So which gacha games actually have the best combat mechanics?
I’m tired of the ones where you just press auto and watch. PGR is pretty good once you figure out the dodge timing - feels smooth when you nail a perfect dodge into a counter. Honkai Impact 3rd also has that satisfying action feel. Looking for games where skill actually matters, not just having the highest power level characters.
What are you all playing that keeps combat engaging?
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For action combat, PGR has depth, and Wuthering Waves has accessibility.
For strategic combat, Limbus Company has some good combat depth when you get how clashes work.
If you want actual skill expression, try Dragon Ball Legends PvP. There’s vanish gauge baiting, sidestep and strike-cancel loops, perfect vanish punishes, rising rush mind games. Matches come down to inputs and reads, not just having starred up units.
War of the Visions has solid depth for tactics fans, CT manipulation, elevation bonuses, facing mechanics for backstab crits, elemental chain timing. You can outplay people with way better gear if you know what you’re doing. Mix these in with your ARPG rotation when you want something more demanding.
Similar to my point in the best gameplay gacha thread, I think best is going to be pretty subjective compared to what you like.
I’m not a big fan of open-world or action games, so Wuthering Waves lasted about 10 minutes on my phone. For others, it might be the best game they’ve ever played.
Currently, for me, the best combat mechanics:
Punishing gray raven is better for learning on the go. The training actually walks you through the dodging mechanics instead of throwing you in blind
Guardian Tales never gets mentioned when people talk about PGR and Genshin. The combat system combines Zelda-style gameplay with bullet hell patterns. Not many games do that. Sure, it’s pixel art, but the mechanics are solid if you care more about positioning and pattern recognition than flashy graphics.
ZZZ plays smooth; parries hit with weight and the wipeouts are clean. I havent played WuWa yet. From the clips, it looks nice. Sanhuas ice stuff is minimal and it works.
I’m hoping ZZZ adds some QoL and maybe a free S-rank pick. WuWa should step up on rewards after what other gachas have been handing out. If they dont, whatever.
Definitely Genshin.
The combat has that Lost Saga feel to it, and I like that there’s no pressure to rush through content or obsess over perfect builds. Counter Side is pretty good too. Everyone goes on about the PvP but honestly the combat mechanics are solid even for casual play. Don’t need to chase the meta to have a good time.
Genshin’s elemental system keeps me more engaged than pure action combat games. With all the team compositions and reaction chains, there’s more to think about than just timing dodges. Sure it’s slower than something like PGR. But when you nail that freeze-melt combo or set up a good swirl, it’s more satisfying than most games where elements are just different colored damage.
Girls Frontline 2. I love tactical turn based games like XCOM so if you mix that with the dorm content…
Nikke has some of the best combat mechanics and it has enough different types of content that it doesn’t get stale. The main boring stuff I can auto but I need to actually work on the hard stuff.
Path to Nowhere for me. Arknights but a bit more real time content to it.
I like action combat so… Genshin for exploration, ZZZ for quick sessions, WuWa when I want something in between.
I was really hyped for Endfield the way they were mixing skill shots in their combat mechanics but it looks like they’re now caving to the Hoyo crowd which is a shame IMO. We’ll see how it looks when it launches… tomorrow, right?
In the meantime, I’m actually feeling like Brown Dust 2 actually has some great combat. I think people see the fan service and dismiss the actual gameplay too easily, they managed to take a turn based gacha and make it not grindy and suck.
I like the turn based party games like Honkai Star Rail. Maybe not the most F2P friendly game around but I still really enjoy actually playing through the combat.
I’m slower with games now that I’m older. The fast reaction stuff doesn’t work for me anymore. Games like Honkai: Star Rail are better for me these days. You can plan out speed tuning and weakness breaks ahead of time. Octopath Champions has that shield system too where you bank boosts. Works better when your reflexes are shot.
Been playing Genshin since launch, and the combat still pulls me back. Dodge cancels and animation weaving give it an action MMO vibe. For PvP I switch to Counter:Side. Real-time matches where positioning and timing matter.
Across WuWa, HI3, ZZZ, Genshin, and HSR, the system that sticks with me most is Genshins reactions. They build on HI3s elemental weaknesses and go deeper with Vaporize, Melt, Swirl, and Crystallize.
ZZZ’s parry system is one of the better combat mechanics I’ve seen in a gacha game. The timing window feels just right, not too strict but still requires you to pay attention. Been able to clear content I probably shouldn’t be able to with my current team just by getting good at the parry timing. Other gachas I’ve played don’t really give you that option, if your numbers are too low, you’re stuck. Would be nice if more games went this route instead of pure stat checks.