Hi, my name is Leon! I’m one of the many gaming enthusiasts here at Tokyo Otaku Mode! You may have even seen me in TOM’s Tokyo Game Show coverage over the years! I’ve been gaming since I could remember, and I’ve always been a fan of 2D platformers and action games. What I love about these two genres is that they give you the opportunity to experience challenge, skill growth, and player expression! For this session’s gaming corner, I’d like to talk about the resurgence of 3rd person character action games.
What’s the Difference: Souls-like vs. Character Action Games
Over the past decade, we’ve seen a heavy shift away from traditional 3rd person character action games, like “Devil May Cry” or “Bayonetta”, to action titles that borrow combat mechanics from the “Dark Souls” franchise. These “souls-like” games continue to engross players in the challenge and skill aspect, but they limit movement and actions with a stamina gauge. This keeps combat literally grounded for players, and it forces you to slow down, analyze enemy attacks, and react accordingly. And while customizing your weapon build is a way of player and combat expression in a “souls-like” game, you may still find yourself asking how much stamina is needed before you’re able to attack and move freely.
Don’t get me wrong, I love “souls-like” games such as “Lies of P”, “Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty”, or “Black Myth: Wu Kong” which is a bit more of an action, “souls-like” hybrid. But it wasn’t until “Stellar Blade” was released that I realized these titles were transforming from “souls-like” to more traditional character action game hybrids without stamina gauges.
“Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty” keeps the action fluid, so long as you learn the parry system, and “Stellar Blade” gives you some freedom but makes you commit to combos since animations cannot be cancelled into other moves.
In contrast, action games allow you to freely chain attacks, both ground and aerial moves, in a variety of combinations. I’ll never get my first combo experience in “Devil May Cry”. I launched an enemy into the air with my sword, shot at it until it was low enough for me to jump and slice at a few times, Helm Breaker it back down, and then go into Stinger. It was a basic combo, but I made it up as I went, and that feeling of creativity while fighting sticks with me even today.
Traditional action games also put the emphasis on the main character’s personality, rather than your weapon or class build. These protagonists can be fun, laid-back, silent, sarcastic, or have other one-word personalities. Combined with their fashion, moves and abilities, their visuals also make a strong connection with players. Just think of Chai from “Hi-Fi Rush”. He’s chill, has an affinity for music, and you can relate with his vibe. Whacking enemies with his guitar and power sliding into them, all while staying on the beat, just feels like a natural extension of him.
Another great example can be any character in “Zenless Zone Zero”. The game absolutely embodies what I want to see more of in the action game space. It’s one of the slickest and quickest action games I’ve played, all while simplifying combat execution. And let’s not forget the combat in “Final Fantasy XVI” with our brooding buddy Clive Rosfield. Figuring out different Eikon combinations to make a build, all while balancing your basic attacks, was a blast.
Action Games to Look Forward To
Thus, we move into 2025 and 2026. It’ll be the year the stamina bar goes away, allowing you to freely style on enemies using combos you improvise or design. I’d like to highlight four upcoming games from Japanese and Chinese developers that I believe represent a new wave of post-souls-like action.
NINJA GAIDEN
One of the OG action titles, Ninja Gaiden is back in 2025 with not one, but three games. NINJA GAIDEN 2 Black, NINJA GAIDEN: Ragebound, and NINJA GAIDEN 4 made in collaboration with Platinum Games Inc. This series has always been about technical difficulty, speed, blood spouting everywhere, and bosses that’ll fuel your rage until you’ve finally learned the perfect combo string for the win.
What makes it stand out for me is that the action presented in NINJA GAIDEN is representative of “player execution” over “style”. Series protagonist Ryu Hayabusa is a ninja, and ninjas need to complete their task quickly and quietly. He has a number of combo routes, with numerous weapons, that require precise timing to pull off. It can be a bit frantic keeping the timing and button combinations while you dart around the environment. But trust me, when you pull off your first Izuna Drop, you’ll want to keep hitting the next one and the next one until the end of the game.
NINJA GAIDEN 2 Black
Website: https://teamninja-studio.com/ng2black/us/
Ninja Gaiden 4
Website: https://teamninja-studio.com/ng/us/ng4/
Lost Soul Aside
China’s PC and console game development scene has accelerated over the past few years with a primary focus on big budget action games. “Lost Soul Aside” is a game I’ve been rooting for, and I’ve been looking forward to it for almost 10 years. From a solo indie dev, to becoming part of PlayStation’s China Hero Project, Yang Bing set out to make an action game with a similar epic fantasy story and world to the “Final Fantasy” series but fused with the slick action and over-the-top bosses of “Devil May Cry”. I’m all in support of the efforts of this creator, and I can’t wait to experience their vision!
Website: https://lostsoulaside.cn/
Tides Of Annihilation
“Tides Of Annihilation” and its developer, Eclipse Glow Games, were a huge surprise earlier this year at PlayStation’s State of Play. While we don’t have a solid release window for it at the time I’m writing, my goodness did its first trailer slap!
This action game takes place within Arthurian lore with characters like Gwendolyn, the main character, and Modred taking center stage. I was a huge fan of the combat in “Final Fantasy XVI”, and “Tides of Annihilation” seems to present a similar way of managing the combat abilities of different “knights” you have equipped. Let’s hope we’ll be seeing more of it at gaming events this year, and let’s also keep our fingers crossed for a 2025 or 2026 release!
Website: https://global.playtoa.com/
Phantom Blade Zero
Even if the dark environments and eerie creatures remind you of a souls game, the creator has said in the past “Phantom Blade Zero” is not a souls-like experience. I believe it looks to have a quick, offensive heavy, fluid combat system with powerful parries and huge hard-hitting attacks that convert to huge damage. Just check out their “Year of the Snake Gameplay Trailer” on YouTube, and you’ll see everything I just mentioned is there.
I’m choosing to highlight it because I love the character animations and viciously fast combat tempo! I also look forward to seeing which traditional Chinese martial arts and weapons may be featured! And yes, you’ve got me, I’m also hoping this will be released in late 2025 or sometime in 2026.
Website: https://pbz.s-game.com/
How Will You Play in 2025?
In the end, don’t worry about the give and take of stamina, but instead just go with the flow. It’s a great year for action game fans, whether you’re turning up for a souls-like hybrid like “The First Berserker: Khazan” and “Lie of P: Overture”, or you’re ready to style on enemies in “Lost Soul Aside”, there's an action game for you in 2025. The question is, will you be playing with or without a stamina gauge?
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