Should Action Games Let Us Skip the Action?

The Great Combat Conundrum

So, there’s a buzz going around about a shiny new difficulty level being added to The Blood of Dawnwalker, and guess what? It’s easier! Yup, you heard that right – Rebel Wolves is giving a shout-out to all those gamers who just want to chill and soak in the story without punching pixels in the face. The original Story mode is getting a makeover, and they’re dubbing it the ‘Demanding’ difficulty, while the new mode is all about letting you experience the bearable side of gaming without the sweaty palms and nail-biting fights.

I recently dove deep into this game for around 50 hours on the classic ‘Fair’ difficulty setting. Spoiler alert: it didn’t feel like a Herculean task. Seriously, if you’re not an elite gamer (and let’s just say, I’m getting schooled by Metal Gear Solid 4), this game is as relaxed as a Sunday morning. So, the prospect of an ‘even easier’ mode? That could be interesting, right? From what the developer, Tomaszkiewicz, hinted, it seems players might actually skip combat altogether, which is a pretty bold move!

Are There Others Like It?

Now, let’s not act like this whole “skipping battle” thing is a total first. Sure, the world of action games mostly thrives on the thrill of combat; however, there are a few goodies out there that allow you to turn down the action. Take South of Midnight, for instance. That game has a nifty “combat skip” button! Whenever it’s time to brawl, you just get a cute little prompt saying, “Nah, let’s skip that.”

Then there’s Dragon Age: The Veilguard, which brings a slightly different flavor to the mix. Not exactly framed as a cheat, it rolls out an invincibility mode as an accessibility option. Why not feel like a superhero and breeze through every encounter without breaking a sweat?

Moving forward to 2026, we’ve got Derelict Star, which is like the Swiss Army knife of assist options. Players can literally plop down checkpoints wherever their heart desires, which is like having a cheat code for life in a world where timing and reflexes matter more than baking a perfect soufflé!

So, as we eagerly await the patch dropping in early October, I can’t help but wonder: is the combat skip going to be the hot new trend we didn’t know we needed in blockbuster games? Because honestly, there are tons of players who would relish the chance to cruise through story-rich titles without the fuss of constant brawling. I mean, The Last of Us Part 2 could totally benefit from a little sprinkle of combat-free bliss!

And while we’re at it, Rebel Wolves also mentioned a New Game Plus mode is on the horizon for The Blood of Dawnwalker, but they’re keeping their lips zipped about when that’s hitting the streets.