5 Games With The Best Multiple Stances Combat Systems

The majority of popular video games feature fun combat systems that keep players engaged as they beat down the many foes that stand in their way. There are many ways that combat in an action-heavy video game is tweaked so that the gameplay doesn’t become too tiring as players make progress. This is done in the form of unique combos, weapon variety, unique enemies, incredible bosses, and everything else along the same lines.

One of the best ways that combat in a video game can be a blast to engage with is by adding a stance system that players can use to let them switch between different movesets. This is a great way to ensure that players use certain stances for different enemies and experiment. That being said, stances can make a combat system feel too complicated if it isn’t executed properly, so players will be glad to know that several great video games make the most of the stances that can be used to change the flow of combat.

1 Yakuza 0

Kiryu’s Stances: Brawler, Rush, Beast, Dragon Of Dojima | Majima’s Stances: Thug, Dancer, Slugger, Mad Dog Of Shimano

The Yakuza series was a tantalizing prospect to get into for many fans, but the sheer amount of titles in the series was so daunting that fans didn’t know where to start. RGG Studio took the best route possible and developed Yakuza 0, a prequel that lets players witness the stories of Kiryu and Majima as they grow to become seasoned yakuza. While witnessing this character development is a blast for both new and existing fans, what sets Yakuza 0 apart is the changes made to the combat system.

Since both Kiryu and Majima are far from their prime, the developer made the brilliant decision of giving these characters three different combat styles that encompass one aspect of their respective combat styles. The best part is that players can complete the major side activity of both characters to unlock their final fighting styles, letting players use the moves that both Kiryu and Majima have employed throughout the main series.

2 Ghost Of Tsushima

Stances: Stone, Water, Wind, Moon, Ghost

Players who want to check out one of the most beautiful and visually evocative video games around will love what Ghost of Tsushima brings to the table. The open-world activities may not be anything special, but all of this is made up for with an incredible combat system that lets players channel their inner samurai as they slash and dice their way through the Mongols trying to take over Tsushima Island.

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Jin starts with the Stone Stance, and players must fight Mongol Leaders to unlock additional stances. The first stance works well against Swordsmen, enemies with shields can be done away with using the Water stance, players can use the Wind stance to get an advantage against spearmen, and the tough brutes can be beaten down in style using the Moon stance. On top of this, players who win the duel with General Temuge will unlock the Ghost stance, a special stance that lets players insta-kill enemies or deal a lot of damage to tougher foes.

3 Nioh 2

Stances: Low, Mid, High

Nioh is one of the better Soulslikes that players could get their hands on, but there was no denying that some aspects of this game required some balancing. Nioh 2 addressed all these complaints — Living Weapon was balanced with Yokai Shift, new skills were added to make weapons more fun to use, and level design was improved considerably as well. Players who love the stance system of the first game can rest assured that it has been retained for the sequel too.

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The stances are as simple as they come and let players switch power for speed and vice versa. Low stances are favored by most players since it allows them to unleash quick attacks and dodge with great ease. However, players should always switch to Mid and High stances if they need to increase the damage of their blows against lumbering enemies that are simply tanking too much damage for the Low stance to be viable in such a situation.

4 Furi

Stances: Spark, Storm, Star

Furi is a boss rush title that takes no prisoners. Barring the tutorial fight, every encounter in Furi is a test of the player’s skill as they push the Rider to get better and adapt to each phase. The game is no joke, and players who decide to take things up a notch can play in Furier Mode to tackle the best version of each boss. Players who assumed that they were well and truly done with Furi after completing a Furier playthrough were quite happy to see that The Game Bakers released a DLC that added a female Rider to the game.

The Onnamusha Rider is virtually identical to her male counterpart when it comes to the story side of things but plays very differently in terms of gameplay. Unlike the Rider, she can switch between the Storm and Spark stance while fighting against her jailers. Players who want to move around quickly and use parries to heal themselves should use the Spark stance before switching to the Storm stance to dish out a ton of damage when an enemy is vulnerable. Along with this, players can fill up a special bar to use the Star stance, which is the most powerful stance that the Onnamusha Rider can use but works on a limited timer that can be charged up efficiently in the Spark stance.

5 The Witcher

Stances: Strong, Fast, Group

Most people know of Geralt’s rugged charm and monster-hunting capabilities because of the stellar qualities of the third game. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is one of the best video games ever made, and it’s a shame that this is most peoples’ introduction to the series. The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings is easier to get into than the first game, but players should give the latter a shot if they love the writing in these games and don’t mind dealing with some outdated mechanics.

The combat can be hard to get into, but players who get used to the timed button presses and prepare beforehand by meditating will be able to deal with tougher enemies without breaking a sweat. Geralt can use the Strong style against tougher enemies that aren’t too fast, switch to the Fast style to deal with swifter foes, and use the Group style against multiple enemies to kill them all in one fell swoop. It’s a simple stance-switching system that adds variety to the combat and keeps players engaged till the very end.

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