Summary
Gaming has become more and more fast-paced in recent years with the improvements in technology and gaming becoming more accessible, increasing the competition. However, that doesn’t stop some games from going against the norm and creating slow-paced and sluggish combat on purpose, usually to provide a more realistic experience.
These slower-paced games have become increasingly more popular over the years,with Soulslike titlesbecoming more and more popular among gamers. Most games with sluggish combat have spent time refining realistic combat systems that, despite the slower pace, offer challenging gameplay and high skill levels. Let’s take a look at eight games that have sluggish and slow combat on purpose.
Lords of the Fallenis a Soulslike game set in a dark, gothic world. Players become a Dark Crusader and set out to defeat Adyr, the evil god of chaos. Like many Soulslike titles, Lords of the Fallen’s combat is heavily focused on timing, strategy, and skill.
Lords of the Fallenhas slow-paced combat that takes a more realistic approach, adding more weight and pressure to every encounter. Players must learn techniques, positioning, patterns, and timing to beat the tough multiphased boss battles, much like other Soulslike games.
Wildermythis a turn-based game set in a fantasy world inspired by folklore, myths, and fables.Players take control of a group of everyday villagers as they embark on a heroic journey. A standout aspect ofWildermythis its storybook-like art style, which adds a charming vibe to the game.
WithWildermythbeing a turn-based game, the combat is naturally slow and sluggish compared to other titles, but this doesn’t make the game any less enjoyable. Players must use a combination of movement, taking cover, and special abilities to defeat their enemies.
Monster Hunter Worldis the best-selling game in theMonster Hunterfranchise. The game is set in the New World; players delve into an unexplored continent in theMonster Hunter franchise. They become members of the Fifth Fleet as they battle countless monsters and creatures.
Players have access to a large range of weapon types, from small blades to the massive Great Sword. With these massive weapons, it only makes sense that the combat is intentionally sluggish and slow-paced while players do their best to evade attacks from huge monsters.
Dark Souls 2is set in the kingdom of Drangleic, where players become the Bearer of the Curse, an undead who must collect powerful souls to lift his curse.
Much like otherDark Soulsgames,Dark Souls 2has slower-paced combat that focuses more on precise movement positioning and timing, creating a more competitive gaming style despite being single-player.Dark Souls 2has slightly more sluggish and slow combat compared to the otherSoulsgames.
Remember Meis an action-adventure game set in a futuristic Paris in the year 2084. Players become Nilin, a former memory hunter who sets out to hunt down her memories after they are erased. The game’s combat is similar to theArkhamseries, but a bit slower.
It has very interesting combat mechanics, where players can even create and save their custom combos in a feature called the Combo Lab. This feature makesRemember Mea much more enjoyable experience despite its slower combat. It would be interesting to see something like it implemented in other games.
Exanimais a mysterious RPG, where dungeon exploration is the main focus, as players uncover undead creatures, hidden traps, and dark secrets. The key standout feature ofExanimais the Physics-Based combat mechanic. Unlike similar titles,Exanimahas an inbuilt physics model that applies real-world science to the game mechanics.
The Physics model adds a sense of realism to the game, with weapon weight, character weight, and momentum all playing a role in the gameplay. This is why the game can feel sluggish and slow during combat, especially with a heavily armored character, a full inventory, and a heavy weapon.Exanimaalso uses the physics model in the character ragdoll mechanics, adding extreme realism to the death animations and combat movements.
For Honoris a combat game combining warriors from different cultures and locations around the world. Players can play as the Knights of Ashfeld, the Vikings of Valkenheim, the Samurai of the Myre, and the Wu Lin of the Marching Fire. Each faction has unique cultural backgrounds, weaponry, armor, and combat styles.
The combat system inFor Honoris heavily based on realism, with the Art of Battle system. It relies on timing, positioning, reading the opponent’s movements, and reacting swiftly. The system aims to replicate real-life hand-to-hand combat along with stamina management, feints, guards, and, of course, blocks and attacks.
Kingdom Come: Deliverancesets a precedent for basing its combat system on realism, with similar systems toFor Honor. Its realistic combat system simulates the weight, speed, and difficulty of medieval weapons, creating a refreshing feeling compared to hack-and-slash games.
Each weapon type has different strengths and weaknesses, alongside different weights and speeds, creating a realistic and somewhat sluggish combat system at times. Armor and stamina play huge roles in the combat system. When players are overloaded with weight or low on stamina, the combat becomes much slower than it would in real life.
