Action gaming is, unsurprisingly, theindustry’s most popular genre, ahead of sports and adventure games which are in second and third place respectively. What makes the action genre so successful is that it factors into numerous other styles of gaming. The action genre featured in manyarcade games like beat em' upsand shoot em' ups, factored into theplatforming games that dominated the 90s, the realisticshooters that thrived in the 2000s, and theopen-world adventure gamesthat have recently found success in the 2010s.
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Unsurprisingly, theNintendo Switchhas been flooded with numerous fantastic action games that have helped Nintendo bounce back from the disappointment of the Wii U. With the line between what is and what isn’t an action game often being hard to determine, it’s worth pointing out that the titles on this list were chosen as they are categorized in the action genre by Metacritic.
10Sonic Mania Plus (91)
Today, many people associate the action genre with over-the-top shooters and hack and slash games, though it’s platformers that spearheaded the genre’s rise during the early generations of home console gaming.
Following an almost impressive run of disappointing 3D games, Sega’s mascot character Sonic finally found success by taking the series back to its roots.Sonic Maniarecreates some of the blue hedgehog’s most iconic stages while implementing numerous design changes.Sonic Mania Plus,an enhanced version of the game, was released in July 2018 and featured new characters as well as an Encore Mode.
9Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove (91)
From one side-scrolling action-platformer to another,Shovel Knightwasinitially released in 2014 and recaptured the essence of classic 8-bit titles while implementing modern gameplay mechanics.
Shovel Knight: Treasure Troveis an expanded edition of the original game that includes the King of Cards, Plague of Shadows, and Specter of Torment campaigns.Shovel Knightwon numerous awards upon release, includingThe Game Awards' accolade of Best Independent Game, andIGN’s Best 3DS Game.
8INSIDE (91)
Winner of the Action accolade at the 2018 Webby Awards,INSIDEreleased in 2016 and is the successor ofLimbo. The game was praised by fans and critics for its minimalistic take on audio;INSIDEpredominantly saves its audio for musical cues and diegetic sounds. Playdead’s audio choice was evidently a smart one, as the game won the accolade ofBest Audio at the Game Developers Choice Awards.
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INSIDE’s audio wasn’t its only award-winning feature, as Playdead’s game also picked up awards forArtistic AchievementandNarrativeat the British Academy Games Awards, as well asOutstanding Achievement in Game Direction at the D.I.C.E. Awards.
7Celeste (92)
The fourth side-scrolling action-platformer to appear in a row on this list is also the last;Celestewas released in 2018 by Matt Makes Games and tasked the playable character, Madeline, with scaling Celeste Mountain while facing her inner demons, often literally, along the way.
Celesteis recognized today for being one of the gaming’s best modern side-scrollers, as well as one of the toughest since Team Meat’sSuper Meat Boy.Celesteis also known for its prevalencein the speedrunning community, helped by the game’s integrated timer.
6Bayonetta 2 (92)
Directed byDevil May Crycreator Hideki Kamiya, the firstBayonettagame set a new standard for modern hack and slash titles. Its sequel,Bayonetta 2,was released in 2014 and received even stronger praise from fans and critics; the game performed particularly well with IGN, whogave the game a score of 9.5and awarded it with theirBest Action Game accolade.
A sequel,Bayonetta 3,was announced at The Game Awards 2017 along with a Nintendo Switch port of the first two games. News of the upcoming game has been few and far between, though when it does eventually get a release date, it will almost certainly be one of the Nintendo Switch’s most highly anticipated titles.
5Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (93)
Originating in 1999 on the Nintendo 64, theSuper Smash Bros.series lets players live out the fantasy of seeing some of gaming’s most iconic mascots battle it out in over-the-top action battles.
The latest iteration of the game,Super Smash Bros. Ultimate,released on the Nintendo Switch in December 2018 and offered the most impressive roster of characters yet; along with mainstays like Mario and Link, the game features numerous obscure characters such as R.O.B. and Mr. Game & Watch.
4Hades (93)
One of 2020’s most critically acclaimed games along withThe Last of Us Part IIandGhost of Tsushima, Supergiant Games’Hadeshas already become one of the most beloved modern roguelike titles.
Aided by numerous unlockable abilities,Hadestasks players with reaching Mount Olympus by escaping from the Underworld. The bulk of the action game’s praise came from its excellent storytelling, combat,and postgame content.
3Ori and The Will of the Wisps (93)
Action-platformerOri and the Wills of the Wisps,along with other critically acclaimed titles likeHollow Knight,Dead Cells, andStar Wars Jedi: Fallen Order,has been fundamental in the Metroidvania subgenre’s recent return to prominence.
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Ori and The Will of the Wispshas one of the most well-designed Metroidvania maps in modern gaming, not just because of its ingenious interconnectivity, but with the supplementing visual art that earned Moon Studios a nomination forBest Visual Art at The Game Awards 2020.
2Super Mario Odyssey (97)
With an eye-watering Metascore of 97,Super Mario Odysseyis the joint-top entry on this list. Nintendo’s latest Mario adventure once again saw gaming’s most iconic mascot take a shift in direction, with the implementation of the unique capturing mechanic.
By giving Mario the ability to take control of objects, enemies, and more, Nintendo was able to offer players an incredible range of gameplay mechanics. The capture feature makesOdysseyMario’s most action-pact adventure yet, as he takes control of tanks, dinosaurs, chain chomps, and much, much more.
1The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (97)
Much likeSuper Mario Odyssey,the latest main-seriesLegend of Zeldagame took a drastic shift in direction from its predecessors. Along with theDark Souls-inspired way of storytellingand influx of side quests,Breath of the Wilddifferentiated itself with its freely explorable open-world inspired by the originalLegend of Zeldagame.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’s 97 Metascore makes it the second-highest entry in the iconicLegend of Zeldaseries according to Metacritic, just two points behind the highest-rated game of the site and series,The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
