As the video game industry continues to grow and evolve, so do the variety of experiences it has to offer. One of the most popular categories out there is the action genre with titles that will test your skills. The high-octane genre spans over quite a few subcategories from fighting games to survival experiences. We’ll explore some of the best action games out currently and take a look at what’s coming soon.
Let’s dive into one of the largest gaming genres out there and find an experience that’s right for you!
Fighting games
Nothing says action like a knock-down-drag-out fighter that depends on hair trigger reflexes to emerge victorious. The classic two player showdown first established itself in arcades across the globe in the 1980’s. Now all of these brawlers, and more are available on a home console near you. Fighting games boil down to combat between two or more opponents that attack and defend. Using various combos and other offensive tactics you chip away at each other’s health bar until someone reaches zero and is KO’d.
This formula has created some legendary showdowns in classic franchises like Dead or Alive, Killer Instinct, Mortal Kombat, Soulcalibur and Tekken. Sport prize fighters like EA’s UFC offer ultra-realistic graphics and authentic moves to give you a taste of action in the octagon.
Whether you are a fan of 1v1 or 4v4 there is a ton of fighting action available for both beginners and veterans alike.
Top heavyweight fighters out now
SIFU
Release Date: Available now on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5
Sifu will put your Kung Fu skills to the test. On a quest to get revenge for your loved ones who were killed, the only weapons you have are your Kung Fu abilities and a mysterious pendant. Navigate dark alleys and use whatever you can find to fight off enemies as they close in on you.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Release Date: Available now exclusively on the Nintendo Switch
Full Review | Overall Rating: 44.9/5 (98%)
A modern action fighter that puts a focus on multiplayer brawls is Super Smash Bros Ultimate and it enjoys a massive following. It’s a great party game and features classic characters like Mario, Link, Banjo-Kazooie and more. Be sure to pick up the latest Smash Bros. Fighters Pass to keep your roster up-to-date!
Purchase Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Platforming Games
Some of the most iconic characters and games ever created have come from the platforming genre. Legendary names like Crash Bandicoot, Donkey Kong, Super Mario, Sonic the Hedgehog and Mega Man hopped, skipped and jumped their way into stardom.
The general formula for these titles has you controlling characters who traverse platforms and other obstacles while facing off against enemies. Modern titles are still reinventing themselves decades later with incredible graphics, mind bending storylines and challenging levels. Must play games like Astro’s Playroom (free on the PS5), Crash Bandicoot 4, Sackboy’s Big Adventure + Ori and the Will of the Wisps showcase the incredible experiences platformers have to offer.
Must-play platformers
Kirby and the Forgotten Land
Release Date: Available now for Nintendo Switch
Full Review | Overall Rating: 4.1/5 (82%)
Go on a journey full of surprises with Kirby in Kirby and the Forgotten Land for Nintendo Switch. Play as the powerful pink puff ball Kirby, and while the journey unfolds, step into a 3D platforming world featuring abandoned monuments, remnants from a past civilization.
Purchase Kirby and the Forgotten Land
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Release Date: Available now for PlayStation 5
Full Review | Overall Rating: Overall Rating 4.9/5 (98%)
Get ready to manipulate time with the dynamic duo of Ratchet and Clank as they work to stop an evil empire. Battle through cross-dimensional worlds with an outrageous arsenal of weapons. New and old friends await on your adventure as you fight to protect your universe.
Purchase Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Hotly anticipated upcoming platform games
Sonic Frontiers
Release Date: Pre-order now on Nintendo Switch, PS4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S
Explore brand-new locations with Sonic the Hedgehog in Sonic Frontiers. Travel across five enormous overworld islands, each filled with exciting challenges to complete and mysteries to discover. Make the most of the all-new combat system and skill tree upgrades to master your skills and take down mysterious foes.
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake
Wish-granting Mermaid’s Tears in the hands of SpongeBob and Patrick… What could possibly go wrong? Sure, the very fabric holding the very universe very together could come very undone, opening up portals into Wishworlds full of knights, cowboys, pirates, and prehistoric snails. But that’s nothing everyone’s favorite sponge can’t handle – with the right cosmic costume.
Pre-order information coming soon!
Shooting Games
The biggest and most popular part of the gaming industry as a whole are shooters. These games range from military style conflicts to run and gun side scrollers (and everything in between). The commonality between all these titles is a player-controlled character with a fireable weapon. The perspective in which these games are played come in multiple forms; from the first person perspective, over the shoulder third person perspective to hero, and tactical shooters.
First person shooters
First person shooters (FPS) give you the in-game character’s field of vision while playing. This places you in the shoes of the protagonist adding to the game’s immersion. Some of the legendary pillars that make-up the FPS experience are games like Bioshock, Battlefield, Call of Duty, Doom, Half-Life, Halo, Quake, TitanFall and Wolfenstein.
Best in class first person shooters
Call of Duty Modern Warfare II
Witness what makes Task Force 141 the legendary squad it is today in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II. With the return of the iconic team leader Captain John Price and fan favorite Simon “Ghost” Riley, gear up for a global campaign and immersive multiplayer combat with narrative-driven Special Ops.
Pre-order Call of Duty Modern Warfare II now for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PS4 or Xbox One
Deathloop
Release Date: Available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S
Full Review | Overall Rating: 4.6/5 (91%)
Deathloop was a smash hit FPS of 2021, winning multiple awards for its innovative and engaging gameplay. In the game it’s up to you stop villains who are manipulating time travel. Every time you die the game hits reset and you are looped back through the experience. Learn from your mistakes or be doomed to repeat them over and over again.
Halo Infinite
Release Date: Available now on Xbox Series X|S
Full Review | Overall Rating: 4.6/5 (91%)
Experience an epic adventure and explore the massive scale of the Halo ring. When all hope is lost, Master Chief is ready to confront the most ruthless foe he’s ever faced. Step inside the armour of humanity’s greatest hero.
Third person shooters
Third person shooters give you a full body view of your character with “over the shoulder” aiming mechanics. They create immersion through the shared experience between you and the on-screen avatars. Some of these games follow a linear path like the Tomb Raider series while others have a more open world approach like Grand Theft Auto V.
Must play titles in the third person shooter category are Devil May Cry 5, Gears of War, Red Dead Redemption 2 and the Uncharted series.
Not all shooters are necessarily for mature audiences, Nintendo’s Splatoon 3 is available for some family friendly, light-hearted fun.
High octane games
Metroid Dread
Release Date: Available exclusively on the Nintendo Switch
Full Review | Overall Rating: 4.3/5 (86%)
Metroid Dread is the epic conclusion to the five-part Metroid saga and one of the best games in the series. Join bounty hunter Samus Aran as she tries to escape a deadly alien world plagued by a mechanical menace. Experience the pulse pounding combat for yourself and feel the dread of being hunted by an alien enemy.
Uncharted Legacy of Thieves Collection
Release Date: Available now on PlayStation 5
Full Review | Overall Rating: 4.4/5 (88%)
The Uncharted Legacy of Thieves Collection includes Uncharted 4 and The Lost Legacy remastered for PS5 with stunning visuals, the DualSense controller‘s adaptive triggers and more, set out for the first time or relive the epic adventure!
Purchase Uncharted Legacy of Thieves Collection
Horizon Forbidden West (Burning Shores DLC Coming April 19th)
Release Date: Available now on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4
Full Review | Overall Rating: 4.9/5 (98%)
Delve into an epic adventure with Aloy as she braves the Forbidden West – a majestic but dangerous frontier that conceals mysterious new threats. Explore distant lands, fight bigger and more awe-inspiring machines, and encounter new tribes as you return to the far-future, post-apocalyptic world of Horizon.
The adventure continues with paid, PS5-exclusive DLC in Horizon Forbidden West Burning Shores DLC. Aloy will now explore the Tenakth Clan Lands in the area formally known as Los Angeles.
Pre-order top upcoming action games
Bayonetta 3
Bayonetta is back and better than ever on the Nintendo Switch console, just in time for Halloween. The Umbra Witch, who has a brand-new wardrobe and familiar pigtails, must combat an unknown evil with her signature weapons and time-slowing Witch Time ability. Bayonetta must now face off against Homunculi, which are manmade bioweapons.
Pre-order Bayonetta 3 on Nintendo Switch
Tactical shooters
If you are looking for a more realistic, strategic experience in a shooter you might want to go tactical. These games avoid the common tropes of arcadey-style action shooters, instead taking a more methodical approach to combat. Tactical shooters require you to carefully plan movement, provide limited health and rely heavily on your squad mates. A pinnacle of the squad-based experience is Ubisoft’s Rainbow Six series, offering challenging combat and thrilling “breach and clear” moments. The current game in the series, Rainbow Six Siege features tense multiplayer moments and a big focus on team-based strategy.
Must play tactical shooters
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Extraction
Release Date: Out now on Xbox One,PS4, Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5
Survival games
This part of the action genre will leave you on the edge of your seat as you fight tooth and nail for your own life. From battle royales, sims to survival horror, there is an adrenaline filled experience that will keep you entertained for hours. Buckle up, the survival category isn’t for the faint of heart, but will definitely leave you with a few stories to tell!
Battle royale
The battle royale experience has taken the gaming industry by storm over the last half of the decade. These games follow a formula of dropping 80-100 players into an area unarmed, forcing them loot for weapons and duke it out until one champion remains.
This sub-genre began in earnest with Arma III mods that later evolved into their own game in PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. The popularity and growth of the battle royale category has been explosive ever since.
Following PUBG’s massive success Fortnite appeared on the scene, transcending the game industry to become a pop culture phenomenon. Everyone from professional athletes to A-list celebrities were getting in on the action.
In early 2019, developer Respawn introduced Apex Legends based in the TitanFall universe. It brought its own unique spin to the battle royale landscape introducing hero-style mechanics into the mix.
Many other cornerstone shooters like the Call of Duty series got in on the action releasing their own battle royale modes. Call of Duty: Vanguard has its own battle royale mode that is free to play called Warzone you can pick up starter kits to get a leg up on the competition.
Survival simulators
The gist of survival sims is to channel your inner Bear Grylls and live off of your surroundings. You are left with minimal resources in a hostile environment and it’s up to you to figure out the rest. Mojang’s Minecraft is a great jumping off point if you are interested in this subgenre with its block-style procedurally generated worlds. Other titles in the same vein are Subnautica where you are left alone to fend for yourself in an alien ocean.
Survival horror
The survival horror genre is about trying to live through a terrifying environment filled with nightmarish enemies. Think zombie apocalypse or escaping a haunted insane asylum and you start to get the idea of the terrifying thrills this subgenre offers. Some of my most memorable moments with video games have come with classic horror titles. The “must play” horror games offer experiences that stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Hollywood’s most terrifying films. Alien: Isolation, The Last of Us, Resident Evil 2 and RE 3 are stories that offer as many thrills as chills.
Top tier survival horror titles
The Quarry
In The Quarry every choice, big or small, shapes your story and determines who lives to tell the tale. Will you dare to check what’s behind that trap door? Investigate the screams echoing from within the forest? Save your friends or desperately run for your life?
The Callisto Protocol
Release Date: Available now for PlayStation 5,Xbox Series X|S,PS4,Xbox One and PC
The Callisto Protocol is a brand new sci-fi survival horror game from the creator of Dead Space and is head to consoles this December. Travel to the year 2320 where this survival horror game puts you into the role of Jacob, an innocent man imprisoned on Jupiter’s moon. As an outbreak spreads through the prison, the other inmates begin to transform into horrific creatures. Use tactical shooting and close-quarters combat to fight off the monsters and lead Jacob to safety.
Dead Space
Release Date: Available now on Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5
The Dead Space remake offers a more captivating and enthralling experience that original fans of the game will be sure to love. Join Isaac Clarke as he searches the USG Ishimura for his partner, Nicole, and unveil the many secrets hidden aboard the ship. This classic sci-fi survival horror game features stunning visuals, suspenseful audio, and gameplay improvements.
Resident Evil 4
Release Date: Available now on PS4, Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5
Resident Evil 4’s third-person shooter survival horror game stays true to the franchise’s atmospheric adventure horror genre. New gameplay highlights include heightened design and creative direction in a frightening survival story using a contemporary approach, building upon the survival horror genre, utilizing lighting and sound to create an intense and up-close horror feel fans will enjoy.
Resident Evil Village Gold Edition
Release Date: Available now on PS4, Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5
Picking up where the survival horror classic Resident Evil 7 biohazard left off, Ethan Winters and wife Mia are living a peaceful existence, until tragedy strikes. Ethan’s world is thrown into chaos and he finds himself in a remote snow-capped village, facing off against unspeakable horrors. Unlock exclusive new content with the Resident Evil Village Gold Edition. This bundle includes the main game and an expansion pack that offers new stages and playable characters, including Lady Dimitrescu. You’ll also follow Rose’s journey in Shadows of Rose – a DLC set 16 years after the end of Resident Evil Village.
Buy Resident Evil Village Gold Edition
Music games
If you enjoy music and are no stranger to singing or dancing along to a song, rhythm games could be a perfect fit. These titles are all about carefully timing button presses, or matching movements on screen to sync with a musical beat.
Rhythm games come in forms like the 1996 classic PaRappa the Rapper where you follow along with a loose storyline and jam with out with characters by pressing buttons. There are also peripheral based experiences like Dance Dance Revolution, Guitar Hero and Rock Band. Each comes with their own hardware like a dance mat, guitar controller and full band kit. These games prompt you to hit drumbeats, guitar frets or vocal notes with included hardware.
The most popular rhythm games are currently Just Dance 2022 and virtual reality smash hit Beat Saber. Just Dance is wildly entertaining fun either solo or at a party.
Dance to your own tune
Just Dance 2023
Release Date: Pre-order for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S
Get ready to groove with Just Dance 2023! Customizable dance routines, online multiplayer capabilities, 3D immersive worlds, and new songs and modes make Just Dance a never-ending dance party that will challenge you like never before.
High octane action
The action genre is the gaming industry’s biggest by far, offering a wide range of adrenaline pumping experiences. If you are looking for a game that will entertain and put your skills to the test, you’ll surely find an unforgettable title in this category. With dozens of subgenres, award winning titles like Call of Duty, Bioshock, Uncharted, Red Dead Redemption 2 and more you’ll find multiple games that rival any Hollywood action experience. Try a title from each category above and see which is the best fit for you!
Let us know what your favourite action game is in the comments below.
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