31. Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag (2013)
Action/Adventure/Open World | Metacritic Score: 83
Image via Ubisoft
Black Flag stands out in many ways since it reinvented the franchise’s basic gameplay style into something unique. The main focus of earlier Assassin’s Creed games was the overall Assassins tale, which was always connected to the Animus and the Templars. The Ezio trilogy expanded the storyline and gameplay from the original Assassin’s Creed, which provided the main framework for subsequent games.
This one, however, feels entirely different from previous entries in the series because it is set on the Caribbean’s sandy shores. In contrast to the cramped settings of earlier games, the variety of towns keeps things exciting and varied, and the emphasis on ship-based combat and movement is well-done. It is an incredible pleasure to be sailing the clear blue seas as your crew sings traditional sea songs. The entire story arc had us in an emotional whirlwind towards the end, which makes Black Flag one of the more memorable games in the entire series.
30. Ratchet and Clank (2016)
Action/Adventure/Platformer | Metacritic Score: 85
Image via PlayStation Studios
With a gorgeous, humorous reimagining of the duo’s debut journey, the game looks magnificent on the PlayStation 4. The worlds have charming amounts of detail, improving the storytelling and environment detail in several noticeable ways.
The duo’s friendship feels more wholly developed and cleverly written, and the humor that has been a staple of the series is there throughout. The realms of Veldin, Rilgar, and others are gorgeous, Pixar-like settings with lots to explore, and gameplay updates keep the experience feeling new. Insomniac’s take on the series’ clever weaponry gives players an annoyingly fun chance at wreaking havoc. Some of these are your classic renditions of weapons like Groovitron and Pixelizer.
29. Hitman 3 (2021)
Action/Adventure/Open Zone | Metacritic Score: 85
Image via IO Interactive
The Hitman games rarely experimented with their core gameplay principles, and that’s what made the series so solid and strong. However, the recent Hitman games have a strong sense of replayability, new narrative styles, and well-crafted maps. Just picturing the many hours of chaos, carnage, and crude humor that each of its six excellent new maps will provide will undoubtedly harness your attention.
Hitman 3’s maps are where its real strength lies. Choosing a favorite among the six stunning and startlingly well-lit levels in Hitman 3 is difficult because they are all among the best in the series. With 47 parachuting onto the tallest building in the world in Dubai and entering its sumptuous interior or walking through Chongqing’s gorgeously lit atmosphere during the rains, it slowly seeps you into the silent assassin’s world.
28. Nioh 2 (2020)
Action/Adventure/RPG | Metacritic Score: 85
Image via Koei Tecmo
Nioh 2 builds on what the original Nioh accomplished well and offers one of the best gaming experiences. Countless hours of content are available for you to enjoy, along with intense action battles and a compelling narrative that keeps Westerners informed about Japanese culture and fantasy. Nioh 2 ranks among the best Souls-likes and holds a very high position in the ARPG subgenre.
This time, the protagonist of the story is not predetermined. Even though I loved our Irish samurai from the previous game, you can spend over making your own personalized character at Nioh 2’s beginning. This creative essence extends to Nioh 2’s combat too. Your personalized moveset and gear make the gameplay uniquely yours, and the challenges feel authentic to your experience.
27. Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth
Action/ Turn-Based | Metacritic Score: 89
Ryu-Ga-Gotoku’s follow up to Yakuza: Like A Dragon takes up all the strengths of the original and the extremely likeable protagonist Ichiban, adds a completely new map to the one in the first, brings along Kazuma Kiryu, and combines all of this in a sprawling story with enough twists and turns to keep you fully engaged for the 50-60 hours that it takes to do the bare bones stories. You are likely to take much more, though, as you get lost in the signature wacky side quests, the multitude of things to do, and the entertaining Jobs that Ichiban and his team can unlock and unleash some crazy skills and special abilities that keep the turn-based combat fun throughout.
26. Marvel’s Spider-Man (2018)
Action/Adventure/Open World | Metacritic Score: 87
Image via Sony Interactive Entertainment
Marvel’s Spider-Man is a comic book fantasy that deserves to be relived in every way possible. The game masterfully constructed environment that perfectly captures the awe that comes from gazing up at New York City’s towering, inspirational skylines and the sense of heroism that comes from deftly mounting the most significant structures. It’s a Spider-Man video game created by fans of the character, from his outfits to his allies, enemies, and family.
It’s evident from the gameplay that Insomniac took unique elements of some of the earlier Spider-Man games, like the sneak attacks from Shattered Dimensions, the timed races from Ultimate Spider-Man, and the web strike from Web of Shadows. However, the combat system is entirely new and effectively incorporates Spider-Man’s skills into a video game environment.
25. Final Fantasy 7 Remake (2020)
Action/Adventure/RPG | Metacritic Score: 87
Image via Square Enix
The remake of Final Fantasy 7 brings back to life one of the greatest JRPGs ever in a successful and captivating manner. This updated version of Midgard looks far better than your memory of it; it offers a magnificent, in-depth, and immersive exploration of the steampunk metropolis.
To fully flesh out the experience, Square Enix spent a lot of time with the ensemble cast of Midgard because part one of “Remake” (further releases will cover the remainder of the original plot) takes place exclusively there. This is in addition to its excellent fighting system, which combines real-time with more tactical turn-based mechanics to produce something totally original.
24. Fallout 4 (2015)
Action/Adventure/Open World | Metacritic Score: 87
Image via Bethesda Softworks
The Fallout series has always explored the bittersweet relationship between solitude and post-apocalyptic settings. Fallout 4 is no different.
There are plenty of things to do, including creating your villages, going on intriguing side quests, and visiting a scary town where Ghouls have taken up residence. Even after many hours of fun gameplay, Fallout 4 has yet another quest for you. While the primary storyline is adequate, it feels more forced than any other main questline in Fallout because some of the key components from prior iterations are missing, such as the Karma function.
Fallout’s openness to let you design your own persona and adventure is one of its most appealing features. Although you can design your character, their fate has already been decided. You have to act like a parent and locate your son. While there is obviously enough leeway to deviate from the norm throughout, you still feel constrained by this element. Despite having the finest combat of any Fallout game, it’s still a fantastic game.
23. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition (2016)
Action/Adventure/RPG/Open World | Metacritic Score: 81
Image via Bethesda Softworks
It’s not an exaggeration to state that the last-gen version of Skyrim introduced the genre to an entirely new audience when it initially came out in 2011. In many ways, Skyrim’s creator Bethesda had nailed it; the game skillfully straddled the line between being a user-friendly action RPG and, well, an Elder Scrolls game. It was undoubtedly simplified, but it still managed to capture the enthralling, immersive atmosphere that is the hallmark of a Bethesda gaming world.
The map is yours to explore; you can play any way you like. A swordsman who breaks through every piece of armor they come across. A sorceress with the power of necromancy to order their army of undead. Whether you’ve spent two hours or fifty, your play style is entirely up to you to develop, and that’s still one of the game’s most fascinating features.
22. Dishonored 2 (2016)
Action/Adventure/Open Zone | Metacritic Score: 88
Image via Bethesda Softworks
Dishonored 2 builds on the potential of its predecessor, The player is tracked on a wider range of axes in Dishonoured 2. You can play as Emily or Corvo, each of them giving you a specific gameplay type that somewhat alters your experience. However, it is the world design that makes the sequel truly remarkable.
Not every criminal on the street carries the same moral burden. The game doesn’t view killing the usurping empress as being nearly as disruptive as massacring residents. All this creates the impression that the game removes obstacles in your path. It states that you have the following alternatives and the following implications. You can play as a brave warrior or a stealthy assassin.
Dishonored 2 manages to outperform the original game in almost every regard. Although Karnaca is an intriguing location, the daily specifics of your chosen hero’s adventure are much less attractive. Both Dishonoured games are fantastic storytellers offering Shakespearean reflections on corruption, retribution, and power. Power can both protect and destroy.
21. Rise of the Tomb Raider (2015)
Action/Adventure/Open Zone | Metacritic Score: 88
Image via Square Enix
Rise of the Tomb Raider delights in a high concept involving a quest for an artifact that gives eternal life to its beholder. It is broad, Indiana Jones-style content that moves along at a great rate through gorgeously outrageous moments supported by a deep emotional thread. The central theme of Rise of the Tomb Raider is Lara and her deceased father, and Camilla Luddington’s sensitive portrayal of Lara convinces us of her nuanced bond with his past.
There is much to be found outside the main plot of Rise of the Tomb Raider, and its lovely semi-open setting encourages exploration. The franchise has always been known for its panoramic landscapes; the icy, muddy, and foresty terrains keep the game novel. Every level design idea in this game screams exploration. If you turn left in a forest, you might find a crypt, or if you turn around on a mountainside, you might run into the stony face of a long-forgotten god of prehistoric people. It serves heavy competition to the likes of Uncharted while standing its ground.
20. Devil May Cry 5 (2013)
Action/Hack and Slash/Adventure | Metacritic Score: 88
Image via Capcom
The beginning of Devil May Cry 5’s tale feels a little unusual because you’re immediately thrust into combat you’re supposed to lose (FromSoftware vibes, anyone?)
The story jumps around a couple of months in time, switching between points of view as it tells the present-day story of Dante, Nero, and V while also elaborating on the events that led to Urizen’s ascent to power and V’s mission to overthrow him.
The depth, scope, and variation that each of Devil May Cry 5’s three sets of tools provides in terms of fighting makes it so beautiful. If you’re playing as Nero, you get to use your rechargeable Blue Rose handgun, your grapple, which may draw enemies to you, and your ever-expanding collection of Devil Breakers – disposable mech limbs that give you the ability to bust out some insanely crazy moves.
