7 Classic Martial Arts Games You Forgot Were Awesome

There is no shortage of great martial arts games. After all, it’s a fan-favorite genre in film and television, so why shouldn’t gaming get its fair share? And while most likely think of hit fighting games when they want to get their martial arts fix, there are tons of excellent games from across different genres. The list below doesn’t include any fighting games to keep things interesting. If you’re looking for something new to dive into from the vast backlog of available martial arts games, these are the ones to consider.

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Here are seven martial arts games you might’ve forgotten about.

7) Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise

This list is about forgotten martial arts games, so I can’t include any of the Yakuza games, despite them absolutely fitting the bill. That said, developer Ryu Ga Gotoku did make a Fist of the North Star game in 2018 that’s very similar to the Yakuza games. Lost Paradise features a larger focus on the Hokuto Shinken martial arts style seen in the FotNS manga. Sure, it’s a fake form of martial arts, but when it looks this cool, who cares?

Just like the Yakuza series, Lost Paradise features dozens of hours of side content and a sprawling storyline. If you’re looking for a modern beat ’em up featuring wacky characters and excellent gameplay, Lost Paradise is worth checking out.

6) God Hand

God Hand is Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami’s attempt to make a martial arts-inspired beat ’em up. It doesn’t quite get there in terms of quality, but it’s still worth experiencing this delightfully strange game. You’ll need to learn dozens of different moves to get through God Hand‘s many fights, but if you can master the combat, there’s a solid game here.

Developer Clover Studios also tries to infuse the action with plenty of humor. It can be off-putting for some, but if you match its vibe, you’ll have a blast. And if you need a break from the fighting, you can always head to the casino and participate in everything from blackjack to chihuahua racing. Like I said, it’s a weird game.

5) One Finger Death Punch

One Finger Death Punch (and its sequel) is another beat ’em up that you should play if you haven’t. It’ll take some getting used to, as OFDP makes every single button press matter, but players who stick with it will find one of the most in-depth martial arts games in the genre.

The campaign is a solid romp, but it’s the endless survival mode where you’ll find the true challenge. One Finger Death Punch isn’t exactly a looker, but it more than makes up for the simplistic visuals with its best-in-class combat.

4) Jade Empire

Jade Empire takes us in a different direction. This action RPG from BioWare was a cult hit when it launched on the original Xbox, but it never got a chance to find a wider playerbase because most fans were already turning their attention to the Xbox 360. That’s too bad because there is an excellent martial arts game here.

Because it mixes in RPG elements, you’re free to play with different types of martial artists in Jade Empire. The real-time combat isn’t as smooth as something like Sifu, but it’s more than adequate. Unfortunately, the weird release schedule meant Jade Empire‘s sales tanked, and we’ve never gotten a follow-up from BioWare despite its cult classic status.

3) Absolver

I previously mentioned Sifu, but that game is far too popular for this list. However, developer Sloclap’s previous game, Absolver, has definitely fallen out of the public eye since launching in 2017. It’s definitely not as polished as Sifu, but if you want a combat system that you need to dedicate time to learning, Absolver is a great choice.

What seems relatively simple at first glance quickly becomes dizzingly complex, partially thanks to Absolver‘s combat deck system. See, you can change your move set by picking different “cards” for your deck. This gives Absolver the depth it’s known for, while keeping players on their toes each time they come up against a new enemy. It’s far from a perfect game, but Absolver‘s dedication to letting players create their own martial artist remains a fascinating concept.

2) Jet Li: Rise to Honor

This PlayStation 2 game doesn’t just feature the iconic martial artist’s name. Jet Li provided his likeness, voice, and even did motion capture for Rise to Honor. The team at Sony also brought in Corey Yuen to do fight choreography, who is best known for his work with Bruce Lee and Jet Li.

It was an all-star mashup, and Sony took full advantage. Rise to Honor is meant to feel like you’re playing through an action movie. It does just that with hard-hitting fights, no loading screens during the action, and massive stunt sections. You might never play it again after rolling credits, but the experience will stick with you.

1) Sleeping Dogs

Sleeping Dogs isn’t just one of the great forgotten martial arts games; it’s one of the best games of all time. United Front Games’ take on the Grand Theft Auto formula blends a gripping police drama, incredible martial arts combat, and some of the best “walking around” action we’ve ever seen in the genre.

Wei Shen isn’t just one of the most accomplished leading men of the 2010s; he is absolutely deserving of another game. It is one of the biggest misses Square Enix has ever made as a publisher that we never got a sequel despite several being in development. There is supposedly a movie still in the works, but if that doesn’t come with another game, it’ll be yet another unforced error from Square Enix.

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