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More recently, RPGs have incorporated combat systems that often find ways to integrate the need for number-crunching as well as offering a hybrid fighting system that is appealing to all gamers. Japanese developers are looking West to open-world action RPGs like The Witcher and The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim.
At the same time, Western RPGs are streamlining their once complicated leveling systems for something more simplistic and straightforward like those seen in JRPGs. Let’s take a look at the best combat systems from the role-playing game genre.
Updated May 17, 2022 by Michael Llewellyn: The RPG genre has become one of the most versatile in gaming. No longer are games restricted to dice roles and randomized actions triggered by a character’s statistics, even though there are still games that cater to fans of those mechanics.
Many RPGs and JRPGs now implement varied combat systems. Whether it is a modified version of turn-based or pure sword fighting action that rivals Devil May Cry, the genre has something for everyone. This list has been updated with more games with amazing combat systems.
18 Elden Ring
Released: 2022 Developer: FromSoft Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S
Elden Ring is the latest game coming out of FromSoft’s Soulsborne franchise. It’s arguably the best and most ambitious game the studio has created and features a ton of playstyles to choose from. The combat is an evolution of everything the studio has worked on so far with only Sekiro having better-dedicated swordplay mechanics.
The series’s “tough but fair” philosophy is present with every fight forcing the player to learn their enemy’s tells and movements. Unfortunately, the PVP is still unbalanced in many aspects but that doesn’t prevent it from being fun. There are lots of new ways to trick enemies using stealth, disguises, and more.
17 Tales Of Arise
Released: 2021 Developer: Bandai Namco Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
The Tales series has always stood out because of its character development and the combat systems. Tales of Arise is no exception in this regard and has one of the best and most visually impressive systems in the series.
The combat is challenging but easy to pick and learn with team abilities and characters that feel different and unique in battle. There are lots of monsters and interesting enemies to fight, and each fight feels rewarding in its own right.
16 Scarlet Nexus
Released: 2021 Developer: Bandai Namco Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S
2021 was a vintage year for Bandai Namco with two big hits coming from the studio. The first is the aforementioned Tales of Arise and the most recent is Scarlet Nexus. Unlike the well-established Tales series, however, Scarlet Nexus is a brand new IP for the studio.
The game was created by a team of veteran developers that worked on previous Tales games, Code Vein, and the God Eater series. The combat system in Scarlet Nexus is one of the best in recent times. It plays and feels like a Devil May Cry game while implementing the use of telekinetic powers to use objects in the environment as a weapon.
15 Cyberpunk 2077
Released: 2020 Developer: CD Projekt Red Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S
Released in December 2020, the long-awaited Cyberpunk 2077 had a troubled launch with the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions being riddled with bugs and glitches. It fared a little better on the more powerful Xbox Series X and the PlayStation 5 but it’s clear the work went into the PC versions of the game.
Even with the issues, the game is dealing with, the combat system is very well polished whether one chooses to attack V’s enemies with stealth or by using brute force, Cyberpunk 2077 allows players to be very creative.
14 Final Fantasy 15
Released: 2016 Developer: Square Enix Platform: PC, PS4, and Xbox One
Final Fantasy 15 was released in 2016 for the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One. It was later released on the PC in 2018 as part of the Royal Edition which included all of the game’s DLC with exception of the Episode Ardyn DLC. The game is something of a controversial entry in the series because a lot of fans accused the combat system of being a mindless button masher.
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However, the system is far deeper than it appears and can only be fully appreciated in the more difficult encounters. Players can opt for real-time combat or make use of the Wait Mode option which works like a modified version of the ATB (Active Time Battle) System featured in its predecessors. Final Fantasy XV also looks flashy making it somewhat reminiscent of the fight scenes from the movie Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.
13 Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla
Released: 2020 Developer: Ubisoft Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S
Released as a launch title for the Xbox Series and the PlayStation 5 along with current-gen platforms the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla is easily one of the best entries in the series.
The combat does take a little time to get used to because the camera system has a knack for panning out a little too far. However, learning to parry, counter, and create openings is satisfying to execute. Furthermore, Valhalla becomes even more interesting as more skills become unlocked, creating opportunities for brutal finishers.
12 Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning
Released: 2012 Developer: 38 Studios, Bih Huge Games, and Kaiko Platform: PC, PS3, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning was released on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and the PC in 2012. It was developed by 38 Studios which featured an RPG dream team of Elder Scrolls’ Ken Rolston, artist Todd McFarlane, and fantasy author R.A. Salvatore.
Reckoning features one of the most accessible and impressive combat systems seen in a western RPG. It plays like a 3D action game similar to the God of Warseries but allows the player an incredible amount of flexibility in character statistics growth. A remastered version of the game was released in 2020 for PC, PS4, Switch, and the Xbox One.
11 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Released: 2015 Developer: CD Projekt Red Platform: PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was released in 2015 on the PlayStation4, Xbox One, and PC. It is based on the fantasy novels written by Andrzej Sapkowski and also saw a Netflix series starring Superman actor Henry Cavill.
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The combat system in The Witcher 3 is visually impressive and surprisingly simple to pick up. Geralt’s magic system never feels overly complicated and his ability to pull off combinations a simple yet satisfying in their effectiveness. Parrying and defeating a crowd of enemies with skill and timing is both cinematic and very satisfying.
10 Resonance Of Fate
Released: 2010 Developer: Tri-Ace Platform: PC, PS3, PS4, and Xbox 360
Resonance of Fate was created by Star Ocean developers Tri-Ace. It was originally released in 2010 on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 before getting a full 4K/HD remaster on the PlayStation 4 in 2018. It was criminally overlooked upon its first release due to Sega choosing to release the game around the same time as Final Fantasy XIII.
The combat system in Resonance of Fate takes inspiration from bullet-time action films like The Matrix and John Woo classics like Hard Boiled. Unlike most JRPGs, the combat combines elements of real-time and turn-based combat. There is a steep learning curve, but those that stick with it will find one of the deepest and most rewarding systems in an RPG.
9 Final Fantasy 7 Remake
Released: 2020 Developer: Square Enix Platform: PC, PS4, and PS5
Released in 2020, the Final Fantasy 7 Remake was one of the most hotly anticipated RPGs of all time. The game achieved the impossible by meeting the expectations of a very hardcore and dedicated fanbase with its story, characters, and combat system.
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The remake did an amazing job of modernizing the turn-based combat system in the original by merging real-time combat with an ATB pause system if one preferred. Some boss battles do tend to go on for a long time. But thanks to the challenging combat and the special attacks, Final Fantasy 7 never gets boring.
8 Dark Souls 3
Released: 2016 Developer: FromSoftware Platform: PC, PS4, and Xbox One
Dark Souls 3 was released on the PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in 2016. In terms of the combat system, all of the Souls games are near-perfect. However, it is the third game in the trilogy that perfected the strategic stamina-based fighting system.
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The system in Dark Souls 3 is mechanically more sound than previous titles in the Souls series. The fighting is more responsive, and fluid, while the satisfaction of timing the perfect parry on even the most powerful enemies is almost unrivaled by any action game.
7 Tales Of Graces F
Released: 2010 Developer: Bandai Namco Platform: PS3
Tales of Graces f was released in 2010. It was developed by the Namco Tales Studio and has arguably the best and most accessible battle system in the series. All of the Tales games by Namco use a version of the Linear Motion Battle system which unlike most JRPGs works like a real-time beat-em-up system.
The Graces f system feels far more refined and is called the Style-Shift Linear Motion Battle System. Shift between characters is far smoother than in previous Tales games and the ability to combine moves by chaining them together is where the fighting system gets interesting. Battle plays out with the pace and speed of a fighting game rather than what is usually seen in a JRPG. Furthermore, a second player can drop in and join the combat for some local play during fights.
6 Bloodborne
Released: 2015 Developer: FromSoftware Platform: PS4
Bloodborne was created by Dark Souls developers FromSoftware and was released in 2015. While it shares many of the same mechanics with the Souls games it is far less methodical than its sister series and the combat favors speed, timing, and visceral action.
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There’s no playing it safe with Bloodborne players need to be reactive and their only form of defense is the dodge mechanic. A similar system was used in Fromsoft’s Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and just like that game, Bloodborne feels more in line with 3D action games than it does a typical number-crunching RPG like Dark Souls.
5 Star Ocean 3: Till The End Of Time
Released: 2003 Developer: Tri-Ace Platform: PS2
Science fiction JRPG Star Ocean 3: Till the End of Time was released on the PlayStation 2 in 2003. It was developed by Tri-Ace and features their unique brand of action RPG not often seen in the JRPGs.
The system works similarly to the Tales games where players can switch characters during the battles and move freely around the battlefield and attack in real-time. It’s an arcade-like system that is more welcoming to gamers that would otherwise be put off by the turn-based menu systems found in a Final Fantasy or a Dragon Quest title.
4 Grandia The HD Collection
Released: 2019 Developer: Game arts Platform: PC and Switch
Grandia The HD Collection is a combined release of the first two games in the Grandia series remastered in HD for the Nintendo Switch. Developed by Game Arts the series is often heralded as having one of the best turn-based combat systems in a JRPG which was way ahead of its time.
Grandia’s combat system is turn-based that features all of the party member’s turns on a gauge adding an element of speed, timing, and strategy. The bar works in a similar way to Final Fantasy’s ATB system but the character’s turns are queued in the bar instead. However, if the player is attacked they can be interrupted on the action bar but this also works for enemies too. There’s a level of strategy, speed, and quick thinking needed to land critical and more powerful blows and both games get deeper as they progress.
3 Yakuza: Like A Dragon
Released: 2020 Developer: Ryu Go Gotaku Studio Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S
Released in 2020, Yakuza: Like a Dragon is the most recent entry from the long-running gangster series and the first to feature a brand new protagonist. Where its predecessors were action RPG adventure games with an arcade-like combat system, Like a Dragon is a full-blown turn-based JRPG.
Yet despite switching to a turn-based fighting system it still feels very much like a Yakuzagame. It’s still as wild and as crazy as it’s always been but the feeling of getting involved in a large-scale gang fight is more easily accomplished with a system like this. There are lots of fighting styles, job classes, and tons of interesting bosses to fight that make Yakuza: Like a Dragon feel both unique and familiar at the same time.
2 Demon’s Souls (2020)
Released: 2020 Developer: Blue Point Games Platform: PS5
Released as an exclusive launch title for the PlayStation 5, the Demon’s Souls remake is one of the best action RPGs on any system. The combat will feel instantly familiar to fans of the Dark Souls series but it’s also more polished than ever whether one is playing in 30 FPS or 60FPS.
Just like the Dark Souls series, Demon’s Souls is a difficult but fair game that comes into its own when the game suddenly clicks with its player. Timing is everything, and looking for weaknesses, and reading an enemy’s tells are the keys to victory as even the weakest enemies can catch the most skilled player off-guard.
1 Divinity: Original Sin 2
Released: 2017 Developer: Larian Platform: iPad/iOS, macOS, PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One
Divinity: Original Sin 2 is the second game in the Original Sin series but is the sixth game in the Divinity series developed by Belgian studio Larian. The game was released in 2017 on the PC and one year later on consoles. It is considered one of the best and most open RPGs of a generation and incorporates a table-top RPG type of freedom not seen in most RPGs.
Adding to Original Sin’s incredible quality is the turn-based combat system that is reminiscent XCOMseries. Just like that series the game places importance on using the terrain for both defensive and offensive turns. As an example, enemies standing in pools of water can be electrocuted using elemental Source magic. Additionally, getting higher ground on opponents can be a huge difference-maker in winning these outcomes.
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