Arslan: The Warriors of Legend
Koei Tecmo's Arslan: The Warriors of Legend takes Dynasty Warriors' absurd, large-scale action warfare, adds stylistic anime flourish, and puts it all an interesting and unexpected setting: pseudo-fantastic Persia. The game features more than a dozen characters with over-the-top attacks slapping around hundreds of similar looking, brain-dead mooks across a variety of themed maps. The Persian architecture, high level of detail, and the politically charged story that's ripped straight from the anime series give Arslan: The Warriors of Legend enough substance to be worth your consideration.
Axiom Verge
Developer Tom Happ, who is known for his work on EA Sports' Tiger Woods PGA Tour and NFL Street franchises, has gone indie and crafted a delightful tribute to the exploratory action genre (aka Metroidvania). This 2D platformer combines the best aspects of classic side-scrollers like Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and Metroid to deliver a refined experience for newcomers of the genre and seasoned vets alike. Axiom Verge is a fun, engaging title, but plodding story elements and seemingly pointless weapons mar the experience a bit.
Batman: Arkham City
"If you liked X, you'll love Y!" might be the cheapest of critical plaudits, but sometimes nothing else will do. So here goes: If you liked Batman: Arkham Asylum, you'll love Batman: Arkham City. Developer Rocksteady Studios borrows everything from Asylum that worked (thrilling fighting, excellent voice acting), though it delivers far less innovation. This makes Arkham City derivative, but the game's packed with enough goon-busting fun that it still stands as one of the PC's best action games.
Dead Island
When Techland's Dead Island trailer debuted, it featured one of the most moving video game sequences ever produced: a small child and her family being slaughtered by zombies against the backdrop of a soft, haunting Giles Lamb musical score. Dead Island's gameplay doesn't quite match the trailer's promise, but the open-world action-RPG offers a very solid zombie-slaying good time as you craft weapons and try to stay alive in an island paradise gone wrong.
Dead Rising 2: Off The Record
Frank West returns to zombie-slaying action in Dead Rising 2: Off The Record. Capcom's reimagining Dead Rising 2 sees the gruff photojournalist facing off against a wider array of monsters, building new weapons, snapping photos, and best of all, mixing it up in a new open-world sandbox mode. Stomping the undead is fun—for a while—but bugs and repetitive gameplay keep Dead Rising 2 from achieving true greatness.
Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition
Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition takes everything that made Capcom's original 2008 release an impressive action game and expands on it. The game includes the Legendary Dark Knight enemy horde mode that was added to the original PC port, as well as three new playable characters, improved visuals, and subtle gameplay tweaks. Some of the weaker aspects of the original release, such as the repetitive story campaign, remain and slightly tarnish an otherwise brilliantly polished title. Overall, Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition is a rock-solid action game that is well worth picking up for fans of the series and action buffs alike.
Far Cry Primal
With Far Cry Primal, developer Ubisoft abandons all political pretenses and focuses on what made Far Cry stand out from its peers when the series debuted: the open-world sandbox. You play as a Stone Age hunter named Takkar, and your goal is to secure a safe haven for your people, the wandering Wenja tribe, in the prehistoric realm of Oros. Melee combat and beast companions set Primal apart from past Far Cry games and make exploration feel much more personal and engaging. But its story is simpler and more straightforward, so if you were hoping for eccentric villains and outlandish melodrama, Primal may leave you a tad disappointed.
Freedom Planet
$14.99
GalaxyTrail's Freedom Planet is a retro-platformer that looks and feels like a long-lost 16-bit mascot game. Freedom Planet's 14 levels are large, colorful, and varied. Almost all have Sonic the Hedgehog-style loops, ramps, and corkscrews. Each level also introduces its own unique elements, such as disappearing blocks, colored switches, and keys. These elements sound like basic platforming obstacles, but they're so well-crafted and diverse that they always feel fresh and don't overstay their welcome. The downside? Some cringe-worthy voice acting.
Jet Set Radio
In 2000, Sega gave us a look into the future of funk with Jet Set Radio, a cel-shaded action game that starred a cute band of rollerblading miscreants who tagged walls, battled rival delinquents, and avoided out-of-control cops. This updated PC version flexes high-definition graphics, developer interviews, and all the bells and whistles you'd expect from a Steam game. Dripping in manga-influenced hip-hop flavor and boasting one of the greatest soundtracks ever crafted for a video game, the grind-happy Jet Set Radio is a title that belongs in the library of anyone who digs fast-paced action games, incredibly catchy tunes, and street culture.
Killer Is Dead: Nightmare Edition
Goichi Suda (aka Suda51) is the Robert Rodriguez of the video game industry. The Japanese developer crafts projects noted for their style, edginess, and violence, but once you peep beneath the cool veneer, the work is exposed as a somewhat empty, if fun, experience. Such is Suda51's Killer Is Dead: Nightmare Edition, a Steam game that stars a cybernetically enhanced assassin named Mondo Zappa who slays vampires, mystics, and other monstrosities for a government agency. Killer Is Dead is dripping with Suda51's trademark humor, character swag, and fast-paced action, but it lacks the killer level design and supporting elements that would elevate the game to the top of its genre.
Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham
TT Games's Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham squeezes in a lot of DC Comics fan service and silliness, while maintaining a whimsical and simplistic approach to its action and story. Whether it's the subtle 1978 Superman theme that plays when the caped do-gooder is flying, or Nightwing reminiscing about his sidekick days while compulsively spewing "holy" exclamations, Lego Batman 3 is so filled with Easter eggs that it feels like a love letter to all of DC Comics. The gameplay doesn't deviate much from the familiar Lego formula, but the experience is solid, nonetheless.
Lego Marvel Super Heroes
Lego Marvel Super Heroes is a near-perfect blend of three wonderful childhood staples: comic books, video games, and, well, Lego. Steeped in Marvel Comics goodness, Lego Marvel Super Heroes puts players in the role of superheroes—including the Avengers, Fantastic Four, and Spider-Man—who are tasked with recovering all-powerful Cosmic Bricks before top-tier baddies such as Loki, Dr. Doom, and Magneto get their hands on them. The open-world game features fun brick-bashing action and light puzzle challenges.
Mega Man Legacy Collection
Capcom, in collaboration with Digital Eclipse, revisits Mega Man's past with a package that does the original six NES Mega Man games justice. Besides featuring high-definition versions of the classic 8-bit games, the collection contains new trial challenges, leaderboards, video replays, and developer art. It's one of the best retro compilations around. Besides the recent Rare Replay, Mega Man Legacy Collection is the closest to a video game equivalent of the Criterion Collection the medium has seen. If you're a Mega Man fan, consider this a must-have collection.
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
Konami's Metal Gear Solid series is known for its stealth-based gameplay, but its spin-off, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, is a straight hack-and-slash action game starring stooge-turned-badass, Raiden. Developer Platinum Games bundles the game with numerous goodies not associated with the original console version, including graphical enhancements and three DLC packages that were separate console purchases—all at a reasonable price. In short, if you liked the console version of Revengeance, you'll dig this one, too, despite the occasional rough camera angle and frame rate drop.
Metal Slug 3
Run-and-gun video games have a long history of thrilling fans with high-octane, shoot-everything-that-moves action, but few do it better than SNK Playmore's Metal Slug 3. Originally released to the Neo Geo platform in 2000, the acclaimed Metal Slug 3 has appeared on nearly every console and handheld since then—and now it's available for PCs. In this title, you control adorable, armed-to-the teeth soldiers who defend Earth from an alien invasion using guns, rocket launchers, and the eponymous Metal Slug tanks. Metal Slug 3 is a genre masterpiece due to its charming (and hyper-violent) cartoony graphics, tough-as-nails challenges, creative weapons, and varied level design.
Rise of the Tomb Raider
Fresh and wide-eyed from her exploits in Japan, the young and ambitious explorer Lara Croft is pitted against a cult of fanatical zealots in pursuit of immortality. Rise of the Tomb Raider features more of the spectacular set pieces, powerful combat, and tricky puzzles that made the 2013 Tomb Raider reboot so well received by critics and fans alike. Series fans may get a distinct feeling of déjà vu when running through the similarly styled gameplay scenarios and platforming sections, but Rise of the Tomb Raider is a solid action-adventure title.
Shadow Complex Remastered
The original Shadow Complex is a 2.5D platform-adventure game that became an Xbox 360 cult classic thanks to its fast-paced, exploration-heavy gameplay. The title has since received the remaster treatment, which gives the beloved game updated graphics, hard-hitting new contextual melee attacks, and Master Challenges. The run-and-gun game's plot and voice acting don't quite match the rest of the stellar package, but if you can overlook those ills, you'll find an excellent title that's well worth the $14.99 price.
Shovel Knight
Retro "8-bit" side-scrolling indie platformers have flooded the video game market, and it's easy to discount the entire genre as an easy-to-develop cash-in on nostalgia. Then there's Shovel Knight from Yacht Club Games, a studio created by former WayForward Technologies director Sean Velasco. You play as a shovel-toting knight who must rescue his partner, Shield Knight, from dastardly foes. It's an incredibly satisfying and expertly crafted platformer that recalls games like DuckTales and Mega Man, but also has some of the most authentic NES-style graphics to appear in the HD era.
Tembo The Badass Elephant
Tembo the Badass Elephant's story takes place in Shell City, a populous city that's plunged into a state of emergency by an evil force known as The Phantom. The National Army is unable to contain The Phantom's destruction, so it enlists the aid of an old war buddy, the Rambo-like elephant known as Tembo, to push back the enemy troops. The game's frequently compared to the 16-bit Sonic the Hedgehog games, as it's published by Sega and features a relentlessly speedy main character who obliterates foes. However, developer Game Freak (of Pokemon fame) also implemented elements from classic franchises such as Super Mario Bros. and Donkey Kong Country to create a well-rounded 2D action-adventure platformer that stands apart from the titles that inspire it.
Transformers: Devastation
Transformers: Devastation, by developer Platinum Games, is a fast-paced brawler that combines explosive combat with nostalgic, cel-shaded visuals that recall the 1980s TV show. Devastation is fairly by-the-numbers by Platinum Games' standards, but it borrows gameplay mechanics from other games in the developer's library to create an enjoyable beat-'em-up. A weapon-crafting system keeps you coming back for more sophisticated gear, and the higher difficulties and challenges give the title plenty of replay value. Even better, Devastation reunites many of the surviving voice actors from the original Transformers 'toon, including Peter Cullen (Optimus Prime), Dan Gilvezan (Bumblebee), and Frank Weller (Megatron, Soundwave).
I prefer Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition
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