It’s no secret that most players prefer actually to play through incredible action sequences in video games, but sometimes that’s just not possible. Whether for pure spectacle or for mechanical reasons, a game may need to take control from a player to let a wicked fight play out.

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Cutscenes have managed to craft some of the most incredible fights between fated rivals and bitter enemies for decades now. There are probably more than a few that stand out in your mind, maybe even because the cutscene took credit for your domination in the fight beforehand, but regardless, gaming has done action fans pretty well when it comes to fights.

10 Mortal Kombat X

Mortal Kombat X Opening Cutscene

A lot of people weren’t sure what to expect from Mortal Kombat 10 after the way the previous entry rewrote some of the series' history. A lot of major players had been killed, so it seemed like a whole host of new characters were all but confirmed.

That exact thing might have been why people were surprised to start the story as Johnny Cage battling against Sub Zero and Scorpion in a helicopter. The scene has quick-time events mixed in, making the fight interactable, but that doesn’t stop it from being a fantastic way to kick the game off.

9 Resident Evil 6

While it’s not the greatest fight in the series (more on that later), Resident Evil 6 has a showdown that plenty of fans had eagerly been waiting for. The fight between Leon Kennedy and Chris Redfield is a bright moment in a game that’s not loved by everyone.

It’s a quick fight, but being able to see the two leading men of the franchise go toe-to-toe was a treat. Rather than answering who would truly win, the fight ends in a standoff between the two heroes before they each continued on their respective adventures.

8 God Of War

Kratos in a defensive stance with his shield against Baldur

The opening boss fight in God Of War is a thing of beauty, and it doesn't even have any guns. The whole opening has a sinister undertone with you not really knowing who the stranger is or what exactly he wants, and the brutal fight that follows shows you that the game is different from the others.

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Seeing Kratos manhandled by someone much smaller than him isn’t something anyone was used to, so the fight starts out as a bit of a surprise. Still, it sets up a fantastic enemy to contend with, and one you haven’t seen the last of.

7 Marvel’s Spider-Man

Spider-Man with the sinister six behind him

Most Spider-Man fans probably agree that the brief fight you get to see in Marvel’s Spider-Man between everyone's favorite Wall-Crawler and the unofficial Sinister Six is incredible. Most people would still love to see other villains in the series, but it’s a scene that could fit into any live-action movie with ease.

Spider-Man does his best to contend with each of his most vile foes, but ultimately can’t quite get the job done. With a fantastic line-up of villains to fight, the scene just gets your mind racing for what it's going to be like to take each of the baddies down.

6 Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep

Vanitas Remnant kneeling down with a keyblade in their hand in the Keyblade Graveyard of Birth By Sleep

Everyone is painfully aware of how tough to follow the story of the Kingdom Hearts games can be, and that may lead some to miss out on a few of the (seemingly) side games, but Birth By Sleep is one that no one wants to miss out on.

The game features a fight that sees Terra, Aqua, and Ventus taking on Xehanort and Vanitas. It’s a brutal exchange with fantastic animation, even in its original form. The fight seems like a hopeless one from start to finish, leaving everyone gripped the entire time.

5 Mass Effect 3

mass effect kai leng cerberus

While most fight scenes are happy to let both parties involved enter the conflict on even footing, Mass Effect 3 went a different route. The battle between Thane and Kai Leng as your squad watches on is one of the most exciting moments from the game.

Rather than a simple fight, it mixes hand-to-hand combat with sword combat and even some firearm combat. Both characters get plenty of little moments to shine in their confrontation and most believe that if the situation were different, Thane would have handled the fight with ease.

4 Final Fantasy Crisis Core

Genesis reading LOVELESS FFVII Crisis Core

Seeing Angeal, Genesis, and Sephiroth go at it in one of the most intense training sessions in Final Fantasy history is something anyone can get behind. It is one of the best fight scenes in the history of the series, and one that you should check out if you missed it.

The scene displays the destructive force of Sephiroth as two men attempt to take him down, while Sephiroth repels them with ease. Even once things pick up in pace, Sephiroth makes both of his opponents look like little more than a nuisance.

3 Devil May Cry 4

A screenshot showing Nero face to face with Dante in Devil May Cry 4

The battle between Dante and Nero in Devil May Cry 4 is one that will probably never be forgotten. It doesn’t simply feature the two of them — it actually kicks off with Dante taking on just about everyone in sight first.

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The choreography of the fight, mixed with the pounding music, makes the entire thing intense. Nero is pretty well outmatched during the scene, but it was a good way to get people interested in the character. It’s an epic battle that fans of the series will want to be sure that they haven’t missed.

2 Resident Evil 4

Resident-Evil-4-knife-krauser-fight

The quick-time event that features Leon taking on Krauser is one of the best in all of Resident Evil. Rather than featuring plenty of gunfire and zombies, the fight is much more intimate, with both men taking up combat knives for the conflict.

The whole scene is dotted with some of the closest calls possible, and of course, Leon is unable to overcome Krauser in the end. Luckily, a little bit of extra help from a woman in a red dress is enough to turn the tide for the time being.

1 Final Fantasy 7 Remake

Cloud Vs Sephiroth

There’s something funny about seeing a pop-up telling you that you’ve defeated Sephiroth only for the fight to continue for another few minutes. It takes the entire group to combat the Whispers so Cloud can reach Sephiroth for the finishing blow.

The only thing is that Sephiroth is far from finished. Both men are transported to a strange place for a final confrontation that oozes atmosphere. It’s a tense and shocking moment with a cryptic warning, and Sephiroth simply toys with Cloud the entire time.

Next: The Most Iconic Cutscenes Of All Time, Ranked