Ever since the days of “Pitfall” on the Atari, the action-adventure genre has thrived throughout the history of the video game industry. This genre combines combat, light platforming, and puzzle-solving gameplay, often in a lushly exotic setting, and usually around remote ancient environments. The ultimate action-adventure archetype is Indiana Jones, with plenty of video game heroes built from that mold, though certainly not exclusively. But even the best Indiana Jones games don’t quite make our list of best action-adventure games overall, with other iconic franchises making the grade instead.
We’re looking at the best games in the genre, from mainstays in the industry that have endured for decades to titles reinvented to better utilize action-adventure tropes. While several of these games incorporate fantasy and science fiction elements, their overarching aesthetics and gameplay are in line with action-adventure titles. Each of these games gently explore how malleable the genre can be while, above all, just being an incredibly fun experience, often boasting a cinematic scope like their big screen influences. Here are the best action-adventure video games of all time ranked, each offering their own twist on the fan-favorite genre.
If there was ever an heir apparent to the legacies left by Indiana Jones and Lara Croft, it’s Nathan Drake, the protagonist of the “Uncharted” series. A globe-trotting treasure hunter with a wit as sharp as his aim, Nate’s adventures were prolific during the PS3 and PS4 eras. Our personal favorite game in the series is “Uncharted 2: Among Thieves,” released in 2009 for the PlayStation 3. The game has Nate searching for the lost city of Shambhala, trying to stay one step of a war criminal searching for its legendary treasure.
With “Uncharted 2: Among Thieves,” the third-person shooter gameplay had been refined considerably compared to its predecessor. Nate is much more intuitive when it comes to taking cover and the combat doesn’t feel as frustrating in this particular installment. The game also features some of the biggest and action set pieces in the entire game, starting with Nate awakening in a train that’s hanging over the edge of a cliff. Developer Naughty Dog may be finished with the “Uncharted” series, but we’d love a modern remaster or remake of “Uncharted 2” someday.
“Assassin’s Creed” is another prolific action-adventure game series, but the title that stands out in its utilization of those elements is “Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag.” The 2013 game received a remake 13 years later under the title “Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced,” really upgrading the title’s technical presentation. Primarily set in the 18th century, the game follows pirate captain Edward Kenway roaming the Caribbean with his crew. Edward becomes involved in the longstanding conflict between the Assassin Brotherhood and the Templars while also contending with the authorities and rival pirates.
The original “Black Flag” is one of the best “Assassin’s Creed” games and its 2026 remake does it justice. Sailing the open seas feels just as exhilarating on modern hardware, with the Caribbean vistas gorgeously rendered, especially its water effects. This sets the stage for all the treasure plundering and swashbuckling action, improved from the original by incorporating mechanics from more recent “Assassin’s Creed” titles. The most joyously action-packed entry in the series, “Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced” provides fans with a sumptuous seafaring adventure.
The original “God of War” games were more of a stylish hack-and-slash experience in the vein of “Devil May Cry.” When the series was revived in 2018 on the PS4, it did more than just swap out mythologies for Kratos to confront; it also repositioned itself as an action-adventure title. Set over a century after the events of “God of War III” in the “God of War” timeline, Kratos has since settled down in Scandinavia.
