Take a look at this intense clip – showcasing a brawl from Uncharted 4.
Uncharted 4’s Interaction-driven Combat
To achieve high levels of immersion, action games containing melee combat have to prevent their fights from having a turn-based feel of action RPGs. Instead of throwing punches / hacking swords to merely act independently of each other, the combatants have to interact with one another – influencing each other’s actions.
Skyrim’s Action RPG Combat
Take the action-oriented Assassin’s Creed games for example; not only did the characters stagger at every blow dealt to them but also counter each others’ attacks – diminishing the ability to act by focusing on the interactions. Another noteworthy mention is Spider-Man; the player could interrupt enemy attacks through dodge actions, instead of just jumping to safety.
Assassin Creed 4’s Reflex-driven Combat
Spiderman’s Reflex-Interaction Hybrid Combat
However, tapping into high strength and motor skills with a single press of a button seems too effortless for such a challenging technique. Not only are you perceiving an attack – but you’re also reacting faster (despite being at a disadvantage) with 100% precision to counter an attack.
Of course, many games justify it via narrative elements – like the power fantasy of a superhero with “spider-sense”, or a futuristic vigilante trained by the leader of the “league of assassins”. To increase immersion, these games commonly go a step further by introducing a strong enemy who can not be countered – and so on.
A non-fantasy game like Uncharted 4 can’t make use of such narrative justifications. It can’t fight the limitations its world creates. The main character, Nathan, isn’t any more than an amateur street brawler with a few nice moves. Realistically, he shouldn’t be allowed to react (that too precisely) before his similarly-skilled opponents even finish their attacks. To stay immersive, this is where some games abstract the rules of the world and allow everyone to have this ability; you end up with enemies that can counter you too.
Telegraphs and snappiness try to incorporate realism into Red Dead Redemption 2’s parries
But what if you want to go a step further and make your fights feel realistically natural? How do you make characters parry each others’ moves in such a way that feels more immersive? Well, you don’t.
Uncharted 4 introduces “wrestling” in its melee combat. When characters are throwing punches, the others either take the hits or attempt to wrestle their way out. An amateur at fighting would naturally have weaknesses in how they move regardless of who they fight; the one defending should be able to exploit those, despite how sloppily they react to the attack. Instead of immediately being able to win the exchange with a mere parry – both sides are stuck in a 50/50 situation; it’s a test of who reacts quicker to turn the tide.
Notice the melee exchanges
The fight feels unpredictable; it can end instantly – at any moment. It has its highs and lows and you make mistakes, but you carry on. You end up with a fight that feels natural. This boosts the immersion of engaging in melee combat to a new level.