Best action games on PC 2024

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.”

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

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. His presence hasn’t gone unnoticed by the Norse gods, and as the two embark on with their adventure, things get immensely chaotic.

Compared to the frantic spectacle of the original Greek games, the action here feels heavier this time around. 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, along with its equally impressive sequel, is now on PC hardware, as our God of War PC review verdict reads that it’s a “lavishly produced game”.

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 can 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.

Devil May Cry HD Collection

Really? Three more Devil May Cry games? You’re absolutely right. In this collection, you receive two of the best action games of all time, and a bad sequel that we don’t really talk about… The HD collection is the perfect way to introduce yourself to the action game genre. If you’re an action game fan who wants to experience the classics, you won’t need to break out a PlayStation 2 to relive the good old days.

Devil May Cry 1 redefined the genre when it launched back in 2001, turning what was supposed to be Resident Evil 4 into a stylish action game that holds up more than two decades on. We also have Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition, introducing Dante’s twin brother to the series, and the style system that unlocks four unique movesets to master. This system would later be expanded in Devil May Cry 4 and 5, giving players access to all four styles at any given time.