Action games are all about delivering an adrenaline-filled thrill ride for players. With their fast-paced combat, killer combo moves, and quick reflex-based gameplay, the best action games get your heart pounding as you take down legions of enemies against all odds.
The Xbox console has been a top destination for this intense genre since the original system launched back in 2001. Let‘s countdown the 10 greatest action experiences you can have on Xbox, from family-friendly adventures to mature sci-fi shooters. These games represent the absolute pinnacle of action on the platform.
10. Psychonauts 2
Developer: Double Fine Productions
Release Year: 2021
Genre: Action-adventure platformer
Psychonauts 2 is a mind-bending sequel with razor-sharp writing and platforming. You control Rasputin "Raz" Aquato, an acrobatic psychic secret agent, as he explores mental worlds to battle nightmares in this blend of action, adventure and puzzle gameplay.
Psychoats 2 stands out for its incredibly imaginative level design as you wall-run, swing on lamps and bounce across abstract concepts brought to life. With its witty dialogue, special mental powers and fun platforming challenges, it captures the spirit of an interactive Pixar movie.
Get it on the Microsoft Store
9. Sunset Overdrive
Developer: Insomniac Games
Release Year: 2014
Genre: Open-world action-adventure
Sunset Overdrive is an absurd open-world action game centered around grinding and airborne tricks. Set in a vibrant, stylized city overrun by mutant energy drink consumers, you dash across telephone wires and bounce off cars to traverse this apocalypse in style.
With a punk rock attitude and vibrant color scheme, the game is all about chaining together kills while rarely touching the ground. By blasting mutants with a wild array of eccentric weapons like the "High Fidelity" vinyl gun or taking on optional challenges like epic boss battles, Sunset Overdrive delivers thrilling action from start-to-finish.
Get it on the Microsoft Store
8. Dead Rising 3
Developer: Capcom Vancouver
Release Year: 2013
Genre: Open-world survival horror
Offering open-world zombie action on a scale never seen before, Dead Rising 3 is a tense and gory must-play. Set in a fictional California city two days into a zombie outbreak, you‘ll craft bizarre weapons and mow down the hordes however possible in this sandbox of carnage.
With countless undead to slaughter using crazy combo weapons and vehicles, Dead Rising 3‘s combat and exploration is exceptionally visceral. The added urgency of its timer before you lose everything ups the pressure even more in this blood-soaked fan-favorite.
Get it on the Microsoft Store
7. Nier: Automata
Developer: PlatinumGames
Release Year: 2017
Genre: Action role-playing game
Nier: Automata masterfully combines fluid combat with a profound storyline about androids at war with machine lifeforms on a post-apocalyptic Earth. Its seamless blend of gameplay styles keeps it feeling fresh, shifting between side-scrolling shoot ‘em up to top-down bullet hell segments.
Nier‘s real standout element though is the slick swordplay and combo system that drives its intense boss encounters against huge mechanical beasts. With responsive controls and considerable challenge, it has some of the most heart-pounding third-person combat around.
Get it on the Microsoft Store
6. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
Developer: PlatinumGames
Release Year: 2013
Genre: Action-adventure hack and slash
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance focuses squarely on dynamic, lightning-quick swordplay as cyborg ninja Raiden slices up foes into hundreds of pieces. After mastering parries and combos using his high-frequency blade, each encounter becomes an adrenaline-spiking blast of sensory overload.
Blurring the screen during blade mode slows down time so you can precision-cut enemies and objects into tiny chunks. Coupled with an awesome soundtrack and over-the-top boss battles, Revengeance offers blistering speeds unmatched in most action games.
Get it on the Microsoft Store
5. Batman: Arkham Knight
Developer: Rocksteady Studios
Release Year: 2015
Genre: Action-adventure
Capping off the acclaimed Batman: Arkham trilogy, Arkham Knight lets you glide across Gotham City as the legendary Dark Knight like never before. With an expanded set of gadgets and nimble combat mechanics, unleashing combo takedowns on groups of thugs is intensely satisfying.
Arkham Knight also introduces the Batmobile, allowing you to drift around corners and chase down vehicles at breakneck speeds. Packed to the brim with rewarding side quests and mysteries that culminate in kinetic confrontations with Batman‘s most iconic villains, Arkham Knight is a must-play superhero experience.
Get it on the Microsoft Store
4. DOOM Eternal
Developer: id Software
Release Year: 2020
Genre: First-person shooter
The long-awaited sequel DOOM Eternal turns the dial to 11 on over-the-top demon destruction. As the doomslayer destined to save humanity, you‘ll blast your way through Hell in this gory, heavy metal-fueled celebration of violence.
DOOM Eternal executes its lightning-fast first-person shooting to perfection with sharp gunplay and gruesome, glory kill takedowns. Dash between enemies while unleashing loads of lead, setting the screen ablaze in viscera and adrenaline. With empowering movement and satisfying weapon feedback, DOOM Eternal is a symphony of destruction not to be missed.
Get it on the Microsoft Store
3. Gears 5
Developer: The Coalition
Release Year: 2019
Genre: Third-person shooter
Gears 5 continues the iconic cover shooter franchise with optimized mechanics that feel fantastic. Whether active reloading your weapon in the nick of time or slicing enemies in half with the new shotgun, combat carries serious weight alongsideosed spectacular presentation.
Letting you take control of flying Skiff vehicles and more open environments than ever before, Gears 5 is about embracing freedom within its gritty, sci-fi universe. Nailing the signature Gears formula while opening gameplay up in new ways, Gears 5 has to be played to understand just how good it feels in action.
Get it on the Microsoft Store
2. Ninja Gaiden Black
Developer: Team Ninja
Release Year: 2005
Genre: Action-adventure
Initially released on the original Xbox, Ninja Gaiden Black is the quintessential version of hardcore ninja Ryu Hayabusa‘s debut 3D outing. Demanding expert timing and reflexes, its ferocious enemy AI and blend of weapons make it one of the purest skill-based challenges around.
With some of the genre‘s best melee combat, Ninja Gaiden Black requires mastery of Ryu‘s sword and ninpo magic to tackle its insane difficulty. While unforgiving and frustrating at points, finally taking down a boss after the 50th try is ecstasy. For those seeking the ultimate single-player action test, Ninja Gaiden Black can‘t be topped.
Get it on the Microsoft Store
1. Halo: The Master Chief Collection
Developer: 343 Industries
Release Year: 2014
Genre: First-person shooter
It‘s impossible to discuss the history of Xbox without bringing up Halo. Offering the complete saga from start-to-finish, Halo: The Master Chief Collection lets players experience the revolutionary FPS franchise that put Xbox on the map.
Whether battling on foot against the Covenant or rushing behind the wheel of 4-player co-op friendly vehicles, Halo‘s campaigns remain favorite adrenaline-filled romps even today. You‘ll create tons of memorable moments through the Collection‘s extensive multiplayer modes as well, making it the absolute definitive package for the greatest action franchise in all of gaming.
Get it on the Microsoft Store
So there you have it, the 10 absolute best action games you can dive into on Xbox consoles right now for thrilling combat, kinetic movement and sheer visceral excitement. Across various releases spanning over 20 years, these games represent the best the platform offers for action fans.
