There are a lot of video games out there and in this era of mobile and home-based gaming, the choices have never been greater. So how do you cut through the noise and find the “Best of” for any chosen topic?
Well, we’re here to help celebrate and shine a spotlight on some of the latest, greatest and unforgettable games through the years.
For our ongoing series of articles depicting the best video games, our attention this time turns to adventure games. From engrossing narratives to explorative worlds, there’s a good choice to whet your appetite.
Of course, if we’ve missed any of your favorites, feel free to comment below and we’ll get them added on!
Red Dead Redemption 2
Red Dead Redemption 2 serves as a fabulous continuation of the Red Dead Redemption series developed by Rockstar. The second game contains better visuals than the first game and follows a new protagonist named Arthur Morgan. Arthur is an outlaw and member of the Van der Linde gang.
He must survive the steadying decline of the Wild West. This comes in the form of government forces, rival gangs, and other enemies aiming to make your life a nightmare. Completing Arthur’s story will net you a cool epilogue that follows John Marston, the protagonist of Red Dead Redemption’s first game.
Players will adore following the story set-up for Arthur Morgan and the other cast in Red Dead Redemption 2. Seeing them cling to their old-fashioned lifestyles while abiding by the new laws set up by their government will emotionally impact you.
The gameplay feels familiar to the previous Red Dead titles, but with more flavorful terrains to explore. Players will adore the mission variety set-up for these games. You’ll find yourself chasing stagecoaches, robbing trains, and getting drunk with your buddies. Unfortunately, the game doesn’t allow you to deviate much from your set pathway.
However, if you can overlook its minimal approach toward freedom, you’re in for a wild ride with this game.
You can read our thoughts on Red Dead Redemption 2 in our video game review here!
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order gave Star Wars fans hope for better games from EA moving forward. This title was developed by Respawn Entertainment who were influenced by multiple games from Nintendo’s library like Metroid Prime and The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker.
This title takes place five years after Star Wars – The Revenge of the Sith. It centers around a Jedi Padawan named Cal Kestis, who’s being chased by the Galactic Empire and hunted down by the Imperial Inquisitors. Players will follow Cal’s training, witness him reconcile with his past, and rebuild the fallen Jedi Order.
This game boasts fun game-play and mesmerizing visuals. Like other Star Wars titles, you’ll use a light-saber and Force powers to defeat enemies ranging from storm-troopers to menacing creatures. Players can anticipate traveling to multiple planets with the gameplay leaning toward Metroidvania-styled exploration and progression.
Expect to revisit areas that contain shortcuts and secret areas when you achieve the appropriate ability or tool to enter them. This Star Wars game was a step in the right direction and offers a compelling narrative with satisfying twists and turns. Give it a shot when you have the time.
God of War: Ragnarok
God of War: Ragnarok is the follow-up to PlayStation’s new take on the iconic god-slaying warrior Kratos’s series. Although many fans adored the first entry, they couldn’t wait to dive into the sequel. This is one of those rare occasions, where a sequel exceeds fan expectations and delivers something truly astonishing.
This game boasts phenomenal tight-knit gameplay, satisfying combat, and mesmerizing visuals. Fans will find themselves in awe at the amount of effort put into this game’s locales, dialogue, and characters. The story is well-written, and its voice talent delivers its lines in captivating ways.
If you’ve been thirsting for a game that feels like a next-generation title, this is it. From God of War (PS4) to Ragnarok, it appears Santa Monica Studios’s winning streak ceases to conclude.
Stray
Stray is a comforting game that wishes to engulf its player in the world with a fun story. It never tries to push boundaries, nor does it want to shower its players in microtransactions. It’s a title that sets out to give players a gorgeous and enjoyable time.
This title’s split across 12 chapters and offers a simplistic narrative. The game follows a wandering cat who is separated from its family. As a result, the cat embarks on a journey filled with robotic inhabitants and ancient mysteries. This game won’t take much of your time to complete as you can easily finish it within 4-6 hours.
The game offers a decently told storyline with some memorable folks along the way. It’ll make you ponder how a game about a wandering feline can hold your attention. In some respects, it adopts elements from titles like Limbo and Untitled Goose Game and crafts a mundane yet effective game-play loop you’ll adore.
You can read our thoughts on Stray in our video game review here!
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Despite their blunder with Cyberpunk 2077, CDPR was regarded as one of the best game developers when The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was released in 2015. This game boasts excellent storytelling, intriguing quest design, and an expansive lush world for you to traverse and soak in.
Unfortunately, the game’s combat can be decisive, but if you can overlook those inconveniences you’ll adore the game’s other aspects. In it, players follow a monster hunter for hire called Gerald. He goes on an epic quest to find his former apprentice, Ciri before The Wild Hunt does.
Geralt encounters many menacing forces on his search quest, who threaten to consume the world. It’s up to you to help Geralt put stop to these evildoers. This game’s littered with side quests, interesting locales, and hours of voice-acted dialogue. These aspects help immerse players into the world developed by CDPR. It’s these notable aspects that make The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt a fan-favorite.
Marvel’s Spider-Man
From Spyro The Dragon to Spider-Man, Insomniac Games created a fun world for comic and non-comic fans to explore. This game contains fun web-slinging action, a well-written storyline, and breathtaking visuals. Despite previous Spider-Man games having noteworthy aspects, this one aimed to be the best one yet.
In this game, players follow Peter Parker as he assists in helping the police arrest Wilson Fisk (Kingpin). However, a new group of menacing villains called the Demon shows up to ruin New York’s peace. It’s up to you to help Peter improve his mental prowess while saving New York from the Demons.
Marvel’s Spider-Man boasts an emotionally engaging narrative with rich interactions. Players may stumble to get the hang of things in this title. Once you triumph over the game’s learning curve, you’ll grow to appreciate the mechanics Insomniac Games lays in front of you.
You can read our thoughts on Marvel’s Spider-Man in our video game review here!
Batman: Arkham City
Batman: Arkham City is an excellent action-adventure game with a brilliant narrative, gorgeous visuals, and fun gameplay. In this game, players see Batman incarcerated in Arkham City, a well-structured prison enclosing Gotham City.
As Batman, you must discover the root of the facility warden Hugo Strange’s dastardly schemes. However, fans should expect many iconic villains like The Joker to rear their heads here. This game offers vast combat and has Batman completing tasks in a detective-styled manner.
Players can traverse this Arkham City prison freely and interact with characters and tackle missions. You’ll unlock new areas by progressing through the game’s main storyline or by obtaining equipment. Players can complete numerous side missions that aren’t a part of the overarching narrative.
Completing these tasks will net you additional content and collectible items. Players can look forward to playing as Catwoman and traversing through a story campaign that runs parallel to the game’s plot. If you’re looking for an action-packed superhero game from the DC Universe, check this one out.
Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection
Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection combines the first 3 Uncharted games under one delectable package. The games included are Drake’s Fortune, Among Thieves, and Drake’s Deception. This game was packaged with select PlayStation 4 systems in the past and offers insane value.
The games included receive slight visual improvements, but nothing too groundbreaking. For those unaware, Uncharted follows a treasure hunter named Nathan Drake, who embarks on many adventures to uncover unimaginable treasures.
The Uncharted series includes multiple gameplay mechanics from clever puzzles, fun platforming, and remarkable third-person shooter gameplay. These games deliver incredible narratives jam-packed with cinematic cutscenes that’ll leave you in awe. If you’re searching for a fun action-adventure title that evokes a multitude of emotions, check out the Nathan Drake Collection.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild served as a game-changer for Nintendo. It throws away its linearity in favor of throwing players into a world that is lush, vivid, and vast. However, the game still maintains the tricky puzzles and epic boss fights fans loved in its other games.
In this game, players control Link who has finally awakened from his 100-year slumber. As you traverse through rocky landscapes and enchanting meadows, you’ll stumble upon memories and individuals from your past who’ll help Link remember what took place before his long nap.
This game wreaks of adventure. It doesn’t force you to follow a set path, as you’re given the freedom to approach the game in any way you wish. Whether it’s heading to Hyrule Castle to defeat Calamity Ganon or strolling meadows to annoy bokoblins, you’ll find yourself immersed in this game’s setting. If you haven’t played Breath of the Wild, do yourself a favor and check it out.
Outer Wilds
Don’t overlook this indie darling. This is a title that grants players immense freedom and delivers a unique spin on adventure games. With its beautiful storytelling and well-crafted puzzles, Outer Wilds presents players with a challenging title worth completing.
Our game centers around an unnamed space adventurer. This being must solve riddles dating to former civilizations. You’ll board the adventurer’s spacecraft and visit nearby planets, moons, satellites, etc. The catch is you’re only given 22 minutes to do this stuff.
Once the time expires, you’ll be greeted by a supernova that’ll wipe your world from existence. However, you’ll reawaken at your household and continue your adventure. This time-based mechanic entices players to traverse through the game’s world more.
This game won’t wipe your progress after the universe resets, though. Essentially, everything you discovered in your first run of the game will carry over to your next time loop. Whether you want to speedrun or wander around the game’s planets, Outer Wilds wants you to experience it in a distinct way.
So, there we have it, our pick for the best adventure video games through the years!
What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!