What are Action Games?

Action games constitute an incredibly broad category of games and subgenres. The player takes control of a character and must progress using action-oriented gameplay like jumping, climbing, dodging, or fighting. There are obstacles and enemies that can sometimes be avoided but often must be defeated. Bosses, antagonists that have more health or intricate mechanics, are typically included. The character also has health (known as hit points or HP) and/or lives, sometimes represented as hearts. Losing all of your health or lives results in defeat, requiring you to restart the entire game, stage, or level, or from a checkpoint or save point.


Action games reward dexterity and good hand-eye coordination, although there are ways to mitigate the physical and mental stress on players for accessibility.

All Articles about Action Games - Page 1

Predator: Hunting Grounds Art
News

Predator: Hunting Grounds Announced for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, New Content Also Coming

Today IllFonic announced that it acquired the publishing rights for Predator: Hunting Grounds, which was originally published for PS5 and PC by Sony Interactive Entertainment.  As a result, the game…

March 28, 2024 | 04:51 EDT

Take-Two Entertainment Gearbox Software Logo
News

Grand Theft Auto Publisher Take-Two to Acquire Gearbox from Embracer, New Borderlands in Development

Today Take-Two Interactive Software announced that it has reached a deal with Embracer to acquire the developer of the Borderlands franchise Gearbox Entertainment.  The announcement made via press…

March 28, 2024 | 12:50 EDT

Simon Belmont wielding the Vampire Killer whip in the V Rising Castlevania crossover
News

V Rising Castlevania Crossover Will Let You Battle Simon Belmont

Stunlock Studios and Konami have announced a V Rising Castlevania crossover, bringing a legendary vampire hunter to the open-world survival game. Per an official announcement, this crossover, which…

March 26, 2024 | 09:04 EDT

Header image for Pepper Grinder
Review

Pepper Grinder Review - I Dig It

I love me a good platformer, whether is be a AAA title like the excellent Super Mario Bros. Wonder, or smaller projects like 2022's Shovel Knight Dig. Every good game in the genre needs a hook to it…

March 28, 2024 | 12:00 EDT

A close-up of Eve's face in Stellar Blade
News

Stellar Blade Demo Release Date Revealed for Real This Time

Sony and Shift Up have announced the Stellar Blade demo release date, and this time, it's (probably) not going to be immediately deleted from the store after release. You'll get a chance to try out…

March 25, 2024 | 09:57 EDT

A character holding his arms outstretched in Dragon's Dogma 2
News

Future Dragon's Dogma 2 Updates Include New Game Fix, Console Graphics Options, and More

Capcom has revealed some of the updates it's working on in order to address common player criticisms of recently-released RPG Dragon's Dogma 2. Dragon's Dogma 2 was released last week, and since its…

March 25, 2024 | 09:22 EDT

Image of Cinnamon Bark and Roe Roborant Creating Mighty Roborant in Dragon's Dogma 2

Dragon's Dogma 2 Combination Guide - Crafting Restoratives

Dragon's Dogma 2 has a phenomenal world to explore, filled with danger, side quests, and tons of different items to pick up as you make your way around the map. Our Dragon's Dogma 2 Combination Guide…

March 24, 2024 | 11:50 EDT

The Dragon's Dogma 2 DLC list on Steam.
Guide

How to get the Dragon's Dogma 2 Microtransactions Free

Microtransactions in Dragon’s Dogma 2 have been a big point of contention, though most of the game’s DLC can be obtained rather easily in-game. With that in mind, this guide will go over how to get…

March 22, 2024 | 04:19 EDT

A close-up of Hecate, the new god in Smite 2
News

Smite 2 Reveals First New God Alongside Silky-Smooth Unreal Engine 5 Gameplay

Smite 2 developer Titan Forge Games has revealed the first brand new god to be making their way to the upcoming MOBA sequel, and it's none other than the Greek goddess of witchcraft Hecate. In case…

March 22, 2024 | 10:32 EDT

A giant monster grinning at a human character in Dragon's Dogma 2
News

Capcom Responds to Dragon's Dogma 2 Criticisms Including Paid DLC and Performance

Capcom has released a statement addressing some of Dragon's Dogma 2 players' most common criticisms of the game, including its abundance of paid DLC, poor performance, and more. In a post on the…

March 22, 2024 | 09:42 EDT

Upgrading the Herald's Helix magick bow.
Guide

Dragon's Dogma 2 Upgrade Guide | All Upgrade Styles

Our Dragon's Dogma 2 Upgrade Guide will go over each way you can upgrade your equipment, including the type of stats it'll gain. Upgrading Gear Upgrading gear in Dragon's Dogma 2 is a slightly more…

March 21, 2024 | 11:45 EDT

Character in a red and black dress looking to the side.
Guide

Dragon's Dogma 2 The Stolen Throne Guide

Our Dragon's Dogma 2 The Stolen Throne Guide will go over how to get ready for this quest, and what to do to complete its main objective. Dragon's Dogma 2 The Stolen Throne Quest Guide As part of…

March 21, 2024 | 10:28 EDT

Talking to Waldhar in jail.
Guide

Dragon's Dogma 2 The Caged Magistrate Guide

Our Dragon's Dogma 2 The Caged Magistrate Guide will go over how to complete this main story quest, along with another task that you must complete along the way. The Caged Magistrate Quest Guide…

March 21, 2024 | 10:28 EDT

Magick Archer firing off thunder in the desert.
Guide

Dragon's Dogma 2 Vocations Guide | How to Unlock Every Vocation

Our Dragon's Dogma 2 Vocations Guide will go over how the game’s class system works, including where to unlock every Vocation across the world. Vocation Basics Vocations in Dragon’s Dogma 2 act…

March 21, 2024 | 10:28 EDT

Image of a player inside the vault in the castle in Dragon's Dogma 2

Dragon's Dogma 2 Vernworth Vault Guide | How to Get In

If you're curious what's inside the Vernworth Vault in Dragon's Dogma 2, I'll walk you through where it is, how to get in, and what awaits you inside.  Unless you're exploring the Vernworth Castle,…

March 21, 2024 | 10:29 EDT

Dragon's Dogma 2 Review Art
Review

Dragon's Dogma 2 Review - Arisen Once More

The original Dragon’s Dogma was always such an elusive game to me. I never had the chance to play it when it came out back in 2012, but I always held a sort of peripheral awareness that it was…

March 20, 2024 | 11:00 EDT

A character kneeling by a grave in Rise of the Ronin
News

Rise of the Ronin Shows Off Painstaking Development Process in New Video

Team Ninja and Sony have released a brand new Rise of the Ronin deep dive video that goes into detail regarding the developer's painstaking process of bringing the game to life. In the video, game…

March 19, 2024 | 11:11 EDT

A shot of a player character in the upcoming Dragon's Dogma 2
News

Dragon's Dogma 2 Global Launch Times Revealed Ahead of This Week's Launch

Capcom has revealed the Dragon's Dogma 2 global launch timings ahead of the hotly-anticipated RPG's release later this week. In a post on X (formerly known as Twitter), Capcom reveals the game's…

March 19, 2024 | 09:01 EDT

Rise of the Ronin Key Art with the TechRaptor Review overlay
Review

Rise of the Ronin Review — Baku-meh-tsu

Team Ninja is a developer that I’ve become quite fond of in recent years, ever since I tried out the beta for Nioh. They play to their strengths, releasing consistently solid titles with challenging…

March 21, 2024 | 07:00 EDT

Artwork of Dragon's Dogma 2
News

Dragon's Dogma 2 Director Hideaki Itsuno Presents New PS5 Gameplay Ahead of Release [UPDATED]

Today the Japanese arm of PlayStation and Capcom revealed some brand new gameplay of the upcoming JRPG Dragon's Dogma 2.  The gameplay is about 12 minutes-long, and was showcased on PS5 directly by…

March 19, 2024 | 02:44 EDT

Image of the Sphinx in Dragon's Dogma 2, with a tilted head at the player and their Pawn

Dragon's Dogma 2 Sphinx Riddles Guide - How to Complete all 10

Redesigned for Dragon's Dogma 2, the Sphinx makes a return with five new riddles for the Arisen to solve. In this Sphinx Guide, we'll outline each of the riddles, as well as how you can answer them…

March 21, 2024 | 10:29 EDT

Image from Dragon's Dogma 2 - The NPC Offulve is Asking the Arisen if they have the Jadeite Orb

Dragon's Dogma 2 Jadeite Orb Quest Choice - Offulve or Everard?

When you first make your way to the Checkpoint Rest Town, you'll be approached by a man named Offulve, who's searching for a Jadeite Orb that his employer wants. This will start the Dragon's Dogma 2…

March 21, 2024 | 10:29 EDT

 Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 Picture of Senua
News

Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 Reveals Beautiful Screenshots Made with Photo Mode

Ninja Theory shared a small gallery of new screenshots of its upcoming action-adventure game Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2. Interestingly, the screenshots shared on X (formerly Twitter) aren't exactly…

March 15, 2024 | 07:26 EDT

David Hayter in the new Metal Gear Solid Legacy Series recap video, which makes no mention of Hideo Kojima
News

Metal Gear Solid Recap Video Starring Snake Voice Actor David Hayter Doesn't Mention Hideo Kojima

Konami has released the first part of a new Metal Gear Solid recap video series that tells the story of the epic stealth-action franchise, but one of its key players is conspicuous by his absence.…

March 15, 2024 | 10:36 EDT

A Rancor with a Stormtrooper in its claws in Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection
News

Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection Online Woes Due to "Critical" Network Errors, Aspyr Admits

Aspyr has provided an official response to overwhelming criticism of the PC version of Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection. Since the game's release yesterday, PC players have been complaining…

March 15, 2024 | 10:00 EDT

Dragon's Dogma 2 - Stained Glass Dragon
News

Dragon's Dogma 2 Shows Heroes, Setting, and Monsters, in Impressive Video Starring Ian McShane

Today Capcom released an extensive new video about its upcoming open-world JRPG Dragon's Dogma 2, which will be released soon.  The trailer, narrated by Lovejoy, Deadwood, and John Wick star Ian…

March 14, 2024 | 07:12 EDT

A vampire rising from the crypt in V Rising
News

V Rising 1.0 Release Date Set for May on PC, Later This Year on PS5

Stunlock Studios has announced the official V Rising 1.0 release date, and it's landing later this spring for PC. Unfortunately, however, you'll have to wait a little longer for the game to arrive on…

March 13, 2024 | 09:25 EDT

Taka Murayama in Rise of the Ronin holding out an apple
News

Rise of the Ronin Showcases Main Factions and Their Key Players in New Trailer

Sony and Team Ninja have released a new Rise of the Ronin story trailer, and it's showing off the game's three key factions, all of whom you'll be interacting with over the course of the narrative.…

March 12, 2024 | 10:39 EDT

Header image for Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection by Aspyr.
Review

Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection Review - You Can Kill Gungans

Ah, Pandemic Studios. Playing Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection reminds me of its original development studio, and how much I adored both this team's work. Known for games such as Destroy All…

March 13, 2024 | 09:00 EDT

Wonder Woman lifting a dumbbell in the platform fighter MultiVersus
News

MultiVersus Release Date Revealed for May, New Characters and Stages Coming

Developer Player First Games and publisher Warner Bros have announced a full MultiVersus release date. The platform fighter, which stars characters like Batman, Scooby-Doo's Shaggy, and the titular…

March 11, 2024 | 09:28 EDT

Artwork of Stellar Blade featuring its protagonist.
News

Stellar Blade Demo for PS5 Released and Immediately Removed From the PlayStation Store [UPDATED]

If you want to try Shift Up's much-discussed action game Stellar Blade before it's released now you can as a free demo has been released on the PlayStation Store. Update: the demo has been removed…

March 8, 2024 | 04:15 EST

Characters in Dragon's Dogma 2
News

Dragon's Dogma 2 Character Creator Available Now for Free

Capcom announced during a showcase livestream that a Character Creator and Storage app for Dragon's Dogma 2 has just been released. The app is already available for free on all of the platforms that…

March 7, 2024 | 06:57 EST

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess Soh and Yoshiro
News

Capcom Reveals Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess Gameplay, Details, Setting, and More

Today Capcom revealed new details and shared new footage of its upcoming action strategy game Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess. We hear more about the setting, which is a mountain that has been…

March 7, 2024 | 06:28 EST

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 - Pete and Miles Swinging around
News

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Update Accidentally Unlocks Dangerous Development Menu, Hotfix Coming

Insomniac Games just launched a big update for its open-world action-adventure game Marvel's Spider-Man 2, but among many welcome changes, it came with an unintended one. As shared today on X (…

March 7, 2024 | 02:04 EST

Ryoma Sakamoto in Rise of the Ronin
News

Rise of the Ronin Showcases Dynamic Storytelling, Player Choices, and Bonds with Characters

Today Sony Interactive Entertainment and Koei Tecmo released a new behind-the-scenes video of the upcoming action RPG Rise of the Ronin.  In the video, we hear from director Fumihiko Yasuda and…

March 7, 2024 | 11:04 EST

Chiori from Genshin Impact
News

Genshin Impact Showcases New 5-Star Geo Character Chiori [UPDATED]

With a new update coming, Genshin Impact developer HoYoverse has started the traditional cycle of new trailers introducing the next five-star character. The new character is Chiori and her event…

March 13, 2024 | 12:32 EDT

Vasco does Thumbs UP in Starfield
News

Starfield Update 1.10.30 Beta Available Now With "Largest Number of Fixes and Improvements Yet"

Today Bethesda has released the beta version of the next patch for its latest RPG Starfield, numbered 1.10.30, and it's a big one.  As usual for beta patches, the update will be available only as an…

March 6, 2024 | 12:39 EST

A close-up of Seyka in the Horizon Forbidden West expansion Burning Shores
News

Horizon Forbidden West PC Requirements Revealed

Nixxes and developer Guerrilla Games have announced the Horizon Forbidden West PC requirements you're going to need to fulfil if you want to run the game on your machine. In a PlayStation Blog post …

March 5, 2024 | 08:50 EST

Rise of the Ronin Key Art
News

Rise of the Ronin Shows Off its Many Weapons and Their Gameplay

Today Sony Interactive Entertainment Japan and Team Ninja released several videos focusing on the weapons included in Rise of the Ronin.  Each video focuses on a category of weapon, showing its…

March 1, 2024 | 11:04 EST

A close-up of Chiori, the new five-star character in Genshin Impact 4.5
News

Genshin Impact 4.5 Release Date Revealed, Will Let You Manage Your Own Potion Shop

HoYoverse has announced the Genshin Impact 4.5 release date, with the new version bringing a business management minigame, a brand new five-star character, and more. The last major Genshin Impact …

March 1, 2024 | 08:18 EST

OnePlus 12R Genshin Impact Edition and Keqing
Feature

OnePlus 12R Genshin Impact Edition Smartphone Review - Gorgeous and Powerful Like Keqing

HoYoverse and mobile manufacturer OnePlus recently revealed the OnePlus 12R Genshin Impact Edition smartphone, and it's certainly an interesting proposition. Usually, when we talk about merchandise…

March 2, 2024 | 12:00 EST

The Vampire Survivors vampire with a space background behind him in artwork for the Vampire Survivors Space-54 update
News

Vampire Survivors Update 1.9 "Space-54" Brings New Characters, New Stage, and More

Vampire Survivors update 1.9, otherwise known as the Space-54 update, is here, and it's bringing a brand new stage, new characters to play as, and more. We last heard about this update during…

February 29, 2024 | 09:57 EST

OnePlus 12R Genshin Impact Edition and Keqing
News

Genshin Impact Reveals Gorgeous Smartphone by OnePlus Featuring Keqing

Developer HoYoverse and OnePlus announced an upcoming smartphone dedicated to the super-popular free-to-play game Genshin Impact. The OnePlus 12R Genshin Impact Edition was revealed during the…

February 28, 2024 | 11:57 EST

Several samurai looking serious in Rise of the Ronin
News

Rise of the Ronin Gets New Deep Dive Video All About Its Signature Team Ninja Action

Team Ninja and Sony have released a new extended Rise of the Ronin video that provides extensive detail regarding the game's signature Team Ninja-style combat. Titled simply "The Fight", the behind-…

February 23, 2024 | 10:56 EST

An enemy in Sons of the Forest standing stiffly in a snowy forest
News

Sons of the Forest 1.0 Patch Notes Bring Some Hilariously Dark Changes

Sons of the Forest 1.0 is finally upon us, and as you'd expect for this major milestone, it comes with some very extensive patch notes indeed. The survival horror game has been in Early Access since…

February 23, 2024 | 09:14 EST

Survivors fighting off zombies in Dying Light 2 with melee weapons and firearms
News

Dying Light 2 Firearms Update Finally Lets You Blast the Undead to Kingdom Come

Techland has released the Dying Light 2 Firearms Update, and it's being touted as the zombie-slaying open-world parkour game's biggest update to date. Previous Dying Light 2 updates have added…

February 22, 2024 | 09:55 EST

Hi-Fi Rush Is Coming to PS5
News

Hi-Fi Rush Officially Announced for PS5 [UPDATED]

Today the Latin American arm of Bethesda itself leaked the announcement of the port of Tango Gameworks' Hi-Fi Rush for PS5.  According to a trailer released on the official local channel of the…

February 21, 2024 | 01:10 EST

Peter Parker and Miles Morales leaning against a building and wearing the new Gameheads suits in Marvel's Spider-Man 2
News

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Teams Up With Non-Profit Organization for Funky New Suit DLC

Sony and Insomniac Games have announced two new Marvel's Spider-Man 2 suits, and although you'll need to pay for these, it's all for a good cause. The Fly N' Fresh Suit Pack was designed by artists…

February 21, 2024 | 11:37 EST