Best 9 Action/Adventure Games

I have always had a place in my heart for action and adventure games. I always felt that they offered some of the best game play experiences, and the better games coupled this with amazing stories and narratives. When it comes down to it, the action/adventure genre has to be one of my favorites.

Here is a list of what I consider to be some of the best action/adventure games that I have ever played.

Mirror's Edge

When I purchased my PlayStation 3, one of the games that I bought with it was Mirror's Edge. Let me just say, that was one of the best purchases at the time.

Mirror's Edge blew me away. The first person parkour action was unlike anything that I had ever played before, and I loved the challenge that the game brought. It tested my reflexes, and caused me to learn to trust my instincts. Mirror's Edge has always been unlike any other game to ever come out, and was a great example of what the PS3 could do at the time.

Assassin's Creed 2

Assassin's Creed was groundbreaking when it first released. Assassin's Creed 2 took everything that made the original great, and became one of the greatest action games to ever fall into gamers hands.

Assassin's Creed 2 did an amazing job depicting the different cities of Italy, and made traversing the rooftops of these areas enjoyable. The game's combat was smooth, and the story of vengeance satisfying. I felt like a badass playing as Ezio, taking out target after target. Assassin's Creed 2 was one of my favorite experiences of the PlayStation 3 era, and one of the best adventures I have taken in a video game. 

Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando

Sometimes you get the itch to blow stuff up. Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando will help to satisfy that itch.

The second game of the series, Going Commando had everything that made the Ratchet and Clank series great. A great sense of humor, awesome level design, great game play, and awesome weapons. It feels satisfying leveling up your weapons to the max and laying waste to everything around you. The game looked great, which only added to the chaos that would sometimes take the screen. Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando was both an amazing action trip, and one of the best games of the PlayStation 2 era.

Shadow of the Colossus

Very few games have been presented as beautifully as Shadow of the Colossus. The music and art style have helped set the game apart, but the main draw has to definitely be the amazing battles.

Shadow of the Colossus is unique in that all of the battles are boss battles. And these battles are amazing. Every enemy is massive, and they take more than skill with a sword to take them down. This leads to gamers playing smart and thinking hard as they figure out how to tackle the massive beasts. Very few games have matched what Shadow of the Colossus brought to gaming, and I doubt very many ever will.

Gears of War 3

The Gears of War series has been known for its crazy, gritty third-person action. Gears of War 3 was the culmination of the franchise, bringing everything the trilogy had to offer to an amazing finish.

The hectic gun fighting and action had been nearly perfected by the time the series had reached this point, and the story hit an incredible conclusion. The multiplayer aspects of the game were at their best, and were incredibly fun. Gears of War 3 set the bar for how great a shooter could be, and is one of the greatest must-play action games ever. I do not like very many shooters, but Gears of War 3 is a great exception.

Tomb Raider (PS1)

Lara Croft is an icon in the world of gaming... It all started for her in the original Tomb Raider, which has to be one of the greatest adventures in gaming history.

Tomb Raider was one of the first adventure games that I had ever played, and has always stuck out as one of the best. The game play at the time had been incredibly inventive, and is still fun to this day. Lara's first adventure took me around the world, and helped give birth to a new era of gaming. It may not have been the first adventure game to ever release, but it is one of the most original and enjoyable titles ever.

Batman: Arkham City

Batman has always been my favorite comic book hero, and I always wanted a game that let me feel like him. Batman: Arkham City was that game.

Batman: Arkham Asylum is a great game, but Arkham City is even greater. The combat always felt smooth, and it felt good exploring Arkham City as Batman. With an awesome story and plenty of content, Arkham City brought you into Batman's world, and has become not just the best licensed game ever, but one of the greatest of the last generation.

Bayonetta

Few games are as over the top as Bayonetta. But fewer games can match the amazing gameplay and action that the title offers.

With action in the vein of the Devil May Cry series, Bayonetta's polished gameplay is easy to learn, but surprisingly deep. The mechanics behind the game's combat are satisfying and fun, and the wildness that comes with it help Bayonetta stand out. The game's fast pace, awesome boss battles, and great level design add to what is a complete package, and one of the best action games to date. The game gets a little ridiculous and defines the word 'spectacle', but in Bayonetta's case, this is a good thing.

Devil May Cry 3

Very few series have affected me the way that the Devil May Cry series has. From the very first game I have been hooked, and am always looking forward to the next entry in the series. Devil May Cry 3, however, is what I feel to be the best that the franchise has to offer.

From the story to the game play, Devil May Cry 3 delivers. Out of everything that the game offers though, combat is the star. With plenty of different weapons, and deep combat mechanics, the action is incredibly satisfying. Couple this with great boss fights, the Bloody Palace Mode, and the special edition's addition of another playable character, and you have an action game that sets the standard for the genre.