Despite many improvements, the combat system of the newly released Throne and Liberty never reaches the top tier of the genre. But which MMORPGs actually have the most fun combat? MeinMMO editor Karsten Scholz answers this question with his personal power ranking.
While the new Throne and Liberty uses a (noticeably improved since the first presentations, but still) at best okay mix of tab-target and action combat systems, the developers of ArcheAge Chronicles promise an action-packed gaming experience that is said to be able to keep up with the best single-player action games despite the MMO structure.
But what about the established genre representatives? Which MMORPGs have the most fun combat? And by fun, I mean that, for example, the control feels wonderfully direct, the attacks convey a certain weight, and one can implement interesting rotations, combos, or synergies.
In the following, I present my personal power ranking of five MMORPGs that I can recommend solely based on their combat. What would your top 5 look like in comparison? Share it in the comments!
When it comes to the question “tab-target or action combat,” Karsten answers with a clear “it depends.” In cooperative group challenges, he prefers the old-school tab-target system. In pretty much any other combat situation, he likes complex combos, manual aiming, hard hits, and targeted parries.
Place 5: Tera
When I was able to test the MMORPG Tera in 2012, the “True Action Combat” system was THE big highlight for me. With just a few keys, I could unleash powerful combo chains while simultaneously dodging the attacks and maneuvers of the sometimes very mobile opponents.
Every attack left an impression, the hit feedback was great, and it was much more fun to level up to the maximum level than what the actually extremely boring kill quests would have deserved.
When Tera was released on consoles in 2018, the game had already been around for a few years, but the combat was even more enjoyable with the controller than during the western PC launch. The good news: Although the PC version is no longer available, you can simply download the free-to-play MMORPG on PlayStation and Xbox and jump in.
The PS4 trailer for Tera:
Place 4: Blade & Soul
Due to the Wuxia setting and some peculiarities and weaknesses, the MMORPG from NCSoft has never been able to move out of a niche in the west, which means that many players may have missed one of the best combat systems in the genre.
Blade & Soul essentially complements the action-packed framework of Tera with many elements of Wuxia and feels even more grippy, varied, and better staged in direct comparison, but also seemed significantly more complex to me.
For example, if you want to counter other players as a kung-fu master in a direct duel, knock them off their feet, and then whirl through the air, you need quite a bit of skill and quick reactions. Additionally, the abilities of the martial artist change depending on the situation.
This can be frustrating, but also immensely satisfying. In which other MMORPG is it possible to throw your opponent to the ground and then beat them up in the best battle game manner? By the way, in September 2024, an exciting update was released: The new MMORPG BNS Neo Classic is set to come to Europe with better graphics.
On the next page, we will continue with places 3 and 2 of the power ranking for MMORPGs with the best combat systems.
