With a genre as broad as Action-Adventure, it’s so difficult to reduce the plethora of category defining games to just a single list of a measly 10. The above is a slyly written disclaimer, because there’s no doubt a gigantic list of titles that haven’t been mentioned here but many consider being greater than what features here. But, you know, list articles are by their very nature subjective. So, without further ado, here’s a new top 10 article.
10. Shadow Complex
Chair Entertainment and Epic Games’ joint venture with the creation of Shadow Complex may be directly inspired by the older Metroid games of yore, but this Xbox Arcade title was a resounding success because it tapped into a genre that many thought was long gone. After your girlfriend enigmatically goes missing while you’re on vacation, you soon discover that a secret government facility lies below the idyllic countryside of the surface world. Cue the beginning of your infiltration and subsequent sleuthing as you go ever deeper into the facility, all the while obtaining parts of a government prototype robotic suit.
Fable
The release of Fable: Anniversary earlier this year may have been received a little less warmly than LionHead Studios would have liked, but the original game in the trilogy is still widely regarded by many to be the best in the trilogy. The re-release reminded many that the combat and quest systems of the original were quite dated, but regardless of its aging, the original Fable still offers a brilliant RPG-lite experience that exhibits the best of British humour. Just don’t go looking for the golden acorn, it doesn’t exist.
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
If you missed the release of A Tale of Two Sons at the tail end of 2013, you missed out on a great experience. Like Shadow Complex’s homage to the Metroid series, A Tale of Two Sons borrows is very reminiscent of thatgamecompany’s Journey. On a journey to save their gravely ill father, the two titular brothers embark on an emotional journey across caves dungeons and glaciers to search for a fabled elixir to save their parent. Emotions run high in this story, make sure you have a box of tissues ready if you do give Brothers a go.
7. L.A. Noire
News of Team Bondi’s closure in 2011 was sad indeed. L.A. Noire’s lower than expected sales may have been one of the killing blows for the developer, but the title itself was a refreshing one, and proof that games developers were still willing to try new ideas. Taking up the role of a 1940’s homicide detective, you investigate, interrogate and solve multiple crimes across the city of L.A. The action peaks a little early with the now infamous Black Dahlia case, but Bondi’s unparalleled facial recognition technology ensured that L.A. Noire immortalised itself in gaming history.
6. Metal Gear Solid Series
I’m a pretty ballsy guy, but even I don’t dare claim that one Metal Gear title is better than the rest. Whether it’s Guns of the Patriots, Sons of Liberty, Snake Eater or any of the other Metal Gear titles that’s your personal favourite, there’s no denying that Snake’s adventures are some of the greatest in gaming.
Hideo Kojima’s continued investment in the series surely has something to do with the series’ continued popularity and the cinematic quality of each new release never fails to impress. With a hugely popular supporting cast, super refined stealth gameplay and a slightly bonkers narrative, the Metal Gear series is here to stay for a long, long time. Bring on The Phantom Pain.
5. Killer7
Never heard of Killer7? It’s not your fault. This obscure title (created by the crazy, but in a good way Suda51), released back in 2005 for the Nintendo GameCube, was one of the platforms most polarising titles. Critics of the time were divided on whether Killer7 was a classic or a total dud. Today, it’s seen as a cult classic, and that’s no surprise, as its content almost guaranteed such a status. As members of a group of assassins – the titular Killer7 – you begin to uncover a political conspiracy masked by an epidemic virus known as Heaven Smiles.
As the disease turns those who succumb into walking, laughing bombs (literally), it’s your job to get to the bottom of its origins. Oh, and did I mention that the seven assassins you control are all mentally unstable delinquents that are controlled by a senile old man in a wheelchair?
4. The Legend of Zelda Series
Is there such a thing as a bad Zelda game? Go ahead and think about it – take as much time as you want. You’re back? Okay, chances are your answer is no, there isn’t. Whether you’re a stalwart retro fan of the Zelda series (i.e. Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask) or prefer the more modern released (Wind Waker, Skyward Sword), there’s no denying that Link’s continual efforts to put Ganondorf away for good have been continually amazing.
3. Beyond Good & Evil
Another lesser known title, Ubisoft’s Beyond Good & Evil is a prime example of the strong female heroine rarely seen in the videogame world. You play as Jade, a native of the world of Hillys, an idyllic garden world where its inhabitants live comfortable lives. Peace never lasts though, and Jade’s world is brought to ruin when an alien race (the DomZ) invade Hillys and abduct a large portion of its inhabitants.
Jade embarks on a journey to uncover the origin of the DomZ, subsequently discovering a deep conspiracy and cover-up by the planets military. Jade soon discovers that the invasion goes far beyond an invasion…
2. Journey
Journey proves that quantity doesn’t equal quality. Clocking in at two hours for a single playthrough, thatgamecompany’s Adventure title is a visual tour de force. There’s no exposition or long introduction sequence here. You’re a creature trying to reach the peak of a mountain. As you make your way through fluorescent caverns, blisteringly hot deserts and frostbite inducing blizzards, you come to realise that Journey’s title is perhaps the most pertinent of any game title.
This is a journey of discovery, and an emotional one to boot. The religious undertones may put some off, but the world is one that really must be experienced firsthand.
1. Shadow of the Colossus
Much to my own self-loathing, I was late to the show with Shadow of the Colossus. Team ICO’s spiritual successor to ICO was critically acclaimed upon release – hardly surprising considering its unique gameplay. Taking control of a young lad who’s trying to cure the perpetual sleep of a maiden he ferociously protects, SotC’s protagonist explores a world inhabited by Colossi, giant creatures that form the basis of gameplay.
Team ICO did away with the standard structure of progression seen in other games at the time, opting to the living, breathing Colossi themselves the stages that you had to tackle. As you clambered your way up each and every giant to take their lives, you felt guilt, sadness and betrayal. These creatures exuded beauty and serenity, and you had no choice but to slaughter them all. A multitude of releases since SotC have replicated its Colossi battles to varied success, but none have come close to this masterpiece of interactive entertainment.
Fuck you