One thing that sets video games apart from TV or movies is the ability to control the characters to affect the story. Video games are also a great medium for experimentation, as anything can be turned into a compelling game concept. For example, rolling up objects to create stars in Katamari Damacy, or eating mushrooms to get bigger and stronger in Mario games.
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Fight well, because these games aren’t willing to go easy on you and refuse to go slow for a single moment.
Developers have experimented with video game mechanics for decades. Sometimes, the weirder the games are, the less successful they become. Let’s take a look at the action genre in particular, because there are a lot of successful (and unsuccessful) stories when it comes to wacky action gameplay mechanics. These are the best examples of action games that took a big swing, resulting in some absolutely ridiculous gameplay.
Devil May Cry 5
Three Heroes, One Fate
Devil May Cry 5
- Released
- March 8, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
Devil May Cry 5 is the latest entry in the long-running series, and it features three playable characters in its campaign, each with a unique set of powers, abilities, and weapons.
The lead, Nero, has a sword, guns, and a cybernetic arm with a wide array of variations to dispose of enemies with energy blasts or grapple techniques. V, a new character, can summon a trio of demonic animals to fight for him. Finally, the fan favorite, Dante, returns with some of his wildest weapons yet, including a motorcycle split in two to serve as melee weapons.
Bayonetta
Beauty, Brains, And Brawn
Bayonetta
- Released
- October 29, 2009
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes
- Developer(s)
- Platinum Games
- Genre(s)
- Action
Bayonetta is another hardcore action game, similar to Devil May Cry, featuring slick action across a diverse range of levels. As a witch, Bayonetta can use her hair magic to summon demons and create matter out of thin air, like a guillotine that can finish off naughty angels.
Players can also unlock moves and weapons for Bayonetta to accompany her large roster of guns. Nimble, powerful, and a symbol for female characters everywhere, Bayonetta is one witch who is not worth messing with in any of her games.
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
Slice ‘Em Up
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
- Released
- February 19, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Platinum Games
- Genre(s)
- Action
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is a spinoff of Metal Gear starring Raiden, who has gone full-blown ninja cyborg. Players can literally slice enemies into multiple chunks and then take out their cybernetic spines to recharge Raiden's health.
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It’s not as brutal as a Mortal Kombat game, but the dynamic slicing of enemies and the environment is satisfying to pull off. With multiple weapons to master, over-the-top cutscenes, and a rocking soundtrack, this is one action game that is hard to forget.
Yakuza 0
Bikes Make The Best Weapons
Yakuza 0
- Released
- January 24, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood, Intense Violence, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
Yakuza 0 is a prequel to the Yakuza/Like a Dragon series set in the 1980s. Franchise mainstay Kazuma Kiryu is a younger man and still a fully-fledged member of the Yakuza, but he's as tough as nails while in combat as series fans remember.
Players can let their fists do the talking during the action gameplay segments, or they can get creative by snatching up weapons and random objects to brutalize their foes. From bikes to leather chairs, nothing is out of bounds for Kazuma, and it’s hilarious and shocking every time he takes down a street thug with a traffic cone or some other innocuous item.
Attack On Titan (2016)
Zipping Through Giants
Attack on Titan
- Released
- February 18, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- rp
- Developer(s)
- Omega Force, Koei Tecmo
- Genre(s)
- Action
Attack on Titan is a game based on the first season of the anime, and a bit of the second season as well. As part of an elite force of warriors, players need to take down giant humanoid creatures called Titans.
Players can zip around fields and towns on wires, akin to swinging around in a Spider-Man game. The goal is to target a Titan’s nape to finish it off, which is not an easy task, but it is satisfying to pull off. It's the perfect anime-to-game translation for fans and does a great job of translating the series' high-flying action into a virtual medium.
Asura’s Wrath
Scream And Be Heard
Asura's Wrath
- Released
- February 21, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen // Blood, Language, Partial Nudity, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Developer(s)
- CyberConnect2
- Genre(s)
- Action, Beat 'Em Up
Asura’s Wrath is about a god, Asura, who is betrayed by his fellow gods in an attempt to usurp more power through corruption. Players will have to crawl their way out of the underworld to get their revenge.
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There are some small combat scenarios in the game, but Asura’s Wrath is mostly a boss battle game with epic encounters that only Dragon Ball Z can compare to. While short, by the time they’re done with this bombastic game, players will be screaming at Capcom to make a sequel.
3D Dot Game Heroes
The Legend Of Gigasword
3D Dot Game Heroes
- Released
- November 5, 2009
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Everyone 10+ // Mild Cartoon Violence
- Developer(s)
- Silicon Studio, FromSoftware, Inc.
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Adventure
3D Dot Game Heroes is like a top-down Zelda game from the NES era, only with 3D graphics. While the gameplay between the overworld and dungeons will look very familiar, three key things set it apart from a normal Zelda game.
Players can use pre-made characters, or they can make their own hero, and the game has a humorous side to it as well. Most importantly, at full health, the player’s sword will be gigantic, almost full-screen size, and there are various forms to collect as they play. Unfortunately, the game is still trapped on PS3, but a port or remaster is well overdue.
Senran Kagura Shinovi Versus
Stripped Down Ninjas
- Developer: Tamsoft
- Publisher: XSEED Games (NA)
- Released: October 14, 2014 (NA)
- Platform: PS Vita, PC
Senran Kagura Shinovi Versus is one of many Senran Kagura games, most of which are hack-and-slash action games. Playing as one of several female ninjas, players can go through quick missions to fight armies of competing schools.
The playable girls all have different weapons, from daggers and katanas to weirder options like umbrellas. The core action alone is unhinged, but transforming the girls into their powered-up (and less clothed) selves makes the gameplay even harder to follow, but in a good way.
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