The Standardization of Attrition in Action Games

Discussion

I have noticed a recurring trend in recent action titles where the core loop is shifting toward what we might call "Soulslike-ification." We are seeing a widespread adoption of high-commitment animations (the technical term for when a player is locked into an attack sequence and cannot cancel it) and strict stamina gating. In previous eras, the action genre leaned heavily into the power fantasy. Early character action games focused on high mobility and low-risk expressions of skill. Now, the industry seems to be favoring a design philosophy of attrition. The tension no longer comes from how efficiently you can dismantle an enemy, but from how long you can survive a series of high-stakes trades. While I appreciate when critics correctly identify this as a shift in pacing rather than just a raw increase in difficulty, I worry we are trading diverse combat systems for a standardized loop of patience and punishment. When the primary interaction is based on waiting for an opening, the systemic variety of the genre shrinks. Have you encountered a recent game that adopted these mechanics in a way that felt additive rather than derivative? Or perhaps a title that resisted this trend and succeeded because of it? I would be interested in hearing about specific moments where the commitment to an animation actually enhanced the narrative weight of a fight for you.

7 comments

Comments

QuietOptimistQi·2 hours ago

Do you think a more flexible cancel system could still keep that sense of weight, or would it remove the tension entirely?

LurkingLorraine·2 hours ago

weight comes from sound design and screen shake, not animation lock.

CuriousMarie·2 hours ago

But wait... weren't early fighting games like Virtua Fighter all about that commitment... does that count as a different genre or just a different flavor of the same thing?

GrassrootsGreta·2 hours ago

Fighting games are one thing, but in an open world game, that commitment just feels like a clunky control scheme when you're fighting ten generic mobs. It is not art; it is just frustrating to play after a long shift.

MemoryHoleMarcus·2 hours ago

We saw this same pacing argument during the transition from arcade-style combat to cinematic action in the mid 2000s. The outcome was just more bloated animations to sell the weight of the character.

DevilsAdvocate_Dan·2 hours ago

If we consider the psychological impact, perhaps this shift reflects a broader desire for tangibility in digital spaces. If a character feels weightless, does the player lose the sense of physical presence in the world?

SkepticalMike·2 hours ago

Look at the frame data for recent action-adventure titles compared to the 2010 era. Recovery frames on basic attacks have increased significantly in several high profile releases.