Games that would've been better without Combat.

[GrizzlerBorno]

I'm just now wrapping up Dragon Age: Origins. Wanna know when i started? [sub]No? Well this is my thread so shut up and listen.[/sub]
I started the game six months ago. However I stopped playing once I reached the Deep Roads. Anyone who's played it should automatically know what I mean, when I say: I stopped because I couldn't stand the combat anymore! I actually didn't think it was bad; It just that it got SO boring! I HAD to stop killing the same Darkspawn OVER and OVER and OVER again!

So why'd I come back to it? Because Dragon Age:Origins is arguably the most Well-written game I've had the pleasure of playing in recent memory. I loved New Vegas but it doesn't hold a Candle to DA:O's excellently-penned and masterfully voiced dialogue.

...and frankly I regret dropping it because of it's combat. My solution? I'm using a dev console cheat that insta-kills all hostiles in the room. I wish i didn't have to. In fact, I wish Dragon Age:Origins had no (or at least very little) combat. I wish it put it's whole attention into the ridiculously immersive Conversation system. Why does every game HAVE To have combat, anyway? Why can't it just be.....you know..... aRole-playing game?

So My question is: Have you ever played a game and thought it was ruined or at least heavily weakened by having unnecessary combat in it? It doesn't have to be because the combat was bad. Just....out of place?

Edit: Lot of great responses. I'm not surprised to see that Bioshock did not come up, but yeah, What about Bioshock? What if it focused more on "Environmental/plasmid combat" with non-combat options like stealth and Diplomacy(somehow) instead of just being a game where you burn and shoot people, and then listen to some Philosophy? Would it have been more..... meaningful? What if you could befriend the (normal) splicers and Big Daddies and lead them into an all out war against Fontaine's thugs?

 

[Pearwood]

Mirror's Edge.

 

[vehystrix]

Mirror's Edge.

damn, ninja'd

 

[vehystrix]

EDIT: Damn you captcha

 

[Smertnik]

Mirror's Edge.

Yep, this.

Why does every game HAVE To have combat, anyway? Why can't it just be.....you know..... aRole-playing game?

Well, you are roleplaying a Grey Warden. Grey Wardens kill Darkspawn. Therefore you kill Darkspawn. What exactly do you want, a discussion simulator?
Don't get me wrong, I kinda understand what you mean, I'm not too fond of the 'old-school' RPG gameplay as well but it's a part of the game. Without the combat all you're left with is awkwardly running around and talking to people. And then the Darkspawn come and murder everyone.

 

[Lawnmooer]

Hmm... I guess Fallout: 3 could be placed in here...

It's not that I didn't like the combat, it's just that after a while it becomes annoying and feels clunky (Why did that guy shrug off 4 shots to the face from a sniper rifle?)

During my most recent playthrough (I think it's my 8th, or 12th? I can't remember and my saves are across 2 different hard drives) I wondered what it would have been like if it was based around dialogue and exploration/surviving with combat being short and more strategic (Instead of just going into VATS and putting all AP into everyones heads until the 5+ guys are dead, having it so you use dialogue to try and avoid combat and then use VATS to either disarm, disable or outright kill in a few shots (Disarming by shooting the gun and then being able to talk to the person, disable by damaging limbs stopping their ability to fight allowing conversation about either helping them or leaving them to be killed by wildlife or killing them with shots to the vitals))

I think it would have made it more interesting and less dull once you got some decent armour and weapons (And easy to obtain ammo)

 

[Mace Tulio]

I agree with Dragon Age: Origins, especially the console version. I fell in love with the lore and the politics of that world, but it always had to be separated by all that boring combat...

 

[Alex Cowan]

Call of Duty, just to see what the multiplayer would be like

On a more serious note, I think there are some games that could do with less combat, such as perhaps Mass Effect or DA:O, but I think removing it entirely would be an error in those cases - when you are playing the role of characters in these war-torn worlds, combat will naturally be present, but you won't be constantly fighting off the hordes.

 

[Subbies]

I haven't played dragon age but I got the same feeling while playing mass effect 1 and 2. The combat was just too repetitive and empty and I actually preferred just wandering around in the citadel speaking with random aliens.

 

[Anti Nudist Cupcake]

I never got into the story, it's just not a very interesting story to me.

So I was left with nothing but bad graphics, bad environments, bad color schemes, bad music, bad combat,bad animations and bad gameplay.

I finished the game recently but do you know how long Iv'e had it without playing it?

SINCE 2009.

 

[Dogstile]

I would say mirrors edge, but to be completely honest the combat in it wasn't that bad. Doing slow motion 360 dive head-shots was awesome and screw you if you think it wasn't.

 

[Numb1lp]

Dragon Age 2 could have had less combat. I don't feel like some of the characters gave me enough time to really explore them.

 

[ataxkt]

It's more that the combat in Mirror's Edge was badly designed and felt unnecessary most of the time - I found the police much more enjoyable when I was running away from them, and it kept the game flowing, so why ruin it with poor combat?

 

[Cyberjester]

so you use dialogue to try and avoid combat and then use VATS to either disarm, disable or outright kill in a few shots (Disarming by shooting the gun and then being able to talk to the person, disable by damaging limbs stopping their ability to fight allowing conversation about either helping them or leaving them to be killed by wildlife or killing them with shots to the vitals))

You want to talk a rabid mutant out of gnawing on your leg?

hf with that

And to the DA:O.. You want an RP game that isn't an RP game?

All RP games have stupid amounts of levelling, and most of them having you kill the same things over and over again. WoW for instance.. And that's a nice one, go check out Everquest. I mean daaaaaaaamn. If you want a game where there's no combat, just lots of talking. Try.. I dunno, Dark Corners of the Earth comes to mind for the lack of combat, but that's mostly because you're hiding a lot, like Splinter Cell. Although in DCotE you're hiding thinking "Don't eat my soul, don't eat my soul".

Play a point and click adventure like Ceville. No combat, lots of talking and adventure gaming. If, however, you want to RP a Grey Warden then start killing Darkspawn. Or you know, cheat.

Wimp.

Actually play Morrowind, Oblivion, etc. NO, NO, NO!! Damn, play Deus Ex. I knew there was a reason that thing's still installed.

 

[Lawnmooer]

You want to talk a rabid mutant out of gnawing on your leg?

hf with that

In that situation I'd probably opt for the "Blow its brains out" option... Instead of what I would have to do ingame now which is firing off between 2 and 10 shots of whatever gun I'm using into his face and hope he dies before I have to resort to using the cringe worthy free aim and blasting into his face/chest until he dies.

 

[Fooz]

Mirror's Edge.

Ninja'd, you ninja'd everyone

 

[More Fun To Compute]

What is it about fighting that isn't compatible with role playing? The basis of most role playing games is that you play the roles of heroes and other sorts of people who's roles demand a lot of fighting. There are not many role playing games about being pacifist hat makers or soft furnishing experts.

 

[The Heavy Metal Nerd]

I'd have to say Prince of Persia, but then again, I think everyone's aware of that by this point.

 

[PoweD]

Hmm... I guess Fallout: 3 could be placed in here...

Disarming by shooting the gun and then being able to talk to the person, disable by damaging limbs stopping their ability to fight allowing conversation about either helping them or leaving them to be killed by wildlife or killing them with shots to the vitals

I agree totally.Recently on my new playthough,i was doing the Wasteland Survivalist quest.After testing the repellant stick on mole rats i explored the area.I found a raider with a name,so i shot her shotgun but she kept attacking me,after dealing with her friends i shot her arms and legs,but she never stopped.So i got bored and killed her,finding a key thats only use is a safe nearby.

Also

 

[AnAngryMoose]

Alan Wake. Especially since pacing and atmosphere was thrown ott the window in the final segment and it became an action game. I had to stop playing for a couple weeks because the combat wasn't good for proper action sequences.