We all know action games are typically synonymous with non-stop adrenaline and endless combat, but that doesn’t always have to be the case.
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Over the years, all video game genres have undergone modifications and changes, including the one that brings us together here with its characteristic emphasis on violence.
However, many titles have managed to transcend repetitive warfare to create more engaging adventures where intelligence and strategic thinking also play an important role.
Therefore, if you enjoy beating up everything that moves but don’t want to turn your brain off in the process, I invite you to explore these ten action games that reward slow, thoughtful play more than grinding.
10
Enter the Gungeon
The Most Patient Bullet Hell
Since my experience with the Roguelike genre has mostly been with variants that offer permanent progression, Enter the Gungeon was a tough pill to swallow for me.
Given each run didn’t offer any gain beyond my own learning, I stubbornly tried each new attempt without giving it much thought, until I understood that its fast-paced nature doesn’t necessarily have to be reflected in how the player approaches it.
When I realized the game incentivizes perfection, I treated each room as the ultimate challenge, making sure I never took damage and calculating every possible risk before taking it, so the experience changed completely.
Comprehending that Enter the Gungeon presents a bullet hell that you must approach with extreme caution is the key to overcoming it, and also the fundamental reason why it’s so captivating. Had I not realized in time that grinding meant nothing, I probably would have hated the game and wouldn’t have even made it past the third area, but I’m glad I did.
9
Nine Sols
Calmed Parries, Quick Wins
Although Nine Sols is anything but slow, it’s a Metroidvania that I can happily say completely prevents you from feeling the need to grind.
Certainly, you can farm if you want to increase your chances of victory by buying upgrades or leveling up skills, but if you’re stubborn like me and prefer to master every fight to win, this is the game for you.
Ultimately, even with a fully upgraded character, Nine Sols‘ combat is designed to be perfectly understood, from parries and counterattacks to an infallible grasp of enemy movements.
You’ll emerge victorious if you take the time to think through each attack so many times that you internalize them and enter a flow state, which is the lifeblood of every great encounter in this wonderful taopunk adventure.
8
Tunic
A Genuine Adventure
Following in the footsteps of the so-called Metroidbrainia games, Tunic is a title where exploration is vital, both for unlocking upgrades and for familiarizing yourself with the world around you.
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Many of the barriers that prevent you from progressing in the game are based on knowledge, not mechanics, so many problems aren’t solved by something as simple as finding an item, but rather by understanding the laws of its world.
It strikes a phenomenal balance between these two forms of progression, and it perfectly complements the few but excellent boss fights, which are challenging and also require a great deal of caution and planning.
Although it’s an action game, Tunic prioritizes calm, investigation, and total knowledge of each of its systems, biomes, and enemies, making it ideal for those who enjoy exploring as much as fighting.
7
Dishonored
Leave Revenge Behind
For some reason I don’t understand, numerous people play Dishonored either as deranged killers who murder everything in sight or as number addicts who can spend up to two hours scavenging for coins, but neither approach is suitable.
Although, due to its immersive sim heritage, it’s a game you can play however you prefer, I genuinely believe the best way is to follow the natural, straight flow of missions, as you’ll likely end up playing the game more than once to explore all the routes and possibilities.
You don’t need to max out the skill tree or have enough money to buy all the upgrades, especially considering you can beat the game with just one power, since the main idea is to allow for the player’s creative expression through freedom.
If you’re meticulous and study each scenario properly, you’ll flow like silk through the shadows of Dunwall, which is much better than stubbornly retrying the same unworkable route 30 times, although being able to do so is part of Dishonored‘s magic.
6
Sifu
In Search of Redemption
Despite Sifu‘s Roguelike inspiration, the impact of map shortcuts and new moves unlocked for each subsequent run is less significant than the key to success: your skill.
Even with your character maxed out, the only thing standing between you and the credits is your hand-eye coordination, which requires a very specific understanding of attack patterns, environmental opportunities, and the combat properties of each arena.
Sifu is a masterclass in creating a mechanical structure that demands the same sacrifice as the real-world experience it seeks to emulate; in this case, the discipline, concentration, and composure of martial arts.
It might sound cheesy, but when you see what you need to learn to reach the game’s true ending, both its message and its gameplay coherence reach an unparalleled level, all without adhering to the genre’s conventions of forcing you to max out your stats for a real chance of winning.
5
Katana ZERO
Calculated Butcheries
When a game doesn’t offer any kind of gameplay upgrade, and you finish the campaign with the same tools you started with, you know you’re experiencing a title whose mechanics are refined to the core.
One of my prime examples of this is the magnificent Katana ZERO, which transforms each level into a series of coldly calculated assassinations that vividly make you feel like a ronin capable of manipulating time.
If, after each defeat, you continue to attempt every challenge based solely on reflexes, you’re going to have a terrible experience, as the game encourages you to meticulously plan every attack, dodge, ability, and environmental element you’re going to use.
From the order in which enemies are eliminated to the rhythm, Katana ZERO is a puzzle disguised as a 2D action game that works, looks, and is phenomenal, enough to be considered among the best indie games ever conceived.
4
Thief: The Dark Project
Fighting Is Not an Option
Speaking of action-stealth games where the immersive sim genre played a fundamental inspiration, Thief: The Dark Project is an exceptional example of how to create a campaign without a single ounce of filler.
No wasting time on unnecessary resources, pointless missions, or dead ends to mislead you, but rather a collection of perfectly designed levels brimming with inventiveness, immersion, and even greater complexity.
Although you have a sword, bow, club, and more, you can’t just run around attacking everyone. Instead, you’re forced to become one with each environment to understand it faultlessly, including the threats that lurk within and the ways you can overcome them.
If you’re an avid thief and steal more money by exploring, you’ll start each level with more tools, but the main currency in Thief: The Dark Project is intelligence and its application, so you just need to be meticulously observant, and the rest will fall into place.
3
Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening
The Importance of Stylization
The constant flirtation of hack-and-slash games with RPG elements has made grinding a more or less common feature of the genre, but it wasn’t particularly prevalent back in Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening‘s days.
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A little compact action is good for when you don’t have time for something heftier.
Throughout the entire campaign, I didn’t repeat a single mission, and despite not being a particularly skilled player, I never felt the need to farm healing items or upgrades because I got stuck, as you always have what you require to survive.
However, I admit this last statement is only true as long as your skill level allows it, and that’s where the importance of mastering the deep styling and combo system, the different melee and ranged weapons, and the enemy attack patterns comes in.
These are no small feats, but rest assured you’ll never lose in Devil May Cry 3 because you’re weak or not at the right level. Success and failure are ultimately the player’s responsibility, which explains why the game’s skill ceiling is so high and satisfying.
2
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Spamming is Not Enough
Given I never tire of describing this game as having the best combat system in history, it’s difficult for me to write articles about action titles without including the magnificent Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
However, I imagine you’re wondering what such a fast-paced and rhythmic title is doing on a list about measured and thoughtful experiences, and these two adjectives perfectly describe what it means to master Sekiro‘s combat in all its glory.
Unlike all other FromSoftware games, there’s no attack spam, no body circling, and no overpowered build that will get you past bosses, because this isn’t an ARPG, but a rhythm-based action game where you have nothing but your sword and your click.
If you think you can fight your way to victory, go ahead, though Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is the only game of its kind that has forced me to fight without attacking, to spend entire minutes observing, deflecting, and dodging before even thinking about launching an offensive.
There comes a point where you don’t feel your heart pounding a thousand times a minute, you don’t perform the basic attack combo by mashing the button like a manic, nor do you use every buff available, and that point is the heart of Sekiro. Its flow state is incomparable, and sometimes I think it will never be replicated.
1
Prey
The Limit is Your Imagination
Although I tend to be quite rough when playing video games, as my brain often fails me, and I stubbornly try to overcome the biggest challenges with the most basic tools instead of finding the right solutions and not forcing them, Prey completely changed me.
I always used to just shoot everything, retry a thousand times, or even look for guides, but connecting with the immersive experience of Talos I helped me understand there was a better way to enjoy video games, and that was by discovering their creative intent.
When you play Prey, you see it’s a shooter with a lot of freedom, but when you look at it more closely, you realize it’s about stealth, hacking, platforming, puzzles, survival… Everything it needs to be to keep you safe during your stay on the station.
When you embrace said idea, you start to think everything through much more, and when the results go your way, you feel like you’re on top of the world, like a scientist who, after analyzing and testing numerous combinations, finally finds the right equation for a successful experiment.
Prey isn’t for everyone, but I fervently believe it’s the most underrated game of all time, even when it comes to hitting spider-like black slimes with a wrench or escaping a colossal cosmic terror.
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