Like every story, every game needs some form of action. A swinging axe or a perfectly timed parry is the difference between life and death in the gaming world. Why not have a gander at my list below for some of the best 3rd person action games worth a few hours of your time.
15. MONSTER HUNTER WORLD| 2020 | Capcom | Xbox, PlayStation, PC
I thought you were vegan
So, I have to admit that I’m unfashionably late to the monster party on this occasion. I have no previous experience with all the other monster hunter titles so this was certainly a baptism of elder fire for me. You play as a hunter, a warrior who is chosen to capture or kill monsters to protect the research commission while they are on their mission.
After learning the controls and doing some character customizations, I quickly settled into the world. The game itself is pretty straightforward, kill or be killed, capture or run for the hills. The feeling of capturing my first monster was extremely rewarding, as was upgrading my weapons and armor then going out on another run.
When I finally built up the courage to play with strangers online the game's intensity reached boiling point! You realize how much fun it is trying to take out a monster that makes you look like the size of one of its chest hairs, some of them are just enormous. While OG players claim this is not the hardest one of the franchises, they could not deny the fun to be had by new and older fans alike.
14. CONTROL | 2019 | Remedy | Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC
Wait, I can fly
I was pretty excited about this one due to it being made by the same people who made Alan Wake. You play Jesse, a bureau agent on a mission to find her missing brother which places her in many strange encounters along the way.
While there is a lot more to the story, it’s best to find out in real-time. Feeling like a combination of Twin Peaks and Alan Wake the plot is pretty complex, you take on all sorts of strange entities to take down via your flashy gun or by a cool telekinetic ability which you learn pretty early on into the story.
The game may not be for everybody but it does create its lane with its Avant-Garde tone while the creepy element lurks around throughout the gameplay. This makes it a good choice for gamers that like their action games as unique as the next.
13. ALIENS: Fireteam elite | 2021 | Cold Iron | Xbox, PlayStation, PC
Hardcore Indeed
So how do you make a game that’s on the same level as one of the best action films ever made? You mix Gears of War up with Left 4 Dead then see what you are left with. Your mission? To blast and destroy this Alien hell hole after tracking a distress signal from a refinery station believed to have no life on it.
While Alien Isolation was more of a hiding and creep ordeal, Fireteam is more blasting everything creepy that moves until it doesn’t move again, which can be pretty challenging when you are surrounded by those pesky Xenomorphs. While you can play along with two alien bots it’s not the same as playing with friends which enhances the game's entertainment level by 1000%.
If you want balls to the wall action or you always wanted to be a part of the action with the cocky marines that we all fell in love with from the films then why not give it a whirl.
12. DAYS GONE | 2019 | Sony | PlayStation One, PC
They gotta sleep sometime
Who doesn’t love zombies, they are pretty slow, dumb, and normally easy to kill, aren’t they? You play Deacon, a man with his bike trying to live his best life while surviving the zombie apocalypse.
While the game has a lot of elements from different games, it’s a fun ride from start to finish. The cut scenes add to the story and bring an extra layer to Deacon’s background and personal struggles throughout the game. It’s a big world to explore and sometimes you can face a retro slow Freaker or hordes of them on screen at one time.
Having the bike helps as it would have been tedious being forced to walk around in such a large space. The melee action is decent and while looking glum at times the graphics are pretty good minus a few random glitches. It isn’t Resident Evil or the Last of us but Days gone is still very enjoyable, fun and unforgiven at times. Don’t run from it. Embrace it.
11. ABSOLVER | 2017 | Sioclap | Xbox, PlayStation, PC
Nice mask
Well, this was kind of refreshing. You are a warrior who is fighting his way to the top absolver rank from the bottom. But the key to Absolver isn’t really in the story, it’s all about the moves. stances and fighting techniques.
While you start with basic moves roaming through the land looking for people to challenge, once you roughly work out how to take out a few opponents then build up your skillset, the combat system starts to shine. You can lose many hours trying to make your character the best they can be.
This is a game that doesn’t tell you where to go and what to do, it is a lot more fun to play with friends and other online people but the one-player mode is pretty challenging. Absolver could be described as Dark souls with kung fu, not as flashy as the former but a blast nevertheless.
10. WAR HAMMER: Space Marine | 2011 | Relic Entertainment | PlayStation, Xbox, PC
Hammer time
Oh, I love to hear them scream after you perform a crazy kill animation. You play as the big brute captain Titus who is out to help the imperial guard at all costs from the hordes of orcs trying to overrun the world.
Let’s be honest, the plan is just to kill everything on screen as quickly and as bloody as you can, though the multiple amounts of cut scenes seem to stop you in your tracks a bit too frequently. I love the choice of weapons especially when the hammer is in his hands making you feel like the god of thunder or Iron man with your jet pack.
The game has taken notes from the recent Gears of War franchise and has enough enemies, decent story beats, and purpose to keep you going till the end. If you’re a fan of the War hammer lore or just love to wind up orcs then sign yourself up to the space marines.
9. RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2 | 2019 | Rockstar Studios | Xbox, PlayStation, PC, Stadia
I'll make you famous
If realism and attention to detail were essential in all games then Red Dead would come first in all competitions. you play as the gang member Arthur Morgan trying to deal with the demise of outlaws while trying to get away from the law. The story also connects us back to the original game’s character John Marston in an interesting way.
How your horse moves, reacts, and other acute touches in the game should be praised to the high heavens and below where the sun doesn't shine. With the sound of gunshots, being able to fish, start brawls, and dramatic gunfights, no details have been spared to make this the best western game ever.
The Graphics are perfect, the music is spot-on, and blends well with the tone of the game in general. No one could ever say they felt bored with what the game offers including the many side games, survival tips, and hidden quests that even now haven’t been solved.
If you ever had dreams of riding into the sunset, robbing banks, and stagecoaches at will then this is certainly the action game for you.
8. METAL GEAR RISING: REVENGENCE | 2013 | Konami | Xbox, PlayStation, PC
Chop chop
Anything in a game that involves a ninja-like character roaming the streets with a long blade automatically gets my attention. Let’s be honest, we all wanted the chance to play as Raiden in a full solo adventure many years ago but didn’t expect Konami to take so long to get it off the ground.
Of course, you play as the robotic ninja Raiden on a one-man quest to take out Desperado, a suspect military company that is aligned with terrorist groups. The action is relentless, the game makes you feel like one of those classy chefs who can cut anything into trillion slices of anything on a chopping board.
Anybody can get it, trees, robots or augmented soldiers, and anything else that stands in your way. The plot flows nicely just like Raiden’s ninja run and effortless combat system. If you want a clever but rapid hack and slash game then look no further, sharpen your Katana sword, and dive in.
7. SEKIRO: Shadows Die Twice | 2019 | From Software | PlayStation, Xbox, PC, Stadia
Two blades are better than one
Oh, Sekiro, what a difficult game you turned out to be in the end, but I found a way through. Sekiro is not a happy camper in the game, you wouldn’t be either if you were ambushed and your lord was kidnapped.
The comparisons to Demon Souls are evident but Sekiro does manage to break that mold by trying most things differently. Similar to the recent Ghost of Tsushima, the game is a mish-mash of fast combat, stealth, and RPG esque elements, but the combat system is more down to timing when and where you hit the posture of a target for a killer finish.
Wait, parry then attack is definitely the way to go in this adventure but it also feels twice as good to surprise a foe with a quiet fatal blow. I think the game should be in the conversation regarding underrated action games not being spoken about, so expect to see me on my gaming soapbox pretty soon when the weather improves outside where I’m based.
6. SCUM | Gampires | 2018 | PC
Who are you calling SCUM?
Running man meets Battle Royale? Of course, this game was always going to be a lot of fun, why wouldn’t it be? You play as one of the prisoners stuck in a survival game on a hostile island for the viewer’s entertainment. Should we be surprised?
Like Red Dead, it’s obvious that the makers wanted to make every detail of each character believable as if it was real life, I mean you can even change the size of your member for god’s sake. The realism makes the game fun and the metabolism system is something I have never seen in any game before.
it affects the player’s performance if you don’t pay too much attention to it which could result in you even pooing yourself. Scum should not be ignored by survivalist gamers just for the detail and belief that if this was to happen this is almost exactly how it would play out.
5. HORIZON ZERO DAWN | 2017 | Sony | PlayStation, PC
That's a big one
Sometimes you can just tell a game would be good just by looking at it. Thankfully I had my glasses on for this one. You star as Aloy, an inquisitive woman who is trying to work out the mysteries of the world which has been overrun by robots. Along her path, Aloy meets many different robots and later learns that she can control them, reprogram them to fight each other, and much much more.
The cut scenes are amazing and generally make you feel like you are watching an animated movie. Some of the battles at night with brooding music are engaging especially when multiple robots spot you trying to hide in the bushes in the darkness.
You can tell that no stone was left unturned to make sure this game is more than just brilliant graphics and great gameplay. The whole package finds a way to shine through and the makers should be more than happy with the finished article.
4. STAR WARS: The old republic | 2011 | Bioware | PC
Is this a light show
The force is certainly strong in this one! Who doesn’t want to be a Jedi? This game gives you the chance to play as A Sith, Jedi, or Bounty hunter on a path that you create in this very popular beloved MMORPG. The choices you make literally make the story what it is.
The voice-over acting is spot on, you get to virtually go to all of the iconic places in the Star Wars universe and battle against other players across the globe.
While there have been many Star Wars games over the years that fit right into different genres, the old republic definitely has earned its spot right at the top of the pile when it comes to a crazy cinematic experience all wrapped up in a classic game.
3. MIDDLE EARTH: SHADOW OF WAR | 2017 | Monolith Productions | PlayStation, Xbox, PC
Come get some orges
Another classic film franchise that spawned a series of decent games but with the Shadow of Mordor series, no one saw it coming. In this sequel, you play as a ranger Talion continuing his revenge against Sauron with the help of a few abilities of course.
Improving on everything from the original Shadow of War game, this feels like what every sequel should be, more of the same but with twists and turns along the way.
The music suits the fantasy game’s majestic theme, the combat flows, and the original Nemesis system works well when a foe who managed to escape a brawl previously recognizes you. You can probably tell that I am a huge fan of the game and It’s hard not to like it.
A game that throws you into a world you loved as a kid and expands on the original lore in a brilliant way. Yes, I do love it.
2. BATMAN: Arkham Night | 2015 | Rocksteady studios | PlayStation, Xbox, PC
You have lovely eyes
The greatest comic hero ever created needed the greatest comic book videogames ever created, but did they get away with it? Of course. You are Batman / Bruce Wayne dealing with the previous events of the other games while investigating the appearance of a strange new villain named the Arkham Knight, but who is he?
The voice-overs, fighting system, and villain chatter are as good as the first game, though the identity of the Arkham Knight wasn’t as shocking to me as I thought it might have been. My only gripe with this version was the Batmobile.
It just took too long to complete those sequences, apart from that everything else was highly enjoyable and shocking in parts. Remember this was the last game in the franchise so of course, the gloves were off, players died, it had plenty of twists and it was once again up to the caped crusader to do what he does.
The costume, grappling hook, and gadgets are probably the only way we could ever be the dark knight so why not utilize the opportunity while you can.
1. GEARS OF WAR 4 | 2016 | The Coalition | Xbox, PC
Bros before foes
It had to be, the 90’s action, the 80’s style bromance, and the father-son dynamic make this a blatant number one to me. This time you are J.D on a mission to take out a new deadlier enemy called the Swarm. When J.D is forced to ask for a little help from the original franchise Hero, his dad Marcus Fenix, you can feel the tension between those two in between swarm battles.
The new choice of weapons to go with the Chainsaw gun is a nice touch. The AI of the foes has tightened up and they always seem to know when you are searching for ammo or your energy bar is too low which leads to a good fight.
The game has the right amount of action, adventure, and family drama to make multiple movies let alone one game. The Horde option is a lot of fun, fighting a never-ending herd of the swarm while making sure all your teammates have enough ammo to last the battle intact.
The online options are also pretty rad and it is a game that will be played by many generations for many years to come. I’m sure of it.
