What happened to good 3rd person action combat games?

[ERYFKRAD]

Way of the Samurai had a decent combat engine, even if it wasn't exactly the point of the games.

Could have fooled me, I spent more time in 3 making swords than I did giving a fig about the plot, which admittedly becomes mechanical once you have seen them all. And the combat in 4 is a great upgrade over 3 in every manner.

 

[Ash]

Has there ever been a good third person (non-overhead) game with ranged combat that was functional, didn't use lock-on for aiming, wasn't a TPS AND didn't depend on a crosshair mode? I'm wondering if it's even possible.

Like, for instance, a platformer? Or a twin stick shooter? Plenty of those out there.

there is, but no, I don't think he was referring to 2D or 2.5D games. (twin stick shooters are almost always essentially 2.5D for instance).

 

[deuxhero]

3 pages in and no mention of PS2 Shinobi? Philistines, the lot of you.
Also, Way of the Samurai had a decent combat engine, even if it wasn't exactly the point of the games. Well, at least 1 and 2 did. No idea about 3 and 4; both of those come off as being written by someone high on every available psychotropic on the market. Which doesn't sound like it should be a turn off but it is when all you wanna do is Toshiro some motherfucking Mifunes and not watch a hysteric faggot prance around for hours on end in a cutscene. Ed- on further pseudo-review, 3 seems to be a tad more sober than I remember, might try that one out eventually.

3's PC port has some really horrible issues (crashes if you NG+ without exiting the game after saving in a game based on NG+) that were never fixed, while 4's is OK (not great, but playable) and is the better game anyways. Really, Way of the Samurai is one of those Nipponese series (Alongside Metal Max, and Disaster Report/the sandbox PachiPara games/Steambot Chronicles) that thrives on giving the player the ability to be a total asshole or rotten letch if they want to be. The silly options are often the best parts. Otherwise, the tone of the series is pretty restrained on the main story and enemies become much less of a damage sponge if you put an hour or two of gameplay into getting a good sword (which will carry you till you start figuring out how to manipulate plot events to kill important NPCs for the sole purpose of taking their weapon).

 

[ERYFKRAD]

3's PC port has some really horrible issues (crashes if you NG+ without exiting the game after saving in a game based on NG+)

Nope, never had that happen. Alt tab crash, sure, but not this.

the better game anyways

I dunno man, somehow I am more inclined to fuck around in 3 than 4.

 

[wyes gull]

there is, but no, I don't think he was referring to 2D or 2.5D games. (twin stick shooters are almost always essentially 2.5D for instance).

Bizarre question, then. A 3D game in 3rd person with shooting that isn't a TPS and doesn't have lock on or a reticle? Early Resident Evils maybe? Virtua Cop if you glue a cutout of the MC to the bottom of the screen?

Could have fooled me, I spent more time in 3 making swords than I did giving a fig about the plot, which admittedly becomes mechanical once you have seen them all. And the combat in 4 is a great upgrade over 3 in every manner.

When someone asks for action, I'd be remiss to suggest something that has you watch unskippable cutscenes for a decent portion of the game time without a fair warning.

 

[yellowcake]

Has there ever been a good third person (non-overhead) game with ranged combat that was functional, didn't use lock-on for aiming, wasn't a TPS AND didn't depend on a crosshair mode? I'm wondering if it's even possible.

I absolutely loved bow shooting in Severance BOD. It was clearly left undeveloped and only useful in early levels except for triggering switches but it was done great. Physics based curve of flight and no crosshair. If they added stronger bows & different effect arrows it could be amazing stuff.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

unskippable cutscenes

Quid?

 

[502]

Same thing that happened to everything.

 

[Xelocix]

Morrowind.

:D

 

[Assisted Living Godzilla]

Those Xbox era Prince of Persia games never had good combat, or really platforming for that matter. Assassin's Creed also kind of replaced their Prince of Persia series, and even started as a Price of Persia title...funnily that Prince of Persia movie is like some combination of the two series.

As for what happened to them, well, they're still around. Capcom just released Devil May Cry 5 in 2019, Monster Hunter: World last year, and Monster Hunter Rise this year. Nioh 2 came out last year, and that Team Ninja Final Fantasy game Stranger of Paradise is coming out next year. Omega Force and Koei Tecmo probably come out with at least one Dynasty Warriors style game of some kind every year. The Yakuza series may have just switched over to being a RPGs this year, but the team is now doing the Judgment games; Lost Judgment just came out this year. FromSoftware does what FromSoftware does and has a new game coming next year. PlatinumGames is still around and they've got some stuff coming next year it seems. Bandia Namco came out with Scarlet Nexus and Tales of Arise this year. There aren't as many action games as there were during the PS2 and Xbox era I guess; although many weren't exactly third person then.

The only big change is western developers, who mostly sucked at making them anyways, don't really try to make them anymore like they did during the Xbox/PS2 era. Not that there aren't still some, there just aren't as many. Now they're mostly making third or first person shooters...or they're just dead. Rebal Act Studios are dead. Radical Entertainment is dead. Raven is on Call of Duty duty, and some people left. The Collective became Double Helix and was absorbed into Amazon. Human Head is dead.

 

[Sunsetspawn]

Ashly Burch Ginger Game is briddy good
https://af.gog.com/game/horizon_zero_dawn_complete_edition?as=1649904300


The writing is completely brainless shit-tier SJW garbage and without Burch and the guy from The Wire the voice settings in the audio could simply be disabled.

examples that stuck out from memory

Typical MALE NPC: Oh Aloy, you're so stonk, smart, and brave; not a weak, pathetic retart like me.

Aloy Ancestor recording: I would never have a son, it would be a daughter for sure (SAID NO PARENT EVER)

I suppose "writer" is the one job in entertainment that doesn't need standards. Imagine artists and composers, or god-forbid, coders having that degree of competence; you wouldn't have a product to sell.

But still, a solid, open-world, 3rd person romp with good gameplay, art-design, music, and overall flavor. The "RPG elements" are as superficial as possible, though, so you're never really drawn into the well-designed world

 

[Ash]

But still, a solid, open-world, 3rd person romp with good gameplay

HIGHLY fucking skeptical.

 

[Merkwürdigliebe]

Just go play Sekiro, if you don't like it then there is something wrong with you.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

But still, a solid, open-world, 3rd person romp with good gameplay

HIGHLY fucking skeptical.

Play Yakuza already ffs

 

[DJOGamer PT]

Those Xbox era Prince of Persia games never had good ... platforming for that matter.

You take that back now. Or else...

Spoiler