2024 has been an incredible year for action RPGs: I’ve played the best of them, and here’s why I think you should too
When I think about all the video games I played this year, there is a very apparent throughline that I did not fairly put collectively till just lately. Action RPGs, these monster bonking simulators with glowing loot, represented the majority of my gaming food regimen. OK—most of it was Diablo 4, however I dabbled in virtually all of the action RPGs that got here out this year and not a single one was a miss.
Half of the action RPG style’s power is, admittedly, its broad definition. Loot lovers have Diablo 4, soulslike sickos have Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, roguelike ruffians have Hades 2, and then there’s Dragon’s Dogma 2 for anybody who needs their action RPGs to be delightfully bizarre. Black Fable: Wukong and Ultimate Fantasy 16 veer closely into the action aspect of issues, and we simply bought a brand new Dragon Age that may be a higher action RPG than I think anybody anticipated. And do not forget Path of Exile 2, which did not fairly make the minimize, however continues to be on observe to return out in early entry this year.
My favourite half about action RPGs are the tales you hear about gamers arising with ridiculous problem runs or builds that the builders certainly did not actually intend. That is the attraction of a style that fingers you a buffet of fight programs and lets you gorge on no matter you’re hungry for. Let’s dig into every sport, what ridiculous issues gamers did in them, and what makes them stand out.
The weird action RPG: Dragon’s Dogma 2
(Picture credit score: Tyler C. / Capcom)
Most spectacular participant feat: Beat the sport bare in below 2 hours.
Play it to simulate a D&D celebration made up of player-created NPCs who can kill you at any second.
Quick journey in Dragon’s Dogma 2 is a ache in the ass. To journey between cities, you must catch an oxcart earlier than it departs and then pray you do not get attacked by a griffon alongside the method. Teleporting round the world is feasible, however you must have visited your vacation spot as soon as earlier than and have a particular merchandise on you. Dragon’s Dogma 2 is an inconvenient action RPG the place any quest may flip right into a fantasy epic.
After which there are the pawns, NPC buddies who you recruit all through your journey. With out them, Dragon’s Dogma 2, like your fundamental character, would lose its coronary heart. “It feels like I’m in a proper RPG adventuring group, and each journey is made better by their company and funny little eccentricities,” Fraser wrote in his Dragon’s Dogma 2 evaluate. He gave it a rating of 89% for its originality and ambition.
I can nonetheless image my celebration of pawns and all the surprises we encountered on the technique to end some mundane job. I owe them my life for what number of beasts they saved off of me whereas I shot arrows from relative security, and for being good sports activities each time I hurled them towards gadgets I did not really feel like leaping throughout a niche to get.
The slick action RPG: Hades 2
(Picture credit score: Tyler C. / Supergiant Video games)
Most spectacular participant feat: Beat every boss without taking a single point of damage.
Play it for the jetpack that was simply added.
The primary Hades is up there with some of my favourite video games of all time. Supergiant is aware of learn how to make unbelievably satisfying action RPGs that slowly unfold their complexity over time. Hades 2 is not completed but, however already has some new toys which may make me kick Hades 1 down a number of ranks.
Each run you can stack boons collectively to show your grenade launcher into an explosive shotgun or your dash into Poseidon’s tidal wave.
Easy issues, like Melinoë’s fast sprint that leaves a path of stars behind her to point how lengthy you have till you can do it once more, are the variety of little touches that give Hades 2’s fight a sturdy basis. If the primary act of shifting round weren’t so satisfying, Hades 2’s complete arsenal of artistic weapons and powers would not work.
Each run you can stack boons collectively to show your grenade launcher into an explosive shotgun or your dash into Poseidon’s tidal wave. Supergiant makes it virtually unimaginable to stumble right into a construct that does not work, activating the proper neurons that preserve me coming again to do it once more and once more.
The relentless action RPG: Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
(Picture credit score: Tyler C. / FromSoftware)
Most spectacular participant feat: Beat it with 1 HP, 1 FP, and 1 Stamina over 55 hours and 1,900 deaths.
Play it for its dual-wielded blades that allow you slide behind enemies like a ninja.
Apologies to the different action RPGs on this checklist, however Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is well the best one I’ve played this year. FromSoftware’s monumental growth delivers a wonderful new landmass, terrifying new monsters, and weaponry that stretches what I thought was potential on this taste of action RPG.
As I stated in my Shadow of the Erdtree evaluate, it “rivals Dark Souls with a corkscrew world design layered with wondrous and horrific secrets to discover.” And like Darkish Souls, regular enemies—not simply bosses—can tear you aside. One of my points with Elden Ring is how uneven its issue scaling turns into in the final third. The growth dodges this drawback by having its personal leveling system that just about makes you really feel like you’re stage 1 once more.
The problem goes hand in hand with the place FromSoft selected to set the growth: In a land that echoes the base sport with remixed enemy varieties and bosses constructed to use all the habits you used to depend on. Shadow of the Erdtree can see proper by means of you and I was glad to be threatened by the smallest enemies in a world that’s virtually screaming at you to go away.
The daring action RPG: Black Fable: Wukong
(Picture credit score: Tyler C. / GameScience)
Most spectacular participant feat: Beat the entire game without dodging.
Play it for its marvelous 10-minute intro.
That is the solely action RPG on the checklist the place you get to duel a tiger with a katana. I guess you additionally play as a monkey man with a polearm, so possibly that is not shocking.
Wukong can be only a nice entry level for anybody who would not play rather a lot of soulslikes or action RPGs.
The creativity in Black Fable: Wukong’s powers impressed me the most. The concept of turning into a large frog to slap enemies together with your tongue feels like a joke however in Wukong it is not, and it in some way would not really feel out of place. You rework into rather a lot of completely different creatures on this sport, and every one shifts the tempo of the fight in satisfying methods. I spent a lot time as a wolf man slicing enemies aside with a fiery blade that going again to the monkey man felt like a punishment.
Wukong can be only a nice entry level for anybody who would not play rather a lot of soulslikes or action RPGs. It definitely will get troublesome by the finish, however most of it’s pretty lax so long as you can deal with fast-paced fight like you discover in Satan Could Cry.
The cerebral action RPG: Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred
(Picture credit score: Tyler C. / Blizzard)
Action RPGs to sit up for
(Picture credit score: Grinding Gear Video games)
Path of Exile 2 (December 6) – Each clip of PoE 2 has me frightened it is going to seize me and by no means let go. The early entry sequel has all of it: a wonderful new look, soulslike action, and extra construct flexibility than ever earlier than.
Monster Hunter Wilds (February 28) – I’ve by no means been a Monster Hunter man nevertheless it is perhaps time for me to lastly choose up an insect glaive and begin looking some massive beasts with my associates.
Soulframe (2025) – The Warframe studio is making a soulslike action RPG with freaky knights, witches, and an enormous wolf to pet.
Most spectacular participant feat: Found highly effective bugs that allow the new class hit for billions of harm.
Play it to summon a large poison-spitting centipede as its speedy new class.
Vessel of Hatred reboots Diablo 4 into an even stronger action RPG than I ever thought it may turn into; an growth that revitalizes the countless loot chase with a spread of new dungeon varieties and gadgets to find.
Clicking demons and selecting up loot stays virtually unnervingly pleasing, and now there are much more methods to do it. You possibly can velocity by means of the Undercity for runes to steal abilities from different lessons, battle waves of enemies in Infernal Hordes with ‘boons and banes’ that randomize every run, and problem your self in The Pit, a 150-tier dungeon for benchmarking your construct.
There’s an complete buffet of actions to pattern as you scoop up loot to make no matter construct you can dream of. I made a spiritborn who electrified the complete display screen utilizing one button and a rogue who turns right into a spinning high flinging knives in each route. Blizzard’s stellar visible results and tactile fight design elevate Diablo 4 above the different loot-heavy action RPGs. It is one of the most expressive, satisfying video games on this checklist and solely guarantees to develop as every new season releases.
The surprising action RPG: Dragon Age: The Veilguard
(Picture credit score: Tyler C. / BioWare)
Most spectacular participant feat: OK, this one is too new, however I’m certain somebody will beat it blindfolded or one thing by subsequent week.
Play it for its snappy fight and attractive setting.
The place Dragon Age: The Veilguard misses with its early sport character writing, it actually hits with its fully revised action RPG battles. I preferred the earlier video games in the collection, however I wasn’t there for fight. In Veilguard, I’ve discovered myself poking by means of the ability tree, desirous to see what variety of skills and bonuses I can unlock. And after solely a handful of hours, it is beginning to click on.
I’m at present having far more enjoyable than I anticipated preventing off darkspawn in its attractive excessive fantasy ruins and forests.
I’m enjoying a spellblade mage, a caster who likes to stab, and for the first time in a Dragon Age sport, I do not need to drop the issue all the way down to forgettably straightforward and skip straight to the cutscenes. BioWare nails the enjoyable of rhythmically flinging magic at enemies and teleporting in to strike them with a devastating finisher. I’m basically a magical rogue empowered by allies who can decelerate time or buff my harm output.
Lauren says the dialogue finds its footing deeper into the sport in her Dragon Age: The Veilguard evaluate. And that is completely high quality with me as a result of I’m at present having far more enjoyable than I anticipated preventing off darkspawn in its attractive excessive fantasy ruins and forests. Half of me needs to strive the different lessons too, however as this checklist makes clear, I in all probability will not have time for that.