Best Games That Blend Platforming And Combat

Key Takeaways

Well-rounded action-adventure games balance combat with puzzles, platforming, and storytelling to prevent monotony.
Uncharted 4
flawlessly blends shooting, puzzles, and traversal for an exciting and seamless gameplay experience.
God of War Ragnarök
enhances combat with added verticality, while
Assassin’s Creed Unity
offers stylish parkour in richly detailed Paris.

As a seasoned gamer with over two decades under my belt, I must say that these games have left quite an impression on me. Each one offers a unique blend of action, adventure, and exploration that keeps me coming back for more.

In numerous types of games, such as third-person shooters or action games focusing on intricate swordplay, battle is a fundamental aspect. Even when a game’s combat system shines, it requires additional elements to hold the player’s interest and prevent the gameplay from feeling monotonous once they have mastered their abilities. To keep players engaged, a complete gaming experience should offer more than just fighting.

These action-adventure games typically blend fast-paced, thrilling battles with more tranquil yet captivating segments like story-focused dialogue scenes, challenging puzzles, or pulse-racing jumping sequences. By merging various gameplay aspects, the following titles manage to keep players on their toes, ensuring constant excitement and avoiding boredom, while providing a harmonious blend of combat and platforming sections featuring intricate mechanics.

1 Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End

A Flawless Blend Of Shooting, Puzzle-Solving, And Exciting Traversal

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End serves as a fitting farewell to Nathan Drake’s journey, packed with elements that fans adore from the series. The fights are thrilling and fluid, featuring numerous distinct hand-to-hand moves. The shooting experience is seamless, while the platforming has been enhanced through the inclusion of a grappling hook, delivering one of the most impressive uses of this mechanic to date.

“What sets Uncharted 4 apart is how smoothly its gameplay components integrate. The game skillfully combines thrilling action sequences, unexpected chase scenarios, and complex navigation sections that can be tackled through stealth or shooting, all within large levels filled with verticality, various paths, hiding spots, and shortcuts. To this day, eight years after its release, Uncharted 4 stands out as unique, with few other games being able to match its combination of action, exploration, and storytelling.

2 Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Vast Worlds Full Of Secrets, Balanced With Thrilling Lightsaber Combat

In the game titled “Star Wars Jedi: Survivor“, players are offered a variety of vast planets to delve into, teeming with hidden mysteries and force skills to uncover and command for chainable jumping moves. The game skillfully mixes its thrilling lightsaber battles with exhilarating platforming, incorporating aspects from the metroidvania style to keep exploration engaging, particularly when returning to locations following the acquisition of new talents or equipment.

Despite certain levels appearing somewhat contrived in design, this doesn’t diminish the thrill of uncovering fresh territories or unearthing concealed routes. The game manages to maintain interest through a mix of exploration, combat, and puzzle-solving, creating an enticing journey that serves as an engaging adventure for both Star Wars enthusiasts and action-platformer fans.

3 God Of War Ragnarök

Enhanced Gameplay And Combat Through Added Verticality

Among the many upgrades in “God of War Ragnarök”, one significant enhancement compared to its predecessor is the increased verticality in almost every stage. Unlike the original game that restricted combats to flat arenas, the new installment presents expansive environments with varying heights that Kratos can utilize strategically. He can now link attacks with movement techniques, effortlessly transitioning between different levels of terrain, thereby introducing a novel aspect to combat. Additionally, Kratos acquires new skills that blend platforming and fighting, such as executing powerful air strikes or swiftly approaching enemies from below with a zip maneuver.

In God of War Ragnarök, not one but two characters can be played, each with their own distinctive movement skills. The game actually incorporates sections dedicated to platforming, like scrambling up the colossal walls of Asgard. Although the successor might seem a bit confusing at times, the introduction of vertical exploration and innovative traversal methods infuses the gameplay with a new lease of life and adrenaline, intensifying the already thrilling action.

4 Assassin’s Creed Unity

Paris As A Parkour Playground For Stylish Assassinations

While numerous Assassin’s Creed games are renowned for their combination of free-flowing parkour and thrilling combat, Assassin’s Creed Unity distinguishes itself significantly due to its exceptional setting. The meticulously crafted cityscape of Paris functions as an ideal playground for agile assassinations, featuring some of the most seamless and pulse-pounding parkour mechanics within the series.

In a manner that seems more akin to soaring through the cityscape, Arno exhibits such fluid and unfettered movement. His agility mirrors the swift and lethal combat system within the game, where each sword stroke or counterattack can instantly vanquish adversaries, leaving only the lingering trail of an assassin’s escape. Over time, Unity has garnered increased admiration, cementing its status as a memorable masterpiece for enthusiasts of parkour and stealth within one of the most renowned cities ever recreated in gaming.

5 Darksiders 2: Deathinitive Edition

Taking The Series To New Heights With Combat As Strong As Exploration

The Darksiders series appeared perfectly timed, swiftly supplying an option for action-adventure games on PC when there was a void. Darksiders 2 is frequently praised as the summit of the series, and it truly deserves this acclaim. The game took considerable steps ahead of its predecessor, boasting a more complex, adaptable combat system and a well-structured itemization and advancement system. Even the platforming sections saw improvement, providing players with novel methods to navigate the semi-open world brimming with secrets and hidden riches at every bend.

Now that the new version of “Darksiders 2: Deathinitive Edition” is out for Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5, it’s a fantastic opportunity to either explore this cherished series anew or reacquaint yourself with it on updated technology. The improved graphics and smoother gameplay give this action-adventure classic a fresh, polished feel.

6 Prince Of Persia (2008)

A Bold And Unique Entry In An Iconic Series

The “Prince of Persia” series has consistently been acclaimed for its exceptional blend of platforming and fighting, and almost every game in the collection embodies these characteristics. However, among them all, the 2008 release of “Prince of Persia” is particularly distinctive. This version boasts a revitalized visual aesthetic, innovative movement techniques, and the addition of Elika, who bestows magical abilities on the Prince. This installment injected a fresh vitality into the series.

Not only did the updates extend to graphics and gameplay mechanics, but the fighting style underwent a significant transformation too. Instead of battling hordes of lesser opponents, the 2008 version of Prince of Persia emphasizes intense, individual duels with formidable, unique adversaries. These confrontations carry a sense of personal engagement and strategy, making each skirmish impactful and significant, which distinguishes this installment from its prior versions in a remarkably invigorating manner.

2024-10-23 05:04