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[IGN] The 10 Best Action Games of All Time

lowhighkang_LHK

lowhighkang_LHK

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,884
Las Vegas

10) Ninja Gaiden 2
9) Vanquish
8) God of War 3
7) Bayonetta 2
6) Bayonetta 1
5) Metal Gear Rising
4) Devil May Cry 3
3) Devil May Cry 5
2) Ninja Gaiden Black
1) God of War (2018)

I think any of those games can be placed wherever really depending on taste. But that #1 pick is interesting.

Some personal takes:
I'd put in God Hand over Ninja Gaiden 2.
And God of War 2 over God of War 3.

 
Last edited:
Soulflarz

Soulflarz

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,807
Idk I understand the list but #1 isn't the best for being an action game, it's just the best game overall.
It'd be like me saying best FPS game and you pick something that got a 10/10 for the story and had ok gunplay, why.
 
ScaleboundGOTY

ScaleboundGOTY

Member
Nov 7, 2017
2,980
"2018's God of War pushed the genre forward in ways that the genre had not been pushed since DMC essentially revolutionized it back in 2001 "

Lmao
 
Bigkrev

Bigkrev

Member
Oct 25, 2017
12,312
That number 1 pick is going to invalidate the rest of the list for a lot of people
It would be like saying that Portal 2 was the greatest FPS of all time
 
Sasliquid

Sasliquid

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,295
No 1 is probably my favourite game on the list but I'm not sure I'd consider it an Action game like the other games on the list
 
Nameless

Nameless

Member
Oct 25, 2017
15,357
#1 is a joke unless by action they just mean setpieces.

Especially egregious when #2 and #3 are legitimately the best melee action games the planet has ever seen.
 
Servbot24

Servbot24

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
43,113
GoW strikes me as more action-adventure than straight up action. If GoW is on the list then Bloodborne certainly should be.
 
DrArchon

DrArchon

Member
Oct 25, 2017
15,485
If God Hand was there they'd never stop hearing about it.

Disagree with #1, but I guess it depends on what the list is. Is it "Best Action Games" or "Best Games based on their Action"?
 
jandg

jandg

Banned
Dec 23, 2019
141
God Of War had a nice story and cool set pieces. But honestly it's combat was actually pretty boring, not close to the kind of pacing and variety of other games on the list.
 
Sub Boss

Sub Boss

Banned
Nov 14, 2017
13,441
GOW was awesome but this feels like honeymoon period

Mostly because the enemy and boss variety were really lacking but i have no doubt the sequel wil be top tier amazing
 
Chumunga64

Chumunga64

Member
Jun 22, 2018
14,261
holy fuck at that number one

Well, God of War is a bold direction, that much is true. It's the first action game where facing away from the enemy gave you a better chance to dodge their attacks since a flashing indicator is easier to parse than enemy tells
 
SonovaBeach

SonovaBeach

Member
Dec 14, 2017
187
ScaleboundGOTY said:
"2018's God of War pushed the genre forward in ways that the genre had not been pushed since DMC essentially revolutionized it back in 2001 "

Lmao
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Lol what the hell. It pushed the genre by burrowing every action game current trends into one game.

I reaaaaaaally doubt that in the next few years we'll regard any action game as "inspired by God of War 2018".
 
Damn Silly

Damn Silly

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,193
So while I'd definitely reorder most of that list, I would never argue against them being on it.

That number one though.

giphy.gif
 
Juryvicious

Juryvicious

Member
Oct 28, 2017
6,838
If IGN feels that God of War (2018) is an action game, then Resident Evil 4 should also count by their metric, and therefor be the #1 action game of all time.
 
Clive

Clive

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,095
I love God of War (2018) and it might even be my favorite in the list overall but it really shouldn't be there as an action game. It's a narrative-driven action adventure game leaning towards RPGs. In that case you might as well toss Dark Souls and Bloodborne in there.
 
RedStep

RedStep

Avenger
Oct 27, 2017
2,651
Man alive, that is a bad list. GoW is great but the actual action is nothing special. I guess technically it's in that category and technically it might be a better overall game, but....

That would be like calling Avengers: Endgame the best action movie of all time. It's only peripherally in that category, and something like The Raid (or anything by Jackie Chan or Donnie Yen or even John Wick for the millenials) embodies it in every frame. It shouldn't even be in the running with only part of a foot through the door of the actual category.
 
V has come to

V has come to

Member
Dec 4, 2019
1,632
God of War 2018 is a great game LMAO at it being number 1 in this list

its not even an action game, rather action adventure

rest of the list is pretty good sans the glaring (and predictable) omission of God Hand. glad they put Bayo 1 above 2
 
Sesha

Sesha

▲ Legend ▲
Member
Oct 25, 2017
9,824
Saying DMC5 represents "near-perfection" and GoW pushed the genre forwards is makes me laugh. Hard disagree on both counts. GoW 2018 isn't even a pure action action game. Not a completely horrible list outside of that, although MGR being above Bayo and Bayo 2 being ranked alongside 1, when it's so much less in so many crucial ways, are both pretty questionable.
 
Dever

Dever

Member
Dec 25, 2019
5,347
No God Hand, shit list. Although I suppose IGN has a bit of a history with God Hand lol... Also yeah, Vanquish doesn't belong, even if it has faster movement than other TPS games.
 
Aesthet1c

Aesthet1c

Member
Oct 27, 2017
921
Such a great list right up until they shit the bed at number 1 lol. God of War 2018 was a great game, but best ACTION game?! Come on....
 
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