What are the best action games? To stand out from the rest, the best action games offer deep mechanics that take minutes to learn but hundreds of hours to truly master. Some offer a few combat buttons to fend off attackers, while others have intricate combos you’d typically find in fighting games, and luckily, they give you plenty of targets to practice on.
If you’re up for something a little more substantial, taking many hours to complete, we have a separate list of the best action-adventure games to whet your appetite. Alternatively, there are FPS games with action game mechanics, such as Doom Eternal where you can blow up hordes of demonic enemies in front of your very eyes. Modern RPG games like Final Fantasy 7 Remake also opt for a more action-filled real-time combat system.
Here are the best action games on PC:
Hades 2
The sequel to one of the best roguelike games of all time certainly has much to live up to. If the Hades 2 early access build is anything to go by, it’s doing so with aplomb. The gameplay is largely similar to its predecessor in that you must traverse the depths of the Underworld, killing waves of enemies in each room and uncovering items to help you in your run. Each area exit has one of many Hades 2 bosses guarding it, taking all your skill to overcome them.
This time around, we play as Melinoë, the lost daughter of Hades and Persephone, who learns that Chronos has taken over the underworld. She vows to reach her father’s home and liberate it from the Titan once and for all. With a new protagonist comes a new perspective and a new bunch of Hades 2 gods and characters to interact with. Some returning faces do appear, but the majority are a whole host of new gods to meet. New mechanics use Melinoë’s witchcraft, such as Hades 2 Arcana cards to buff her stats and Hades 2 incantations to summon new features, while the brand new Hades 2 boons help her on each run. As we explain in our glowing Hades 2 early access review, there’s plenty of stuff to explore, so what are you waiting for?
Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon
With FromSoftware’s focus on the Souls games over the past decade and every lesson about game design learned during that time, it’s still a huge surprise that Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon is a must-play action shooter compared to previous entries in the series. As our Armored Core 6 review explains, the game is “broken up into five chapters, each with a set of missions to complete in order to progress the story.”
Of course, the main draw of Armored Core 6 is the level of customization available. As you progress through the campaign, you’ll unlock more tech, eventually turning your mech into a juggernaut not to be messed around with. Armored Core 6 weapon parts give you the firepower, while the AC6 frame parts and AC6 inner parts hold everything together. If you’re a fan of robot games where you pilot giant mechs to blow up everything that moves, this is the one for you.
Hi-Fi Rush
It may have the unfortunate distinction of being Tango Gameworks’ final game before Microsoft shut the developer’s doors in 2024, but this is one hell of a way to go out swinging. Hi-Fi Rush is an action-packed musical adventure where you take on Chai, a rebel where timing your button presses with the beat increases your damage output, and it honestly feels so satisfying to play.
This cel-shaded adventure combines the best of other spectacle fighters out there. Mixing the fluidity of Devil May Cry with the flashiness of Bayonetta and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. The best bit is that you can still play it via Xbox Game Pass, so if you want a groovy time, you can’t really go wrong here.
God of War
Jokingly referred to as “Dad of Boy” by many on release, God of War continues the PlayStation 2-era classics dramatically ended. With the Greek Pantheon all but eradicated from existence, Kratos has since settled down and had a son. However, tragedy strikes as his wife suddenly passes away, leaving him to bring up Atreus all by himself. Of course, his presence hasn’t gone unnoticed by the Norse gods, and as the two progress on with their adventure, things get immensely chaotic.
Compared to the frantic spectacle of the original Greek games, the action here is more impactful. With a new axe that he can recall to his hand at a moment’s notice, the combat is less flashy but just as gory and brutal as you’d expect. It’s also one of the better story games, thanks to the evolving relationship between a disgruntled father and his over-eager son. We’re glad this former PlayStation exclusive is now on PC hardware, as our God of War PC review verdict reads that it’s a “lavishly produced game”. With any luck, God of War: Ragnarok should also come out in the near future, and we can’t wait.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice strips down the customization options found in FromSoftware’s other Soulslike games in favor of stealth action to create “an empowering masterpiece,” according to our Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice review. You play as a shinobi known as Wolf, who must single-handedly rescue his lord from the samurai clan that chopped off his hand and left him for dead. Thanks to his new prosthetic arm, he now has a level of verticality and maneuverability unseen in more recent FromSoftware games, and it’s all thanks to his grappling hook.
And when things become dicey, forcing Wolf to engage in combat, the posture mechanic rewards the player immensely for learning the timing of incoming attacks and deflecting or dodging them. Since both Wolf and every enemy have this posture bar, all it takes is one wrong move on either part for the fight to end in seconds. Luckily, as the name implies, Wolf has the ability to revive at least once after dying, so you get a chance to enact your revenge.
Devil May Cry 5
Devil May Cry 5 marks the return of the same wise-cracking Dante that we’ve come to love over the years, and this time, he has two playable buddies tagging along for the ride. Nero, who we first saw in Devil May Cry 4, has now lost his devil arm, but thanks to his new friend Nico, he can swap out different augmentations using his weaponized prosthetic arm called a Devil Breaker.
And then there’s the more passive V. He uses his familiars to drive away enemies while doing the bare minimum with his cane. Of course, the main star is Dante, who gets all the best gear, including a hat that makes him moonwalk like Michael Jackson. Our Devil May Cry 5 review describes it as “unapologetic fun”, which are probably the best two words to describe it. When you finish the main story, make sure to play the game again as Vergil to experience true power.
Nier Automata
As one of the best PC games in 2017, it’s unsurprising that the chaotic Nier: Automata appears on this list. Platinum Games has a long history of making the best action games out there, and this collaboration with Square Enix is one of its more experimental efforts. Our Nier Automata review explains it as “an intelligent, bombastic game that’s in turns frenetic and tender, while deviating from cliche at every opportunity.”
To describe it as a purely action game would be a bit of a disservice. There are elements of bullet-hell shooter, classic top-down The Legend of Zelda, 2D platform games, and even those crate-based puzzle games where positioning them in specific spaces really matters. While it takes inspiration from many sources, it’s truly a one-of-a-kind experience.
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
Another Platinum Games hit here, and while it’s one of the oldest games on the list, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is still a bonafide classic. You play as the heavily augmented half-cyborg ninja Raiden, who is sent to confront a private military company intending to destabilize the fragile peace and plunge the world into another war on terror.
Revengeance is about as silly, baffling, and fun as its name would suggest. Combat is immensely satisfying as you can juggle enemies almost endlessly with enough practice with Raiden’s “High Frequency” katana. The best part is Blade Mode, a core mechanic that lets you carve even the toughest foes into a shishkebab in slow motion. Featuring some of the best boss battles ever devised, including an early epic encounter with a giant mech that fires laser beams, this is one action game you shouldn’t miss. While you get more context if you’ve played any Metal Gear Solid game, the story is self-contained and can be enjoyed without playing the rest of the series.
Bayonetta
It took a while for Platinum Games’ first major success to arrive on PC, and even though parts two and three are Nintendo exclusives, the original Bayonetta is still one of the finest action games of all time. As the delicate balance between good and evil is in danger, you step into the stiletto-gun shoes of the Umbra Witch Bayonetta. And boy, she has creative ways of taking down the malicious angelic hosts.
Bayonetta borrows what makes Devil May Cry so great with its skill-based combat and rewards you greatly for perfectly dodging attacks by slowing down time temporarily to give you a counterattack window. Aside from her brutal kicks and gun-shoes, Bayonetta can use her enchanted hair to summon great beasts to devour anything in their path. With absolutely stunning music to get you pumped, you can’t go wrong with this certified classic, and it even includes not one but two special moments inspired by Sega’s 80s arcade classics.
Those are all the best action games on PC, and with that selection, you shouldn’t get bored. After all, you’ll be kept on your toes, desperately dodging all sorts of enemy attacks. If you need something a bit slower, we have plenty of alternatives you can try if you just want to see the best PC games. Failing that, we have all the upcoming PC games for those looking to the future for the next best action hit.