Summary
Theaction-adventuregenre encompasses a lot of sub-genres within it. These games can have RPG elements, crafting, puzzles, platforming, and more. They can be linear or set in open-world environments. While the Xbox Series X/S is not a platform known for action-adventure series like PlayStation’sUnchartedor Nintendo’sThe Legend of Zelda, there are some fun ones worth noting from first-party and third-party developers.
There are also a lot of great action-adventure games from past generations playable on the Xbox Series X/Svia backwards compatibilitylike 2013’sTomb Raiderreboot orEnslaved: Odyssey to the West. What action-adventure games were made specifically for this new generation though? Let’s rank them based on how well they define the genre.
Beyond Good & Evilwas a game unlike any other when it launched on a variety of platforms in 2003. It was set in a futuristic city and followed Jade, the protagonist, investigating an evil corporation through stealth espionage, crafty combat, and some good old-fashioned platforming. It holds up as one ofUbisoft’s finest games, andBeyond Good & Evil - 20th Anniversary Editionpays homage to it well by updating the visuals and tweaking the gameplay a bit.
The Plucky Squiremay looklike a top-downZeldagamewith a storybook visual style from afar, but this game is much more than that. The titular hero gets thrown out of his own story and gets to interact with the world outside it. Players can hop between 2D storybook chapters and 3D gameplay in the real world, constantly breaking the fourth wall. The clever ways it plays with both perspectives and environments is always surprising. There are some gameplay switch-ups as well, like a turn-based RPG boss battle.
Straybegins witha ginger catlosing its adoptive cat family and winds up in a futuristic city filled with robotic humanoids. Eventually, the cat befriends a little floating robot, and the two try and make their way home together.
It’s mostly a puzzle and platform-heavy game with a bit of chaotic action thrown in to keep this cat on their toes. It’s going to produce a few tears while playing, but it gets a wholehearted recommendation thanks to the sharp visuals and unique setting.
Lost in Randomis one of the coolest modern-looking games to have come out of EA’s partnership with smaller studios. It looks like aTim Burton movieand has a unique gameplay style that blends action-adventure mechanics with dice rolls and action RPG combat. It makes sense thematically, because this world was created through chaotic rule.
The game’s narrative stars a girl trying to look for her sibling. The character and world design are a thing of beauty through ugliness, and few other games on this list come close to its unique appeal.
Kena: Bridge of Spiritscenters on a spiritual guide of sorts, the titular Kena, who befriends little forest spirits to aid in her platforming, puzzle-solving, and combat skills. It can best be described as acombination betweenPikminandThe Legend of Zelda, with Disney and Pixar influences. It was a PS5 game first, but thankfully it was ported elsewhere, like the Xbox Series X/S, so that more players could bask in its haunting glory.
Tunicis as close as an Xbox console is going to get to aZeldagame for now. Instead of an elvish boy, players assume the role ofa little foxin a green tunic, exploring a polygonal world from a top-down perspective.
LikeThe Plucky Square,Tunicmay at first look like just aZeldaclone, but there is a hidden game within the game. Completing the full experience requires some detective work using the in-game manual. For those who aren’t into breaking the fourth wall or deciding languages,Tunicis still fun as a straight action-adventure title. Just prepare to do a deep dive online afterward to see the truth.
South of Midnightis easily Compulsion Games’ best game, mixing southern folklore with stop-motion visuals that make for an incredible adventure down in the bayou. The story begins with a mighty flood sweeping Hazel’s mom down the river. In her quest to rescue her, Hazel discovers magic that can weave through the very fates of time.
Players will mostly do a lot of exploring and platforming, with a light touch of combat in fixed arenas. The most incredible thing about this game is the sense of scale when encountering the larger-than-life bosses and their accompanying musical themes.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circleis the best modern game to adapt the license since the early LucasArts adventure games on PC. MachineGames makes an incredible love letter to the franchise, and Troy Baker voices the titular Indiana so well that it can sometimes be uncanny.
While not as swift in his exploration as modern adventure heroes like Nathan Drake and Lara Croft, Indiana still has a lot of charisma and willpower to get the job done. It would easily rank up there with the original trilogy. Hopefully, this won’t be the last time MachineGames pays homage to this spelunking professor.
