Best action games ever? (ie; NG, DMC, Bayo)

Like hack n' slash? Or....?

God of War (PS4)?

God of War. (Let's play along ^^)

BTW "action" as a genre is pretty wide.

Wasn't Bayo 1 much better (combat system) than the 2nd? I couldn't care less, played the first and absolutely hated that cringy mess. My vote goes to NG, and that's an easy one. Nobody surpassed NG1 and 2.

@ahrequenomori: Yeah, one of the larger genres. You have to be specific. I put my choice down as God of War as it's comparable to what he listed. I could have easily put anything from Uncharted to Oddworld.

To difficult to choose one overall but my top favourites are:

- Ninja Gaiden Black and Ninja Gaiden II

- Bayonetta 1 and 2

- Devil May Cry 5

Yup, a good deal better. Not gonna go into deep detail yet again, but Bayo 2 is very much a handcuffed system compared to the first game. Still a great game though.

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Anyways, don't really have a number 1 anymore. Used to be mega hard on for NGB, but I've come to appreciate the tip top games on roughly even footing.

Love NGB of course. NG2 has better combat, but is a rougher game with inconsistent encounter design.

DMCs 3, 4 and 5 may not have the actively aggressive enemy design of NG or even Bayo for that matter, but make up for it in depth. DMC4 Dante in particular is the deepest set of mechanics in any action based video game and it's not even close. Even if including FG characters. Though overall, DMC5 is my fav of the bunch.

Platinum stuff, tossup between Bayo 1 and TW101. Though leaning hard towards TW101. The more I learn about the game, the crazier it gets.

All great games, played through each at least a dozen times and could always go back for more.

Godhand deserves a shout as well, I really need to dig deeper into it.

Ninja Gaiden for me. Can’t beat how satisfying and stylish it is to pull off combos.

The best of the rest

Ninja Gaiden Black and Ninja Gaiden 2. The Sigma series isn't nearly as good.

I'm a fan of the genre. Played almost all the main ones and DMC series is my favorite followed by Ninja Gaiden. Never played Bayonetta 2 cause I dont care about Nintendo consoles but Bayo1 was also very good albeit too "floaty" for my like

DMC 4 Dante over DMC5 Dante? Hum, I've to disagree with you on that front. DMC5 Dante's moveset was more fun to use

Bayonetta for me. Even the janky PS3 port is one of my favorite action games ever.

Ninja Gaiden Black for me. That game had me hooked on the Xbox. I'd say devil may cry after that. I've tried Bayonetta 1 and 2 and they never clicked with me.

The second had a way better combat system and graphics.

No contest.

I'm playing Sigma 1 on Switch rn. Still an amazing game but the added Sigma levels are awful and really make it feel bloated.

^yeah this, mine is in the same order

Sure, fun is subjective. I also prefer DMC5 Dante.

But the deeper version of the character isn't really up for question. DMC4 Dante has the wider move set with more non-redundant options, and more utility per many moves. This on top of how much extra depth the mobility adds at higher levels of play due to the game actually having inertia. Technically you can mod that into DMC5 if you're on the PC version, but even then, just doesn't blend with his kit in the same way.

That said, not like depth is the end all. Ryu is by far the most shallow character in the great action game convo, but still deep enough, still a blast to play.

And DMC5 Dante is way up there, obviously 2nd. Just not quite DMC4 Dante level of flexibility.

It's objectively a more restrictive system. Stifles player expression and railroads your play style for earning Plat on encounters. Removing options on one hand, making others redundant on the other, limiting enemy interaction, transforming Witch Time from an additional layer to a necessary crutch that is never removed even on Nonstop Infinite Climax. Optimal play gets reduced to Witch Time to open up and do damage, Umbran Climax as the bar spend and closer.

If that's what you consider better, by all means, enjoy. But those limitations greatly reduced the games lifespan for a lot of us action game junkies.

Kamiya really should have stayed on for the sequel.

Ghost Rider on Ps2

I think Ninja Gaiden Black/Sigma is overall better then NG2 but the combat of 2 is more fun.

I feel the same way about DMC3 vs 5. 3's campaign is better but 5 has more enjoyable combat.

Those are the tops...honorable mentions God of War 3 and Metal Gear Rising.

Not a huge fan of Bayonetta.

Bayo 2 trims off the fat. We don't have to deal with shitty QTEs, cheap hits a second after, neither off-putting pseudo-platforming sections. Plus some of the first game's rough edges were definitely smoothed out.

It cuts the majority of that fluff out and is happier to just give you the thing it does best for longer periods of time. It's so much better paced and less frustrating to play from beginning to end and the graphics and artistic vision are so much more realized.

Uh, what? Bayo 2 has the QTEs, even right in the very first stage lol. Also has the platforming in abundance, and still indulges Kamiyas Space Harrier obsession. All those little things people disliked about the first are every bit as present in the second.

Anyways, not even what I was talking about. Was directly addressing your comment about the combat. :/

Guitar Hero.

COOP DMC with a better soundtrack.

I would take Bayonetta games over others, and as far as DMC goes, I a actually liked the Ninja Theory one most.

it's not the same. The QTE's in the first are intrusive (press Y in the next 0.5 seconds or die), and there's weird parts to the game that feel tacked on like the bike section (which is no way comparable to the awesome starfox level in the second). I feel the combat in the second is more polished as well and the first is more of a proof of concept. It just feels better and more intuitive.

Yeah man, get the feeling you haven't played either game much.

The counterpart to that "awesome starfox level" would be the same Space Harrier inspired mission from the first game. Same thing in both games, only happens to take on some Starfox swaps if you're wearing the Starfox skin in Bayo 2.

The comparison you're looking for would be the horse ride through purgatory. That's the tacked on bike of Bayo 2.

Cool that you feel the combat is more polished, but that's incredibly vague and simply not true. Both games been dissected to death, no solid standing for that argument.

If the "proof of concept" is a deeper, more intricate and balanced system that promotes a greater degree of player expression, then so be it. 🤷‍♂️ (The reality is that Kamiya is an action game mastermind and his absence from the director role in the sequel shows)

Anyways dude. Not telling you not to prefer Bayo 2 lol. It's a great game, one of my favs, played every shred of content in it dozens of times. I only took issue with your "no contest" take about the combat. The rest is just shifting goalposts for no reason.

Let me ask you this, what do you think is better about Bayonetta 2?

And you're right, I haven't put much time into the first one. I played through it on 360 several years ago and then I bought the double pack together and felt the first one jarring at this point after beating the second.

I'll agree that the first is more complex but I don't think it's in a good way. Combos were overwhelming in the first one and I basically stuck to one or two while smashing buttons. In 2 combos are streamlined, most of them start with punch and the sequences are easier to remember. Hard mode is where it really becomes fun.

Graphics and spectacle for sure, no question there. Opening stage of Bayo 2 is more hype than the final stage of most games.

Subjective, but I do prefer the art style, particularly the more vivid palette.

Not a fan of how they downgraded enemies functionally, but the visual design across the board - be it angels or demons - is pretty great.

Mostly superficial stuff.

On the gameplay side, feel Witch Trials get going with interesting encounter compositions faster than its Angel Slayer counterpart.

Also some weapons sets I'd gladly trade, but that's a mixed bag. Both games have sets I love and sets I could go without.

God of War

God of War because it's based on history and mythology.

I really had my doubts about the PS4 game as it had a new camera POV, the character used an axe instead of the blades of chaos and because they were esentially putting a Greek Demigod in a Norse setting... but it all worked surprisingly well.

God of War was never really taken seriously in the action genre even as far back as the PS2 era when it was laughable compared to NG. It was more of a traditional action game in those days though, now it's too much of a movie game to be included here.

Depends.

I couldn't say Bayonetta because it only consist of two games and there not better then the best DMC and NG has offer.

NG has two great games in 1 and 2 with the third being the worse.

DMC has the most quality titles with 2 being the only stinker and 5 probably being the best so I'd say DMC.

Played all of the games in the poll and didn’t enjoy any of them much tbh… all of them try to force a super cringe story on the player a d it’s just get downright embarrassing to play them at times! That being said, am a pc player by heart and always sucked with a controller, so I am surer that have somewhat influenced my expirence!

My personal pick for an action game would probably be either Hades ( if that count) ot the original god of war games!

DMC 1, 3-4 (haven't played 5 yet), DmC, God of War 1-3, 2018, Bayonetta. All I can think of at the moment.

Also badly balanced.

DMC3 because that's what introduced me to the genre. I used to hate it before that.

Sekiro

Now I know for sure you’re trolling (or at least I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt). God of War wasn’t rated the highest in the “hack n slash” genre because of it’s simplistic gameplay, but as far as action games go, GOW was and still is considered the best amongst most of the gaming community. It told the better story out of it’s 3 main competitors (DMC, NG, Bayonetta) and in some instances, a much better story, and maybe aside from NG, look the best out of them.

@casey-wegner: lol you're funny