The Best Action-Adventure Video Games

What to Look For

There are a ton of games available today, so to find the best we looked at the following: What type of environment is it, such as a realistic city game or a fantasy setting? What is the gameplay like? And does it include multiplayer? If city life is more your style, you might like Grand Theft Auto V Premium Edition from Rockstar Games. It has top-tier single-player and multiplayer modes with a sprawling, open-world cityscape to explore. If you prefer fantasy settings, you might like Elden Ring from Bandai Namco. This critically-acclaimed adventure game is fully open for you to complete quests at your leisure and discover new regions as you level up. It has cooperative multiplayer but not versus modes. Find out more about these awesome games below.

Rockstar Games Grand Theft Auto V Premium Edition

The reigning King

The latest of the series, this remastered game still dazzles with its well-balanced gameplay and storytelling.

Best Overall

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While it may have been originally released 10 years ago, Grand Theft Auto V still remains a trendy game. It has an incredible single-player story, and the online multiplayer scene has never been more chock-full of stuff to do. You’re free to steal cars, commit crimes, and get up to no good — of course, then you’ll have the police to contend with. In the solo campaign, you’ll follow three main characters on their epic adventures throughout Los Santos. It has a well-renowned, thrilling storyline that pulls you in. And this open-world city is absolutely massive, with tons of side-quests and colorful characters to discover. The graphics and performance have been upgraded for this PS4 version as well.

Pros:

• Robust online gameplay with plenty of quests to explore
• A slew of vehicles and weapons to unlock
• Comes with starter money for the online experience

Cons:

• Not suitable for younger gamers, should be at least 18 and older

PlayStation 4 The Last of Us Part II

A cinematic masterpiece

Building on the success of the first game, this sequel comes out guns blazing as an epic, top-rated follow-up to the part one.

Best Single Player

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Years in development, this sequel to the top-rated game The Last of Us was highly anticipated — and it delivered in spades. This masterful game continues the story of Ellie and Joel on their quest through a post-apocalyptic world. It has all of the best elements from the first game, improved and honed to perfection. The stealth and action gameplay are top-notch, with intuitive controls and awesome graphics. Throughout the game, you’ll upgrade weapons through crafting, which gives a great feeling of progression as you get stronger. Be prepared to have some tissues nearby, the masterful storytelling might have you shed a tear or two.

Pros:

• Updated graphics for the PlayStation 4
• Fantastic character development and new supporting characters
• Enemies react to the environment
• High-quality writing

Cons:

• No multiplayer modes yet

Rockstar Games Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition

Don't mess with the classics

Three highly-acclaimed remastered games come bundled in this impressive rerelease of the original Sony classics.

Best Three-In-One

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The Grand Theft Auto games from the PS2 are still widely regarded as some of the best games ever made. They’re still played to this day, except now you can relive them with these updated versions packed into one disc. GTA III, Vice City, and San Andreas are all included, looking better than ever with smoother framerates, higher resolutions, and updated textures. It’s hard to go wrong with these classic games that stand the test of time.

Pros:

• Hundreds of hours of gameplay
• Looks much cleaner than the original versions
• Top-notch soundtracks on the in-game radios

Cons:

• Some of the animations are a bit dated, like for people running

Sony Marvel’s Spider-Man Game of the Year Edition

Take to the streets

This well-acclaimed superhero game lets you swing through the streets of New York at your whim, choosing to advance the story or complete side-quests.

Best Superhero

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Who hasn’t wanted to swing around the streets of New York as Spider-Man? With this epic game, you can do just that. You’ll control Peter Parker in compelling single-player story missions. But you’re not confined to just the main storyline. With a fully open-world New York at your disposal, you can fight crime, take pictures, and collect items to level up your character. It truly feels like an interactive city with cars and pedestrians commenting on your appearance. Combat feels amazing as well, with plenty of options for clever fighting strategies — like using objects around you or vaulting over enemies to escape their attacks. And if you’re feeling sneaky, there are also stealth takedowns that detain enemies without sounding the alarms. Spider-Man Game of the Year Edition is the gold standard for superhero action games, and within the first minutes of playing, you can easily see why.

Pros:

• Can collect and use different suits
• Amazing lighting and special effects shots
• Top-notch voice acting
• Plenty of collectibles for completionist gamers
• Includes DLC

Cons:

• The puzzle sections aren’t the most exciting or challenging

Bandai Namco Entertainment Elden Ring

For the hardcore gamers

With incredible combat, story, and crafting elements, this game highly deserves the lofty praise given by the gaming community.

Best Combat

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One of the top games of the year, Elden Ring made headlines with its release. It has a gorgeous open-world environment to explore, rich with enemies and dungeons. The graphics are absolutely stunning — the lighting in particular blew us away. However, the main attraction of Elden Ring isn’t its intricate world and mysterious story, but rather the incredibly rich gameplay. From the creator of the infamous Dark Souls series, this game tests players’ skills like few games before it (at least, in the modern era).

Pros:

• Provides a tough challenge for experienced gamers
• Can team up with players online to tackle tougher enemies
• Beautiful graphics with an immersive fantasy atmosphere

Cons:

• Hard to know where to go thanks to the completely non-linear gameplay

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes an action-adventure game?

For the most part, an action-adventure game uses your reflexes for navigating environments, whether through jumping, dodging, or hitting timed events. Some might include combat as well with either melee or ranged weapons. Generally, they’ll tell an overarching story that feels like an extended, interactive movie.

What are some of the top action-adventure games of all time?

Some of the best old-school adventure games include The Legend of Zelda series, Metroid, and Castlevania. In the modern era, games like Elden Ring and Dark Souls are popular, along with the Grand Theft Auto series, Bioshock games, and superhero games featuring Batman and Spiderman.

About the Author

Dave is a proud self-proclaimed computer geek and enjoys modding video game consoles. When he's not voiding warranties, he plays piano and video games on stream. In fact, he built his own home studio, so his expertise spans a wide range of areas. If you're looking for a tech-head for advice, Dave is your guy.

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