Games With Deepest And Hardest Combat Systems To Learn

Many games, particularly RPGs, feature fantastic combat, but can be difficult to pick up. Infinite Space on the DS is a great example, offering strategic spaceship battles where crew placement impacts abilities. Similarly, Killer7 from the GameCube era is a complex game blending third- and first-person perspectives, and it features seven distinct character personalities that add to its depth.

These examples give you a general idea, but the remaining challenges are even more difficult for various reasons. They aren’t impossible to overcome, and some players have managed to master the combat strategies. However, they’re not easy for most people to learn.

Monster Hunter Wilds

A Deep Learning Curve

Monster Hunter Wilds, like other Monster Hunter games, is known for being a complex action RPG. Players can select from fourteen different weapons – everything from the Switch Axe to the Bow – and each one takes a good amount of practice to master.

This game introduces weak points that most weapons can easily target, along with Power Clashes to end attack combinations. Players can succeed with simple attacks and well-timed dodges, and the online co-op feature allows more experienced players to assist those who are still learning.

Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy

Just Be Brave

Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy is a fighting game for the PSP featuring beloved heroes and villains from the Final Fantasy series. It’s played in 3D arenas and combines fighting action with RPG elements – players can customize their characters with equipment before each fight. Battles begin with each character having a certain amount of Bravery Points and HP. Players gain an advantage by attacking their opponent and stealing their Bravery Points, which makes their own attacks more powerful.

Once a player builds up enough advantage, they can start dealing damage, but it’s rarely a simple trade. While each character has difficult-to-master techniques, the game isn’t as technically demanding as Street Fighter. Still, even random button pressing can sometimes lead to success.

The World Ends With You

Double The Screens, Double The Headache

The World Ends With You is a truly original action RPG for the DS, and a key part of what makes it special is its Pin system. During gameplay, you equip Pins to your character, Neku, which give him different abilities. You activate these abilities using touch controls on the bottom screen – sometimes with a quick tap, other times by dragging your stylus across the screen.

You control Neku’s partner – who changes throughout the game – using the D-Pad and buttons on the top screen. While this control scheme felt awkward for many DS owners, it wasn’t a big deal for those who used the game’s automation features or simply didn’t focus on controlling their partner directly.

Disgaea: Hour Of Darkness

A Little Off The To

Disgaea: Hour of Darkness was the original game in the Disgaea series, initially released for the PlayStation 2. It’s a tactical RPG, meaning you move characters around a grid-based map, develop their classes, and equip them with gear. The game’s maps also featured colored crystals that could impact stats – for example, blue spaces lowered defense. While these crystals could be turned off, figuring out how they interacted with each other could become quite complicated.

In Disgaea: Hour of Darkness, you can pick up and throw both allies and enemies. Items also contain small, explorable dungeons where you can power them up, and a unique court system even lets you bend the rules. While you can play the game like a traditional strategy RPG and eventually succeed, be prepared for some extra effort and repetitive gameplay.

Resonance Of Fate

Slick As Heck And Hard To Master

Okay, so Resonance of Fate still has one of the most visually stunning battle systems I’ve ever seen in a turn-based RPG, and that’s saying something considering it came out ages ago! But honestly, it’s tricky. Getting my party – Zephyr, Vashyron, and Leanne, who are all gun-slinging mercenaries – to actually do the awesome, fast-paced attacks you want them to without messing up can be a real pain.

During their turn, players have a few options: they can stay put and shoot, or they can move and attack. Moving while attacking can deal extra damage, but it’s risky. If a teammate or enemy gets in the way of your planned movement, you’ll have to adjust. It takes a lot of practice to become comfortable with these mechanics, and even longer to truly master them.

Patapon

March To The Beat

Patapon is a unique strategy game originally for the PSP where you play as a god commanding adorable soldiers with different abilities. You control them by playing specific drum rhythms, which tell them when to march, attack, or fall back.

Since the game relies heavily on timing and rhythm, it’s easy to get flustered when a battle isn’t going well. Trying to remember each rhythm pattern during a chaotic fight can throw off the team’s timing, making it harder to coordinate and leading to frequent failures. The updated version improved things somewhat, but it’s still a challenging game that requires practice and skill – it’s not something anyone can pick up and play easily, even if you’re familiar with real-time strategy or rhythm games.

Project X Zone 2

A Tactical Fighter

Project X Zone 2 is a strategy RPG where you move characters around a grid, but it’s known for being even more over-the-top than Disgaea. What makes it unique is that it combines characters from Sega, Bandai Namco, and Capcom. Battles often feature pairs of characters – like Jill and Chris from Resident Evil – and when a battle starts, the game shifts to a 2D screen where players use limited energy to attack as much as possible.

The game feels a bit like a fighting game, letting players learn to link attacks into combos, particularly if they add a third character to their team. Even if you don’t master the combo system, you can still attack, but battles will take significantly longer.

Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song

No Hand Holding In This RPG

Any game from the SaGa series would be a good choice for nomination, as they aren’t traditional turn-based RPGs that appeal to all players. Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song is particularly complex, which makes it a fitting choice, especially with its recent remaster. The game lets you play as one of eight different characters, each starting in a unique location with a different setup – some are more challenging than others.

Okay, so playing as Gray is way easier to start with because he actually has a party right away, unlike Sif. That makes the early battles pretty tough! Leveling up is interesting too – you get stronger by, well, doing stuff. Like, if you’re attacking a lot, your power goes up, and if you’re taking a beating, your HP improves. And get this, you can randomly learn new skills mid-battle! Honestly, though, it’s a little overwhelming. There are no experience bars or anything to show your progress, and the game doesn’t really tell you anything. Plus, the magic system is super complicated. Sometimes, just hitting things repeatedly and hoping for the best feels like the best strategy.

Kid Icarus: Uprising

A Difficult Control Scheme

Kid Icarus: Uprising brought the series back to life on the 3DS, after a long hiatus since its last appearance on the Game Boy. The game featured two distinct gameplay styles that alternated throughout. Players would sometimes control the hero, Pit, in fast-paced, on-rails flying sections similar to the Star Fox games, shooting down enemies with his bow and other power-ups.

Alongside aerial battles, the game featured fast-paced, close-range combat similar to Kingdom Hearts. While controlling Pit on the ground felt good, the aerial controls on the 3DS were awkward. Players had to use both the analog stick and touchscreen, and no control scheme felt truly comfortable. Fortunately, a helpful difficulty setting allowed players to choose between an easier experience with fewer rewards, or a more challenging one with better loot.

Kunitsu-Gami: Path Of The Goddess

A Samurai RTS

Similar to the game Patapon, Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess requires careful planning and strategy during battles. The game is set in a magical version of feudal Japan, where players must protect a priestess as waves of demons emerge. You can fight the demons yourself, or summon various types of units to assist you.

Because you don’t directly control the priestess and the levels can be large, it’s challenging to manage everything while keeping her safe. Each mission revolves around protecting her, and the game ends if she takes too much damage before sealing the gates. Progress is possible with effort and leveling up, but it’s definitely a difficult game.

2026-01-27 14:39