Every video game is, in its own way, an adventure. But there are only a few games that can truly capture what it means to be an adventure game. These games tend to be heavy in exploration and most times lean on a deep story as well.
There are other elements, like combat and puzzles, that become part of the journey as well. But generally, adventure games are broad and can take various different forms. Some of the best games ever made are considered adventure games, but each of those games is much different from the other. That is no different at the bottom of the barrel, as well. These are the best and worst adventure games ever made, courtesy of Metacritic’s scoring system.
10 Best: Journey (Metacritic Score: 92)
The greatest games ever made are often indie games, and Journey is a perfect example of this. Players take on the role of a robed individual in the middle of a desert. The goal of the game is to travel to a nearby mountain. Along the way, players could run into other players who could only communicate with musical chimes. This was to allow players to make emotional connections in simple ways. The story is told through visual cut scenes with no dialogue. Despite its short length, Journey is considered one of the best Playstation 3 games.
9 Worst: Weeping Doll (Metacritic Score: 32)
When it comes to virtual reality, horror games inside a headset are always a treat. However, some of them don’t live up to expectations. Weeping Doll is a psychological adventure game about dolls coming alive and enacting revenge on their child owners who think negatively about them. The story-driven game involves puzzles that players must solve in order to discover plot points. Critics found the game to have some good ideas but poor execution as puzzles were too easy and dialogue was subpar.
8 Best: Minecraft (Metacritic Score: 93)
The highest-grossing game of all-time, Minecraft can be played in so many ways that it fits into various genres. Adventure is one of the most prominent elements of Minecraft as the main gameplay involves exploring a randomly-generated open world.
The game is iconic for the ability to explore and create in these beautiful worlds. Despite its less-than-stellar graphics, the game has hooked so many gamers around the world because of this built-in flexibility. Not only is an adventure pre-generated for the player, but the players themselves can craft their own adventure for others.
7 Worst: Escape Dead Island (Metacritic Score: 32)
A survival horror game, Escape Dead Island is a spin-off of the more successful Dead Island games. Playing as Cliff Calo, players spend the game in search of information on what happened in Banoi. The game is unique from other Dead Island games as it features a protagonist who isn’t immune to the virus. This adjusts the gameplay from a simple hack-and-slash to a stealth game. However, it was generously panned by critics for a variety of reasons, including being so technologically subpar that the game was barely playable.
6 Best: The Walking Dead (Metacritic Score: 94)
Although it is no longer around, Telltale Games’ impact on the industry will not be forgotten. This is well evidenced by their greatest hit, The Walking Dead. The game is based on Robert Kirkman’s comic book series of the same name and features a unique animation similar to the series. Lee Everett is the main protagonist and a convicted criminal that has been given freedom during a global zombie apocalypse. Lee spends the game trying to survive while also protecting an orphaned girl named Clementine.
5 Worst: Forever Worlds (Metacritic Score: 31)
Satire doesn’t always work well in video games, and Forever Worlds is not an exception. The game is the story of Jack Lanser, a scientist who goes on a journey only to have his body stolen. It is up to Lanser, in a different body, to rescue his original form and his girlfriend that was kidnapped. Players must navigate fixed locations where they can only turn around and look at things instead of walking to them. The player needed to do puzzles and collect items along their journey. Critics said the game lacked good writing and that the puzzles were way too simple.
4 Best: Grim Fandango (Metacritic Score: 94)
Tim Schafer’s Grim Fandango is over 20 years old. As of today, it’s still near the top of the greatest adventure games ever made. The game is set in the Land of the Dead. This world is the hub between life and the afterlife.
Players are Manuel “Manny” Calavera, a travel agent who is trying to save Mercedes “Meche” Colomar on her journey through the land. The gameplay includes solving puzzles along the journey, with hints being provided through conversation trees. The game was praised for its story, gameplay, art direction, and soundtrack.
3 Worst: Hoodwink (Metacritic Score: 29)
Point-and-click adventures are classic staples of the genre but aren’t huge in today’s gaming market. Hoodwink attempted to stand out by channeling this nostalgia, but fell flat in the attempt. Michael Bezzle is the protagonist of the story. He is a scoundrel that is trying to redeem himself by romancing a pawnshop owner named Francesca Jones. Unfortunately for Bezzle, his final mission gets him in trouble with the government and he must run away to find the truth about a company entitled UniCorp. Critics went after the game for its horrendous gameplay (or lack thereof).
2 Best: The Last Of Us (Metacritic Score: 95)
The Last Of Us isn’t just the best adventure game according to Metacritic. It’s arguably one of the greatest games ever made. The game is set twenty years after the start of a pandemic that turned many members of civilization into infected monsters. The game follows Joel as he attempts to bring a teenage girl, Ellie, across the United States. Ellie is immune to the disease and could help save others. The game was praised for its writing and storytelling, along with excellent gameplay.
1 Worst: Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust (Metacritic Score: 17)
Ever since the franchise’s golden years in the late 80s and through the 90s, Leisure Suit Larry games always pushed everything to the limit. There were actually some games in the series that came out this century, none of which were incredible. Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust is ranked the worst of the series and the worst adventure game ever made, according to Metacritic. The game revolves around Larry working for his uncle’s movie lot while trying to hunt down a mole that is trying to give out the studio’s secrets. Many reviewers consider the game to have no redeemable qualities at all, which should say enough.
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