Open-world games are so abundant nowadays that each new game needs to find a hook that sets it apart from the crowd. While certain titles opt for over-the-top weaponry, others prefer to strip everything back and focus on hand-to-hand combat. Despite the sheer volume of open-world games out there, very few titles prioritize fisticuffs.
8 Open-World Games Worth Playing Just For Their Combat
These open-world adventures are great not just for exploring, but for taking down enemies in the most spectacular ways possible.
Still, some of the best open-world games ever feature incredible hand-to-hand combat that's a joy to perform and behold. If you love the idea of smashing your fists into enemies and making them rue the day they thought they could take you on, check out these upcoming titles.
Technically, hand-to-hand combat doesn't mean unarmed and can involve weapons. However, to keep things simple, we are going to focus on open-world games that prioritize fisticuffs. Therefore, no Ghost of Tsushima/Yotei or Middle-earth: Shadow of War. Where Winds Meet might qualify once the global server gets gauntlets.
7 Absolver
Online-Focused Brawler With Great Hand-To-Hand Combat
Absolver
- Released
- August 28, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Sloclap
- Platform(s)
- Steam, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
I went back and forth on whether to include Absolver, as its world is small and only semi-open. However, the game still gives you the freedom to explore the available zones, be it in single-player or multiplayer. Originally touted as Dark Souls with fists, Absolver exceeded that description and managed to carve a unique identity that is wholly its own. Focusing on martial arts and stances, the combat system is deep and customizable, while prioritizing skill and mastery over sheer stats.
Basically, you travel in search of other martial artists, where you then engage in intense melee action built around timing, positioning, and reading the enemy's moment. Absolver comes with a steep learning curve that can make the opening few hours frustrating as hell, but you feel yourself getting gradually better.
The multiplayer isn't that active anymore, and the single-player is essentially a tutorial to prepare you for online fights. Still, you can get a couple of hours from the offline mode.
6 Yakuza 0
A Great Entry Point Into The Yakuza Series With Sublime Beat-Em-Up Gameplay
Yakuza 0
- Released
- January 24, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Yakuza 0 is a great entry point for the Yakuza series, with its amazing story, great cast of characters, and a fun combat system ensuring that players will have no problems sinking dozens of hours. The campaign features two playable characters, Kiryu and Majima, who employ distinct movesets and fighting styles that reflect their personalities. While Kiryu is a straightforward powerhouse, Majima is way more unpredictable and, well, plays like a mad dog.
Players start with little to nothing before eventually unlocking some powerful moves and, eventually, a hidden fighting style for each character. Stabbing enemies with Majima or suplexing them with Kiryu is a great payoff for the hours players spend earning money and investing in the fighting abilities of both characters.
5 Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth (Tifa)
Tifa Is One Of The Most Iconic Fisticuffs Fighters Of All Time
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
- Released
- February 29, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Genre(s)
- RPG
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PC
Technically, you could go through the entirety of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's 50-odd hours without ever throwing a punch; conversely, you can spend 75% of the campaign throwing nothing but punches. The remake's second chapter opted to go full open-world, a decision that birthed the most ambitious and epic (in scale) entry in the franchise. Like the first game, Rebirth allows you to swap between different characters, with Tifa being a fixture throughout most of the story.
While all the characters are solid in their own right, Tifa might just be the most enjoyable, at least after Cloud. Her unarmed combat emphasizes positioning, flow, and combos, almost like a supped-up version of the "realistic" systems found in Sleeping Dogs or Like a Dragon. Besides just being fun as hell, Tifa rewards proper mastery of her gameplay style, as you need to time your inputs correctly.
4 Marvel's Spider-Man 2
The Two Spider-Men Boast Some Amazing Moves In Combat
Marvel's Spider-Man 2
- Released
- October 20, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Insomniac Games
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PC
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Action-Adventure, Superhero
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
The webslinger and his protégé returned in Marvel's Spider-Man 2, letting players control two Spider-Men to save New York. While they don't control that differently from each other, Peter and Miles are fundamentally unique enough to allow both of them to shine, and their combat systems were previously deep enough to carry two separate games. Peter is far more aggressive, while Miles prioritizes stuns and burst damage.
8 Best Open-World Games With Beat 'Em Up Combat, Ranked
These incredible open-world video games showcase brutal beat 'em up action, mixing freeform exploration with fluid combat.
Although more polarizing on the whole, the 2023 sequel undeniably managed to improve the combat, delivering more depth while still remaining accessible and stylish. Symbiote and Iron Arm abilities are gratifying to use, and the addition of parrying adds a new dimension to combat. Enemy AI is a bit smarter than the previous games, with more unpredictable behavior. Unlike most games that revolve around melee combat, Spider-Man 2's hand-to-hand action rewards aerial moves and ensures that players can take on hordes of enemies in style when they're in a flow state.
3 Lost Judgment
The Most Polished Real-Time Combat By RGG Studio
Lost Judgment
- Released
- September 24, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
- Platform(s)
- Amazon Luna, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
After the mainline Yakuza series switched to a turn-based combat system, the Judgment spin-offs retained RGG Studio's stellar melee combat for a while, with Lost Judgment being the final entry. Since then, Yakuza has returned to melee combat for a few games, but Lost Judgment still represents the peak of this combat style.
Yagami may not boast the same charisma as the other protagonists in the Yakuza series, but that should take nothing away from his badass combat moves. Players can switch stances on the fly, carrying out Heat Moves or juggling enemies with advanced attacks. Once players upgrade Yagami's moveset, there's no stopping this detective from punishing any unfortunate thug who decides to cross his path.
Honorable mention to Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise, another Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio game with great hand-to-hand combat.
2 Sleeping Dogs
A Brutal Hand-To-Hand Combat System Heavily Inspired By The Arkham Series
Sleeping Dogs
- Released
- August 14, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- United Front Games
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Action
Sleeping Dogs proved that you could frame a GTA-style sandbox around hand-to-hand combat, at least when the gameplay is fantastic. Inspired by Hong Kong action flicks, the game tells a cop story that is ripped right out of the '90s, along with visceral action that is satisfying to execute and behold.
One of the best parts of Sleeping Dogs is the satisfying melee combat system that takes a lot of cues from the Arkham games, but with a brutal touch. Grabbing enemies and using environmental takedowns to completely decimate enemies never gets old, and the close-quarters action is complemented by serviceable ranged weapons that never overshadow the main selling point.
1 Batman: Arkham Knight
The Most Polished And Feature-Rich Version Of Arkham's Iconic Combat
Batman: Arkham Knight
- Released
- June 23, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Rocksteady Studios
- Genre(s)
- Action
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
After Arkham Asylum debuted arguably the most influential melee combat system in gaming history, Rocksteady spent the next two games fine-tuning Batman's core moveset, with each entry surpassing the last in this area. Although Arkham City is the superior game, Arkham Knight has the better combat.
Refining the free-flow system to near-perfection, the combat lets players seamlessly chain between enemies, and Batman is almost unbelievably responsive. With counters, gadgets, animation cancellation, and group control, Arkham Knight manages to strike a balance that enables fights to be both cinematic and precise. Enemies are varied enough to always keep you on your toes, and you grow stronger through practice and education rather than just by improving stats.
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Open-world with great combat is a winning formula for players that are fans of the genre.