Getting Melee combat right

[bloob]

So, selecting an attack from a menu, then watching another retarded animation that is completely off of your character attacking is the right way to do melee combat?
Seriously?

Listen I'm aware you probably love ZP but you need to stop parroting Yahtzee's closed mindedness. Not all turn based combat works that way in fact many games with turn based combat hardly have an animation at all. They keep things short as not to bore people please stop saying such baseless statements. I bet you have never even played a game with turn based combat so you have no right to criticize it.

Listen, I'm aware you probably think you're clever, but you need to stop throwing idiotic turns of phrase at people that disagree with you. He doesn't like TBC, that doesn't make him close minded, that makes him a person with a preference. Stop throwing that term out like confetie, it doesn't mean what you think it means.

this, imahobbit4062 clearly said he has played several TBC games this just means he had an opinion. If he hadn't played any TBC games and was just bashing them, then he would be closed minded

OT: Condemned 1 and 2 for me, being able to use a wide variety of melee weapons and the combat just feeling like your attacks actualy hurt people rather than the half life 2 system with the crow bar which is just hold click until it breaks. sorry for "parroting" Yahtzee

 

[Composer]

*points to Final Fantasy from X-2 and below*

Turn based strategic battles.

Turn Based Combat is the way to completely fuck up melee combat.

Want melee? Shadow Of Rome.

Hell no it's not.

Turn based battles is the only way to not fuck up melee combat. No game has integrated it well into real time battle. Beat em up games don't count as far as I'm concerned as there isn't any other way to win other than pressing 1/4 rotate X+Y 180 rotate X+Y 3/4 rotate X+Y (Cookie who can name game and move)

fights like this always make me lol so hard. XD

 

[Ironic Pirate]

It was explained that the swords in that game were resistant to lightsabers (or something along those lines, I haven't played KOTOR in years. And I haven't played X-2, I played X at my cousins many, many moons ago, So I never bothered with FFX-2, and I hear it's the worst in the series.

X-2 was hated because there were no male playable characters. There I said it. Legions of fanboys dismissed it without giving it a fair chance. Personally I think it was the best of the series (although FFXIII is growing on me, haven't played it since I got it been too busy with this computer giving me hell).

When you select "Attack" it happens. You don't need to be in range or on the same side of the fence or something silly. You don't need to worry about that. When you select "Super Uber sword move #3" it happens.

Dragon age works so well because the computer automatically closes for you, albeit in a straight line and occasionally getting stuck on geometry. Dragon Age is TBC. It quite clearly is. The only real difference being you can pause combat and issue commands to everyone at once rather than dealing with only one character at once and then being tied down in their menu.

When I select "Attack". It happens.

I never liked Dragon Age Origins combat much, mainly because it's a form of TBC, and if I'm going to be hacking stuff in a Lord Of The Rings esque world, I want to do it in true melee combat.

The return of the king for PS2 sounds right up your alley then. Only problem is that game is terrible.

I got 100% on that game. It was fucking brilliant. The combat was indeed great, plus the missions and bosses were a ton of fun. Also one of the best co-op games ever to be released. Me and my cousin spent countless hours on that game.

Good for you mate. I'm not saying the concept of the game was terrible but the game itself seemed lackluster to me.

If someone could take that idea and extend it take the system and improve it and place it in a world that is interesting then it would a pretty damn good game don't you think?

That's what I'm hoping they're going to do with their new LOTR RPG with 3 player co-op later this year.

New LOTR RPG?

Indeed, I can't be bothered retrieving the link now, as I'm way to tired and about to go to bed. I may be getting the co-op mixed up with Bethesdas new dungeon crawler that is coming out, But there is definitely a new LOTR RPG, and don't mistake it for that "Quests of Aragorn" shit.

Game informer (Or Playstation official, does it really matter?) Just had a cover story on it. M rated goodness.

 

[Jinx_Dragon]

It can't really be put well into computer games but the closest I have seen would be third person games, but even those are far from decent combat if you ask me.

VR, or neural interfaces, need to be invented first.

 

[Ralen-Sharr]

I thought the later Jedi Knight games did a decent job of melee combat

 

[ethaninja]

I thought the later Jedi Knight games did a decent job of melee combat

Hell yeah. I'm still deciding between Outcast and Academy though

 

[T-Bone24]

X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Say what you will about that game, but you knew when you hit someone.

Also, the Burnout series, I know it's not fisticuffs, but it represents what I like in melee combat; it has a different effect depending on where you hit from.

 

[The Heik]

What makes Melee combat in a game work well? How would you structure a melee combat system if you were making a game?

Are you talking about in a shooter, or in a melee-based game?

 

[Rylingo]

I quite liked how Tales of Symphonia treated combat. I know their are others in the series (which are probably better) but ToS is the only one ive played so far.

 

[DeathWyrmNexus]

I was pretty fond of how Dragon Age did combat, no turns but you still had the option to pick powers with a bit of a clear head. Then again, that is almost the only way you can pull off magic without turn based combat.

However, I am fond of action games where I have to rely on my reflexes and learned skill in the game to survive. Manual lock on and dodging is love.

As for TBC, only if it is done in a way that means you can do more than select attacks but I wouldn't call that melee done right. I loved Disgaea 1&2 because it felt like a tactics game where you moved your pawns and then kicked ass with flanking maneuvers. However, it bores me terribly if I just want to nuke bunches of dude, kill bunches of dudes, or otherwise feel like I am fighting.

TBC never feels like I am fighting. It feels like I am selecting from a menu and then somebody else is fighting, IE placing an order.

 

[Aurora219]

Nobody's gonna say it? I would have thought someone would say it by now.

Batman: Arkham Asylum

Indeed, I waited for half a page for it too.

Thread over. Real-time, flowing, competitive melee combat.

 

[Vidiot]

I prefer Devil May Cry to God of War style combat for the "overpowered" action games. Chronicles of Riddick for 1st person games. RPGs are tricky, and it's largely a matter of preference. Turn based combat is in it's own category as opposed to Fable 2 or Oblivion or the dozens of other ways melee combat has been attempted.

 

[Celtic Predator]

You kiddin' me? Condemned and Condemned 2 are the best melee games out there.

 

[Rayansaki]

Bayonetta/God of War for action games, Yakuza3 for Punch and Kick action games, Uncharted2 for shooters, World of Warcraft for RPG's, FFXIII for turn based (I know it isn't turn based strictly speaking, but it follows the same principles, only difference is it's more fluid and requires fast reaction).

Guess we are still decades behind on rpg's with God of War combat style for melee combat, Okami for spellcasting and Valve games for shooting. And let me tell you, it would be AWESOME!

 

[Normalgamer]

That the character doesn't look like a complete spaz when using it.
It must flow on, not look stale.

And you shouldn't have to go up against archers in an hallway with absolutely no hiding place, having melee as your only weapon.

It isn't fair.

Fighting greek gods as a mortal isn't fair, I welcome unfairness in video games, it makes you use your wits and not your -insert stupidly strong weapon here-.

 

[Spiner909]

Red Steel 2, anybody? As long as you have good sensor bar aiming skills.

 

[CNKFan]

I'm gonna say that the Condemned games did melee combat right.

 

[OmegaXzors]

Some people on here are really touchy about their games...

Any who, melee combat was only done right in the God of War series. I like to swing my weapons and have free mobility and direction. I'd rather not hit "Square, Square, Square" to be my only attack and it constantly pushes me forward.

Also, God of War III is pure orgasmic awesome. I've already played it through three times earning Platinum. Woot, woot.

 

[imaloony]

*Points at Fable 2*

Say whatever you want about that game, the melee combat in that game was fluid, and incredibly satisfying. I suppose the trick is to be able to use as few attack buttons as possible in combination with the movement stick to make combat flow.

Batman Arkham Asylum also had an excellent melee combat system.

And example of a BAD melee combat system is that of Oblivion. Block, Attack, repeat. Boring, repetitive, and ineffective if you're fighting more than one enemy. Fallout 3 didn't have much better melee combat, but at least it had some interesting melee weapons to screw around with.
I also recall Mirror's Edge having particularly bad Melee combat. Then again, the focus of that game wasn't really melee combat, but when they forced you into it, it was almost painful to go through.

In general, I just think that First Person Melee Combat is aweful.