Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is one of the best action-adventure games of all time, serving as the pinnacle of the franchise. Cover-based shooting, moment-to-moment gameplay and explosive backdrops still make this PS3 game sing. A more recent example is Kena: Ghost Bridgewhich has a slightly more open environment to explore.
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As good as these games are in the adventure genre, they are not open world experiences. They follow and won't let up if the players stick to the main show. Getting everything in these worlds can slow things down, but overall, these are adventure games that no fan should miss.
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The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
A link to the future
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildand the franchise as a whole remain at the top of the adventure food chain. Players are free to travel around Hyrule in this game as they please, whether it involves finding Koroks under rocks, fighting monsters, cooking elaborate meals to boost health, or climbing high peaks; it's all up to the players.
The freedom players have is amazing for an open-world game, but even if they stick to story missions and reach the conclusion faster than most, it's still a tight campaign to match the heights of the others. Zelda records.
Red Dead Redemption 2
How Arthur got his groove back
Red Dead Redemption 2 is the best western game ever made and its story could stand alongside some of the best western movies. The story followed Arthur Morgan in his quest to follow the criminal life line of his gang.
There's a lot more to Arthur at this late stage in his life, and players have the choice to be more open to his actions, from riding and exploring the peaks and valleys of the plains to sport hunting. On the other hand, players could also lean into the life of bandits and rob everything from banks to trains in exciting scenes highlighting the best of the genre.
Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag
Sail the Caribbean
Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag is a pirate adventure that is the absolute blueprint for all the games that followed. Pirate plays had existed before, but few featured the crew singing sea shanties as they sailed around the Caribbean.
This little touch adds to the adventure that players can experience, from just sailing around and watching the beauty of the blue ocean, to landing on islands and conquering them, to diving under the sea and searching for treasure. For many, it is the pinnacle Assassin's Creedthough the “assassin” part of the title isn't as well researched.
Shadow Of The Colossus (2018)
Attack on Titan
Shadow of the Colossus is a work of art, simple in its design but expertly executed in all iterations. The most recent version was released in 2018 as a complete remake without much change except fixing some control issues.
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While the world is open and explorable, it's mostly empty and haunted, as the land is plagued by large titans roaming around instead of rich cities full of NPCs. The game is essentially a series of boss fights where no two Colossi look or act alike, from towering humanoid titans to encumbrances to winged nightmares. There are few experiences in this game more harrowing than destroying all sixteen Colossi.
Donkey Kong Banana
You're going bananas
Donkey Kong Banana is one of those games that has a lot of collectibles, but the game is so good that players will be compelled to get them all. This is because the gameplay is unlike anything else in a Nintendo game, as Donkey Kong has the power to punch through almost anything.
It's far from the first game to try destructible gameplay, but Donkey Kong Banana is definitely the first to have platforming and set design as good as this one. From minecart adventures to tropical retreats to drizzle peaks, the variety of biomes is unmatched and the finale is just too good.
Ghost Of Tsushima
The fight against the Mongol hordes
Ghost of Tsushima takes place on the titular island in Japan, just as it is invaded by the Mongols. Jin, a former samurai, must learn new ways to attack to help save his people, and will give players both samurai and ninja skills to get the job done. While the gore is solid, it's the exploration that really puts the game over the top.
What's great about exploration are the little ways to point the player in new directions, from birds flying around to foxes to the wind. With some of the best ancient ruins and natural landscapes available in gaming, Ghost of Tsushima it's almost like playing a holiday album.
Subnautica
Fraud stories
Subnautics begins with a spaceship disaster and finds players lost in an alien ocean. With supplies dwindling, players must explore the ocean to get enough resources to build new workstations. With new stations, players can reach further depths, each more terrifying than the last.
As a survival game, it takes a lot of work to get anywhere, but that's half the fun, along with seeing underwater biomes with colorful fish and flora as far as the eye can see. So for those brave enough to dive deep, Subnautica is a rewarding experience.
A short hike
Birding
A short hike plays a brave young bird with only one goal: to get to the top of the mountain. In this sprawling, national park-like zone, players will find trails, waterfalls, wind gusts, rope ladders and more. With no real goals beyond the goal of climbing, players are free to explore, collect treasure, talk to NPCs, and so on without a checklist hanging over their head.
While PS1-like polygonal models don't look as good as something similar God of War Ragnarokthey add magic short hike, along with bright colors that will make players want to head out and start climbing mountains after completing this relatively quick adventure.
The outer wilderness
a time loop in space
The outer wilderness is a time-loop game where each round of play only takes about twenty-two minutes before the universe collapses. The goal is to solve how to escape the disaster, and everything players need to know is introduced at the beginning.
The trick is that the game hides important facts and mechanisms from the players and guides them in the right direction to figure out the mystery on their own, which can take more than a dozen hours. It's a pure adventure puzzle game at its core, and it's not easy. Those who fully immerse themselves will feel their lives change for the better by the end of the game because it's something different.
Sable
Mad Max
Sable
8/10
- Released
-
September 23, 2021
Sable focuses on a young child who ventures into the surrounding desert on his own to prove to their natives that he is ready for greater things. There is no combat, only exploration tools. The coolest feature is the hover bike, which looks just as cool as the ones inside Star Wars.
The game also crops images as Spider-Verse movies, making it look like a comic book come to life, except for the impressive cel shading and use of monotone colors. Aside from the hovercraft, players can also climb ancient ruins and solve puzzles, and there's nothing too challenging to really exercise the brain, which players more focused on exploration will appreciate.
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