Good Games with Bad Combat Systems

[Slothy]

I honestly didn't find the auto aim in MGS1 clunky but I played excessive amounts of that and beat VR Missions where every shot frequently counted so your mileage may vary.

[Ayen]

Metal Gear Solid isn't a RPG. I-I'm sorry to bring this up during the mission

[Pete for President]

Metal Gear Solid isn't a RPG. I-I'm sorry to bring this up during the mission

I know but I felt like this thread could easily fit in General Gaming Discussion too and wanted to mention MGS 2-3-4 anyway

[Loony BoB]

I agree with Morrowind and FFIX. I would probably also say Oblivion and Skyrim aren't anything groundbreaking, at least in memory. I enjoyed it but it was basically run forward while attacking because you're overpowered, or running back and forth from hiding positions if for some reason you need to get your HP back (or, you know, just eat craploads of cheese and bread in the middle of a swordfight).

Not gonna lie, there aren't too many amazing RPG battle systems I've stumbled across.

[theundeadhero]

Legend of Dragoon. I couldn't play the game because of it.

[Slothy]

There are lots of reasons not to play Legend of Dragoon since the whole thing is pretty mediocre but yeah, that battle system.

[Ayen]

There are lots of reasons not to play Legend of Dragoon since the whole thing is pretty mediocre but yeah, that battle system.

That's it.

I CHALLENGE YOU TO THE THUNDERDOME!

[Wolf Kanno]

I honestly felt LoD's battle system was the saving grace of the game besides the music. It certainly wasn't the plot or characters.

BoF1 comes to mind, simply because it's easy to break the game and some of the boss battles pretty much require you to do so.

Arc the Lad trilogy also comes to mind. It lacks the heavy customization need for the SRPG genre and the units tend to be unbalanced making the end game a bit tricky since you've likely focused on five characters and left everyone else to dust. The vanilla combat combined with the genres "load and loads of battles" schlick will have you quitting out of boredom pretty quick.

Controversial one here, Chrono Cross. I appreciate trying to be something different and on paper the system sounds pretty good but elements always lag behind physical attacks with upgraded weapons and the AP system works against using them often beyond healing. Summons are a chore to use and obtain and the dual/triple tech mechanic is so poorly utilized, you wonder why they even bothered. I enjoy CC but the battle system is not one of the reasons.

[DMKA]

Legend of Dragoon. I couldn't play the game because of it.

I was so obsessed with Sailor Moon and magical transforming people of Japanese origin in general during that time that it was probably that aspect of the game alone that was enough to make me play it all the way through.

I remember being grossly disappointed with the ending though.

[Madame Adequate]

I tried playing UnderTale yesterday and I just couldn't get anywhere because I hated the combat so so much. I love the music and the characters and writing, but I quickly dreaded any and all fights because uggghhhh. Ended up getting a refund (didn't help that the graphics look like a poorly coded Amstrad CPC game)

I was wrong. I was so... so... so wrong.

[Pike]

I tried playing UnderTale yesterday and I just couldn't get anywhere because I hated the combat so so much. I love the music and the characters and writing, but I quickly dreaded any and all fights because uggghhhh. Ended up getting a refund (didn't help that the graphics look like a poorly coded Amstrad CPC game)

I was wrong. I was so... so... so wrong.

"My video game standards are extremely high."
"Hi, I'm a video game with talking skeletons."
"OH NO! YOU'RE MEETING ALL MY STANDARDS!!"

[Mirage]

oh yeah, xenogears combat was bad, but then again, so was the entire game. mech fighting was even worse.

[Spuuky]

"My video game standards are extremely high."
"Hi, I'm a video game with talking skeletons."
"OH NO! YOU'RE MEETING ALL MY STANDARDS!!"

In Breath of Death VII you play as a skeleton, but you can't talk, but you think out loud.

[CactuarKing]

Fallout 4's (which itself is a slight evolution of Fallout 3's) combat system is a bit bland and boring.

Pretty good game, just feels like a poor evolution of Fallout along the Skyrim vein.

[Pike]

I agree with Morrowind and FFIX. I would probably also say Oblivion and Skyrim aren't anything groundbreaking, at least in memory. I enjoyed it but it was basically run forward while attacking because you're overpowered, or running back and forth from hiding positions if for some reason you need to get your HP back (or, you know, just eat craploads of cheese and bread in the middle of a swordfight).

Yeah, battle was never really the strong point of TES. (Nor was dungeon design, honestly). To me, the real strong point of TES is having a fascinating open world to play around in.

Oddly enough I think I found Oblivion to have the most fun combat system; it was really hack and slashy. (I say "oddly enough" because Oblivion is my least favorite of the three recent TES games.)