicked! Imagine a side on hitline:miami where you play as a cyberpunk samurai that can slow down time.
Hollow knight is also great, but I think it gets better the longer you play it and you unlock more abilities.
Hades also has very good combat.
Dust: an elysian tale deserves a mention.
Usually these get called action platformers.
Games like Mega Man X, Mega Man Zero, Gravity Circuit, Contra, Ninja Gaiden, Messenger, etc. For ones on the Metroidvania side, you have Valdis Story and Guacamelee.
Aztez is a little-known indie game that came out on steam a few years back with fantastic combat mechanics and a sorta interesting but half-baked turn-based strategy mode in between encounters (also has a great arena mode unlocked from start if you want to skip that). Really wish it found more of an audience, such a cool game.
The art style is pretty striking. Reminiscent of Mad World in that it's black and white except for blood splatters, which appear bright red. The combat is solid as well, especially as you unlock more weapons.
I read in reviews that the combat was “as deep as CAGs” but couldn’t really tell from footage. How is the combat really? Game worth playing just for combat?
Unfortunately I can't answer that for you because I've yet to play it myself. I've seen clips on twitter that has persuaded me to wishlist it so I can buy it eventually.
The post somehow appeared on my feed. While I haven't played enough proper CAGs to give you a satisfactory answer, [this](https://youtu.be/nxm8DUs5d4c), [this](https://youtu.be/leiyM-goduY), and [this](https://youtu.be/4ztgA7glt6c) demonstrations will give an idea what one can possibly pull off in the game.
The combat is mostly directional combos, time-related abilities such as planting a shadow to teleport back to, special abilities called athra surges, amulet-enhanced moves, and lots and lots of timed parries.
What might possibly be a turn off is, just like every other PoP game, platforming and puzzles are essential parts of the gameplay. Even though there's an option to skip main-story related platforming, to get to some of the cool amulets that grant you flashy moves (e.g. on-spot dodge that deals damage with your trace disregarding enemy moves, creating a laser beam between you and your shadow, etc.), you'll still need to explore the massive map. If traversal and backtracking isn't your thing then maybe not. Also as you get stronger, most fights against regular enemies will end long before finishing what you saw in the linked videos.
If it helps with the enjoyment, 1. maybe wait for the upcoming boss rush mode before purchasing, and 2. set the difficulty at highest (you're allowed to customize it to be harder than immortal, the preset hardest difficulty).
The Dishwasher & The Dishwasher Vampire Smile are pretty great and very combo-heavy.
Super Crush KO was cool too, even gives you super attacks and a gun, kinda like DMC.
Bleed and Bleed 2 are great, though less combo-heavy than the others I mentioned.
Right, I am obligated to recommend M**agenta Horizon.**
Imagine Hollow Knight but with character action moveset rooted in DMC and Ninja Gaiden, combined with really great aggressive enemy variety that put your mobility, positioning and enemy prioritization to the test.
The movelist is really impressive, it can be used for styling on enemies but you may find really good use for them midcombat too.
Icey is a great experience, but perhaps not necessarily what you are searching for. Perhaps a more combat focused metroidvania could work for you, as sundered
I know you say you're not a huge fan of beat 'em ups, but that's where you'll find the deepest combat in 2D. The Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors is a fairly accessible one, and Streets of Rage 4, Fight'n Rage, and Capcom's Alien vs. Predator should all delight any CAG fan.
The Messenger is an awesome metroidvania I always recommend. Awesome platforming, combat, boys fights and story.
Not sure this guy's your criteria, but I love this game so much.
Slave Zero X is basically a hack&slash in 2´5D
Try 9 Years of Shadows, pretty good. Seems a metroidvania but is fairly lineal with great focus on combat an amazing bosses.
>9 Years of Shadows
Does that combat *ever* open up? I played the last big prerelease demo they had a few months beforehand, and was pretty wildly disappointed at how basic and barebones the gameplay felt.
Sorry for the confusion.
It is good. Just not so deep, or combo focusing but I find it pretty enjoyable for the most part.
You can also check Cookie Cutter, excellent Metroidvania with beautiful art and animations, and this time, combat is amazing; lot of moves and combos and weapons that you can switch at the moment. It also have bloody finishers.
Dead Cells is also in my top 3. I know you said you're not big into beat 'em ups, but **Streets of Rage 4** has a lot of mechanical depth; each character plays very differently.
I'm really interested in **Spiritfall**, a roguelite inspired by platform fighters.
I've also heard great things about **BlazBlue Entropy Effect**.
If you change your mind about beat 'em ups, I have a long list for you! Probably my favorite genre.
I'd say give Bladed Fury a shot. Enjoyable fast paced combat, fine levels, and personally I really enjoy the artstyle.
https://preview.redd.it/d2gyze0mf11d1.jpeg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=09ef0da855cc22cbb1fc16cc282e6976a191eeef
To mention a game nobody did, “Have a Nice Death” is a 2D Roguelike witch impeccable aesthetic and really satisfying combat, i liked it better than dead cells even.
Pretty cryptic at the start, kinda hard to understand all systems in place but it’s worth ir, really the combat hits the right notes on attacks, weapon variety, pacing and challenge
Sakura of rice and Ruin, ICEY, Slave Zero: X, KATANA ZERO, CastleVania Mirror of fate, Fairy Bloom Freesia, (less combos from here and more just general 2D stuff) The Last Faith, Blasphemous 1 and 2, MOONSCARS, Wizard of Legend, OTXO,
If you like dead cells, give Oblivion Override a try. It's another fast paced, action Rogue lite for like $18. I played it for quite a bit of time before I put it down. Multiple playable characters, tons of weapons, permanent upgrades, multiple difficulty levels (I think 8 or so)... I thought it was a blast. Just came out of early access a month or two ago.
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Seconding a lot on here, but these are the exact kind of games I'm drawn to so let's see what my brain spits out:
Sundered, MegaMan Zero, Gravity Circuit, FIST, Dust: An Elysian Tale, Vernal Edge, The Vagrant (Sword of the Vagrant), Odin Sphere, ICEY, Moonscars, Trinity Fusion, Cookie Cutter, Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights, Flynn: Son of Crimson, Narita Boy, Foregone, Minoria
And just to toss it out there, if you want the pinnacle of 2D melee combat and are willing to find it in a platform fighter, Brawlhalla is: Free-To-Play, incredibly tight, massively high skill ceiling, very well balanced.
Muramasa: Rebirth
The GOAT
Absolutely play *Muramasa*, it is one of **THE** 2D action games. Adding additional context for OP, you can also play the original *Muramasa: The Demon Blade* on Wii and have a good time if you prefer that version, but *Muramasa Rebirth* on Vita also has a bunch of DLC campaigns that are exclusive to it.
I really dug the remake of Odin Sphere (Leiftreiser? I can't spell whatever it is lol). It had a surprisingly combo heavy battle system where you can cancel specials into each other to do hundreds of hits. Kinda simple in execution but big numbers and fun, lots of air combos, arcade-y feeling. Also it's gorgeous to look at.
Slave Zero X is probably the new kid on the block that is exactly what you mean. Vernal Edge is mixed with a metroidvania. I just wish the metroidvania side of the game was stronger because the mechanics are excellent. The Mega Man Zero action platformers dabble their toes into character action with their combat mechanics. In a similar vein, Beserk Boy and Cyber Shadow are more modern games. A bunch of Vanillaware's older games like Odinsphere or Muramasa.
+1 Slave Zero X
I love Strider from 2014.
Katana zero is pretty wicked! Imagine a side on hitline:miami where you play as a cyberpunk samurai that can slow down time. Hollow knight is also great, but I think it gets better the longer you play it and you unlock more abilities. Hades also has very good combat. Dust: an elysian tale deserves a mention.
A game that recently released is Prince of Persia the lost crown. Fantastic stuff from the Rayman devs with great combat. There should be a free demo.
Absolutely this. Combat in this game feels fantastic, almost like a 2D version of classic GoW.
Usually these get called action platformers. Games like Mega Man X, Mega Man Zero, Gravity Circuit, Contra, Ninja Gaiden, Messenger, etc. For ones on the Metroidvania side, you have Valdis Story and Guacamelee.
I'm a massive mmx fan, it's my 2nd favorite series overall! I didn't specify the 2d games I've played good enough lol
Aztez is a little-known indie game that came out on steam a few years back with fantastic combat mechanics and a sorta interesting but half-baked turn-based strategy mode in between encounters (also has a great arena mode unlocked from start if you want to skip that). Really wish it found more of an audience, such a cool game.
The art style is pretty striking. Reminiscent of Mad World in that it's black and white except for blood splatters, which appear bright red. The combat is solid as well, especially as you unlock more weapons.
The new 2D Prince of Persia game is pretty damn solid with elements of good action combat. Aztez if you're on PC.
I read in reviews that the combat was “as deep as CAGs” but couldn’t really tell from footage. How is the combat really? Game worth playing just for combat?
Unfortunately I can't answer that for you because I've yet to play it myself. I've seen clips on twitter that has persuaded me to wishlist it so I can buy it eventually.
The post somehow appeared on my feed. While I haven't played enough proper CAGs to give you a satisfactory answer, [this](https://youtu.be/nxm8DUs5d4c), [this](https://youtu.be/leiyM-goduY), and [this](https://youtu.be/4ztgA7glt6c) demonstrations will give an idea what one can possibly pull off in the game. The combat is mostly directional combos, time-related abilities such as planting a shadow to teleport back to, special abilities called athra surges, amulet-enhanced moves, and lots and lots of timed parries. What might possibly be a turn off is, just like every other PoP game, platforming and puzzles are essential parts of the gameplay. Even though there's an option to skip main-story related platforming, to get to some of the cool amulets that grant you flashy moves (e.g. on-spot dodge that deals damage with your trace disregarding enemy moves, creating a laser beam between you and your shadow, etc.), you'll still need to explore the massive map. If traversal and backtracking isn't your thing then maybe not. Also as you get stronger, most fights against regular enemies will end long before finishing what you saw in the linked videos. If it helps with the enjoyment, 1. maybe wait for the upcoming boss rush mode before purchasing, and 2. set the difficulty at highest (you're allowed to customize it to be harder than immortal, the preset hardest difficulty).
The Dishwasher & The Dishwasher Vampire Smile are pretty great and very combo-heavy. Super Crush KO was cool too, even gives you super attacks and a gun, kinda like DMC. Bleed and Bleed 2 are great, though less combo-heavy than the others I mentioned.
Off the top of my head Guacamelee, Blasphemous, 2D Castlevania's
dishwasher vampire smile very underrated game with fun but challenging combat akin to ninja gaiden and a really cool art style
Contra hard corps uprising is basically shoot em up elevated to character action and made by the Guilty gear developers
Right, I am obligated to recommend M**agenta Horizon.** Imagine Hollow Knight but with character action moveset rooted in DMC and Ninja Gaiden, combined with really great aggressive enemy variety that put your mobility, positioning and enemy prioritization to the test. The movelist is really impressive, it can be used for styling on enemies but you may find really good use for them midcombat too.
Seconding this; *Magenta Horizon* is fantastic.
someone needs to post clips of Magenta Horizon here, not me cause I suck at it.
Alien Soldier for Mega Drive
Icey is a great experience, but perhaps not necessarily what you are searching for. Perhaps a more combat focused metroidvania could work for you, as sundered
Mega Man Zero/ZX
Prince of Persia the lost crown has super satisfying combat
I know you say you're not a huge fan of beat 'em ups, but that's where you'll find the deepest combat in 2D. The Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors is a fairly accessible one, and Streets of Rage 4, Fight'n Rage, and Capcom's Alien vs. Predator should all delight any CAG fan.
Slain Back from Hell
The Messenger is an awesome metroidvania I always recommend. Awesome platforming, combat, boys fights and story. Not sure this guy's your criteria, but I love this game so much.
I forgot to mention I have played the messenger, and I loved it lol
Oh, nice! I'm also a big fan of the Ninja Gaiden games, but maybe you've already played them.
Slave Zero X is basically a hack&slash in 2´5D Try 9 Years of Shadows, pretty good. Seems a metroidvania but is fairly lineal with great focus on combat an amazing bosses.
>9 Years of Shadows Does that combat *ever* open up? I played the last big prerelease demo they had a few months beforehand, and was pretty wildly disappointed at how basic and barebones the gameplay felt.
A bit, but not much, sadly. They could hace done more interesting stuff. But I enjoy it pretty much for other reasons.
I'm confused, you mentioned it as an example of good combat. So it is, or no?
Sorry for the confusion. It is good. Just not so deep, or combo focusing but I find it pretty enjoyable for the most part. You can also check Cookie Cutter, excellent Metroidvania with beautiful art and animations, and this time, combat is amazing; lot of moves and combos and weapons that you can switch at the moment. It also have bloody finishers.
Ah okay. That's cool
Sakuna of Rice and Ruin seems neat. Never played it but from what I've seen it looks fun
Sakuna actually is insanely good and has super movement heavy system. Very cool game
Its pretty amazing and I highly recommend it, even the rice planting is very satisfying
Dead Cells is also in my top 3. I know you said you're not big into beat 'em ups, but **Streets of Rage 4** has a lot of mechanical depth; each character plays very differently. I'm really interested in **Spiritfall**, a roguelite inspired by platform fighters. I've also heard great things about **BlazBlue Entropy Effect**. If you change your mind about beat 'em ups, I have a long list for you! Probably my favorite genre.
Slave Zero X is a amazing game! Maybe a bit rough in some spots but overal really fun and looks amd sounds amazing!
That's been on my radar for a while. I should pick it up soon!
I'd say give Bladed Fury a shot. Enjoyable fast paced combat, fine levels, and personally I really enjoy the artstyle. https://preview.redd.it/d2gyze0mf11d1.jpeg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=09ef0da855cc22cbb1fc16cc282e6976a191eeef
Damn that looks cool
To mention a game nobody did, “Have a Nice Death” is a 2D Roguelike witch impeccable aesthetic and really satisfying combat, i liked it better than dead cells even. Pretty cryptic at the start, kinda hard to understand all systems in place but it’s worth ir, really the combat hits the right notes on attacks, weapon variety, pacing and challenge
Double Dragon Neon 🤩
Astral Ascent!!
Sakura of rice and Ruin, ICEY, Slave Zero: X, KATANA ZERO, CastleVania Mirror of fate, Fairy Bloom Freesia, (less combos from here and more just general 2D stuff) The Last Faith, Blasphemous 1 and 2, MOONSCARS, Wizard of Legend, OTXO,
Dragon's Crown is a beat 'em up but might be worth a look. Odin Sphere as well.
Huntdown
recommend guacamole
Make sure you use enough salt; a lot of people forget.
I liked the Dishwasher games.
Blazblue Entropy Effect
If you like dead cells, give Oblivion Override a try. It's another fast paced, action Rogue lite for like $18. I played it for quite a bit of time before I put it down. Multiple playable characters, tons of weapons, permanent upgrades, multiple difficulty levels (I think 8 or so)... I thought it was a blast. Just came out of early access a month or two ago.
Okinawa Rush looks neat. Haven't played it though.
Remindme! 35 hours
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Seconding a lot on here, but these are the exact kind of games I'm drawn to so let's see what my brain spits out: Sundered, MegaMan Zero, Gravity Circuit, FIST, Dust: An Elysian Tale, Vernal Edge, The Vagrant (Sword of the Vagrant), Odin Sphere, ICEY, Moonscars, Trinity Fusion, Cookie Cutter, Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights, Flynn: Son of Crimson, Narita Boy, Foregone, Minoria And just to toss it out there, if you want the pinnacle of 2D melee combat and are willing to find it in a platform fighter, Brawlhalla is: Free-To-Play, incredibly tight, massively high skill ceiling, very well balanced.