There aren’t a ton of Action Adventure games on the Xbox 360, but unlike its predecessor the console has seen some pretty decent games in this particular genre since its release back in 2005. Action Adventure is probably one of the most diverse and broadest genres, so let’s find out which are the Top 10 Action Adventure Xbox 360 Games based on critic ratings and popularity.
#10 Mafia II
There was a lot of hype surrounding the release of Mafia II, the game did deliver for the most part, but many were left wanting for more. Many gamers were expecting a GTAesque open world action adventure game in an old setting, but instead of sheer scale and going overboard with action sequences, Mafia 2 provides a more authentic experience of the Mob families in the late 40s and early 50s. Vito’s journey of becoming a Made man is an amazing experience and shouldn’t be missed.
#9 Assassin’s Creed
Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed was the first game in the franchise which Ubisoft expects to challenge the likes of GTA in terms of sales with future titles. Players who enjoy great visuals, impressive story line and an open level design would probably enjoy this game more than anyone. Despite a few flaws in Dialogue and AI, the game was definitely one of the most unique open-world games to hit the Xbox 360.
#8 Crackdown
Crackdown, an urban mayhem open world action adventure game turned out surprisingly well when it was released back in 2007 exclusively on the Xbox 360. The game allowed players to decide how they want to approach the game by letting them choose the order in which they want to take care of the bad guys, although the game had a minimalistic story, but the insane level ups which gave players super human abilities just made it pure awesome fun to play in single player mode as well as coop mode with your buddy.
#7 Dead Rising
In Dead Rising players take control of Frank West who has to survive in a mall by killing tons and tons of Zombies progressing through the surprisingly interesting story line. Killing Zombies has always been fun, but Dead Rising allows players to use anything and everything as a weapon against the undead and soon gaining prestige points which help Frank level up just become another excuse for killing more and more Zombies in as many inventive ways as possible.
#6 Resident Evil 5
First of all, stop comparing this game to Resident Evil 4(probably the best RE game to ever come out), RE 5 holds pretty strong on its own. The game was built around coop gameplay which probably took out the survival horror element that made previous titles in the series standout, but it is definitely one of the best third person action games released this generation. The game also looked phenomenal with stunning scenery and interesting characters.
#5 Alan Wake
With over six years in development, Alan Wake is one hell-of-a psychological thriller with an excellent narrative and brilliant story telling elements to carry the somewhat overwhelming plot. The graphics play an important role in setting the tone of the game where light is the main tool of combat. The episodic nature of presenting the game in a television-show style is also something we haven’t previously seen in video games. All-in-all fans of the action-adventure genre and thriller movies should not miss this game.
#4 Batman Arkham Asylum
This is one game based on a comic character that doesn’t actually suck, in fact it is probably the best comic book game of all time. The simple to use but difficult to master and never too complicated combat system is one of the key highlights of the game, interesting and authentic characters in the game play the most significant part in making this a blast to playthrough. The game just nails it when it comes to the level design and atmosphere. It is a must buy for Batman fans and also for those of you who like a comic book style take on the action adventure genre.
#3 Assassin’s Creed 2
Building on the success of the first game in the series, fixing the complaints put up by players and adding a huge amount of content on top of it, Assassin’s Creed 2 is a truly excellent Action Adventure game. The game isn’t exactly difficult which could be due to the more refined combat mechanics compared to the first game. Visually it looks absolutely gorgeous in Renaissance Italy which also makes exploration more enjoyable.
#2 Red Dead Redemption
Rockstar is the best when it comes to creating open world games whether it might be in the wild wild west or a world beating metropolis. Red Dead Redemption is not Grand Theft Auto in the Wild West but a totally different take on the open world gameplay mechanic fine tuned according to the wild setting. Red Dead Redemption puts players in the shoes of John Martson, a former outlaw, sent across the troubled Mexican borders to help in bringing the rule of law. The fantastic line up of believable characters, amazing graphics and a completely immersive experience packed with things to do and places to explore this title just cannot be missed and is highly recommended even to those who aren’t too intrigued by the genre.
#1 Grand Theft Auto 4
The incredible amount of thought and detail put into the city and characters just doesn’t happen by chance. GTA 4 is just what we’ve come to expect from Rockstar and the GTA franchise in general. The game has guns, cars, women, a lively city and probably one of the most interesting characters as the center piece in this truly epic game. What more could you ask for? Oh yeah, a decent multiplayer mode, well, it’s there and it kicks major ass. We cannot recommend this game enough to anyone and you simply have to play the game to really enjoy this masterpiece.
