The adventure genre, particularly the third-person action-adventure sub-genre, has fired its way to the forefront of the gaming industry in recent years. This is best exemplified by the PlayStation 4’s highest-selling games, as nine of the console’s top ten best-sellers were third-person action-adventures. The trend hasn’t shown signs of slowing down in 2020, as Metacritic’s list of highest-rated games is filled with excellent adventure titles.
The genre has shown its worth this year in particular, as lockdown restrictions have made the idea of venturing off to fictional locations all the more appealing. Mainstream media moves quickly, so it’s impossible to say how long the adventure genre will stay atop of the gaming industry, but releases like the highest-rated 2020 games on Metacritic are making it hard for other genres to challenge it.
Action-adventure games will also be considered.
10 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim (86)
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim takes a group of high school students from the 1980s and tells a captivating narrative that sees them journey to many different time periods such as World War II and a futuristic war between Kaiju and mechas.
The game has received tons of plaudits for its engrossing non-linear story and beautiful art-design. Accompanying its impressive 86 Metascore is an excellent user score of 88.
9 Observer: System Redux (86)
Observer: System Redux highlights the trend of re-releases that helped shape 2020. This year’s iteration of the game improved the visuals while also adding further story content.
The cyberpunk psychological horror game takes players to 2084 Poland and treats them to an excellent narrative accompanied by an atmospheric setting.
8 Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition (87)
Directed by Hideaki Itsuno, Devil May Cry 5 initially released in 2019 and received a Metascore of 89 on PC. The game was praised for its fantastic offering of boss fights and great combat system which kept what worked with past Devil May Cry titles while adding new mechanics to the mix
Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition launched with the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S and added Vergil as a playable character. While not a conventional adventure game, Devil May Cry 5 is classified as an action-adventure title on Metacritic.
7 Kentucky Route Zero: TV Edition (88)
Kentucky Route Zero: TV Edition is a throwback to the point and click adventure games that dominated the 90s. Unlike popular games like Sam & Max: Hit The Road and the Monkey Island series though, Kentucky Route Zero almost entirely focuses on storytelling. Puzzle-solving is ditched to ensure that the narrative isn’t constantly interrupted, something that even the iconic Grim Fandango struggled with.
Kentucky Route Zero’s story is separated into five acts which released sporadically from 2013 to January 2020. The final act’s release coincided with the game’s console ports under the TV Edition name.
6 A Short Hike (88)
Adam Robinson-Yu’s indie game A Short Hike is a laid back open-world adventure that accompanies its main objective of collecting golden feathers with tons of side-quests and activities including beachstickball and Legend of Zelda-inspired fishing.
A Short Hike was rewarded at the Independent Games Festival awards with the Seumas McNally Grand Prize and the Audience Award. The game was also nominated for Excellence In Design but lost out to Patrick’s Parabox.
5 There Is No Game : Wrong Dimension (89)
It’s not often that two point and click adventures make it into a modern end of year list, but There Is No Game : Wrong Dimension partners Kentucky Route Zero: TV Edition to do just that.
Draw Me A Pixel’s unorthodox game does not stick to just one genre though, as it takes a sharp turn into becoming a top-down Legend of Zelda style adventure before taking plenty of other odd twists. If players can play the game, something that it actively tries to stop them from doing, they’ll likely have a great time with the unique There Is No Game : Wrong Dimension.
4 Dreams (89)
Considering that the vast majority of video games feature an adventure of some sort, it can be difficult to decide what should and what shouldn’t be categorized as an adventure game. Dreams may seem like a surprising entry in Metacritic’s adventure category, though it is likely due to Media Molecule’s excellent “Art’s Dream.”
The reason some may be surprised by Dreams’ inclusion isn’t that it doesn’t fall under the adventure category, but because the sandbox game could fall under about 50 others too. The game offers players an incredible amount of customization to make their own video game, visual art, or much more while getting to play/listen/see what other players have created.
3 Yakuza 0 (90)
As the title suggests, Yakuza 0 is a prequel to the series’ first entry Yakuza. Originally released in 2015 on the PlayStation 3, the game came to Microsoft’s Xbox One this year and received its highest Metascore yet.
Interestingly, Metacritic puts Yakuza 0 in its (action) adventure category but not Yakuza: Like a Dragon, which narrowly missed out on the elusive 90 mark with a score of 89.
2 The Last of Us Part II (93)
The follow up to one of the most beloved games of the 2010s was a surprising source of controversy this year. After high expectations were met with fantastic review scores, fans were desperate to play the game themselves. This optimism came crashing down though, as the game’s divisive story caused a backlash from fans which forced Metacritic to change their review policies after the user score column was filled with low scores just a few hours after its release.
Although many fans are still unhappy with the game, tons adore it. Fans of the game will have felt validated for defending it in November of this year as it has been nominated for Best Narrative at The Game Awards.
1 Hades (93)
Tied for first place is Hades, which is currently fighting it out with the aforementioned The Last of Us Part II for the fan-voted Game of the Year award at The Game Awards.
Although The Last of Us Part II and Ghost of Tsushima are considered the frontrunners, it wouldn’t be too shocking if Hades bagged the top prize. If Supergiant Games’ roguelike RPG does indeed win the Game of the Year award, its fantastic postgame content and superbly told story, which is also competing for Best Narrative at the Game Awards, will be to thank.
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