Best Games That Masterfully Blend Ranged & Melee Combat

Key Takeaways

• New World: Aeternum provides a flexible archetypal system for players to enjoy seamless mixed combat.
• Ghost of Tsushima offers historical Japanese combat and archery like no other samurai or ninja game.
• Devil May Cry 5 delivers flashy ranged and melee combos with a variety of weapons and characters.

All games have their own special mechanics that make them stand out among all the others, and there are a selected few that present themselves as paragons of ranged and melee combat. Combining both the ability to slay enemies at close range, while also sniping them from a far distance, these games have taken mixed combat mechanics to another level.

This list covers games ranging from an MMORPG that recently re-launched for all platforms and allows players to mix muskets with throwing axes and rapiers, to a classic RPG that mixes magic, crossbows, and Viking axes in a seamless and natural first-person view. If fans are looking for games that masterfully blend ranged and melee combat, they can take a look at this list to pick a title that can satisfy their cravings for mixed combat.

8 New World: Aeternum

A Great MMORPG That Recently Re-Invented Itself

New World: Aeternum has recently launched on consoles and offers a chance for many players to join the multi-platform servers and play however they want. With the implementation of an Archetype system, which allows players to pick a set of two weapons from the start of the game, things have never been easier.

Since this game perfectly combines classic medieval weapons with sorcery, gunpowder weapons, and bows, it is the perfect example of a game that combines ranged and melee combat seamlessly.

7 Ghost Of Tsushima

The Ultimate Ninja/Samurai Game

Ghost of Tsushima showcases the horrors of the Mongol invasion of the Island of Tsushima, inspired by historical events. Ghost of Tsushima combines historically accurate traditional Japanese combat and archery in a way that no other Samurai or Ninja game has managed to replicate.

It’s quite a breathtaking experience, since it also displays beautiful scenery and incredibly detailed locations amid all the war, the carnage, and the shadow tactics the main character uses to terrorize the invaders.

6 Devil May Cry 5

Incredible Melee And Ranged Combos

The Devil May Cry series’ main characteristic has always utilized a combination of ranged and melee abilities, with a wide range of weapons that has grown greatly (both in variety and quality) ever since the first game was released. In Devil May Cry 5, that mixture of CQC and marvelous displays of gunslinging becomes even flashier and more powerful.

Devil May Cry 5 also allows players to test the skills of four different characters: Nero, V, Dante, and the infamous (but coolest) Vergil. This title is truly a paradise for those who love doing crazy combos that intermix ranged and melee moves.

5 Nier: Automata

Bullet Hell-Like Melee And Ranged Combos

Nier: Automatais part of the Drakengard universe and the fifth iteration of the franchise (in chronological order). This franchise was always characterized by its flashy combat, but it’s in Nier: Automata that it truly acquired that incredible combination of melee and ranged attacks that most fans enjoy.

Using a wide variety of melee weapons with light and heavy attacks, and combining them with the PoD’s capacity for ranged combat — along with skill shots like Lasers and Shockwaves — the game maintains a great balance between CQC tactics and bullet hell-like mechanics.

4 Dark Messiah Of Might And Magic

The Precursor Of Modern Fantasy RPGs

Dark Messiah of Might And Magic is the father of all modern first-person fantasy games where the players can do ranged and melee damage using a wide variety of spells and weapons. However, this title hasn’t aged too well, while other similar games like Morrowind and Oblivion have received considerable support from the modern community through the years.

Nevertheless, it is undeniable that Dark Messiah has a well-merged melee/ranged combat, and Skyrim took a huge chunk of inspiration from it to create its combat system.

3 Dishonored

Stealth, Dark Powers, Gunpowder, And Blade

Dishonored is a cool game, with a thrilling story about love, betrayal, and the value of family. Despite being set in a gloomy, gaslight fantasy world, where the powers of a mysterious entity are permeating reality and breaking apart the walls between the natural order and the Void, the game has quite a compelling message.

But perhaps, what is more incredible about this game is its combination of melee combat, ranged weapons, and skills, which the player can use to destroy everything in their wake — or choose a more stealthy approach and avoid going on a rampage. It’s up to each player to decide how they want to execute their vengeance, but its combat system is there for a reason and is a hell of a good one at that.

2 Dying Light 2: Stay Human

Combines Fast Paced Melee And Ranged Combat To Slay Zombies

Using a combination of Parkour techniques, melee combat, dropkicks, and ranged weapons, Dying Light 2 is the ultimate zombie-killing game. With an enormous open-world map to explore, filled to the brim with dangerous mutated creatures, the premise of this game is to avoid turning into an undead horror.

To accomplish that, players will need to scour the streets of Old Villedor, creating alliances with the two big factions that rule this place, and tracking down a dangerous psychopath that seems to have the cure for the disease. A great game to enjoy when the lights go out.

The Current King Of Sword And Sorcery

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is a game that has ruled over the single-player open-world fantasy niche for over a decade. Even now, almost 13 years after its release, it has a steady active player population and over 90% positive reviews. Some say it’s all due to its incredible lore, story, and an endless number of quests and secondary missions to complete. It’s hard to play Skyrim from the beginning to end without wandering aimlessly throughout its vast map.

But, the truth is that this game has one of the best melee and ranged combat combinations of all time. Players can wield spells in one hand and a sword in the other, or switch between staves, swords, bows, crossbows, and anything they have on their Favorite menu. And — thanks to its ever-working modding community — the game can be adapted to modern standards with a couple of Gigabytes worth of mods.