You probably like action games. But which ones should you like best?! We’ve narrowed it down to 25, and then put them in the unimpeachably correct order. Read on for details of the best action biff-zap-collect-me-do gaming you can stuff down your trousers. The action game is perhaps one of the toughest genres to pin down. More often than not it can be defined by which games aren’t in it, rather than those that are. They’re definitely not RPGs, so that’s Mass Effect, The Witcher 3 and so on out. Third-person shooters – they’re another thing, we’re certain. But is a game a shooter simply because it contains shooting? What’s Max Payne? Platform games – they’re even tougher. Where’s the line? Well, it turns out it’s wherever we say it is, and arguing is simply forbidden. That simplifies things. It’s also a genre that has, it’s fair to say, seen most of its success away from the PC. From Zelda to Ratchet & Clank to Banjo & Kazooie, their likes have never graced our door. And more’s the pity. But plenty of absolutely stunning games have – phew, eh? Remember, if you don’t see your favourite action game appearing on this list, that’s because your favourite action game is rubbish, and you’re a complete fool. Or it’s because we limited it to 25, and there are at least 27 good action games. Download the latest PC action, adventure games full for free.full downloadable games for PC, Mac, Phones,PS XBox,Get a new free movies daily. Download 50 best official free full version 3d PC games. Genre: moba, mmo, rpg, rts, action, adventure, fantasy, strategy, shooter, racing, etc. So let's play! 3D games free download for pc 3D Games Free Download For PC– No Payments,No registration,100% free For 3D games for PC!Our free 3D pc games. Free 3D Action games. Click on the links below to leap to a particular section, but if you just skip to number one first, you’re not getting any pudding. You’ll find details of where you can buy the games, what we’ve previously written about them, and suggestions for other games you might like to try if that one ticked your boxers. Number 26: Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. (1997?) Another one by Crystal Dynamics, written by Naughty Dog's Amy Henning. After wrestling the rights from Silicon Knights in a protracted legal battle, Crystal Dynamics went on to turn the world of Nosgoth, which was a pretty typical Zelda-esque affair, only with vampires and all gothy, into a post-apocalyptic Tomb raider with demons. Soul Reaver's not the prettiest game. Its combat is tough and often annoying- enemies don't really die unless you finish them off taking advantage of their vampiric weaknesses (and also eat their souls). It has far too many block puzzles. For all that, it's engrossing. The entire gameworld is one gigantic map, the loading of transition between areas limited by the opening and closing door animations. The game's platforming adds an extra dimension via gliding on Raziel's tattered wings. And then it literally adds a new dimension--by introducing the mechanic of Spirit Realm, which was a parallel dimension, where architecture was warped, allowing Raziel to reach places he otherwise would not-at the expense of dealing with the life-sucking Shadow Wraiths. And speaking of Raziel. The voice acting-what made this game, nay, this series. Every word narrated by the protagonist drips scorn, self-loathing and desperation. The world is huge. The world is dying. Kain, the supposed antagonist (or is he?), who caused all of this. Raziel's former brothers, each made monstrous, as the hulking bosses that require something other than combat to beat. Secret areas that become available Metroidvania-style with new powers-areas containing complex puzzles (not always blocks), initiating gigantic machinery built by God know who to reveal hidden collectibles- new attacks, or bonus HP. Soul Reaver wasn't the first in what it did. It's not the best platformer. But it's combination of platforming, exploration, spooky ambience and a sometimes high-winded story make it one to look for among console action titles that made in onto the PC. Note: originally intended to be the conclusion of Legacy of Kain, the ending was re-written to provide an opening for a time-travel filled sequel. Lots of the original code was recovered by enthusiasts from the PC, Playstation and Dreamcast code, to reconstruct what shoud have been. Where to get it? GOG, Steam, square Enix's own Web store, etc. Similar titles: despite being direct sequels, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2, and Legacy of Kain: Defiance both abandoned the pseudo-open world feel of the original, focusing on the intricate storytelling in the former and DMC-like combat in the latter. Closest equivalents would probably be the Darksiders series (Death even looks a lot like Raziel). Tomb Raider games by Crystal Dynamics are another obvious pick. 26: Little Big Adventure 2 - Colorful, lovely, packed full of adorable characters, and having a bigger heart than most any other game I've seen. True, the controls could be fiddly and frustrating at times. And genre-wise, it might be more action-adventure than action (a distinction I'm not sure I could parse). But it makes me feel good every time I play it. In many ways, Beyond Good and Evil was LBA2's spiritual successor, with improved platforming and control. 27: Cave Story - Another overwhelming lovely game. Again, perhaps its genre is more platformer than true action, but I'm willing to bend definitions a little. Everything from the visuals to the music to the controls were tight and of the highest caliber, and all the more remarkable for being the work of one person. The atmosphere and setting were, if not coherent, quite unique, and the game contains some of the most lovable characters. 28: Crusader: No Regret - Now this was unreservedly an action game. I suppose I've always had a soft spot for isometric views and art, and Crusader: No Regret won me over. Everything from the FMV to the synthy verging on dancy soundtrack are a perfect encapsulation of how the mid-90s felt. I don't think any game has made being a terrorist so fun, going around sabotaging bases and wantonly blowing up equipment. Vandelay says: It has been a while since I played them, but I definitely agree that Underworld was a really great game and often forgotten. Anniversary was also spectacular, brining the original game bang up to date and expanding on many of its ideas to create something very special. As I say, it has been a while since I played any of those games, but I would rate either of them higher than Legend. Legend was a very good first stab and Tomb Raider by a new studio, setting the template for the games that followed. It suffered somewhat from a lack of scale and feeling to fleeting. The following games built on the foundations to create something special, but it wasn’t there in the first attempt. Jamesgecko says: I’d actually put Underworld at the bottom of the trilogy for a variety of reasons. They used mo-cap, so Lara’s wonderful smooth animation from the first two games is gone. The tweening has been greatly diminished; changing between different animations has much more of a jerk to it. The levels were large, but many of them were also kinda awful. This was an early next-gen title on consoles, so there was a focus on realism, at the expense of landscape readability. Many ledges that looked like they should be grab-able were not. Some that looked like they were just part of the wall were required handholds. I had to check YouTube several times when I got stuck because there was no obvious way to move forward (“Wait, what do you mean I can climb up that?! This is BS”). This was also the first game in a new engine; many of the levels were designed in the absence of a way to play-test them until far too late in the development process. This resulted in things like a frustrating maze level with tight corners that you were supposed to take a motorbike through while being constantly assaulted by undead. Finally, the story jumps the shark so hard that it goes into orbit and careens to its death in a collision with the moon. Twists like “Lara has an evil twin,” and “there is literally an ancient tomb in the basement of Croft Manor,” are not even the most ridiculous story beats (although they are the most coherent). It’s true that there were no QTEs or bosses. Those are things in Underworld’s favor. The 2013 reboot is the only Tomb Raider that has combat I enjoy, so any previous games that give me a break on the fighting definitely get bonus points. But I’ll take the sublime Anniversary over Legends or Underworld any day. Alecthar says: As someone who has played the numbered RE games on their original platforms, the controls in RE4 are such a massive improvement that it’s immaterial that they’re “tank” controls. If RE4 was like controlling a tank, then RE1-3 were like controlling a square-wheeled wagon pulled by a dying goat. The fact that they didn’t embrace standard 3rd person shooter controls at the time was, so far as I know, a philosophical decision as much as a practical one. Frantic movement to take a firing position, deliberate aiming in deadly conditions, it was all part of the atmosphere. And even if the controls in RE6 were an objective improvement, the game simply didn’t nail the balance between horror and action the way RE4 did. FriendGaru says: I am completely on board with the top pick. Is Saints Row IV perfect? No, it’s kinda short, too much focus on the minigames, and loses any sense of challenge one you accumulate a decent number of upgrades. But good lord, it is just a complete joy to play. Running around at super speeds and flying around, smashing into the ground to take out groups of enemies, wielding increasingly ludicrous weaponry, it’s all just pure fun. It’s the kind of game I get 100% on not out of some sense of duty, but just because I don’t want the experience to end. Then I reach a point where there’s nothing left to do and feel kinda sad. I’m usually extremely critical of games writing. Even the stuff that’s supposed to be very good is usually pretty bad compared to other media. But, Saints Row IV has some legitimately good writing. Well defined characters, solid plot framework, well written jokes, and some pathos that contrary to all of my expectations actually lands. It knows what it wants to be and delivers. It’s a really solid pick for #1. Vlonk says: YOU ARE CORRECT! NUCLEAR THRONE BELONGS ON THE LIST! Except it is mentioned favorably under “what else should you be playing” at No. 11 which is Hotline Miami 1. Seems fair to only put 1 top-down delightful frustration machine in the list. Nuclear Throne has a lot going for it except one thing: Still in early access. In my opinion it is a pretty finished game but luckily Vlambeer polish it to perfection. On the official launch of Nuclear Throne we shall return to this thread and demand an update to the list. One thing that Hotline has the edge though: a real killer soundtrack. Crafter says: Why the San Andreas hate? I think it holds up better than the previous entries of the 3d era of GTA. Otherwise, I agree that Niko Bellic is probably the most interesting GTA protagonist. It is too bad that the game as a whole feels extremely conflicted. It seems that the different writing teams have worked entirely independently. One team wrote the main story with a focus on Niko’s morality and guilt. Another wrote the overworld and filled it with pointless satire. It does not feel like the two come from the same game. Matt_W says: I have checked the list twice and can find no mention of HALF LIFE 2. I’m certain it’s meant to be there and just got left on the counter next your keys and the missing sock from your favorite argyle pair. I find it hard to quibble with Saint’s Row IV, which I have trouble believing in because it’s so fun I must be on drugs when I okay it, but surely the most refined action experience of all time deserves a top 5 mention? Oh, and though I’m not a fan of multi-play myself, I find it curious that various very very popular on-line man-shooters with Counter and Duty and 4Dead in their names get no mention. Urthman says: I found the Merc and Reaper campaigns to be really solid (except the Reaper base-building levels were maybe too hard and frustrating without being able to save the game mid-level). The movement mechanics in particular were great. The Merc jetpack was very satisfying, especially in levels with (for the time) incredibly tall structures (also combined really well with the ability to place floating platforms in the base-building levels). And the Reaper’s turbo jumping was one of the first times in a game I felt like I was moving like a superhero. It felt as cool then as Batman’s grapple & glide does now in the Arkham games. Shagen454 says: While it might not be the best action game, I finally picked up RAGE on Steam. Wasn’t really interested in it at the time, but I also don’t think my computer could run it well at the time either. I was skeptical, but I think RAGE is one of the funnest action games I’ve ever played. The combat feels amazing and the game looks great – I love the way the characters look and the game is simple & streamlined. The loot plays out far better than Borderlands (I hate exploding loot based games) and the guns are fucking awesome when you come across new ones early on. And the game gets NO love, so I’m here to give it some. Kud13 says: Number 26: Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. (1997?) Another one by Crystal Dynamics, written by Naughty Dog’s Amy Henning. After wrestling the rights from Silicon Knights in a protracted legal battle, Crystal Dynamics went on to turn the world of Nosgoth, which was a pretty typical Zelda-esque affair, only with vampires and all gothy, into a post-apocalyptic Tomb raider with demons. Soul Reaver’s not the prettiest game. Its combat is tough and often annoying- enemies don’t really die unless you finish them off taking advantage of their vampiric weaknesses (and also eat their souls). It has far too many block puzzles. For all that, it’s engrossing. The entire gameworld is one gigantic map, the loading of transition between areas limited by the opening and closing door animations. The game’s platforming adds an extra dimension via gliding on Raziel’s tattered wings. And then it literally adds a new dimension–by introducing the mechanic of Spirit Realm, which was a parallel dimension, where architecture was warped, allowing Raziel to reach places he otherwise would not-at the expense of dealing with the life-sucking Shadow Wraiths And speaking of Raziel. The voice acting-what made this game, nay, this series. Every word narrated by the protagonist drips scorn, self-loathing and desperation. The world is huge. The world is dying. Kain, the supposed antagonist (or is he?), who caused all of this. Raziel’s former brothers, each made monstrous, as the hulking bosses that require something other than combat to beat. Secret areas that become available Metroidvania-style with new powers-areas containing complex puzzles (not always blocks), initiating gigantic machinery built by God know who to reveal hidden collectibles- new attacks, or bonus HP. Soul Reaver wasn’t the first in what it did. It’s not the best platformer. But it’s combination of platforming, exploration, spooky ambience and a sometimes high-winded story make it one to look for among console action titles that made in onto the PC. Note: originally intended to be the conclusion of Legacy of Kain, the ending was re-written to provide an opening for a time-travel filled sequel. Lots of the original code was recovered by enthusiasts from the PC, Playstation and Dreamcast code, to reconstruct what shoud have been. Where to get it? GOG, Steam, square Enix’s own Web store, etc. Similar titles: despite being direct sequels, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2, and Legacy of Kain: Defiance both abandoned the pseudo-open world feel of the original, focusing on the intricate storytelling in the former and DMC-like combat in the latter. Closest equivalents would probably be the Darksiders series (Death even looks a lot like Raziel). Tomb Raider games by Crystal Dynamics are another obvious pick. Kaeoschassis says: Yes. I’d probably rate it a lot higher than 26, but definitely give it a mention. I recently decided to replay through the entire series (currently on Defiance) and yeah, SR1 is definitely the high point. (Although the sound bugs out quite a bit on modern systems which is frankly heart-breaking. Am I the only one who actually loved the block puzzles though? I mean sure I’ve played through the game so many times I can do most of them in my sleep, but first time through they were pretty interesting. The ability to flip and stack them made the puzzles a lot more enjoyable than the ones from, for example, the earlier tomb raiders. More games should shoot for the feeling that Soul Reaver 1 ALMOST captured, too; that of being a skulking parasite who, while technically immortal, was fragile as hell. The vamps felt genuinely powerful and intimidating back in the day, and everyone once in awhile the game would throw a combat situation at you that you’d actually have to think your way out of. Of course, by the end-game you’re so strong that goes right out the window, but still. I’d definitely recommend that anyone who enjoys SR1 play SR2 as well, though. It might drop the actual open world, but the feeling of exploring a real place is still very much there, and the story may be at its highest point of the entire series. The interactions between Kain and Raziel, always a highlight, are DEFINITELY at their best there. The puzzles are also great. Kud13 says: LoK story is consistently great, but the series really struggled with its mechanics. SR 1 took the “gothic Zelda” formula of Blood Omen, made it 3D and more Tomb Raider-y and it was nearly perfect. SR2 does the best dialogues in any PC game, ever. But it sacrifices depth of gameplay- the world is a corridor with 5 sets of (admittedly, massive) puzzles. Blood Omen 2 tries to recapture SR1, while being set in an actual city. I don’t consider it a red-headed stepchild-in fact I think BO2 got combat right, and the steam-era setting is great, along with the ambient dialogue you could listen to if you were sneaky and took your time (very much like NOLF in that regard). It also went back to the “kill bosses, get more powers” formula. The overall story, and the plotholes it creates, and the fanservic-y Umahugh, yeah, that’s poor Defiance is just something else. Story-wise, it’s basically SR3, with the quality of 2, albeit a bit heavy on exposition. The puzzles are much more “find missing thing to put in slot”, as well as “use correct Reaver”. The game tried to focus on combat-and while some combos look pretty sick, enemy variety sucks, and breaking the same freaking construct 6 tombs in a row gets VERY grating. I guess that’s why Squeenix cancelled 2 supposed LoK sequels – they just don’t know how to keep the same storytelling level, and they can’t settle on a new set of mechanics. Going back to SR1 formula, but with AAA standard is probably a ridiculously expensive option, and LoK remains somewhat of a niche series. As much as I yearn for a closure of Kain’s story, I don’t have much hope. Kaeoschassis says: I’m with you on pretty much all of this. I’m actually one of the apparently few people who really likes Blood Omen 2. I was initially a liiiittle disappointed, sure, but I went into it already knowing what to expect, and I got a lot MORE than I expected. Combat is fantastic once you get used to the weirdly dated controls, stealth and puzzle solving is fun as heck, messing with the AI is amusingly satisfying. Yes the story is a mostly dull mess, but eh, it’s fun. Yes most of the writing is pants, but Kain still manages to be Kain, so all is forgiven. Well, not literally all, but you get what I mean. I still love both SR2 and Defiance dearly, for what it’s worth. But I’ll admit, for all I adore the madly eclectic mess that the LoK series is, I do frequently wish for a world where we’d got the mechanics of SR1 (or even the first Blood Omen, to be honest) with the plot and writing of SR2 and Defiance. And yeah, I’ve given up all hope of ever getting a decent ending for the series. It’s not “okay”, but I’ve come to terms with it, long since. Skabooga says: 26: Little Big Adventure 2 – Colorful, lovely, packed full of adorable characters, and having a bigger heart than most any other game I’ve seen. True, the controls could be fiddly and frustrating at times. And genre-wise, it might be more action-adventure than action (a distinction I’m not sure I could parse). But it makes me feel good every time I play it. In many ways, Beyond Good and Evil was LBA2’s spiritual successor, with improved platforming and control. 27: Cave Story – Another overwhelming lovely game. Again, perhaps its genre is more platformer than true action, but I’m willing to bend definitions a little. Everything from the visuals to the music to the controls were tight and of the highest caliber, and all the more remarkable for being the work of one person. The atmosphere and setting were, if not coherent, quite unique, and the game contains some of the most lovable characters. 28: Crusader: No Regret – Now this was unreservedly an action game. I suppose I’ve always had a soft spot for isometric views and art, and Crusader: No Regret won me over. Everything from the FMV to the synthy verging on dancy soundtrack are a perfect encapsulation of how the mid-90s felt. I don’t think any game has made being a terrorist so fun, going around sabotaging bases and wantonly blowing up equipment. Oozo says: Thanks for mentioning Cave Story, I was a bit sad to not seeing it mentioned. Such a wonderful, lovely game that has a very clear vision of what it wants to be and is one of the purest and best examples of that chosen genre ever done. Then again, as others have pointed out, “action” is a very, very, very vague category anyway, which makes it all the more baffling that they would limit it to 25 picks. Well, the alternative wouldn’t be too enticing, either: genre definitions that are so rigid that basically the lists become meaningless, or very short. Still, I hope for a “platformer” genre, because there are clear omissions on that list that are a bit surprising. I’d like to see them do even more abstract categories, for once, because they basically have already admitted that theirs are pretty useless, anyway — things like “most atmospheric games ever”, or “games that are too good not to be mentioned but didn’t fit in neatly on any list so far, which is awesome, btw”. Oh, and yes, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. One of the most exciting developer of action games of all times (btw, no Bitmap Brothers?) working on the top of their game — maybe not their best game, but representative for an exemplary studio and a genre a bit neglected on the list. Also, it’s basically as far out as Saints Row, even though it’s probably even more camp. What’s not to like? WhatAShamefulDisplay says: GTA4 is the worst of the 3D GTA games by far, and San Andreas is the best unless judge a game purely on the basis of its licensed soundtrack, in which case it’s Vice City. 4’s proponents always seem to mis-characterise its detractors as people who couldn’t handle a serious mob storyline, or who expected whacky humour, or didn’t want serious themes in their open world murder simulator. None of this is true. The problem is that, by common though by no means universal consensus, they *made a hash of it*. The cousins Bellic are not just unlikeable but hugely inconsistent. The cognitive dissonance between gameplay and cutscene is probably the single worst example of the phenomenon in mainstream gaming, and certainly the most famous. Mission design was the most samey and uncreative of the 3D GTAs, even including III which was no great shakes either. Car handling comprehensively failed to be realistic or weighty, and ended up being buttery and loose instead (see Mafia for how to do it properly). I could go on and on, but I think many people will agree that GTA5 is the series zenith mechanically, GTAVC is the zenith thematically, and GTASA is the best synthesis. GTA4 was a failed experiment which Rockstar immediately turned away from in the next installment. Finally, SR4 is not the best of the Saint’s Row franchise, that would be SR2. SR4 is just another shonkily written “satire” that has some two bit superhero mechanics clumsily added on top, with a city that was copy and pasted from SR3, which was itself a mediocre nothing game. SR2 may have had a terrible PC port, and may have been mechanically wonky to say the least, but it did have 3 great redeeming factors: 1.) Charles Shaughnessy’s phenomenal cockney VO for the boss, which was vastly superior to Robin Atkin Downes’ rubbish attempt in SR3&4. 2.) The best clothes and car customisation in any GTA-alike to date, and 3.) by far and away the most vicious sense of humour in videogames. It was an oversight, Volition were deliberately crafting something quite different from the GTA brand of cynical satire, it’s a genuine exploration of what it might be like to be a completely sociopathic and Machiavellian crime lord. By all means don’t enjoy it, but don’t have a go at Volition for being “misogynistic”, or whatever nonsense insults you can throw at them. I thought John was meant to be the great crusader for videogames not wanting the players to emulate their in game character? Put simply, being a vicious and society-hating killer is *fun*. Moreso than emulating a superhero in a badly designed world replete with “lol so randumb” meme humour, anyway. Blastaz says: GTA5 is the series zenith mechanically, GTAVC is the zenith thematically, and GTASA is the best synthesis. GTA4 was a failed experiment which Rockstar immediately turned away from in the next installment. This is wisdom. I’d still probably argue that SA is the best GTA as it was quite simply the biggest and boldest. III added 3d. VC added you talking. SA added ALL the gameplay. IV then took a massive step back to try and create a story that didn’t really hold together. LCS then actually put a good interwoven story in that world. V then made something really pretty. But its still San Andreas that has me going back to the gym before saving after every mission to build up my stats and doing that initial run on a bike to get all the graffiti tags every time I start a new game. It’s the best combination of systems, theme and substance. Plus you get to wear that whack yellow suit & bowler at the end! Laurentius says: Well SRIV is one of the worst and dreariest games I have ever played and one that feel so incredible cheap and selling its cheapiness with disregard for player. Anyway it is so wierd choice but I can live with that but what happand to tons of timeless classics? What is even going on here? Action games started with Max Payne? C’mon, check those games: Another World and Flashback Little Big Adventure 1 and 2 Magic Carpet Wing Commander Speedbal 2 Jedi Academy Heretic 2 MDK Oddworld games:Abe’s Oddysey just out of the top of my head but there so many more. Says: Don’t have much to say beyond a few observations: Oni: Played this about five years ago and really enjoyed it. It’s a bit clunky but it works well enough within its clunkiness (feels fair and you don’t die all the time because of it). Its positives certainly outweigh its negatives. Very fun game. Tomb Raider Legend: Played this on GameCube (maybe the most limited version?) and it was a huge surprise. Thought it was excellent, like playing the lead role in an action film. Similar feeling to Oni. Wasn’t a big fan of Sands of Time. Need to play it through, though. Would recommend Prince of Persia 2: The Shadow and the Flame, though. Only cerebral gorillas with a pianist’s hands and cat-like reflexes can finish that one! Isn’t the first Max Payne terribly clunky now, but without the pay-off of something like Oni? Only played it recently for the first time and it featured terrible animation, which undermines the action. Even though it was on a tablet, I can’t imagine the controls being silky-smooth on anything. I’ve tried and tried but I can’t like Resident Evil 4 much. I don’t even think I could say it’s good from an objective point of view. Limited controls and game design that’s like playing D&D with a sadistic DM. The way it sets up surprises and drops enemies on your head just annoys me. It also deserves to be singled out and beaten for the plot, voice acting and all the backtracking. I’ve played the GameCube version, which is supposedly the best one. Never played Beyond Good and Evil that much but it seems frightfully high up the list Hotline Miami and Towerfall are great! Says: Sounds terrible. Not sure if I had the patience to get there but I do remember being chased around a characteristically small area for a seeming eternity by some big monster early enough in the game. I’m an ammo hoarder but by the time I finished the thing I was out of almost everything and may have spent about twenty minutes wondering was the pistol doing anything. By the time I beat him I was actually bored. My weapons may have been impotent but terrible controls aside, the beast was pretty poor at getting me as well. The RE games specialise in design decisions that introduce unfair difficulty. They start by giving you very little ammo and health pick-ups and go from there with crappy controls and characters who move like a tank and awful camera angles. Sparse pick-ups are necessary to a degree in this kind of game as they increase that sense of vulnerability. If it was just the pick-ups it wouldn’t be so bad but they take every opportunity to take the piss out of you. In the case of RE4 I think its legend stems from the fact that it was a GameCube exclusive. I got the machine for all its offline four-player games so it was worth it to a degree, but its release schedule was like winter at Valley Forge. GameCube magazines and owners were itching for some long, “mature” adventure not made by Nintendo to call the best game of all time and validate their little machine that couldn’t. The rest of the world is to blame for its gullibility. Says: Got a few 3D games for a tablet just to see what it could do. Was nice to see Max Payne and Jet Set Radio on the small screen but they were pretty much unplayable (especially JSR). Next thing will be the embedded devices release. I’d imagine playing either of them on my fridge would be easier than with the touchscreen! Haven’t played the Max Payne sequels or many recent action games either. 3D action games certainly benefit from better technology, but then game design itself seems to be getting bogged down in anti-patterns quite a lot of late. Primary one when it comes to action games is difficulty (since about the first Tomb Raider, but more recent games make it look hard). Without it, what’s the point? Is anything on the list even remotely close to Prince of Persia 2 when it comes to this? Unless there are difficulty levels in Oni (can’t remember; would have selected the hardest if there was) it certainly isn’t an easy game towards the end and you’ll need to have mastered its combat to a decent level. Difficulty has pretty much gone from all genres, as though game designers think they’d be up in The Hague if somebody with two left hands couldn’t finish their game. Hotline Miami gets good marks when it comes to difficulty. While far from impossible, I’m sure there are people who’d never finish it if they had until doomsday. I’d gather that the hatred of difficulty comes from all those completely unfair games from back in the day. There were games that were hard but fair back then (e.g. D/Generation, Super Castlevania IV, Gunstar Heroes). The good ones. That was the minority of games. Perhaps those who couldn’t do it right eventually gave up and use some other parlour trick to extend game life? Collecting shit and fetch quests? Shinard says: The main, obvious omission? Sleeping Dogs. Goddamn Sleeping Dogs. Top 10 material? No, probably not. Without a doubt. It borrows mechanics heavily – Max Payne’s shooting, Arkham Asylum’s fighting, Just Cause’s vehicles – and never quite equals the originals. A pile of content was undoubtedly, and rather obviously, cut, at one point making your character into an obsessive stalker for no real reason. But – Buuuuuut – it all really, really works. The heavy borrowing of mechanics means there’s no real bad one, ending with an open world where everything is fun to do. The cut content is irritating once you notice, but there’s more than enough in the open world for you never to be bored. There’s loads of little details, like the ability to buy food from street vendors and eat it as you walk along, that help immersion greatly and are just, well, cool. And the story. My God, the story. An interesting, engrossing classic triad story, with you playing an undercover cop. You question your allegiances, find hidden depths in seeming stereotypes of characters, try and do good while being forced everyday to compromise more for survival. It’s dark, clever and so engrossing. I know it looks like a GTA ripoff, but trust me. You won’t regret it. RimeOfTheMentalTraveller says: I have it on GOG, but the last time I tried to play it, everything ran too fast and I couldn’t fix it despite using the help forums. But from what I managed to play before it got fucked, it was maybe the only game I’ve played with such complex melee combat which actually works with mouse and keyboard properly. It also had a Dark Souls vibe, though to be honest I’ve never played DS. It just reminded me because of the gameplay and the atmosphere which were somewhat akin to what I’d seen of DS. Says: Since I failed to mention it before: D/Generation It has always been considered an action/adventure but there are fewer games without some sort of adventure or RPG elements these days. Many on this list are more action/adventure. If an action game is one in which you’re mainly engaged in frenetic action, then D/Generation is your beastie. The final showdown with the D/Generation itself demands to be experienced. I tried to find out who owns the licence recently. Mindscape stopped making games but presumably they still have it? There’s an awful-looking freeware remake available and a not-too-terrible-looking 3D remake on the way. Its component parts don’t look too bad, but when put together they look incongruous and it’s difficult to tell in which direction the torpedo periscope thingies are pointing. Whatever happens with the remake, it’d be better to just play the original. Last time I gave it a go was about six months ago and it ran really well in DOSBox. Game has (rare) physical (floppy) disk copy protection that can see through DOSBox emulation but that’s easily removed with something like Crackaid. Says: Can see why you think that, especially considering it fell well short of the hype. For those who picked it up for nothing in a bargain bin it might have been a pleasant surprise. Its worst aspects aren’t as bad as you say, especially considering the game’s design took into account its failings and was reasonably fair with predictable controls. It worked well within its limitations, which is about the most important thing any game could do. I completed it and found the challenge was always about right. Even when I died a lot in the same place I always wanted just one more go. It’s certainly a very clunky game, and even was at the time. Probably something that could easily be loved or loathed. It’s certainly a brave move to put it on a list like this. Even when I disagree with choices I’d prefer to see games you might love or loathe get picked rather than the usual safe choices full of games that are good because of “accepted wisdom” that the list makers may not have even played to completion (or at all).
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