Exploration, puzzles and story: the adventure game favours narrative and discovery, from point-and-click to action-adventure. RomWize re-ranks the best games in the genre by its re-evaluated scores, each with its current score, its versions, their rarity and their collector value.
"Mikami's Resident Evil revolution, originally a GameCube exclusive. Over-the-shoulder camera, measured and tense action, an unforgettable Spanish rural village. Almost every set piece has become iconic. A high point of 2000s action gaming."
"Rockstar reach the absolute summit of modern open world with three protagonists, choreographed heists and a vibrant Los Santos. The satire of modern California lands with bite, and every outing feels like wrapping a proper film."
"First Metroid Prime, revolutionary FPS-adventure transposing Samus to 3D. Tallon IV exploration, encyclopedic environmental scanning, strategic combat with special visors. Isolated and atmospheric mood, ingenious backtracking level design. Wii Edition offers precise Wiimote controls, more natural than the original GameCube. An absolute Metroid series peak, essential."
"Absolute masterpiece that redefined open-world action-adventure. Total freedom, organic exploration, reactive physics and chemistry. WiiU execution is slightly inferior to Switch but the experience remains transcendent."
"Batman Arkham City is even better than Asylum. Open Gotham City, playable Catwoman, extraordinary villain gallery with Two-Face, Penguin and Ra's al Ghul. Dense and masterful narrative. An absolute masterpiece."
"Batman Arkham City GOTY with all DLC including Harley Quinn's Revenge, the most complete version of an absolute masterpiece. Catwoman, Nightwing and Robin also playable. The ultimate Batman game."
"Uncharted 2 is widely considered one of the greatest games ever made. Perfectly paced cinematic action, memorable characters, iconic levels and solid multiplayer. An absolute PS3 masterpiece that has not aged a day."
"Rockstar deliver a stirring immigrant mafia fresco with Niko Bellic, a reworked Liberty City and Euphoria physics that bleeds into every fall. Slower than its descendants, but the writing on debt and the American dream remains an absolute peak."
"God of War III is one of the greatest PS3 games. Kratos climbs Olympus and faces the gods one by one in titanic epic battles. Sublime art direction, perfect fluid combat, memorable bosses. A monument."
"GTA in 1980s Miami starring Tommy Vercetti. Neon and synth-pop atmosphere masterfully rendered, iconic soundtrack. Xbox version slightly graphically improved. One of video gaming's great classics in its best console version."
"The Last of Us is simply the absolute masterpiece of PS3 and one of the most important games ever created. Joel and Ellie in post-apocalyptic America, narrative of rare maturity and emotion. A perfect score well deserved."
"A cornerstone of 3D adventure, plain and simple. Hyrule becomes a tangible world, Z-targeting reinvents combat, the dungeons are design masterclasses and Kondo's score lodges itself in the collective memory. Hard to spend two sentences on this peak without falling into obvious praise."
"Revolution in action-adventure gaming by Hideo Kojima. Raiden infiltrates an offshore facility in a staggering postmodern staging. The depth of infiltration, memorable bosses, meta storytelling and character controversy make MGS2 a controversial and brilliant work of art."
"Japanese release of Uncharted 2 Among Thieves, the absolute series peak. Exceptional cinematic staging, perfect pacing, refined gameplay and solid multiplayer. One of the finest PS3 games and an unmatched genre benchmark."
"Enriched version of MGS2 with substantial bonus content. The extensive VR Training with hundreds of missions, new difficulty levels and additional Snake Tales make Substance the definitive version. One of the most content-rich PS2 experiences for Kojima fans."
"Rockstar San Diego pen a love letter to the western with John Marston, a twilight frontier and an anthology soundtrack. The redemption narrative hits dead centre, the technical polish remains stunning for a 360, and the finale stays one of the most heart-wrenching ever seen in gaming."
"Rockstar San Diego pen a love letter to the western with John Marston, a twilight frontier and an anthology soundtrack. The redemption narrative hits dead centre, the technical polish remains stunning for a 360, and the finale stays one of the most heart-wrenching ever seen in gaming."
"Absolute peak of the Splinter Cell saga. Sam Fisher at his most agile, multi-approach missions, unprecedented online co-op. Physics and light systems perfected. Adult and tense political narrative. The best stealth game of the Xbox generation, full stop."
"Ocarina of Time 3D on 3DS is the definitive version of the greatest video game ever made. Remastered visuals, gyroscope for aiming, Master Quest included. The perfect masterpiece in its best version. Essential."
"A space-exploration adventure built around a twenty-two-minute time loop. Progress comes purely from what you understand, never from gear you collect. Unravelling the solar system's mysteries delivers some of the most profound revelations the medium has produced."
