Video games as a medium is a home for all kinds of experiences and challenges, and the past decade has only seen that variety grow. But while we’re excited about games that break new boundaries, we’ll always have time for the classics, and there are few genres that feel quite as foundational as the action/adventure. Its roots go all the way back to the 1980s, and many of its formative games live on today, such as The Legend of Zelda and Prince of Persia – both of which saw new releases in 2024.
But while the action/adventure genre is a long-standing core pillar of gaming, it has changed, morphed, and evolved over the years. While we still have the 2D side-scrollers of yesteryear, we also have new subgenres that make the most of new ideas. For example, this year’s Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is not just a technical showstopper, but a significant rethink on the relationship between story, exploration, and combat. Meanwhile, we can’t ignore the huge impact FromSoftware’s games have had on the genre, and this year’s Stellar Blade and Black Myth: Wukong both take ideas from the Souls series and rewrite them to fit their own goals.
But what action-packed adventure through digital worlds stole our hearts this year? Only one can take the title of Best Action/Adventure Game of 2024, and so here’s what the IGN editorial team decided…
The IGN Awards are voted on by the entire IGN editorial team, and as you can imagine that means the final results reveal just how broad and varied our individual tastes in video games are (that will hardly come as a surprise, have you ever read the comment section of a review?) Naturally, some staff members vote for games that ultimately don’t prove popular enough to make it into a category’s finals, and we don’t want to leave those votes unacknowledged. In this case, we’d like to make honorable mentions for two sword-slashing epics: Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 and Rise of the Ronin.
While not to everyone’s tastes, it’s easy to see why some people have come to adore Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2. It’s a graphical powerhouse, for sure, but it's the atmosphere those visuals generate that’s the real thing to be impressed by. It helps ground you in Senua’s challenging, hostile world – a land further brought to life by incredible audio design. Hellblade 2 is a narrow, focused adventure that almost comes across as an interactive movie more than it does an action game. But it's that focus that allows developer Ninja Theory to really deliver on its ambition of exploring the mental health issues that form the bedrock of this darkly personal-yet-cinematic series.
In contrast to Senua’s small, contained journey is Team Ninja’s Rise of the Ronin, a massive open-world adventure set during the final years of Japan’s Edo period. It draws on many of the refined, Soulsian ideas established in the studio’s Nioh games, but retools them to create a much more expansive, somewhat easier-going experience. Make no mistake, this is still an action game in which sword stances, parries, and careful positioning are still vital, but the sprawling map allows for a very different approach to similar challenges while also offering up many new ideas and Assassin’s Creed-flavoured exploration.
After years of impressive trailers and a strong showing at Gamescom 2023, Black Myth: Wukong arrived this year to a warm reception. It’s safe to say it has been one of, if not the most talked-about new game of the year, and for good reason: its boss-rush design allows it to put its best foot forward and showcase some exceptional combat. While certainly displaying some of the hallmarks of FromSoft-style battle, including limited health potions and careful observation of an enemy’s moveset, Black Myth: Wukong has its own original ideas to contribute to the action scene. Among the most interesting is the ability to momentarily transform into an enemy you’ve defeated on your travels, allowing you to become a giant frog that can slap your target with its elastic tongue; a shield-bearing warrior who can tank damage; or even a fiery wolf guardian with a unique moveset. These, along with other mystical abilities, help define Black Myth’s exciting approach to combat.
Beyond the boss battles, though, developer Game Science’s latest is an exciting journey through a culture that rarely enjoys the AAA limelight. Black Myth: Wukong is unapologetically Chinese. It adapts and continues Journey to the West, and so is dense with classic Chinese mythology that may not be familiar to Western audiences brought up on American, European, and Japanese games. It’s this that allows Black Myth: Wukong to feel like something of a new, exciting frontier: while its gameplay may be Souls-ish and its gear system parallels God of War’s, its universe and storytelling are entirely its own. At least until the next Chinese AAA that hits big on the worldwide stage, that is.
Stellar Blade is yet another action game victory for an East Asian developer. Created by South Korean studio Shift Up, Stellar Blade’s combat design is as razor sharp as its visuals – fast, responsive, and immensely rewarding. It too draws on FromSoftware for inspiration (in this case the fierce parry action of Sekiro) but blends that challenge with a stylish, ability-driven approach that combines sword strikes with grenades and guns. The result is an absolute blast, especially when it comes to the cinematic showdowns with grotesque Alpha Naytiba bosses.
While both fans and Yoko Taro himself have recognised Stellar Blade’s relationship to Nier Automata, it’s also worth mentioning the game’s fascination with The Matrix – an influence that not only informs ship designs and place names, but also the story’s philosophical approach to AI, machines, and the survival of the human race. Stellar Blade doesn’t quite live up to the lofty bar of its inspirations when it comes to story, but its biome-hopping adventure certainly asks questions in many of the right places.
There are, of course, two sides to the action/adventure genre. Where Stellar Blade and Black Myth: Wukong clearly go all-in on the action part, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle dedicates itself almost wholly to adventure. That’s not to say the folks at developer MachineGames haven’t put their famous Wolfenstein-honed anti-fascist skills to good use – you can’t have an Indiana Jones game without punching a Nazi every now and again, after all. But the Great Circle surprisingly has more in common with the likes of Broken Sword and Dishonored than it does Uncharted or Tomb Raider. It’s this surprisingly fresh approach to Dr. Jones’ digital adventures that makes the Great Circle feel so faithful to the films that inspired it.
Stepping into the shoes of Indy (as well as putting your head in his hat), you explore the corridors of the Vatican, tombs of the Ancient Egyptians, and rivers of Siam. Each intricately designed hub level is the canvass for organic exploration – the more you dig into an area’s history and secrets, the more it reveals its hidden pathways and undiscovered relics. While there’s always a main story mission that pushes towards the inevitable puzzle-filled tomb, each zone also offers up excellent “fieldwork” side missions that not only provide even more adventure and archaeology work, but neatly tie into the core story to provide a denser, more fulfilling experience.
Games often claim they can make you really “feel” like their protagonists, but MachineGames absolutely scored the golden idol on this one: smart puzzles, a genuine sense of discovery, and a solid amount of stealth encounters-turned-whip-cracking battles ensures the Great Circle is one of the best action/adventure games of the year. Not only that, it’s also Indiana Jones’ best adventure since 1989. Now that’s something worthy of a place in a museum.
In 1989 designer Jordan Mechner created a revolutionary leap with Prince of Persia. A tricky adventure that combined 2D side-scrolling platforming with swashbuckling combat, it remains a cornerstone of video gaming’s foundations to this day. 35 years later, Ubisoft Montpellier created Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown; an excellent return to the series’ 2D roots and – in the IGN team’s opinion – the best action/adventure game of 2024.
Like many successful games with a long and storied legacy, The Lost Crown is a smart blend of the old and new. It pulls on the dastardly trap-filled level design of Mechner’s original game, but those lethal pathways have been extended and looped to create a modern, interconnected metroidvania map. This world provides a perfectly judged exploration challenge, allowing you the space to investigate every layer and corner while also frequently asking you to prove your skill in order to navigate through swinging pendulums and over deadly spike pits.
Excellent enemy design and parry-filled engagements ensures The Lost Crown feels like a sharp and satisfying combat challenge, especially when it comes to its centrepiece boss battles. Again, it's that blend of old and new – the swashbuckling blades of classic Prince of Persia, augmented with the supernatural smarts of The Sands of Time and the responsiveness of Hollow Knight – that makes The Lost Crown such a winner.
But the game’s real secret weapon is perhaps its most simple addition to the formula: a camera. The campaign’s design leans on the locked gate traditions of classic metroidvanias, asking you to explore further and deeper in search of keys to those barriers. But that gameplay loop often results in doors being forgotten, the treasures behind them left unfound. But The Lost Crown allows you to snap a photo of a progress blocker and pin it to the map – a constant reminder of that place you couldn’t get into hours earlier. And so the moment you find the key, you’ll know exactly where you need to return. It’s a game-changer for the genre, and this feature alone would have been enough to secure The Lost Crown a space on this list. Combined with its many other achievements, though, this year’s Prince of Persia becomes a more-than-worthy winner of our award for the best action/adventure game of 2024.
Matt Purslow is IGN's Senior Features Editor.
