From sprawling RPGs to action-packed adventures, open-world games often come in all shapes and sizes, but not all of them put a strong emphasis on combat mechanics. For players who are in it purely for the fighting, a combo-focused combat system can make all the difference.
Instead of rewarding you for button-mashing the same attack over and over again, games with combo-focused combat encourage creativity and precision, making them feel a lot more immersive overall. Add that to an open-world design, and you’ve got a recipe for a truly epic experience.
Whether you’re chaining sword strikes, juggling attack spells, or weaving abilities together in seamless succession, the right combat-focused game can make every battle feel like an event worth savoring. These games don’t just add a touch of style to the experience; they actively reward skill, turning combat into just as much a performance as a challenge.
When that level of depth is paired with massive open worlds to explore, every encounter feels like an opportunity rather than a threat. Here are the best open-world games that take combo-focused combat to the next level.
9 Dragon’s Dogma 2
Dragons Love Him, Bandits Hate Him
In Dragon’s Dogma 2, players step into the role of the Arisen, a chosen warrior marked by fate after having their heart stolen by a dragon. Think of it kind of like the Dragonborn in Skyrim; “Arisen” is more than just a title, it will literally define both you and your entire journey, as the world itself bends around your destiny.
As the Arisen, your goal is a difficult yet clear one: reclaim your stolen heart, confront the dragon, and maybe save the world a little along the way. The obstacles you’ll face will come in many forms, from bandits and sorcerers to goblins and golems; they won’t be taken down with just one hit, either.
You’ll need to chain specific attacks in just the right order to take these mythical monsters down. Anything less than a full-blown strategy will likely result in your defeat, and then you’ll have a lot more to worry about than just a stolen heart.
If you want a game that’ll challenge you just as much as it will reward you in combat, then Dragon’s Dogma 2 should be at the top of your wishlist.
8 Wild Hearts
IKEA Furniture Meets Monster Hunting
In Wild Hearts, you’ll take on the role of a hunter in Azuma, a fantasy world inspired by feudal Japan. You won’t be just any hunter, though; instead of just taking down deer and rabbits, you’ll be taking down giant, mythical monsters known as Kemono.
As Azuma’s last hope for survival, you’ll have to restore peace to the land by tracking these massive monsters down, taking them out one by one, and using their parts to become stronger. It’s every bit as challenging as it sounds, and taking these beasts down will take a lot more than just fancy weapons and armor.
You’ll need to use real skill and strategy to defeat the Kemono, which includes utilizing combo attacks. The only sure-fire way to win is to memorize their attack patterns and plan your combos accordingly, but even then, they won’t make it easy for you.
One slip up, and you’re Kemono food, so make sure you don’t let off the gas for even a second.
7 Yakuza: Like a Dragon
Combat, Karaoke, and Chaos
Yakuza: Like a Dragon puts you in the shoes of a low-ranking yakuza grunt betrayed by the only family he’s ever known. Left penniless and lost after serving an 18-year prison sentence (for a crime he didn’t commit, no less), he’s ready to take up the bat and start getting his revenge.
Revenge may be a dish best served cold, but it’s also a dish that takes a lot more than just a few bashed skulls to make.
If you ever want to get to the bottom of your betrayal, you’ll need to do some serious digging; find out why you were framed and who pulled the trigger on the whole operation 18 years ago. Once you figure that out, all that’s left to do is whack the guy responsible.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of skulls to crush and knee caps to break along the way, and you’ll have to do some serious strategizing if you want to make the most out of your attacks.
Combo-ing your best moves usually does the trick, but 18 years in the slammer can make anyone rusty; make sure you’re actually thinking your attacks through and not just hitting willy-nilly.
6 Ghost of Tsushima
Sneaky Samurai Simulator
Ghost of Tsushima lets you step into the well-worn sandals of Jin Sakai, a samurai forced to abandon his faith and traditions after the Mongolian invasion destroys his homeland. Sworn to protect the land he loves, he’ll have to give up everything to save it, even if that means taking up the path of the Ghost to do it.
The road to your homeland’s freedom is one filled with enemies, however, and any one of them could take you down if you’re not careful. You’ll have to use unconventional fighting tactics and combo-focused attack strategies if you want to win.
Chaining together powerful sword strikes, parries, and dodges will be the least you’ll have to do, and that’s not even including the internal struggles you’ll face along the way.
Constantly torn between the honorable samurai code you swore to uphold and the sneaky, ruthless tactics you must use to defeat the Mongols, your internal battles will prove to be just as fatal as the external ones.
5 The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Become Hyrule’s Favorite Errand Boy
Breath of the Wild once again puts players in the pointy-toed, Hylian shoes of Link, Hyrule’s greatest hero. After awakening from a century-long slumber, you find your kingdom in ruins, and you must embark on a dangerous, enemy-filled journey to find out how to save it.
With Princess Zelda using all of her remaining power to hold back Calamity Ganon, you’re pretty much on your own for this one, which wouldn’t be so bad if you didn’t have to start out with nothing.
You won’t have any weapons, armor, food, or even memories to get you by in the beginning, which is a pretty good incentive to kill everything you see for its loot if you ask me.
The path to Ganon will be anything but simple, but you already knew that. As you grow stronger, you’ll be able to use more complicated combo attacks to take your enemies down, which means more loot in your pocket and more progress towards beating the ultimate evil.
4 Middle-Earth: Shadow of War
You Shall Not Pass
If you’re a fan of J. R. R. Tolkien’s masterful depictions of Middle-earth, then I can’t recommend Middle-Earth: Shadow of War enough.
In this game, you play as Talion, a former Gondorian Ranger bound to the wraith of the Elf Lord, Celebrimbor. Together, you set out to forge a new Ring of Power and rally an army to go up against Sauron. Your ultimate goal amounts to nothing less than an all-out war waged across Mordor, dismantling the dark lord’s forces piece by piece.
Obviously, not a single bit of this plan will be easy, and you’ll need to get your attack strategies in order before you go up against anything.
Chaining attacks and counters will keep you alive, but you’ll need to do a lot more than that if you want to win against Sauron; strategy, stealth, and even long-range archery will all have a part to play in combat, and you’ll need to master every bit of it if you don’t want to die to Middle Earth’s most prolific killers.
3 Monster Hunter: World
Punching Dinosaurs for Science
If you’ve played any of the Monster Hunter games, then you already know they’re some of the best games for combo-focused combat. That being said, Monster Hunter: World just somehow does it the best.
In this game, you’re a hunter who’s been dispatched to the New World, a mysterious, uncharted land filled with dangerous creatures. Your mission is to explore the continent and collect as much data as possible, which, of course, includes hunting down massive monsters.
As you might expect, these creatures aren’t too pleased with their home’s newest intruder, and they won’t hesitate to kill you the second you let your guard down.
Whacking them over and over again to build up combos won’t cut it this time. These beasts won’t go down easy; they’ll adapt mid-battle, shift habitats, and even go full-stealth mode just to get you off your guard, so you’ll need to build specific, combo-focused strategies around each one if you don’t want to end up as their lunch.
2 Batman: Arkham Knight
Protecting Gotham One Combo at a Time
As you might’ve guessed, Batman: Arkham Knight puts you back in the black leather boots of Batman himself, on a mission to defend Gotham from one of its darkest nights.
With the insidious Scarecrow threatening to blanket the city in fear toxin and a new villain, the Arkham Knight, on the loose, you’ll have your wings full trying to keep the city safe. Add that to the plethora of other Gotham villains running about, and you’ve got a real recipe for disaster.
Gotham is a city that is constantly at war, and no matter where you turn, there’s always a new, grinning face ready to take you down. The combat is as relentless as the enemies you’ll face, with each villain bringing their own set of strategies and attack patterns to the table. You won’t be able to form just one good strategy for taking them all down.
You’ll need to memorize the moves of each one and fight back accordingly, making the combat feel as challenging as it is refreshing. The fighting never gets boring, and the villains never feel stale; with every combo and counter you chain, you’re one step closer to saving Gotham from its ultimate annihilation.
1 Elden Ring
Die, Respawn, Repeat
In Elden Ring, you take on the role of a Tarnished, an exile summoned back to the Lands Between after the shattering of the Elden Ring plunged the realm into chaos.
With no influence, no allies, and no real power to call your own, your only goal is to rise through the ranks of the demi-gods that control the land and ascend as the new Elden Lord.
The path to Elden Lord is a merciless one, however, and you’ll die several times over before you even make a lick of progress.
The enemies in this game are no joke; not only will they refuse to go down without a fight, but they also have a habit of changing forms mid-battle, becoming faster, stronger, and more ruthless. You’ll never be able to take one of them down on the first try, so don’t feel too bad if they knock you out within the first five minutes.
To call Elden Ring’s combat combo-focused would be an understatement.
This game’s combat lives and breathes combo chains, making it feel less like a feature and more of a requirement. You’ll need to go at each enemy full-throttle with weapon combos, attack spells, and Ashes of War in clever sequences just to survive the first wave. After that? It’s up to pure skill, luck, and God whether or not you win.
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Author: 360 Technology Group
