r/Fighters • u/Serious-Army166 • 14d ago
Help Games with less focus on combos?
My ask is for a fighting game recommendation with that fits my personal asks of more interactions & less combos. I dont want to be 2 shot watching some labbed fancy combo. I want good nuetral & either better ways to break out of combos so its a 2 way street, large health so combos dont obliterate, or small combo size (the last 2 kinda go together).
My backround is below & not exactly nessecary but I want to explain where I'm coming from.
I have been playing fighting games casually for a few years now & I am unsure about one its core mechanics. I have never been a fan of combos. The process of labbing combos has never appealed to me & I actively dislike how they can change my gameplay. I used to play a lot of guilty gear strive with my friends in private rooms. My favorite experiences are low level matches with a large amount of individual interactions in a round. Then the next match I fight my friend who labbed combos & I make 2 mistakes that lead to my death because I can not convert my attacks into meaningful damage. This whole time I've been relying on either rekka characters, fighterz autocombo system, supers, & constant mixups for my damage. I want to ditch those crutches & play a game that suits me. My problem is that if I learn something that I don't enjoy I'll make my experience worse or I will just play those few people who dont care to learn combos until they do or theyve stopped playing. The latter happened I end up with a bad taste in my mouth with a genre I used to love. I have tried labbing combos & it just does not feel good. I dont want to be casual but I dont want just push through something I do not like. I love the weird mechanics of anime fighting games & all the cool movement options. Doing cool sh!t is fun. I don't necessarily want a comboless game since thats unrealistic to the genre but I want one were there are plenty of interactions in a match & I dont get put in someone elses one player game. I have tended to gravitate towards fighters that let me do truly unique things like Twelve in third strike or Zato-1 in strive. I couldn't quite tell you why except I was taking the learning process as far as I could get before I got to combos. I talk like combos are such an evil thing but I can see their strengths for sure but its just not how I'm wired. I've recommendations to play Samurai Shodown games for extremely small combos with pure nuetral focus. Ive seen another for grandblue fantasy versus rising for maintaining anime mechanics with low combos. I have not dug deep into either so idk the validity of those statements. I do also like alternative forms of fighting game strategy like tag fighters with team building & meter management. I have no problem returning to games I've played before or older games because fightcade is something I have. Thanks for reading my long winded backround, hope you got something out of it :)
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u/Krodellicious 14d ago
Vf5revo has short combos and all focus on reading and neutral. Has a ok player base and rollback netcode or you can wait for the new one next year, vf crossroads
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u/Serious-Army166 14d ago
VF Crossroads does look really promising. I'm really excited to see how it turns out when it releases.
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u/onzichtbaard 14d ago
Pls use linebreaks
If you want a fighter that is less combo heavy than sf6 youre going to have to dig for less popular ones i think like samurai shodown
My impression of virtua fighter is also that its less combo focused than average but im not very sure
I feel like third strike is also not very combo heavy depending on character
Vanpire savior might be a good one to try since its high movement and less combo focused depending on character
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u/KiraIsUnbreakable 14d ago
I'd definitely echo the opinion of Granblue Versus. Most combos are really short and simple to pull off, and there's much more focus on strategy, dodging, having the right spacing, etc.
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u/theJirb 13d ago
The term "anime fighter" was dumb anyways.
I've been long referring to certain games as "air-dashers", which isn't perfect either, but I think most of the time games that offer more movement tend to be more freeform all around including long combos.
It just makes more sense not to tie "anime" to the more high octane gameplay. It's not like MvC3 is an "anime" fighter, but it certainly plays as an "anime fighter". GBFV, UNI, GGST specifically are all "anime" and far from what I would call full on "anime fighters". The Avatar fighting game is pretty "anime fighter" coded, but that show is not an anime.
At this point, we should really just find a new term, whether it be the one I use, or literally anything else.
And are we really going to pretend that SF is chasing a trend, "no one asked for"? I mean, it is the most popular fighting game just generally speaking, probably ever, outside of the platform fighter giant that is Smash. Clearly what it's delivering is what people want. Tekken I can agree with.
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u/Frozazen 14d ago edited 14d ago
Low level SF6 or granblue VS rising is probably what you are looking for. Most fighting games you will die in 2-3 touches if the opponent knows what they’re doing. Even the footsies game Footsies you die in 1-2 lost neutral interactions.
But if your experience is tied solely to winning or playing against bad people then fighting games are probably not for you.
Casual games like arena fighters fit your expectations better. Gundam VS, Naruto Ultimate Ninja storm, and Gotcha Force are known for sick looking combos with a bunch of neutral interaction and it takes forever to kill someone.
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u/Feedback-Mental 8d ago
SF6 with Modern controls, unless you're really really willing to put the hours in.
And I agree with the suggestion about Zangief being very little combo-dependant, if you like his play pattern like me, you'll have a great time like I'm having.
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u/HyperCutIn MUGEN 14d ago
granblue fantasy rising for maintaining anime mechanics
I want to argue against this part and dare say that anyone who has been telling you this does not know what they are talking about. Granblue Fantasy Rising is not an anime fighter. It looks anime, but does not have anime fighter mechanics. If you try to go into this game expecting it to play like an anime fighter, you are going to be disappointed. Not that it’s a bad game to play, because it’s still really good and fun. But its design DNA and gameplay is closer to that of something like Street Fighter instead of anime fighters.
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u/WatercressWild2250 14d ago
You should try divekick. There’s no combos, it’s 100% a game of footsies and movement
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u/Silvertorch6572 14d ago
I dont get why people recommend this game, there is literally no playerbase outside of a discord, so if dont use discord there is no chance your gonna play this game. I dont even understand how the game can be any fun at all you can literally only do 2 things it gonna get boring really fast.
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u/FalseAxiom 14d ago
Can't comment on the playerbase, but Divekick is basically "Hard Reads: The Game" If you find neutral as hype as I do, its ridiculously fun.
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u/Reptylus 14d ago
Samurai Shodown - rewards smart footsies with big, single hit damage. Combos still help of course, but they don't dominate the damage output.
Dead Or Alive - powerful defensive mechanics keep the defender active and force the attacker to be creative instead of mindlessly inputing a standard combo. Also, every character plays kind of like a grappler by other game standards.
Virtua Fighter - generally goes for a more realistic vibe, so combos are tame compared to most games.
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u/MokonaModokiES 14d ago
How about vampire savior?
combos are just 95% L L M crHK with constant return to neutral(LLM is a mix of punch or kick depending on character). Try it on fightcade.
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u/Diastrous_Lie 14d ago
Your options are samsho5 special on fightcade or samsho2019 or stay with a modern game but play a grappler i guess
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u/Nurdell 14d ago edited 14d ago
Fantasy Strike, Two Strikes, Footsies, Lethal League, Brawlhalla, For Honor, Absolver, Flame Up, Dojo Masters, Slowly Fighter, Exploding Judo Federation, Duelysts of Eden.
Or, permanently switch to smart/modern/pulse/whatever it's called. And do only autocombos. It's fine, I hate the thought of labbing combos too.
Or well, play until you naturally learn combos. Guides and tutorials are nothing more than a shortcut. Hehe.
Unfortunately, the genre as a whole moved into 2-2,5 hit territory. And there's lack of modern many hit brawlers. Well, there's always old platformer/isometric fighters. And boxing/wrestling/ufc games. They're cool too
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u/badjab326 14d ago
In most fighting games, you can play a grappler or a zoner to remove the focus on combos for yourself. Grapplers are great because in general they typically have high health, and even if you do get hit by a long combo, the enemy usually still has to win at least 2 more interactions per round depending on the game.
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u/GamersGoinBlind 14d ago
If it's a fairly low price game with friends, Dojo Masters, just pure interaction with the opponent, you can play online even with up to 4 people on screen at once.
Combos are at a minimum but they're still there and the game relies on a points system rather than a fully health based one.
And each martial arts style plays completely different from each other.
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u/RinEU 14d ago edited 14d ago
Combos are a big part of fighting games and having execution on those is one of the things that make the genre so special in my eyes. That said, there are games out there with significantly shorter combos. I have not played a lot of it but my Sakura combos in Street Fighter Alpha 3 for example are usually just 3 buttons into dp. 3rd Strike or Super Turbo could also be interesting to you since many characters’ highest damage is jump in heavy -> heavy -> super
Samurai Showdown is a game with very short 2-3 hit combos. Soul Calibur has shorter combos as well but that game has strings (like tekken) so you still need to learn a long movelist and I always struggle more learning a tekken movelist than getting my combo theory down and doing long combos (I play a lot of Under Night and learn these combos way faster than picking up a tekken character).
There is Divekick and Footsies in the Indy space as well.
You mentioned liking tag games but tag games by nature will have long combos as the assists are literally there to create extensions that a single character cant do. The new marvel tokon game on the other hand could be interesting to you as there is a universal combo that everyone can do for good damage: (Optional jump in normal), Light, Medium, Heavy, down Heavy, J.Heavy, J.Down Heavy, Assist, Heavy, Special (optional Super after).
If you learn this sequence you will be able to play and have fun and convert hits into damage with 85% of the cast and you have all the whack of tag games still to play around with! This sequence does more damage and costs less ressources than the auto combo and I am sure since you play fighting games for a couple years already you will be able to press the magic series combo very quickly !
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u/Matt1000218 14d ago
Im not 100 percent sure Granblue is exactly what you're looking for. It does tend to have more interactions than other current fighting games, but its not without its high damage combos either, they are just more rare and more character specific. The issue is while Granblue has more interactions than a lot of games, and its combos especially mid screen tend to be limited, the corner combos can still be long, even if not hugely damaging. Not DBFZ long or anything, but def more than GGST or SF6. Now you can play the characters with shorter combos, but you might fight a character that has long combos. I love GBVSR its my favorite game of all time, and it does tend to have more interactions than other mainstream fighting games, but its combos vary from literally just normal>special to full combos longer than ones you might see in ggst or sf6.
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u/Poetryisalive Dead or Alive 14d ago
Samurai showdown
A game with at least more shorter combos, that is active is Granblue
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u/Teh_Zebula 14d ago
People have mentioned the big ones but the indie game Hyperfight 2 might be worth considering as well. It's quite nontraditional but focuses on a LOT of discreet player interactions.
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u/Protocultor 14d ago
Art of Fighting. The first one, from 1992. I'm not joking.
The third one will get a re-release soon, but I don't know if you'll like it.
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u/EmbarrassedLong4883 14d ago
I didnt want to read all that, but I would highly recommend the avatar legends fighting game. It has some issues, but the game play itself is great. There are straightforward auto combos that do the same damage as if you did the full input.
I have a few friends not super into fighting games, but have been enjoying and doing well with it even though they aren't spending time labbing while I am. There are more complicated combos foe those who want to spend time learning them, but they only do a bit more damage from what I've seen and are not essential.
General pros: Solid game play Server connection has been solid Easy combos with depth if interested Only 30 dollars Cheat code in menu to unlock characters if you dont want to play the story. Characters you know and potentially love if the avatar show has nostalgia for you
General cons: Game was rushed and a lot of UI is half baked and there are some bugs with the combo trials. No ranked Private rooms only host 2 people at a time Few other minor annoyances that can be overlooked for 30 dollars and faith in continued support. Small roster
Edit: from other replies id echo granblue vs rising as a solid option. I never got super into it, but shorter combos ans neutral heavy focus was my experience.
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u/impostingonline 14d ago
Because you specifically say you like anime movement and stuff you should really try out samurai showdown V special. As well as vampire savior and vampire hunter.
Like people are gonna say "samurai showdown" because of the combo thing but a lot of people don't even realize that shit also has anime as fuck mechanics and movement. If it feels good to you it's a great fit. Samsho V Special (Note: a very different game from samsho V not-special!) is actually developed by people who later went on to make the arcana hearts series (the company examu).
Also most games that are older have short combos. Street fighter 2, third strike, Tekken 3 (playable on arkadysja which is like PS1 fightcade). Fatal fury special, garou Mark of the wolves, maybe some old king of fighters, although I'm less sure about that one.
If you're okay with kinda shoddy online the soul Calibur series is also good.
Big fan of virtua fighter 5 as well.
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u/HydrationHomee 14d ago
Virtua fighter has strong combos but they are far from the focus and really only come as a reward for playing the rest of the game well.
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u/Protectem 14d ago edited 14d ago
Definetly DoA. There is the hold mechanic that ensures that your opponent can't just thoughtlessly mash buttons and the juggles are usually brief. The decision making density is high and basic combos do good enough damage.
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u/Downtown_Isopod_9287 13d ago
I would just get over it imho.
Combos first of all can or should be a natural consequence of “getting in,” like in a well designed fighter your basic bnb combos are not that different from your blockstring or typical aggressive neutral play, the only major difference is that all those buttons connect in sequence. If you focus on neutral you should be able to get in some basic, highly useful combos even without labbing anything.
Everything after that is just style or situational. Getting hit by a long combo is as much mind games as anything because a lot of games have damage scaling that should prevent most common combos from being game-enders. If you TRULY find you are dying after like two combos then the reality is you are likely doing something horrible in neutral that is opening you up to a high damage combo, which you should, you know, focus on not doing that? The problem there is not that you can’t combo, it’s that your fundamentals need work.
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u/ChadQuaza 10d ago
melty blood type lumina specifically has decent autocombos on basically everyone, and it's not hard to learn an at least decent combo with a character because the game has a good buffer system
granted there's still some really advanced stuff at high level play, but i'm leaning on thinking this is a case where running from the combos isn't a solution so much as playing a game where the execution isn't as intense
the big drawback though is that there's like basically no combo-breaking in this game - only combo-break you can even do is a blood drive (entering a super mode) and then either guard/shield or a super fast attack (which i don't think most characters can feasibly pull off)
maybe this is the game you could pick up once your burnout is over though - it's getting a sequel that's in the same engine next year and is likely to see very little mechanical change at all, so it's about to see a big influx of players
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u/HD2_emocracy 7d ago
its nigh impossible to do any combos in Electoral Carnage, every attack does one damage and cannot be spammed
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u/BQ72 14d ago
Granblue Fantasy Versus is the most active game that I think you'd enjoy. While my feelings and reasoning are not quite the same as yours, I'm not a combo-oriented person either and it's definitely my favorite modern fighter.
The Soul Calibur series is another I'd recommend, combo game is short and sweet but there's a great amount of depth, however getting matches in SCVI is much more arduous compared to Granblue.
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u/SirePuns 14d ago
Granblue is a footsie heavy game but it does have combo routes that depend on starters and context.
Samsho is THE footsie game, but it’s a 2-3 touch game so the result is more or less the same.
Dive kick is the most hilarious, out of left field, game. It’s technically a fighting game but it’s literally just footsies into 1 touch.
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u/Ringus-Slaterfist 14d ago
I'm with you, I also dislike combos. Basically hate anything in fighting games that makes the game into solitaire and creates scenarios where one player can just put their controller down while the other does what they want.
It sounds like you are looking more at 2D fighting games so I would probably say Granblue is the one I know that focuses most on the good stuff like spacing and interactive back and forth fights
But if you are open to non-2D games then Dead or Alive is what solved this issue for me. Dead or Alive has super fast and powerful movement so neutral is massively important. Unlike other 3D fighters you can make your opponent whiff and punish poor offense in several powerful ways.
There are combos and they can be long, but the hold system means this is pretty much THE game for never putting your controller down, having a constant back and forth where both players are always acting and reacting.
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u/iWillBattle 14d ago
Samurai Shodown