Action-adventure is an encompassing genre, so it’s no wonder the list of action-adventure games we played this year is a long one. However, finding the best games of 2016 was a pretty easy task. The three games you see below stood out among the crowd as the very best, each offering its own unique experience and interpretation of the genre. And we enjoyed every one of them.
Here are our picks for the best action-adventure games of 2016.
Dishonored 2
Developer: Arkane Studios
Publisher: Bethesda
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
The original Dishonored was, and still is, one of the best games in recent history, so any sequel would have had a lot of expectations to meet. Thankfully, Dishonored 2 manages to stand up to the original and deliver an open-ended gameplay experience few other games do. The freedom of play here is absolutely amazing, and players can truly “play their way”, whether its by killing everything in sight in the most creative ways, or sneak past undetected thanks to improvements made to the stealth and nonlethal gameplay. While the original protagonist, Corvo Attano, makes a return as one of two playable characters, it’s Emily Kaldwin who steals the show with her new powers and narrative. Dishonored 2 is a blend of the old and the new, which is exactly what a sequel should be.
Hitman
Developer: IO Interactive
Publisher: Square Enix
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
The new Hitman marks a return to form for the franchise. Some fans of the series were a little upset with Hitman Absolution’s simplification of the Hitman formula, and it looks like IO Interactive listened. This soft reboot follows a younger Agent 47 as he travel the world to track down and take down multiple different targets in open-ended levels that provide plenty of opportunities for the creative assassin. While some didn’t appreciate its episodic nature, it did give us plenty of time to fully explore every location, soak in the staggering amount of details, and experiment with the many different ways to eliminate each target. With the replay value through the roof, Hitman takes everything the we loved about the franchise, adds diverse and gorgeous new locations, and cranks everything up to “overkill”.
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
Developer: Naughty Dog
Publisher: Sony
Platforms: PlayStation 4
We consider the Uncharted series to be the epitome of action-adventure, and Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End to be the best game in the series yet. The captivating story, the amazing visuals and the larger-than-life cinematic moments band together to create not just an amazing action-adventure game, but one of the best games of 2016. A Thief’s End is Nathan Drake’s last hurrah as the series protagonist, and Naughty Dogs is pulling out on the stops to create the ultimate Uncharted game, with exciting shooting, clever puzzles, and tight platforming across several spectacular locations. It might not be as replayable as the other two games on this list, but it offers a much grander adventure. Sony has already announced the game’s first major DLC, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, which also looks really good.
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