Best Environmental Hazards In Fighting Games, Ranked

Environmental hazards in fighting games have always been somewhat controversial. Some players find them a unique addition that adds another layer of mind-games between two calculated opponents, or a useful weapon that may catch their opponent off guard. While some find them to be unnecessary, and detract from the core gameplay of a competitive fighting game.

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Regardless of opinions, environmental hazards have found their home in many of the most successful and popular fighting games out there, and when done right, they are often lauded as a welcome addition. Of course, the impact environmental hazards have on a game, and how important they are varies substantially. Some of the best fighting games with solid environmental hazard systems are compared below.

7

Injustice: Gods Among Us

Home of the Dreaded Dumpster

One of the more infamous clips in the Netherrealm Studios community is of a player piloting Batman completely destroying their opponent with a Dumpset. This is indicative of the value environmental hazards bring to Injustice: Gods Among Us. Most stages in the game feature environmental interactables, which players can use to either quickly escape their position, inflict heavy damage on their opponent, or even combo with them. One of the coolest moments has to be throwing your opponent into Atom Smasher.

Players can also charge their heavy attacks to transition stages and inflict heavy damage. These are only available on the corners of the stages and are a complete game changer. Not only do these transitions add to the pressure an opponent can be under in the corner, but they also add an extra layer of defense to account for.

6

Brawlhalla

Rotating Platforms and Bombs Galore

Brawlhalla has come into its own as an incredible platform fighting game over the last few years. A loyal community, coupled with a thriving global esports scene and tons of developer support has led to a great fighting game experience that is only getting better seven years in. Aside from the weapon system, one of the features that sets this game apart is the environmental hazards.

Considering how important jumping and off-stage action are in this game, the rotating platforms on some of the stages can act as hazards as well. More importantly, a big feature in Brawlhalla has to be the various objects that randomly spawn. Be it bombs, spike balls, mines, boomerangs or the new sticky bombs, each of them can change the entire game state and inflict heavy damage. Players must adapt to how an opponent uses these objects, and adjust their gameplay accordingly. It adds another layer of nuance to an already dense game.

5

Injustice 2

Bigger And Better

While most consider Injustice 2 a marked improvement over its predecessor in terms of roster, story, and graphics, an underrated aspect is the gameplay. While largely the same, Injustice 2 does make some minor gameplay adjustments, compounded by the new gear system. A more enjoyable and balanced experience will obviously also lead to having more fun with the game’s environmental hazards.

The environmental hazards are largely the same; combo helpers, escape tools, damage dealers, and, of course, the incredible stage transitions. While the nature of these is largely the same, some of them have cool rotating effects. Moreover, the new multiverse towers can feature a variety of stage modifiers which can add to the challenge while grinding for gear or level-ups.

4

Mortal Kombat X

Hazards That Add To The Khaos

MKX is one of the most fun and chaotic fighting games of its generation. This is largely due to how overloaded every character’s kit is, the combo variety, and the run button. Another aspect that adds to the chaos is the stage hazards. Players can throw barrels, slam their opponents into the wall, or throw an old lady at them.

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These hazards can act as a welcome respite, and their invincibility frames ensure that they certainly cannot be ignored. Players using interactables gain hyper armor, which can be especially useful in the corner.

3

Dead or Alive 6

Some of the Coolest Environmental Hazards

Dead or Alive 6, while not a regular among the best fighting games of its generation, definitely stands out in terms of environmental hazards. The game features some of the coolest and eccentric environmental hazards out there. These hazards are easily a core feature of the gameplay and players must learn to master them to succeed.

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The first hazard is being thrown into the crowd, similar to a movie: the crowd throws the player back. This can stagger them and easily upset the neutral. Dead or Alive 6 also features classic throwable or destroyable objects such as barrels and boxes. Coupled with these hazards are danger zones, which could be floors, passing cars, or explosions dealing massive damage.

2

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Incredible Stage Variety

Systems

Released

December 7, 2018

OpenCritic Rating

Mighty

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has some of the best and most immersive stage designs in the entire genre. Nearly every stage has its own hazards which vary from being fairly non-intrusive to a match-designing feature. Some of the best moments in the game come from surviving the lava in Norfair by using the cover. Or utilizing the cloud that re-appears in Yoshi’s Story as a useful traversal feature.

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Players also have the option to turn off all stage hazards should they want to. Additionally, competitive tournaments often ban some of the stages with more extreme stage hazards.

1

Mortal Kombat Armageddon

Fatal Stage Interactions

The stage hazards in Mortal Kombat Armageddon are a bit distinct in that they don’t affect the state of the game in the same way as hazards in most fighting games do. Armageddon features Death Traps. If a player is knocked into these traps by their opponent, it results in instant death and, consequently, an instant loss in that round.

Death Traps are fairly visible and have markers indicating their location and presence, but the fact remains, that they can completely turn the tide of a game in an incredible manner. Players must be aware of them at all times. It is also important to learn to not get tilted or annoyed when a player loses to a Death Trap, as this is something every Armageddon player has gone through.

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