History Main / COMBOBREAKER

* The ''GundamVsSeries'' gained a combo breaker mechanic in ''Gundam Extreme Vs. Maxi Boost'' as part of the abilities granted by the F-Overdrive power-up.

* ''VideoGame/{{Skullgirls}}'''s Infinity Breaker is tied in to its unique "Infinite Prevention System." The only time you can break out of a combo is when the game detects that an [[GameBreaker infinite combo]] is being used. A later patch added a second method to enable a burst, which revolves around filling the Drama bar through getting hit by non-[[LimitBreak Blockbuster]] attacks during a combo.

* The Bleach fighting games for NintendoDS allow players to escape combos at the cost of a super bar.

* The NintendoDS ''Franchise/Bleach'' fighting games allow players to escape combos at the cost of a super bar.

* A rare non-FightingGame example, in ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'', starting from the second game onwards, some bosses have a "revenge value," which causes them to instantly retaliate in a specific way if you hit them too many times in succession. [[BonusBoss Sephiroth]], for instance, will teleport out of Sora's combo and attack from a safe distance. The Payback moves in ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep Birth By Sleep]]'' allow the player to do this, to some extent, by retaliating immediately after being knocked back by an enemy.

->'''''"C-C-C-C-C-C-[[TropeNamer COMBO BREAKER]]!"'''''

--> '''[[MemeticMutation C-C-C-C-COMBO BREAKER!!!]]'''

** ''MKD'' and ''VideoGame/MortalKombatArmageddon'' has a limit of three uses per match.
** ''VideoGame/MortalKombatVsDCUniverse'' requires half of the Rage bar to enable it's use.
** ''VideoGame/MortalKombat9'' allows players to use these when filling the first two segments of their super meter.

* ''GrandChase'' lets you expand your ManaMeter to escape multihit attacks. However, not all attacks allow this and still expand your Mana and it doesn't strike the enemy back like most {{Combo Breaker}}s. Also the game calls getting hit while [[ChargedAttack charging MP]] a "CounterAttack."
* ''VideoGame/{{Skullgirls}}'''s ComboBreaker is tied in to its unique "Infinite Prevention System." The only time you can break out of a combo is when the system detects that it's an [[GameBreaker infinite combo]].

* ''VideoGame/PlayStationAllStarsBattleRoyale'' in an attempt to prevent infinite combos, gives invincibility -including from [[LimitBreak Supers]]- to any player character hit with a lengthy combo, but only past a certain point of AP-gain. Characters that hit harder will naturally have the shortest combos in exchange for their high AP-gain.

* Much like ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'', ''VideoGame/Persona4Arena'' also has Bursts. In addition to the defensive burst that lets you break out from a combo and a neutral one that fills your SP bar if it connects, there's also an offensive burst that can be used while in the middle of a combo of your own that knocks the opponent into the air and makes them unable to recover until they hit the ground, as well as dialing back damage scaling temporarily so that any followup moves do additional damage to the opponent. Unlike VideoGame/BlazBlue, Burst slowly recovers on its own after being used and has no permanent cost associated with it, and hitting the enemy with your basic weak attack combo refills it by 1/8.

* VideoGame/NarutoUltimateNinjaStormGenerations instead makes this part of the core gameplay tactics and adjusts this to compensate. Instead of taking chakra, characters have a separate bar for substitution, which they can only use three times before having to wait for the charges to cool down. Thus, players have to know when they have to take the hits or risk getting chained in by longer combos.

* ''VideoGame/InjusticeGodsAmongUs'' has the Clash, which is only available on your second health bar. However, in addition to breaking a combo, there's also a wagering portion where each player "bets" part of their super meter. If you bet more than your opponent, you recover health; otherwise, you take additional damage. This means that you have to take care when activating a Clash.

* ''VideoGame/KillerInstinct'' is the [[TropeNamer T-T-T-T-TROPE NAMER!!!]]. Combos have various 'stages' to them, some of which are immune to being broken, some of which are not.[[note]]A full combo in ''Killer Instinct 2'' goes Operner --> Auto-Double --> Manual Auto-Double --> Manual Auto-Double --> Linker Auto-Double --> Manual Auto-Double --> Manual Auto-Double --> Finisher[[/note]] In the first game, the breaker must be done based on the strength of the attack used in the attacker's combo. In ''Killer Instinct 2,'' the breaker must be done with Punch of the attacker is using Kick, and vice-versa. In the 2013 game, the breaker ''itself'' can be countered, which allows the combo to continue.

** GG's SpiritualSuccessor, ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'', has a similar property called Barrier/Break Burst. The former is for ''[[VideoGame/BlazBlueCalamityTrigger Calamity Trigger]]'' which has a penalty of taking 1.5x damage and disables Barrier Block for the rest of a round; while the latter is for ''[[VideoGame/BlazBlueContinuumShift Continuum Shift]]'', which can only be performed twice in a single match, and it's second use can only become available if you lose a round. Also, unlike ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'', gold Bursts act as a makeshift LauncherMove instead of filling the user's meter.

* ''DeadOrAlive'' has holds, which can be performed in most stuns from ''[=DOA2=]'' onwards. Using the correct hold will usually reward you with damage and a knockdown, depending on the character, and timing the hold correctly will grant more damage. Cue lots of [[ButtonMashing hold spamming]] during stun. Although, if the attacker thinks the opponent will hold, they can stop their combo and use a throw, which will do 150% damage to a holding opponent. Against some characters, [[OhCrap that's over half your health gone]].

* Some bosses in the ''Franchise/TalesSeries'' are able to spontaneously escape from combos by starting an unstoppable attack while being struck. The effectiveness of this varies, as in some cases, the attack can simply be avoided and the combo continued afterward, while others will simply never attempt to do this if struck with certain attacks.

%%The below entry requires explanation.
* ''VideoGame/KillerInstinct'' is the [[TropeNamer T-T-T-T-TROPE NAMER!!!]].

%%The above entry requires explanation.

* While ''RecettearAnItemShopsTale'' has an action RPG element, combos don't come into play there. Instead, they come into play in the shop, where naming good prices people won't haggle with will net you a cumulative merchant XP bonus. Housewives have to be underbid a good 10% under the real price they'd accept to not haggle at all, but the real ComboBreaker is the ConArtist Euria, who will demand outrageous 300% markups for the expensive (and directly unsellable) goods she tries to foist off on you.

[[quoteright:300:[[VideoGame/KillerInstinct http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/384987-killer_instinct_gold2_large_4774.jpg]]]]

* The ''MortalKombat'' games, starting from ''VideoGame/MortalKombatDeception'':

* Much like VideoGame/BlazBlue, ''VideoGame/Persona4Arena'' also has Bursts. In addition to the defensive burst that lets you break out from a combo and a neutral one that fills your SP bar if it connects, there's also an offensive burst that can be used while in the middle of a combo of your own that knocks the opponent into the air and makes them unable to recover until they hit the ground, as well as dialing back damage scaling temporarily so that any followup moves do additional damage to the opponent. Unlike VideoGame/BlazBlue, Burst slowly recovers on its own after being used and has no permanent cost associated with it, and hitting the enemy with your basic weak attack combo refills it by 1/8.

* VideoGame/NarutoClashOfNinja has [[NinjaLog Substitution]], which teleports you behind the opponent for a free hit, but costs three-fourths of your [[ManaMeter chakra]].
* DeadOrAlive has holds, which can be performed in most stuns from ''[=DOA2=]'' onwards. Using the correct hold will usually reward you with damage and a knockdown, depending on the character, and timing the hold correctly will grant more damage. Cue lots of [[ButtonMashing hold spamming]] during stun. Although, if the attacker thinks the opponent will hold, they can stop their combo and use a throw, which will do 150% damage to a holding opponent. Against some characters, [[OhCrap that's over half your health gone]].

* Much like BlazBlue, ''VideoGame/Persona4Arena'' also has Bursts. In addition to the defensive burst that lets you break out from a combo and a neutral one that fills your SP bar if it connects, there's also an offensive burst that can be used while in the middle of a combo of your own that knocks the opponent into the air and makes them unable to recover until they hit the ground, as well as dialing back damage scaling temporarily so that any followup moves do additional damage to the opponent. Unlike BlazBlue, Burst slowly recovers on its own after being used and has no permanent cost associated with it, and hitting the enemy with your basic weak attack combo refills it by 1/8.

** The sequel thankfully fixes this mechanic in several ways: the enemies now have a shared gauge that fills up when you kick their ass, and they can only use Forced Evasion when it's full and the chance for each individual enemy to use it if they fall out of your combo is shown next to the gauge, which also empties out if it's triggered. Enemies that have shields also have a visible gauge to show how close you are to breaking it to prepare for it. There's also several ways to reduce the gauge, and [=PCs=] can also use Forced Evasion against enemy attacks, although it costs half of your LimitBreak bar to use and doesn't work on enemy {{Limit Break}}s, which bosses often like to spam at you.

* ''EndlessFrontier'' gives this ability to enemies in the form of the [[ScrappyMechanic Forced Evasion]] mechanic, which allows them to randomly break out of otherwise perfectly-timed combos and immediately end the attacking character's turn.

* ''VideoGame/Persona4Arena'' has bursts. You can also do them while not being comboe'd and if it hits the opponent, it fills up your SP gauge.

* ''VideoGame/{{Skullgirls}}'''s ComboBreaker is tied in to it's unique "Infinite Prevention System." The only time you can break out of a combo is when the system detects that it's an [[GameBreaker infinite combo]].