Six recommendations (links to trailers included):

• Hong Kong Massacre: Absolutely a blast to play. 65% off on Steam. It'll take about four through six hours to complete. It's not long but it's one of those games you might replay to enjoy the very satisfying shooting physics and unlock more stuff. It's essentially like a top-down version of Max Payne 3, but one bullet kills you (or the enemies) and there is no drunk-o-vision. The destruction physics in the environment are absolutely on-point. It has a straightforward story that very well could have been a John Woo film, zero wokeness, and is completely awesome. I had always thought the game was made in Unreal but it's actually running on Unity. Looks fantastic and the gunplay is extremely satisfying.

• Midnight Fight Express This is one of the most badass games you'll ever play. Essentially it combines the best of the John Wick-style shooting and Judo-melee, with awesome beat-'em-up mechanics and tons of weapons. The game never feels like you're fighting against the controls, and every aspect of the combat is so smooth. It's a shockingly polished game, too. The story is pretty nice as well, but I'm not going to spoil any of that. it reminds me if AKI's No Mercy was combined with Dead To Rights. Surprisingly, it's another Unity-based game, so it has super smooth framerates, none of the frame processing hitching you see in a lot of other games, and it's extremely responsive, and absolutely no wokeness at all, in fact it sometimes takes the piss out of the wokies. It's currently 30% off.

• Cobra Kai: The Karate Kid Saga Continues: This one really took me by surprise. I'm not into licensed based games, but this is a really well done beat-'em-up for the most part. Great 2-player co-op options, and it has two story modes as you play as Cobra Kai or as Miyago-Do. Both sides feature four player characters you can tag out, and it has lots of unlockable content, and a healthy dose of different stages to traverse. I like the stage designs and interactables, and the Cobra Kai side is really fun to play and have some great moves. Once again, it's a highly optimised Unity game; runs great, has smooth frames and plenty to enjoy, especially if you have family or friends for local co-op. Some of the animations for some of the characters are bit... clunky, but otherwise it works well. It's also 75% off on Steam right now. Also, no wokeness that I've encountered at all.

• Resonance of Fate: Bit of a reluctant recommendation here. If you're into JRPGs this has one of the most unique turn-based combat systems in any game. It's really cool because it's focused on gun-ki-do, basically. Heavily inspired by stuff like The Matrix and Equilibrium. It's not an easy game at all, though, and it doesn't rely on traditional grinding to get strong, but rather the synergy you adapt in how you utilise the resonance feature. The story makes no sense whatsoever in relation to the world building, and it's pretentious and dumb and ends before anything really comes together coherently. However, the combat system alone is well worth it if you're into unique JRPGs. I would highly suggest watching some tutorials, especially regarding the first boss fight, because it's not so much about how high your level is but how you combine scratch + physical damage and guard-breaking enemies. It's currently 40% off right now.

• Sifu: I've never raged at a game the way I did with the absolute cheap final boss in this game. It's so ridiculously hard I'm not even going to say how many hours I wasted trying to beat him. Essentially I just had to restart the whole game on a whole new difficulty because he was that hard. That being said, this has the kind of fighting combat system I wish other games had. There are no fancy auto-dodge mechanics here, you manually have to jump and dodge and parry directional attacks, and that's what makes the game so hard. But at the same time, this is one of the most rewarding hand-to-hand beat-'em-up games. Also, the multiple endings and unlockables makes this one of those games you can just keep returning to in order to get better and improve. Once you learn to master the mechanics you can put on some Tony Jaa-tier bone-breaking fight sequences that are as satisfying to pull off as they are to watch. In some ways in never gets tiring once you start improving your technique.

• Exanima: Not discounted at all, but it's only $14.99, and probably the best $14.99 I've spent in a long time. This game is very challenging but well worth it. It's very similar to Hellish Quart, insofar that HEMA tactics work like a chef's kiss in this game. Distance, spacing, zoning, and footwork are all essentials to winning. It utilises physics-based, procedural animations, so you don't rely on key-frames to monitor when to strike, but rather distance and openings. It has somewhat simple controls, but this is the very definition of simple to learn but unbelievably hard to master, all because the game's physics system takes height, weight, mass, and kinetic movement into account. So different opponents wearing different armour and using short/long weapons will all vary how difficult they are to fight and what weapon will work best/worst against them. There is no single answer in this game, and ultimately it boils down to what you feel most comfortable using.

• This is also the only game that gets warhammers and flails right. Dual-wielding flails are some of the most dangerous weapons, just because of their unpredictability and how much damage they can dish out. You also can't block flails properly, so you mostly have to just get out of the way, since they can swing around or over shields and parries. Warhammers are a real treat to use because they get crushing damage right in this game. Leading an opponent to trip over another dead body or stumble over a chair and then do a downward swing to crush their skull offers a sickeningly satisfying result. A lot of times direct kill shots will take out an opponent (or you) in one hit. A lot of the reviews that said this game would ruin hack-and-slash ARPGs for you forever weren't lying. It's hard to go back to the traditional hack-and-slash games after playing this. This is a huge and hard recommendation here for anyone who enjoys medieval games but want something with actual realistic, physics-based combat.

Six recommendations (links to trailers included):

• Hong Kong Massacre: Absolutely blast to play. 65% off on Steam. It'll take about four through six hours to complete. It's not long but it's one of those games you might replay to enjoy the very satisfying shooting physics and unlock more stuff. It's essentially like a top-down version of Max Payne 3, but one bullet kills you (or the enemies) and there is no drunk-o-vision. The destruction physics in the environment are absolutely on-point. It has a straightforward story that very well could have been a John Woo film, zero wokeness, and is completely awesome. I had always thought the game was made in Unreal but it's actually running on Unity. Looks fantastic and the gunplay is extremely satisfying.

• Midnight Fight Express This is one of the most badass games you'll ever play. Essentially it combines the best of the John Wick-style shooting and Judo-melee, with awesome beat-'em-up mechanics and tons of weapons. The game never feels like you're fighting against the controls, and every aspect of the combat is so smooth. It's a shockingly polished game, too. The story is pretty nice as well, but I'm not going to spoil any of that. it reminds me if AKI's No Mercy was combined with Dead To Rights. Surprisingly, it's another Unity-based game, so it has super smooth framerates, none of the frame processing hitching you see in a lot of other games, and it's extremely responsive, and absolutely no wokeness at all, in fact it sometimes takes the piss out of the wokies. It's currently 30% off.

• Cobra Kai: The Karate Kid Saga Continues: This one really took me by surprise. I'm not into licensed based games, but this is a really well done beat-'em-up for the most part. Great 2-player co-op options, and it has two story modes as you play as Cobra Kai or as Miyago-Do. Both sides feature four player characters you can tag out, and it has lots of unlockable content, and a healthy dose of different stages to traverse. I like the stage designs and interactables, and the Cobra Kai side is really fun to play and have some great moves. Once again, it's a highly optimised Unity game; runs great, has smooth frames and plenty to enjoy, especially if you have family or friends for local co-op. Some of the animations for some of the characters are bit... clunky, but otherwise it works well. It's also 75% off on Steam right now. Also, no wokeness that I've encountered at all.

• Resonance of Fate: Bit of a reluctant recommendation here. If you're into JRPGs this has one of the most unique turn-based combat systems in any game. It's really cool because it's focused on gun-ki-do, basically. Heavily inspired by stuff like The Matrix and Equilibrium. It's not an easy game at all, though, and it doesn't rely on traditional grinding to get strong, but rather the synergy you adapt in how you utilise the resonance feature. The story makes no sense whatsoever in relation to the world building, and it's pretentious and dumb and ends before anything really comes together coherently. However, the combat system alone is well worth it if you're into unique JRPGs. I would highly suggest watching some tutorials, especially regarding the first boss fight, because it's not so much about how high your level is but how you combine scratch + physical damage and guard-breaking enemies. It's currently 40% off right now.

• Sifu: I've never raged at a game the way I did with the absolute cheap final boss in this game. It's so ridiculously hard I'm not even going to say how many hours I wasted trying to beat him. Essentially I just had to restart the whole game on a whole new difficulty because he was that hard. That being said, this has the kind of fighting combat system I wish other games had. There are no fancy auto-dodge mechanics here, you manually have to jump and dodge and parry directional attacks, and that's what makes the game so hard. But at the same time, this is one of the most rewarding hand-to-hand beat-'em-up games. Also, the multiple endings and unlockables makes this one of those games you can just keep returning to in order to get better and improve. Once you learn to master the mechanics you can put on some Tony Jaa-tier bone-breaking fight sequences that are as satisfying to pull off as they are to watch. In some ways in never gets tiring once you start improving your technique.

• Exanima: Not discounted at all, but it's only $14.99, and probably the best $14.99 I've spent in a long time. This game is very challenging but well worth it. It's very similar to Hellish Quart, insofar that HEMA tactics work like a chef's kiss in this game. Distance, spacing, zoning, and footwork are all essentials to winning. It utilises physics-based, procedural animations, so you don't rely on key-frames to monitor when to strike, but rather distance and openings. It has somewhat simple controls, but this is the very definition of simple to learn but unbelievably hard to master, all because the game's physics system takes height, weight, mass, and kinetic movement into account. So different opponents wearing different armour and using short/long weapons will all vary how difficult they are to fight and what weapon will work best/worst against them. There is no single answer in this game, and ultimately it boils down to what you feel most comfortable using.

• This is also the only game that gets warhammers and flails right. Dual-wielding flails are some of the most dangerous weapons, just because of their unpredictability and how much damage they can dish out. You also can't block flails properly, so you mostly have to just get out of the way, since they can swing around or over shields and parries. Warhammers are a real treat to use because they get crushing damage right in this game. Leading an opponent to trip over another dead body or stumble over a chair and then do a downward swing to crush their skull offers a sickeningly satisfying result. A lot of times direct kill shots will take out an opponent (or you) in one hit. A lot of the reviews that said this game would ruin hack-and-slash ARPGs for you forever weren't lying. It's hard to go back to the traditional hack-and-slash games after playing this. This is a huge and hard recommendation here for anyone who enjoys medieval games but want something with actual realistic, physics-based combat.

Six recommendations (links to trailers included):

• Hong Kong Massacre: Absolutely blast to play. 65% off on Steam. It'll take about four through six hours to complete. It's not long but it's one of those games you might replay to enjoy the very satisfying shooting physics and unlock more stuff. It's essentially like a top-down version of Max Payne 3, but one bullet kills you (or the enemies) and there is no drunk-o-vision. The destruction physics in the environment are absolutely on-point. It has a straightforward story that very well could have been a John Woo film, zero wokeness, and is completely awesome. I had always thought the game was made in Unreal but it's actually running on Unity. Looks fantastic and the gunplay is extremely satisfying.

• Midnight Fight Express This is one of the most badass games you'll ever play. Essentially it combines the best of the John Wick-style shooting and Judo-melee, with awesome beat-'em-up mechanics and tons of weapons. The game never feels like you're fighting against the controls, and every aspect of the combat is so smooth. It's a shockingly polished game, too. The story is pretty nice as well, but I'm not going to spoil any of that. it reminds me if AKI's No Mercy was combined with Dead To Rights. Surprisingly, it's another Unity-based game, so it has super smooth framerates, none of the frame processing hitching you see in a lot of other games, and it's extremely responsive, and absolutely no wokeness at all, in fact it sometimes takes the piss out of the wokies. It's currently 30% off.

• Cobra Kai: The Karate Kid Saga Continues: This one really took me by surprise. I'm not into licensed based games, but this is a really well done beat-'em-up for the most part. Great 2-player co-op options, and it has two story modes as you play as Cobra Kai or as Miyago-Do. Both sides feature four player characters you can tag out, and it has lots of unlockable content, and a healthy dose of different stages to traverse. I like the stage designs and interactables, and the Cobra Kai side is really fun to play and have some great moves. Once again, it's a highly optimised Unity game; runs great, has smooth frames and plenty to enjoy, especially if you have family or friends for local co-op. Some of the animations for some of the characters are bit... clunky, but otherwise it works well. It's also 75% off on Steam right now. Also, no wokeness that I've encountered at all.

• Resonance of Fate: Bit of a reluctant recommendation here. If you're into JRPGs this has one of the most unique turn-based combat systems in any game. It's really cool because it's focused on gun-ki-do, basically. Heavily inspired by stuff like The Matrix and Equilibrium. It's not an easy game at all, though, and it doesn't rely on traditional grinding to get strong, but rather the synergy you adapt in how you utilise the resonance feature. The story makes no sense whatsoever in relation to the world building, and it's pretentious and dumb and ends before anything really comes together coherently. However, the combat system alone is well worth it if you're into unique JRPGs. I would highly suggest watching some tutorials, especially regarding the first boss fight, because it's not so much about how high your level is but how you combine scratch + physical damage and guard-breaking enemies. It's currently 40% off right now.

• Sifu: I've never raged at a game the way I did with the absolute cheap final boss in this game. It's so ridiculously hard I'm not even going to say how many hours I wasted trying to beat him. Essentially I just had to restart the whole game on a whole new difficulty because he was that hard. That being said, this has the kind of fighting combat system I wish other games had. There are no fancy auto-dodge mechanics here, you manually have to jump and dodge and parry directional attacks, and that's what makes the game so hard. But at the same time, this is one of the most rewarding hand-to-hand beat-'em-up games. Also, the multiple endings and unlockables makes this one of those games you can just keep returning to in order to get better and improve. Once you learn to master the mechanics you can put on some Tony Jaa-tier bone-breaking fight sequences that are as satisfying to pull off as they are to watch. In some ways in never gets tiring once you start improving your technique.

• Exanima: Not discounted at all, but it's only $14.99, and probably the best $14.99 I've spent in a long time. This game is very challenging but well worth it. It's very similar to Hellish Quart, insofar that HEMA tactics work like a chef's kiss in this game. Distance, spacing, zoning, and footwork are all essentials to winning. It utilises physics-based, procedural animations, so you don't rely on key-frames to monitor when to strike, but rather distance and openings. It has somewhat simple controls, but this is the very definition of simple to learn but unbelievably hard to master, all because the game's physics system takes height, weight, mass, and kinetic movement into account. So different opponents wearing different armour and using short/long weapons will all vary how difficult they are to fight and what weapon will work best/worst against them. There is no single answer in this game, and ultimately it boils down to what you feel most comfortable using. This is also the only game that gets warhammers and flails right. Dual-wielding flails are some of the most dangerous weapons, just because of their unpredictability and how much damage they can dish out. You also can't block flails properly, so you mostly have to just get out of the way, since they can swing around or over shields and parries. Warhammers are a real treat to use because they get crushing damage right in this game. Leading an opponent to trip over another dead body or stumble over a chair and then do a downward swing to crush their skull offers a sickeningly satisfying result. A lot of times direct kill shots will take out an opponent (or you) in one hit. A lot of the reviews that said this game would ruin hack-and-slash ARPGs for you forever weren't lying. It's hard to go back to the traditional hack-and-slash games after playing this. This is a huge and hard recommendation here for anyone who enjoys medieval games but want something with actual realistic, physics-based combat.