Action is a very broad genre, as it encompasses everything from action-adventure to action RPGs to shooters to simply pure action games. Therefore, there is never a year without several fantastic action games being released, and 2024 followed that trend.
What is impressive about the 2024 action lineup is how varied the games are. All sorts of different gameplay mechanics, environments, and weapons have been featured in these titles. After all, some had you shooting aliens on distant planets, while others had you slicing through zombies with a katana in a mall. Here are the action games that stood out the most, though.
There is a little part of every Batman fan that wishes they were Batman. Arkham Shadow allows you to experience what that would be like, as it’s a VR Batman game. It’s set in the Arkham universe, six months after the events of Origins. So, you play as a still fairly inexperienced Dark Knight as you try to save Gotham City from a villain called the Rat King.
It isn’t the purest Arkham experience, but the developers have done an excellent job of replicating the series' signature atmosphere and tone. Being a VR game means the combat isn’t quite like the earlier games in the series, but it’s still smooth and fun.
For some time, it seemed that the Prince of Persia series was never coming back in any meaningful way. Then, The Lost Crown was released, and it is one ofthe series' best entries.
The game is a 2.5D side-scrolling action-adventure title that combines platforming elements with a bit of swordplay. You use a pair of dual blades, the protagonist’s impressive agility, and a few special abilities to unleash all sorts of impressive combos on your foes. All of it is to rescue a kidnapped prince.
The lore in the Warhammer franchise is as deep as any other gaming series. That said, you don’t need to be incredibly knowledgeable about it to enjoy Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2. All you need is an appreciation of violence and third-person shooter gunplay. That is not to say the story is completely irrelevant, as it is actually a well-told military tale about soldiers facing off against alien forces. Yet, what makes this game great are the many exciting battles you have against those same forces.
You can head into those skirmishes while either AI or other players online are watching your back. Whether you’re playing single-player or multiplayer, however, the title remains continuously engaging, partially due to the various weapons and enemy types in the game.
The Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster is a remake of the original 2006 Dead Rising game. It contains the same narrative about a photojournalist named Frank West ending up in a mall filled with zombies. ‘Filled’ is not an overstatement, as in this game, you can barely move without knocking into a member of the undead horde.
That may sound like a horrifying situation, but this isn’t a scary game. It’s a pretty light-hearted adventure with plenty of comedy and absurdity. There is also an ample amount of blood and combat since you will need to take out a lot of zombies and bosses on your adventure. you may do so using traditional weapons like katanas and guns or random everyday items you find.
Echoes of Wisdom flips the classic Legend of Zelda script by not having Link as the protagonist. Instead, the titular character, Zelda, is finally the main hero. In fact, she sets out on an adventure to save Link, so their roles are swapped.
Zelda is very different from the other protagonists featured in action games in 2024. After all, she isn’t a traditional combatant. However, she’s armed with a Trirod, which allows her to summon creatures that she’s already fought to fight for her. So, there is an element of strategy to combat, as you must spawn the right monsters for the right battle. This summon mechanic is also a big part of the game’s puzzle sections, which are very well-designed and compelling.
Stellar Blade is about as pure of an action game as 2024 was able to provide. While it contains a story about your protagonist attempting to save humanity from dangerous monsters, it’s certainly not the main selling point of this game. This is a title all about wild, over-the-top action.
You need to parry, dodge, and slice through all the enemies you face, and doing so is very engaging and satisfying. It helps that there isa wide range of different enemy typesin the game, which helps the combat stay refreshing and forces you to use a bit of strategy to counter specific threats.
In Helldivers 2, you play as shock troopers who are dropped onto hostile planets and are tasked with completing missions. Those missions involve plenty of fighting against giant hordes of alien creatures. It’s not a situation you ideally want to be in, but you’re there representing Super Earth, so you must do a good job.
Because of the large number of enemies you face, Helldivers 2 is a very chaotic and action-packed third-person shooter. It’s even more wild if you invite some friends along for the ride, as there is co-op in the game. In fact, you’re strongly encouraged to play with other people, as it’s designed to be a cooperative experience.
Many games have beeninspired by the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West, but few of them are as good as Black Myth: Wukong. In it, you play as a not-very-talkative anthropomorphic monkey that is armed with a special staff.
With that weapon, you take on all sorts of large and powerful monsters, as the game revolves around big boss fights. To defeat these foes, you have to make use of different stances, manage your stamina, dodge at the right time, and use some spells. So, there is significant depth to the combat.
