Some of the best modern games take a while to get up and running. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Person 5 are two good examples of games that need to prepare their plot before allowing players to enter the game. Other games have minimal story options that are more suitable for action players out there.
In-game stories used to be a secondary element in Nintendo games, like during the NES and SNES days. For all types of players who want to play a modern action game with an old school feel, these titles are pure action. They either have no direct story or very little to hinder gameplay.
Hyper Light Drifter
Cyberpunk Fantasy Zelda
Hyper Light Drifter is an indie tribute Zelda series, a top-down action game set in a dystopian fantasy cyberpunk world. It's a mishmash of genres, but it works thanks to a clean pixel art aesthetic and bright colors.
The funky thing about the story is that no English is ever spoken. Instead, players have to interpret what NPCs or vendors are saying, and part of the fun is definitely piecing together the (completely optional) lore by partially learning to read another language. However, if that doesn't sound interesting to you, slashing monsters in stylish combat all day long is certainly an option as well.
Tunic
If Link Was A Fox
Tunic is another indie tribute from top to bottom Zelda old games. It also uses toy-style 3D models and the star is a fox. Another similarity is the language mechanic, which players can find in the form of lost pages scattered around the map.
Through contextual clues and the expansion of the user guide in the fourth step, which breaks the wall, players can learn to decipher the language and unlock new paths. This cryptic language may be more than what players want, so if all they want is action, the standard gameplay should be enough as this meta-story can be ignored.
Graduate
Kick, Punch, It's All In The Mind
Graduate is a martial arts game with soul-like elements, such as being dropped into a mysterious world with virtually no background information. Along the way, players will encounter masked warriors who are extremely skilled and want to show off their fighting skills.
However, this isn't the simple beatdown of the good old arcade days, as players must track and counter their enemy's movements to get ahead in any fight. Defeating enemies can reward players with new combat moves that can then be incorporated into their combos. If they're lucky, they might even run into an online ally, which is just as exciting as meeting a stranger in Way.
Warriors: Abyss
They have to go from top to bottom
For anyone who likes the chaotic action of Musou games Dynasty Warriorsbut he doesn't like cutscenes or dialogue in the middle of a mission, they should check it out Warriors: Abyss. It's a top-down version of the Musou formula mixed with a roguelike, only with a lot less text. Instead, this game prioritizes action.
Players can earn currency with each run and unlock new heroes, each of whom play differently thanks to their unique weapons and movesets. From swords to spears to whips to weapons, there's a lot to test. Koei Tecmo provided a lot of fun updates in 2025 with the addition of cameo characters like Ryu z Ninja Gaiden, security Warriors: Abyss has kept its gameplay fresh long after its release date.
Broforce
United States of Action Heroes
Broforce is modernized Cons that stars parody heroes based on the greatest action figures of all time. There are explosive characters like MacBrover, melee characters like The Brode, and ranged specialists like Brommando.
Each level is short and randomly selects a hero for players to use, with new unlocks as hostages are rescued. Every unlock will be laugh-out-loud fun, but controlling these characters is also fun. Aside from saving America from terrorists, there's no story line that prevents blowing things up; as the brothers like it.
Rollerdrome
Tony Hawk with guns
Rollerdrome takes place in a dystopian future where blood sports rule the airwaves like the biggest movies of the 80s. The titular Rollerdrome is a tournament in which players must skate and shoot at the same time or die trying.
Pulling off sick tricks like in extreme sports games not only looks great, but you need to earn some time to recharge. The visual style is colorful and gritty and the action relentless. Even after a hundred deaths, players will want to get up and try again.
Prime planet
The Jetsons Meets The Flintstones
Prime planet is a survival-themed Metroidvania set in prehistoric times, or so it seems. The cover and title screen reveal that the game has some sci-fi aspects, but the less players know, the better.
When playing as a caveman, you don't speak, but the leading family communicates through gestures and actions. Collected materials can be used to craft things like torches and food, while killing dinosaurs and other enemies will earn players EXP and grant them skill points. It's one of the more challenging Metroidvanias in recent memory thanks to the survival elements, but it's hard to put down regardless.
Catanaut
Samurai from deep space
Catanaut it has a few words at the beginning and between runs, and when the text does appear, it's more like a prop than a set-up for an engaging plot. All players need to know is that they are Naut, a space samurai who gets stuck in a space colony that is suddenly overrun by mutants emerging from the void.
It's like Aliens missing Samurai Jackcomplete with chaotic action on every run. Players can earn upgrades such as skills and new weapons along with currency to permanently upgrade Nauto. Most of it is standard for the roguelike genre, but Catanaut still distinguished by its setting, as well as Prime planet.
