5 best action games that mix guns with melee combat

The video game cyberspace is filled with a myriad of amazing action games. Action games can fall into either high-octane shooters or extensive melee-based combat games. However, there are a few special games that blur the line between these elements, mixing ranged firearms with melee-based weapons to create a special, dynamic, and engaging combat system.

Here are some incredible action games that mix guns with melee combat.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the writer's opinions.

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5 best action games that blend guns with melee combat

1) Devil May Cry 5

A still from Devil May Cry 5 (Image via Capcom)

The Devil May Cry franchise has been at the forefront of character action games. The series has been constantly pushing the boundaries with its style-based combat system that encourages the players to decimate all the enemies in the immediate area while being as stylish as possible, whether that be through executing complex combos or evading attacks at the last second.

Devil May Cry 5 is the culmination of Capcom's experiments with the IP. You'll primarily use your devil arm swords to attack enemies, but you will also have various firearms to keep the style meter afloat. You can use your large arsenal of weapons to dispatch the enemies, whether it be the sword of the Devil Knight himself or dual-wielded rocket launchers.

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2) Bloodborne

A still from Bloodborne (Image via Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe)

FromSoftware's Bloodborne has been consistently in consideration for one of the greatest action games ever made. After the legendary Dark Souls, the studio focused its efforts on creating a new world set in the Victorian-era gothic city of Yharnam. While the game consists of the signature nihilistic flavor of FromSoftware, things do not take long to escalate in this action RPG.

The title features various unique melee weapons that players can use to clobber enemies. While the game does have shields, they aren't as effective, as the game heavily encourages an aggressive play style. Thus, one of the best defensive measures players can use against smaller enemies is a firearm. Firing a gun at the right time can effectively stagger an enemy, allowing for a counterattack.

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3) Bayonetta

A still from Bayonetta (Image via SEGA)

After revolutionizing the character action industry with the first Devil May Cry, Hideki Kamiya would go on to direct a myriad of amazing action games, including the first Bayonetta. The game focuses on an umbral witch trying to remember her past while battling various angelic monsters that keep attacking her. Its success would later spawn two more titles, both developed by the same studio.

The Umbral Witch attaches her firearms to her hands and feet, using them to smack enemies to death. However, players can then hold the respective attack key binds to shoot the firearms at enemies, creating an extensive list of combos that deal both impact and ranged damage to enemies. Players can switch between two sets of weapons on the fly, allowing for some serious expression of skill.

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4) Deadpool

A still from Deadpool (Image via Activision)

Before the Ryan Reynolds movies popularized the merc with a mouth, High Moon Studios were handed the reigns to develop an action-adventure title based on the titular anti-hero. The result? An incredibly funny and engaging take on Wade Wilson. The Deadpool game used its medium to display an engaging and humorous story while providing a meta-commentary on the gaming medium itself.

Players had two ways of dealing with enemies in the game. You can use melee weapons, such as swords, sais, or hammers, to deal with enemies in close quarters, or they can use firearms to shoot them from afar. However, as you start leveling up, you can unlock the gun-kata ability, allowing you to mix gunfire with melee attacks, increasing the offensive output of your combo attacks.

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5) Evil West

A still from Evil West (Image via Focus Entertainment)

One of the recent AA action games that flew under a lot of people's radars is Evil West. The game is an action-adventure title set in the Wild West genre, with an added flavor of fantastical elements. It focuses on Jesse Rentier as he tries to protect the Old West from lurking supernatural monstrosities.

Players can use their specialized gauntlets for melee attacks to deal damage to their enemies, or they can incorporate their many ranged firearms into their combos, such as a six-shot revolver, a lever action rifle, a sawed-off shotgun, etc. Players accurately shoot weak points in enemies to deal a significant amount of damage to their health bars.