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[Renekton]

I was looking through the all-time WRPG lists and many candidates seem to have serviceable combat at best. Compared to JRPGs, often times WRPG combat is something to get over with quickly so we can focus on the other things they do better. Or maybe I am just a plebeian who cannot comprehend the riveting combat in Arcanum or Morrowind... you tell me. So what are, in your opinion, WRPGs with good combat? (even if just for the time)

Example:
Dragon Age: Origins (PC) - Nice variety of classes, skills and cooldowns feel punchy to use, decent encounter designs that present puzzles to solve with your party's kit, spells and traps are devastating to use, some homage to the BG/NWN roots, dog teammate is no slouch and has own skill tree

 

[Grim Patron]

The Witcher 3

 

[xuchu]

If you're into crpgs, divinity original sin has some of the best turn based combat in the genre.

 

[Staf]

Divinity: original sin. It plays sublime on console.

 

[Atolm]

Divinity Original Sin

 

[Technosteve]

Thats your opinion

 

[Drillary Clinton]

The Surge looks like it has good combat.

I would classify the Souls series as WRPGs and they have great combat

Dragon Age 1, 2, and 3 have really good combat systems (esp Inquisition). As well as Mass Effect 2 and 3.

The VATS system in Fallout is great as well.


Edit: gonna throw Diablo 3 in too

 

[Cleve]

I was looking through the all-time WRPG lists and many candidates seem to have serviceable combat at best. Compared to JRPGs, often times WRPG combat is something to get over with quickly so we can focus on the other things they do better. Or maybe I am just a plebeian who cannot comprehend the riveting combat in Arcanum or Morrowind... you tell me. So what are, in your opinion, WRPGs with good combat? (even if just for the time)

I feel like engaging combat is pretty rare in jrpgs too. I can't say I'd rate games like FFXV or Kingdom Hearts any better than witcher or arcanum.

If you're in to turn based stuff, Divinity, or the Icewind Dale games are fantastic, and absolutely worth your time.

 

[Nottle]

I like Mass Effect 1's combat a lot. It's pretty good in all of those games. But I like 1 the best.

 

[Kthulhu]

I thought that Fallout 4 had good combat, but I imagine that's not what you have in mind.

 

[Iceternal]

Kingdom of Amalur

 

[Lanrutcon]

Divinity Original Sin

.

 

[Ratrat]

The Witcher 3

Thats not how you disprove the op.

For me, Mass Effect 3 was really fun on Insanity.

 

[PhantomKnight]

Horizon was pretty good.

 

[arts&crafts]

Dragon's Dogma! So satisfying to play. This is a wRPG even though its Japanese I assume.

 

[Taruranto]

Divinity Original Sin and Baldur's Gate 2.

BG2 also has excellent itemization and encounter design, things that really got really worse in recent years and are often ignored by devs.

 

[HeatBoost]

I really love the combat in Fallout

The first two, I mean. In particular 2. You could get lots of really granular melee attacks that would have different effects, in addition to the specified targeting, it really helped me recreate Fist of the North Star accurately.

 

[capitalCORN]

The Temple of Elemental Evil and Wizardry 8.

 

[JBwB]

Horizon & Kingdoms of Amalur both have fun combat.

 

[HKA6A7]

In the recent years:

FPS:
Deus Ex HR-MD if you want a great stealth shooter.
Fallout 4 combat is really solid too.

TPS:
Mass Effect 2-3 and Andromeda (It's only redeeming aspect), hands down.

Turn Based:
Divinity Original Sin I-II.

That's all I can recall at this moment.

 

[croten]

I feel like engaging combat is pretty rare in jrpgs too. I can't say I'd rate games like FFXV or Kingdom Hearts any better than witcher or arcanum.

If you're in to turn based stuff, Divinity, or the Icewind Dale games are fantastic, and absolutely worth your time.

Wow wow wow

Maybe not all the Kingdom Hearts games play good, like BBS, but KH2 has some of the best Action RPG gameplay in this medium

 

[Blackquill]

To be fair, a lot of WRPG doesn't force you into combat most of the time, you can stealth or talk your way through for example. So there's that

 

[Doc_Drop]

To add to what has already been covered, Darkest Dungeon and South Park Stick of Truth - looking forward to changes with Fractured But Whole
as well

I don't really subscribe to the notion all that soo many WRPGs have serviceable combat only, I think it's just that some big hitters don't satisfy some people - arguably rightly so at times - Witcher 3's high regard digs into people's craw due to the combat

 

[Abstrusity]

I would call Dragon's Dogma a WRPG more than a JRPG, to be perfectly honest.

And as such, it is the best WRPG for combat from my standpoint.

 

[Mephala]

Mount & Blade.

 

[Djostikk]

Fallout 4 thread.

 

[Guevara]

I thought that Fallout 4 had good combat, but I imagine that's not what you have in mind.

That's my answer as well.

 

[Hellraider]

I like Mass Effect 1's combat a lot. It's pretty good in all of those games. But I like 1 the best.

ME1's combat is terrible. And I say this while considering the first Mass Effect to be by far the best of the trilogy.

 

[epmode]

Divinity: Original Sin might have the best turn-based combat in any RPG, full stop. You can tackle the encounters in so many different ways!

 

[Fitz]

Mount & Blade.

Doesn't get much better than this.

 

[Exploratory]

I feel like engaging combat is pretty rare in jrpgs too. I can't say I'd rate games like FFXV or Kingdom Hearts any better than witcher or arcanum.

If you're in to turn based stuff, Divinity, or the Icewind Dale games are fantastic, and absolutely worth your time.

KH2 on it's worst day is more engaging than Witcher 3 on it's best.

OP to answer your question...Mass Effect 2/3/A all have great combat. Kingdoms of Amalur had some of the best WRPG combat I've played.

 

[Fantastapotamus]

Divinity Original Sin
Banner Saga
Wasteland 2
Witcher 3
XCOM/2 (I know it's not an RPG but a lot of people consider Fire Emblem an RPG, so...)
Darkest Dungeon (also questionable, but I'm throwing it in anyway)
Dragon Age Origins
Legend of Grimrock 1/2

 

[Arulan]

Divinity: Original Sin
Jagged Alliance 2
Temple of Elemental Evil
Knights of the Chalice
Pool of Radiance (and other Gold Box RPGs)
Wizardry 8
Might & Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven
Mount & Blade: Warband

A few off the top of my head.

And very recently, Battle Brothers.

 

[Lanrutcon]

I thought that Fallout 4 had good combat, but I imagine that's not what you have in mind.

Compared to?

The shooting was anemic, VATs is still silly, enemy scaling is still unbalanced, DR gets out of control quickly, stealth attacks are still broken (and the way 99% of people play to combat the scaling) and melee combat is primitive as all hell.

FO4 combat isn't good when measured as a shooter, and isn't good when measured as a straight RPG. It's serviceable, and an improvement on the previous 2, but that's as well as can be spoken of it.

 

[His Majesty]

Divinity: Original Sin might have the best turn-based combat in any RPG, full stop. You can tackle the encounters in so many different ways!

I completely agree. Combat, especially on tactician mode, is so satisfying with figuring out the best combo's and implementing environmental effects. Not to mention the importance of positioning. One of the few combat systems that truly rewards creativity and out-of-the-box thinking.

 

[geordiemp]

Best combat I have played in a WRPG is easily Mass Effect Andromeda by a wide margin.

Play infiltrator on hard mode, get energy drain and incinerate for some boom time, and play it like ninja gaiden RPG with guns and go nuts..

Sublime.

 

[Spukc]

The Witcher 3

dude...

 

[RAWRferal]

This thread title is an Oxymoron.

 

[ffvorax]

Even with all the hate, I love TW3 combat.

 

[Permanently A]

For me, it doesn't exist.

 

[Strangelove77]

Witcher 3

 

[kromeo]

I love DA:O but honestly the combat is extremely clunky

 

[His Majesty]

For me, it doesn't exist.

This thread title is an Oxymoron.

go play Divinity: Original Sin and then come back to eat crow

 

[Arulan]

It seems a lot of people only want to count AAA WRPGs, perhaps because that's all they've played, only to then be surprised that it's largely mediocre and shallow.

 

[Mephala]

I think the problem is party what we expect and want from the combat.

I tend to appreciate JRPG combat for trying to be fun, engaging and maybe a bit stylish as well. WRPG combat to me tends to be a bit more grounded. Often I look at the JRPG combat and think "look at all this cool stuff I can do and all the stuff I could do later when I unlock it!"
Then I look at WRPG and start to feel "this is my character, these are my limitations that I have to work around and these are my team mates that could cover certain weak spots."
In a sense I often appreciate the WRPG combat because it helps me immerse into the characters and worlds. And since the genre is all about roleplay and I guess, immersion and world building I actually really like this.

I would also say if you want truly good action combat and are looking into RPG genre for it then you're probably approaching it wrong. The way every game is getting "RPG elements" is partly to blame too.

If you consider Dishonoured an RPG then that allows you to do some really cool stuff.

 

[BigTnaples]

The Elder Scrolls
Wild Hunt
Fallout
Mass Effect
Horizon Zero Dawn

 

[Van Bur3n]

Divinity: Original Sin

Mount & Blade: Warband

Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3

Deus Ex: HR and MD

The Elder Scrolls
Wild Hunt
Fallout

wut

 

[Permanently A]

go play Divinity: Original Sin and then come back to eat crow

I did try that game actually, I didn't like it. I'm not knocking the game's quality or anything, it just didn't appeal to me.

 

[Muffin1611]

Strg + F "Dragon's Dogma"

Dragon's Dogma! So satisfying to play. This is a wRPG even though its Japanese I assume.

I would call Dragon's Dogma a WRPG more than a JRPG, to be perfectly honest.

And as such, it is the best WRPG for combat from my standpoint.

Carry on.

Spoiler

And fucking play Dragon's Dogma

 

[deoee]

The Witcher 3

lol