Arcade, fighting, survival, fast pace – action. Whenever you are in need of an extra dose of adrenaline, action games are the answer. They will test your reflexes and won’t give you much time to rest, so you better prepare in advance before you find yourself in the middle of hell.
In a way, action games are the purest expression of the hobby, delivering experiences no other medium can deliver. You could play RPGs and strategies with friends around the table, drive a car on a highway and go fishing, but you definitely can’t blast a twenty-foot monster with a cool shotgun and thrust a length of tempered steel into its guts before the wound heals up.
It’s an extreme example, of course, as the genre is extremely varied in tone and playstyle, but the fact remains: it delivers adrenaline in all the ways inaccessible to you in real life, from the comfort of your couch. Truly one of the most uniquely “video games” experiences of all time.
Check out some of the best action games you can play as of December 2024.
| Game | Release | Video | Developer | |
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 | Black Myth: Wukong | 2024-08-20 | Game Science | |
 | S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl | 2024-11-20 | GSC Game World | |
 | Hi-Fi RUSH | 2023-01-25 | Tango Gameworks | |
 | God of War Ragnarök | 2024-09-19 | SIE Santa Monica Studio | |
 | Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 | 2024-09-09 | Saber Interactive | |
 | Indiana Jones and the Great Circle | 2024-12-09 | MachineGames | |
 | Spider-Man: Miles Morales | 2022-11-18 | Insomniac Games | |
 | Horizon Forbidden West | Complete Edition | 2024-03-21 | Guerrilla Games | |
 | Remnant II | 2023-07-25 | Gunfire Games | |
 | Metro Exodus | 2020-02-14 | 4A GAMES | |
 | Fall Guys Ultimate Knockout | 2020-08-04 | Mediatonic | |
 | Control | 2019-08-27 | Remedy Entertainment | |
 | Resident Evil 2 | 2019-01-25 | Capcom Development Division 1 | |
 | Outward | 2019-03-26 | Nine Dots Studio | |
 | Remnant From The Ashes | 2019-08-20 | Gunfire Games | |
 | Half Life Alyx | 2020-03-01 | Valve | |
 | Risk Of Rain 2 | 2019-03-28 | Hopoo Games | |
 | Streets Of Rage 4 | 2020-04-30 | DotEmu | |
 | Death Stranding | 2022-03-30 | Kojima Productions | |
 | Amid Evil | 2018-03-12 | Indefatigable | |
 | DOOM | 2016-05-12 | id Software | |
 | Doom Eternal | 2020-03-20 | id Software | |
 | Cyberpunk 2077 | 2020-12-10 | CD PROJEKT RED | |
| | Metro Exodus | 2020-02-14 | 4A GAMES |
Marvel’s Spider-Man (Miles Morales)
| Release date: | 2022-11-18 |
| Genre: | Action |
| Developer: | Insomniac Games |
If you saw the Spider-Verse movies and need more Spidey shenanigans and troubles in your life, take a look at the Spider-Man games from Insomniac.
It’s the perfect time to do so, too, because the Spider-Man 2 is coming soon and you should definitely prep for its Venomous glory by playing the original game and its semi-sequel starring Miles Morales.
Both games are excellent open world action games, with plenty of satisfying webslinging across a lovingly adapted map of Manhattan. Combat and exploration take up a lot of the experience, but both games have a strong story providing context and motivation to everything going on. It wouldn’t be a proper Spidey story without real-life issues affecting the superhero work, would it?
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Hi-Fi Rush
| Release date: | 2023-01-25 |
| Genre: | Rhythm & Action |
| Developer: | Tango Gameworks |
Have you ever played Bayonetta or Devil May Cry and wished that they had a bit more in common with the Crypt of NecroDancer?
Probably not, but thankfully Tango Gameworks did it anyway and created Hi-Fi Rush, a rhythm-based hack-and-slash. Performing actions to the beat makes them stronger, but it’s not strictly required, which makes the game more accessible.
You’re playing as a young man, Chai, who accidentally got a music player grafted onto his heart when he got his cyberlimb replacement process, and such “defects” make him a pariah in the cyberpunk, corpo-controlled setting. This kicks off an avalanche of events, including Chai joining forces with a group of people who try to uncover the corporation’s dirty dealings.
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God of War: Ragnarok
| Release date: | 2024-09-19 |
| Genre: | Action & Hack and Slash |
| Developer: | SIE Santa Monica Studio |
A mighty soft reboot received and even mightier sequel, and as the title might suggest, Kratos and Boy are up to their elbows in causing the Norse apocalypse.
God of War: Ragnarok carries on the series’ theme of divine family drama taken up to a murderous degree, but also happens to also put in many solid emotional beats between all the violence inherent in the apocalyptic events.
Of course, story is not what you’re coming to a list of the best action games for, so good news: the third-person combat is at least as satisfying as in the previous game. Attacks land hard, there are new toys, and plenty of punchable people and monsters to confront. This time Atreus takes a much more active role, so you’ll get to control him directly, as he explores his heritage and powers.
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Sifu
| Release date: | 2023-03-28 |
| Genre: | Fighting |
| Developer: | Sloclap |
Sifu has the precision and determination of John Wick and martial arts skills which would make Bruce Lee slightly worried.
On the story level, Sifu is a proper revenge story: the protagonist’s family was killed by a group of powerful martial artists, and years later, now as a young adult, you’re in position to fight through their legions of goons and challenge the masters to kung fu duels.
Sifu is no walk in the park, despite a relatively simple control scheme, it takes reflexes, planning, and skill, but when you become comfortable with the combat system, Sifu becomes an incredibly satisfying, phenomenally animated action game with an interesting roguelike-adjacent system which lets you respawn at the cost of your youth… up to a point where you become too old to go on.
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Horizon: Zero Dawn/Forbidden West
| Release date: | 2024-03-21 |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Developer: | Guerrilla Games |
Let’s take a break from real and illusory corridors to take a breath of fresh air.
The Horizon series, specifically Zero Dawn and Forbidden West are fantastic open-world games set on Earth, thousands of years in the future. A mysterious cataclysm whose nature you’ll discover on your own resulted in humanity reduced to scattered tribes, and wildlife replaced mostly by animalistic robots.
Horizon games do have strong narratives, but most of the experience revolves around exploration and combat, both with unfriendly humans and with the robots, to acquire resources or just in self-defense. It’s not quite Monster Hunter, it’s much faster and less prep-demanding, but the world is stunning, exploration is satisfying, and all the flavors of combat feel good.
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Remnant 2
| Release date: | 2023-07-25 |
| Genre: | Third-person shooter |
| Developer: | Gunfire Games |
After a rather low-key success of Remnant: From the Ashes Gunfire Games came out with a sequel, and wouldn’t you know, it turned out to be something of a hit.
It’s a class-based third-person shooter with extensive procedural generation ensuring that you won’t run out of new sights and new challenges anytime soon.
In addition to the classes being very distinct and specialized, you can also expand your options by mixing their abilities to refine your playstyle. Remnant 2 is a great choice even if you’ve already sunk many hours into the original game, because the improvements are hard to ignore, and if you liked the original’s plot, then you probably want to know what happened after Subject 2923, right?
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Doom Eternal
| Release date: | 2020-03-20 |
| Genre: | Action |
| Developer: | id Software |
Doom Eternal is an excellent sequel to a hit revival of the all-time classic FPS, so grab the iconic BFG 9000 and face demonic powers as you battle for life and death in this action-packed production.
It’s the definition of the “more” sequel: more demons, more bosses, more mobility, more excellent music making each room the deadliest, bloodiest metal concert you’ll ever see.
Thankfully for players, the series is still going strong, and Doom Eternal offers even more dynamic action, this time accompanied by the introduction of new fluid movement mechanics and a few extra tricks at your disposal. It is also way more intense than its 2016 predecessor, so be ready to push your reflexes and skills to the limit, because the demons won’t be very forgiving.
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Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout
| Release date: | 2020-08-04 |
| Genre: | Casual |
| Developer: | Mediatonic |
If traditional battle royales are not entertaining enough for you, then maybe a fresher approach to the genre will prove to be more appealing.
Throw away your weapon and forget scavenging for resources, as Fall Guys focuses entirely on simple mini-games for up to 60 players. Sometimes it’s everyone for themselves, sometimes there are teams, but you can always expect fun chaos.
The game is cute, adorable, and even silly to a certain degree – it has colorful and bright graphics but it doesn’t mean that the competition isn’t real. At the end of each round a few of those who weren’t fast or clever enough to complete the level are eliminated and the routine goes on until only one character remains – sounds simple, but it’s insanely addictive.
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Valorant
| Release date: | June 2, 2020 |
| Genre: | Tactical Shooter |
| Developer: | Riot Games |
From the creators of League of Legends, please welcome Valorant on the list.
A team-based shooter with several playable characters, each having access to his own unique set of abilities that can be utilized to gain upper hand during battle. If you played either CS: GO or Overwatch, you will quickly realize some similarities, allowing you to jump to a more competitive level right away.
In Valorant two teams of players meet on closed arenas – one team is tasked with placing and detonating the bomb in a designated area, while the other team has to secure the place. While most of the time you will be using your traditional gun to deal with the opponents, each playable agent has also access to some useful stuff, such as calling in an orbital strike or resurrecting a fallen comrade.
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Amid Evil
| Release date: | 2018-03-12 |
| Genre: | Action |
| Developer: | Indefatigable |
We already mentioned Doom, but there’s one more Doom-like game that is definitely worth a mention, especially considering the fact that it originally started as a Doom mod.
Although the Amid Evil project from 1997 was left unfinished and eventually abandoned, the idea was not. It’s like a perfect marriage of the classic game and a modern environment.
The Fast-paced action retro-FPSs were known for comes back and allows players to relive the genre’s history in a much more accessible fashion. Indeed, AE is suitable not only for veterans but also for slightly less experienced newcomers. Expect to fight hordes of enemies scattered across well-designed levels and pick up valuable power-ups that should keep you alive for a little longer.
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Death Stranding
| Release date: | 2022-03-30 |
| Genre: | Action |
| Developer: | Kojima Productions |
If you prefer AAA games with a deep and engaging, but also very weird, story, we’ve also got you covered.
Prepare for a journey of your life in one of the most recent and genre-defining Hideo Kojima’s creations. Death Stranding tells the story of a courier tasked with delivering cargo to isolated cities and connecting them to what’s known as the Chiral Network.
Sounds simple, but there is more to it than meets the eye. Your cargo is subject to physics, so you have to distribute it well to maintain balance, the routes can be very tricky, and there are many threats, including otherworldly ones. Easy to learn gameplay in conjunction with phenomenal graphics and amazing cast results in a truly unique experience you don’t want to miss.
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Streets of Rage 4
| Release date: | 2020-04-30 |
| Genre: | Action |
| Developer: | DotEmu |
Beat ‘em up games were wildly popular a few decades ago, when arcade game machines dominated the gaming industry.
Since then the genre went sadly quiet but sometimes a gem like this one appears. Streets of Rage 4 is a classic formula brought back to life. The fourth title in the seemingly forgotten Streets of Rage franchise returns with style, picking up the story where it was left off.
It also looks better than ever, with original pixel art being completely redesigned and replaced by high-quality comic-like graphics. Gameplay-wise you can expect a lot of dynamic melee fighting with the use of occasional weapon pick-ups and disposable items in a 2D side-scrolling environment, and believe us, it feels just as good as you might remember it feeling over 20 years ago.
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Risk of Rain 2
| Release date: | 2019-03-28 |
| Genre: | Indie |
| Developer: | Hopoo Games |
Speaking of returning games, one can’t forget about: Risk of Rain 2 – a sequel to the acclaimed rogue-like production focused on surviving never-ending hordes of enemies in a hostile environment.
Sometimes resorting to already proven gameplay mechanics works best, but a bit of innovation is always welcomed to fight boredom and repetitiveness.
The biggest change that can also be instantly spotted is the game’s transition from 2D to 3D. It was a risky move that doesn’t always work out well for everyone, but Risk of Rain 2 is an example of how to do it properly and without making gameplay sacrifices. Just like before, you need to use a variety of skills and explore the maps but beware of monsters that will try to end your journey untimely.
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Resident Evil 2
| Release date: | 2019-01-25 |
| Genre: | Action |
| Developer: | Capcom Development Division 1 |
We’ve seen a lot of remakes released in the recent years,and this one is especially fun and brings a lot of quality of life improvements to make the experience even more awesome than it originally was.
Resident Evil 2 is a remake of a 1998 game – it’s not simply an overhaul, it’s a completely new game that is much better suited and accessible for a modern generation of players.
Story-wise it’s more or less the same with some minor changes and the same goes for the characters we will meet during play. What changed the most are the graphics and gameplay. It’s no longer a static camera or the tank controls – now it’s a full-fledged third-person shooter that makes things not only a lot more convenient but also significantly more immersive.
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Control
| Release date: | 2019-08-27 |
| Genre: | Action |
| Developer: | Remedy Entertainment |
Control is quite unique on several levels, but most importantly it’s a great action game, and its appearance on the list is completely justified.
If you like games with paranormal elements, this one is a must-play. It revolves around mysterious Objects of Power – items connected directly to different dimensions and able to alter reality.
The game takes place in a brutalist building that serves as headquarters for the Federal Bureau of Control, an organization tasked with investigating said objects as well as Altered World Events. As a new Director, you’re having a very bad first day on the job, but you have powerful supernatural abilities at your beck and call, in addition to a transforming gun to support them.
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Half-Life: Alyx
| Release date: | 2020-03-01 |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Developer: | Valve |
While some players already lost hope that Half-Life 3 will be ever created, in 2020 we got a pleasant surprise that makes the future of this legendary franchise slightly brighter.
Unfortunately for some, it requires a VR set to play. Half-Life: Alyx is not just a game, it’s an experience, showing just how much is possible in VR with enough budget, time and expertise to make it happen.
With HL: Alyx the company did an impressive job and created a game that utilizes virtual reality sets to their fullest potential. As Alyx Vance you get to participate in events that occurred before the return of Gordon Freeman in Half-Life 2 – fight the Combine forces that finally managed to conquer the Earth and explore a hostile environment in order to find the answers.
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Mortal Shell
| Release date: | 2021-08-18 |
| Genre: | Action RPG |
| Developer: | Cold Symmetry |
Mortal Shell tries to add its own flavor to the genre and makes some things work differently to give you a fresh and unforgettable experience.
Calling Mortal Shell just a copy of Dark Souls wouldn’t be fair. Although Dark Souls influence is clearly visible and some similarities are present, the game does a fairly good job at creating its own dark atmosphere and carves out its own niche.
It also introduces new gameplay mechanics that will keep you engaged as you try to discover and learn them all. The production focuses on the titular shells – bodies of fallen heroes you can occupy and use for your own purposes. They act like character classes, and each has its own abilities, giving you the possibility to choose the one that fits your playstyle best.
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Metro Exodus
| Release date: | 2020-02-14 |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Developer: | 4A GAMES |
There’s more post-apocalyptic action to be had.
If you’re up to the challenge, try Metro Exodus, especially since it gives players a lot more freedom when compared to previous games from the series. Taking place one year after Metro: Last Light, the game follows the ongoing story of Artyom and allows players to once again visit the Earth devastated by the nuclear war.
Metro Exodus’ polished gameplay will easily steal dozens of hours of your free time as you explore the wastelands of the former Russian Federation, where it’s not uncommon to meet mutated hostile creatures. Having access to simple crafting and weapon customization should give you an upper hand, however, so remember to utilize these and many more mechanics to your favor.
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Outward
| Release date: | 2019-03-26 |
| Genre: | RPG & Fantasy |
| Developer: | Nine Dots Studio |
For the final entry on the list, take a look at the game from a more fantasy side of the action spectrum.
Enter the magic world and start an epic adventure. Outward starts with you having to pay the debt called Blood Price with very little time to do so. Soon enough, however, you will get involved in a bigger matter that will require you to join one of the three factions.
The title features several familiar mechanics and adds some new ones to spice up the experience. There is an open world waiting to be explored, lots of dangerous creatures, and survival elements, such as hunger, warmth, and fatigue, but most importantly, there is a unique ritualistic magic system very far from the usual instant fire-and-forget.
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Jump into action
This concludes our brief list of the some of the best action games you could play right now. Some entries might be surprising, but none of them should be disappointing, if you match your playstyles to what they offer. After all, somebody keen of guns and challenging combat will have a worse time with Fall Guys than they would with Remnants, no?