The best open-world games starring martial artists, ranked

Summary

• Open world games need engaging combat mechanics, interesting content, and side activities to stand out.
• Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise allows players to master Hokuto Shinken for satisfying combat.
• Yakuza 0 offers multiple fighting styles for Kiryu and Majima, allowing players to decimate enemies in style.

Open-world games have become so ubiquitous that simply including a sandbox will no longer suffice. These titles need to be packed with interesting content, engaging combat mechanics, and plenty of side activities for players to get lost in.

Surprisingly, martial artists are rare in most open-world games, although players love the idea of ​​controlling a master of hand-to-hand combat and beating their enemies into oblivion. When these combat systems work, players can enjoy some truly fantastic open-world games that will be satisfying to play until the end.

Honorable Mention: Jade Empire

It may not feature a true open world sandbox per se, but Jade EmpireThe massive hubs instead allow players to enjoy a semi-open world in one of BioWare's most unique games. It's a shame that the studio didn't build on this IP, since players were in love with this Wuxia RPG that allowed players to use several unique martial arts in combat.

Making progress through the story, bonding with characters, and taking on various optional challenges are just a few of the ways you can do this Jade Empire keeps players busy. Using a variety of powerful melee techniques to strike at enemies unfortunate enough to get in the way of a gifted student helps this game stand out as an excellent RPG worth the time of anyone who loves what this genre has to offer.

7 The Fist of the North Star: Paradise Lost

Players master the fictional martial art of Hokuto Shinken to decimate their enemies

Fist of the North Star is one of the most iconic shonen manga of all time, embodying a popular trend in that period in which shonen protagonists amazed everyone by displaying immense strength that made them almost infallible in combat.

Paradise lost is RGG Studio's version of this series, allowing players to control Kenshiro as he masters the fictional martial art of Hokuto Shinken to inflict death on his enemies. The game had its problems, but fans of the Yakuza formula were more than happy to try out a different game from this studio that embodied the cathartic melee combat they couldn't get enough of.

6 Judgment

Players control a detective who can switch between different martial art styles

With the main line Yakuza series that made the leap to turn-based combat, fans could be sure that numerous spin-offs would continue to develop the real-time combat that this series had become known for. This applies to Judgment games, allowing players to switch between different fighting positions while controlling a new protagonist.

Players may not be sold on Yagami as the main character, but there's no denying that this detective is great to control in combat. Juggling enemies and using powerful thermal actions to decimate enemies is a gameplay loop that fans are familiar with and helps Judgment stand out as one of the best spin-offs Yakuza games.

5 Absolver

An addictive multiplayer open-world RPG that is a joy to play

Players who want to experience heart-pounding combat in a multiplayer game will love this Absolver brings to the table. The maximum skill level in this game is high, but fans will love to conquer it if they want to experience fighting as a martial artist.

It helps that the game allows players to explore an open world and take on combat challenges at their own pace, ensuring that the difficulty doesn't become too overwhelming. It may seem daunting, but players will love mastering hand-to-hand combat in a stunning open-world game where they'll slowly master the basics before moving on to more advanced martial arts moves.

4 Shenmue

A revolutionary open-world game where players control a teenage martial artist

Shenmue was a revolutionary open-world game, allowing players to enjoy sandbox environments while the timer kept ticking. It might be a little frustrating to play now, but it can't be said enough how captivating this game was for players who wanted to immerse themselves in a realistic world.

The protagonist, Ryo Hazuki, must avenge his father's death and develop his skills as a martial artist to eliminate the numerous enemies that stand in his way. Combat isn't a focus of the game, but players will love getting into battles crafted using Fighter of virtueto defeat enemies with their hand-to-hand combat skills.

3 Dogs sleeping

Inspired by Hong Kong action movies with lots of close combat

Gamers who like the atmosphere of Hong Kong action movies will love it Dogs sleeping. This underrated open-world game is chock-full of breakneck action, allowing players to engage in high-speed chases, perform stunts where they leap from car to car, and slowly work their way through a storyline that gets better and better with each mission .

Undercover cop Wei Shen shows so many nuances in his personality that make him quite likable as his personal feelings and professional work begin to clash. The combat is one of the best parts of Dogs sleepingallowing players to eliminate enemies in a brutal way with a combat system very inspired by the Arkham series but has enough originality to distinguish it from the Caped Crusader adventures.

2 Yakuza 0

Both Kiryu and Majima utilize elements of orthodox martial arts in their savage fighting styles

Yakuza 0 allows players to witness how Kiryu and Majima blossomed as characters to become two of the world's most iconic gangsters Yakuza franchising. Players can switch between three fighting styles for each character, allowing them to use an unorthodox offensive to take on enemies.

Kiryu's Rush style is boxing-focused, while Majima's Thug style features a fair amount of moves inspired by various martial arts, along with some sneaky tactics to overcome opponents. Each fighting stance is fantastic to use in battle and allows players to decimate hordes of enemies with style.

1 Batman: Arkham City

Bruce Wayne is an expert martial artist and uses these skills to defeat numerous thugs

Most Batman fans are familiar with Bruce Wayne's skills in various martial arts and how he uses them to deal with the henchmen who threaten Gotham at night. This is reflected in the combat system of the Arkham games, with the second Rocksteady title (Batman: Arkham City) considered by many to be one of the best open-world video games of all time.

Not only is it a huge improvement over its predecessor, but the story is one of the best featuring the Dark Knight. Facing enemies from the shadows and eliminating them with Batman's expertise in close combat skills helps the combat system stay fresh until the end.