Not all fighting games give points for being mean. These fighting games need you to be on the defensive.
When most people think of fighting games, they are amazed by how well pro players in games like Tekken and Street Fighter can do multiple attacks. These games are best for bold players who are good at hitting at the right time and putting together combos.
Many games, like BlazBlue and Guilty Gear, punish players who play too defensively, while others, like DragonBall FighterZ, are made for interesting fights where combos and power moves are the norm. Some players, though, like tactical fighting games where they can plan, take their time, block, and turn the tables on opponents who are too bold. This list will be about games where being too bold will lead to a quick and embarrassing loss.
For Honor
For Honor is an online medieval action game where knights fight samurai, Vikings fight Ninjas, and more. It’s a fighting game where you have to learn how to block, feint, parry, and strike in order to win. The game does everything it can to make wars and fights from the Middle Ages feel real.
So, players who try to fight too strongly will find it easy to lose and be punished in battle. Honor is more like a game of chess, where players wait for their opponent to make a mistake so they can take advantage of the opening. When people fight too hard, they leave themselves open to kill hits and counterattacks.
Dead Or Alive 5
Dead or Alive 5 is a fast-paced fighting game that looks like Tekken. Players can use fast strikes and combos to fight. But the best Dead or Alive fighters know how to fight defensively, using reversals and combos to get back at their opponents.
A good Dead or Alive player will take their time and counter a fighter’s best moves if they are being too bold. The movements are smooth, and it’s satisfying to turn the tables on opponents who don’t want to wait. Also, defensive players can move around the 3D world and use fighters who move forward to their benefit.
Undisputed
Undisputed is the newest boxing simulation game. It is still in the early stages of development, but it is already a complicated and fun fighting game. Fighting games like Tekken and Street Fighter are different from games about boxing. Just as important as hitting a knockout punch is keeping up your stamina and learning how to avoid getting hurt.
In Undisputed, a boxing-style back-and-forth fight between two good fighters can often go the distance without anyone getting knocked out. If a player is too aggressive and tries to go for an easy win, they will lose. In Undisputed, players can lose quickly to a defensive fighter if they get counterpunched or run out of energy.
Bushido Blade
Bushido Blade is only available for the PS1 and is still one of the best sword-fighting games ever made. In the SoulCalibur series, combos and super moves are what win a fight. But in Bushido Blade, a good sword strike can end a fight.
A target’s limbs can be used to weaken their barriers and take them apart piece by piece. Bushido Blade is a unique sword-fighting game where two good players can finish a fight in seconds or after several minutes. If you try to fight too strongly, the person on the defense will win easily.
UFC 4
UFC 4 is a combat sports game like Undisputed, but it focuses on tactics and timing instead of aggressive combos. As a mixed martial arts game, UFC 4 rewards combos. But they are usually more useful as a way to defend against an attack.
If a fighter tries to be too aggressive, the defensive player will be able to guess what they will do next. This leaves the fighter open to counters, takedowns, submissions, and an easy technical knockout. In UFC 4, stamina is also very important. If a boxer runs out of stamina because they are too tired, they can’t defend themselves.
Samurai Shodown
Even though the art is beautiful but cartoony, Samurai Shodown is a smarter and more precise fighting game than the SoulCalibur series. Not as strict as a Bushido Blade, but more satisfying for players who like to play defense.
It’s a more realistic fighting game than it seems because you have to be careful and look for gaps. Samurai Shodown seems more like a tribute to old, deadly samurai films. Because of the protective style, Geometry Dash Subzero game is easy for new players to pick up because the controls are simple. If a player is too aggressive, they will be countered, have their tools taken away, and more.
Fight Night Champion
If players don’t want to play Undisputed in its early access state or don’t have a PC that can run it, Fight Night Champion is still the best fighting game. It’s easy to learn how to fight, but the best fighters are the ones who are protective and dodge, weave, and counter their opponents.
Even if the player chooses a boxer who is known for being aggressive, like Mike Tyson, a fighter who is patient will outlast him and beat the powerhouse in the later rounds, when the powerhouse has run out of energy trying to get the knockout. In Fight Night Champion, using strategy and timing is more important than just throwing random punches.
Hellish Quart
Hellish Quart is the closest thing players will get to an inspired successor to the Bushido Blade series, even though it is still in early access. The independent game is even more realistic and methodical than its Japanese version. It relies on its physics-based engine and timing to win. A careful player can take away a player’s head or limbs with well-timed counterattacks and hits. This makes it hard for aggressive players to win.
As in Bushido Blade, there are battles between Musketeers, Hussars, Swedish Reiters, and other groups. Even though it is still in early access, Hellish Quart is the best sword fighting and combat game you can buy. The best way to win is to use feints and create openings. If you come forward and fight too aggressively, you’ll get hit back and lose.
