Adventures are some of the oldest forms of narrative that have existed in human culture. They allow people to feel the suspense of accomplishing a fantastical goal and finding hidden treasures. As time has progressed, society has been able to create video games that take adventurous stories and allow people to experience them for themselves.
Adventure games let players take on massive journeys and explore mysterious lands to accomplish quests of great magnitude. These games make players feel they are unearthing hidden artifacts or saving the world from being consumed by evil. While there are several amazing and unique adventure video games, here are some of the best ones that you should definitely explore.
10 Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves has one of the best adventure stories we've seen in gaming. It's mainly because of the title's impactful storytelling. It feels like there is constant movement in the narrative, and with every changing level, players get more to unlock. So, it's no wonder the game is one of the best in the series.
The cinematic aspects of the game - like Nathan Drake jumping from one building to another when a helicopter tries to kill him - are heart throbbing. Every moment of the game will have players curious to figure out what comes next. The game does have a lot of linearities, but this gives to its highly narrative-based structure.
9 Sea Of Thieves
Sea of Thieves allows players to go out into the open seas and play out their pirate dreams. Players are free to explore the game as they see fit, as there are a lot of different things to do in the game's large sea. Players can go on the search for treasure that they can take back to ports for rewards. They can also hunt down bosses and take over forts.
The game tests players' true nature by giving them the opportunity to steal other people's boats and loot. Players can have random PvP interactions that add to the adventurous nature of the game. This can also take away from the game, as sometimes, all the loot of a player can be stolen, and in that case, it might feel that all the hard work was for nothing.
8 Batman Arkham: Asylum
Batman Arkham: Asylum took the dungeon crawler genre and completely changed it with great combat and a superhero exterior. This game changed the model for what superhero games should be like. It allowed players to explore what felt like a semi-open world map with many quests to go through.
The game has different locations that are based on the boss that resides in the area. A lot of the time, Batman unlocks different items that he can use to overcome the different hazards that he faces in those locations. Batman Arkham: Asylum mixes big combat sequences with missions where players must defeat enemies with stealth. It's a game that isn't the best in the series but deserves a top spot for igniting the change in this genre.
7 Rise of the Tomb Raider
Rise of the Tomb Raider has several iconic moments. There is constant action appearing on-screen, and Lara Croft's life is always on the line. The sequences are as phenomenal as ever, with many intense situations involving great climbing mechanics. There is also a lot in terms of exploration.
The base game is fun with an enjoyable story, but it excels at the side quests that it provides in unique tombs that Lara must explore to unlock different items. The completionist spirit inside many gamers will be ignited as some collectibles are thoughtfully placed behind great tomb designs.
6 Hollow Knight
Hollow Knight is a Metroidvania that allows players a lot of options in terms of adventure. The game can be very difficult to start off, but as players learn the controls, it makes the gameplay much more enjoyable. Players won't find themselves getting stuck too often as there are usually multiple paths that they can explore.
There are many challenges, but the magnificent art style will keep players in awe. The distinct activities and the customizability in the game make it worth the play alone. Nothing in this game feels empty or uninspired as it has everything that it needs to keep gamers hooked.
5 God Of War
God of War 2018 managed to create an adventure that took players to new worlds based on Norse mythology. The game wasn't necessarily fully open-world in a traditional sense, but it still gave off a feeling that it was. All the levels felt massive and unique, mainly because of Kratos being transported into different realms.
The story also felt like something that would be written in the romanticism era in history. It's a true hero's journey that shows character flaws and patterns that must be overcome, which are manifested through mental and physical challenges the player must conquer.
4 The Legend of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild intelligently continues the Zelda legacy. It brought in old gameplay dungeon mechanics and managed to throw in some elements of survival without necessarily being too much about survival. The game is all about adventure, and it manages to stay true to what it is while also including fresh components.
The game has an open world that players can take on however they choose. It's a game with many challenges to overcome and areas that add to a player's explorative experience. The boss battles are also magnificent, and the scale of the game feels endless. It's a journey that feels malleable to the player's way of wanting to live through it.
3 Terraria
Terraria took the randomly generated sandbox concept and made a giant game around it. This game is magnificent because of how it rewards and punishes players for exploring. Players must uncover different areas hidden in the game that will unlock new materials that make them stronger.
The game will show the player its true difficulty when a player travels too far into the world or finds a Biome they are not ready for. It will unleash enemies that are too powerful to be defeated. However, it is through that the players learn to pick and choose their battles.
2 The Binding Of Isaac: Rebirth
The Binding Of Isaac: Rebirth, with all of its downloadable content, is a game that is full of mysteries to uncover. The game is a new refreshing adventure, with each play-through giving players new options to uncover new areas. When a player dies in this game, they die for good, having to start with nothing from level one.
It is through death that players learn about enemy attack patterns as well as what items work best for them when traversing down the different levels in the game. Every room hides something that pushes exploration. The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth might fool some with its 8-bit graphics, but it's a game that stands shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the best games in the adventure genre.
1 Elden Ring
Elden Ring takes every other adventure game and makes players question if they had ever truly played an adventure before hopping onto this game. That is because of the enormity this game provides to players. At first, the map looks huge, but as players continue to explore, they realize that the huge map is even bigger than what they initially expected, and it's glorious.
The game pushes players to explore different areas. If the game gets too difficult, players can unravel one of many mysteries that the game offers, which helps unlock another area. Nothing has to be done in any particular order, and many items players get hold of uncovers more secrets.