It’s easy to miss sometimes, but a lot of video games (even some of the industry’s very best) are split into chapters or episodes. Needless to say, this particular structuring style can be a double-edged sword, as it can either ruin or enhance a game’s pacing depending on how the story is designed and how much content each chapter contains.
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While hundreds of good games follow this design philosophy, only the absolute best titles out there are seen as perfect from beginning to end and, as a result, don’t feature a single bad chapter in which something unimportant happens. This is true for some of the most iconic and popular video games ever made, with the following eight being the most notorious examples of this practice.
Resident Evil 4/Resident Evil 4 Remake
The Perfect Blend Of Survival Horror And Third-Person Action
Resident Evil 4
- Released
- January 11, 2005
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
Even though survival horror is sometimes viewed as one of the most uninviting genres out there, Resident Evil 4 is still often cited as one of the best video games ever made. Its massive success and popularity can be explained by the fact that Capcom brilliantly designed an over-the-shoulder third-person combat system that not only feels incredible, but it also influenced many action and horror games that came after it.
Leon Kennedy’s bone-chilling adventure through rural Europe never features a boring moment. Every single chapter features either an intense survival horror segment or an over-the-top action set piece (and sometimes both). Granted, some players are not too fond of "Chapters 3–4," where they have to play as a defenseless Ashley Graham, but this was actually a brilliant way of elevating the survival horror gameplay. Additionally, this chapter was even more enjoyable in the Resident Evil 4 Remake, which also deserves a special mention for being an almost perfect game.
Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening
One Of The Best Hack-And-Slash Video Games Ever Made
Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening
- Released
- February 17, 2005
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Blood, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Genre(s)
- Hack and Slash, Action-Adventure, Beat 'Em Up
Since all the entries in the Devil May Cry series follow this structure, most of them inevitably have that one chapter everyone hates to replay. Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening is the sole exception. This shouldn’t be much of a surprise, considering this is the game that single-handedly saved and revitalized the franchise.
Every single chapter in this prequel is filled to the brim with fast-paced action, tough enemies, and powerful bosses. Yes, unlike some of its follow-ups, Dante is the only playable character in DMC3, but he has such a vast and diverse array of weapons and abilities that controlling him never gets boring. The only slightly controversial chapter in this game is "Mission 18: Invading Hell," which features a boss rush, but not only are these fights so well-made that replaying them is actually quite fun, but the player technically only needs to defeat three of the bosses to proceed, and all the others are optional.
Half-Life 2
An FPS So Perfect That Fans Are Still Begging For A Sequel (Or A Third Episode)
Half-Life 2
- Released
- November 16, 2004
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence
- Developer(s)
- Valve
- Genre(s)
- Shooter
Back in 1998, the original Half-Life revolutionized the gaming industry and redefined what an FPS should be (especially on PC). Just six years later, Valve knocked it out of the park once again when Half-Life 2 came out and quickly became an overnight success. This sequel’s campaign starts quite slowly, which is a clever way of slowly building up how much the world has changed since the last game, but it quickly evolves into an incredible adventure full of action, drama, and horror.
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Most gamers are aware of the fact that Half-Life 2 received two additional episodes (which is why many of them are still begging Valve to release either a third episode or a brand-new sequel), but some may have already forgotten that both the base game and its two subsequent episodes are divided into chapters, which is ultimately a testament of how flawless it's pacing is. Nevertheless, most Half-Life 2 fans can agree that “We Don't Go To Ravenholm...” Is the absolute best chapter in the entire game.
The Walking Dead
The Point-And-Click Title That Popularized Episodic Narrative Releases
The Walking Dead
- Released
- April 24, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Telltale Games
- Genre(s)
- Graphic Adventure, Horror
Back in the early 2010s, the idea of a point-and-click/graphic adventure game based on The Walking Dead IP sounded like a recipe for disaster. Nevertheless, Telltale proved everyone wrong. As a result, The Walking Dead not only received glowing reviews, but it also helped popularize both its genre and its episodic format.
The tale of Lee and Clementine is incredibly heart-wrenching, captivating, and emotional, not to mention that it’s full of diverse dialogue options to choose between and harsh decisions to make. Additionally, The Walking Dead’s episodic release perfectly complemented its story, allowing players to join together to speculate on what would happen in the next episode, which was a mind-blowing experience back in 2012.
The Last Of Us
A Perfectly-Paced Emotional Survival Horror Adventure
The Last of Us
- Released
- June 14, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Naughty Dog
Yes, this list features not one but two different video games that were released between 2012 and 2013, and are about a grown man and a young girl traveling through a post-apocalyptic version of America. They undoubtedly deserve their flowers, because both The Walking Dead and The Last of Us are amazing video games that contain no lackluster chapters.
Each chapter in The Last of Us is divided by which area Joel and Ellie are visiting, which is not only a clever method of story pacing, but it also makes each location all the more memorable. On top of that, the game brilliantly employs the four seasons (summer, autumn, winter, and spring) as if they were the seasons of a show, to further elevate each chapter within them. Many people claim that The Last of Us boasts one of the best stories ever told in a video game, and it wouldn’t have earned that prestigious title if it had a single bad moment in it.
Bayonetta 2
A Beautiful And Stylish Hack-And-Slash Game With Non-Stop Action
Bayonetta 2
- Released
- October 24, 2014
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes
- Developer(s)
- Platinum Games
- Genre(s)
- Action
PlatinumGames’ Bayonetta series intentionally borrows a lot of elements from the Devil May Cry series, including its chapter-based format. However, while the first Bayonetta game was infamous for having a few less-than-stellar chapters in it (like the ones that rely on ridiculous quick-time events or the one in which the titular character drives a motorcycle), its incredible 2014 sequel fixed and/or removed most of these issues.
The moment a player picks up Bayonetta 2 and experiences its over-the-top opening chapter, it immediately becomes evident that this is a hack-and-slash game like no other. Every single one of Bayonetta 2’s chapters is jam-packed with outstanding set pieces, satisfying combat, beautiful environments, and, of course, some of the best boss battles in gaming history. It's safe to say that any dedicated fan of the hack-and-slash genre needs to try out this masterpiece.
Deltarune
Toby Fox’s Ambitious RPG May Not Be Finished Yet, But It’s Already A Masterpiece
Deltarune
- Released
- October 31, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Teen // Language, Suggestive Themes, Mild Blood, Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- Toby Fox
- Genre(s)
- RPG
When Toby Fox (the creator of Undertale) began releasing his next game — simply known as Deltarune — episodically, fans were initially worried that this format would ruin the story’s pacing. Fortunately, they quickly found out that they were wrong. This structure not only allowed him to take more time to develop each segment of this ambitious RPG, but he and his team also put a lot of effort and content into each chapter.
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As a result, all the chapters in Deltarune feel like full games with their own identities, instead of feeling like small parts of a bigger product. To make things even better, the story it's telling is deep, charming, and fascinating, and its episodic release schedule has encouraged players to fill the internet with rampant speculation and thousands of fan theories. Only four Deltarune chapters have been released so far (with even more scheduled to come out in 2026), and yet it’s already considered one of the best indie RPGs ever made.
Dispatch
The Episodic Superhero Game That Took The World By Storm
Dispatch
- Released
- October 22, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood, Crude Humor, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- AdHoc Studio
- Genre(s)
- Strategy, Point-and-click, Adventure
Unfortunately, the original Telltale Games shut down in 2018, but its spirit lives on in various modern games that have adapted the studio's episodic releases and point-and-click gameplay styles. One of the most prominent examples is AdHoc Studio’s Dispatch, which was made by a bunch of former Telltale developers.
Dispatch is a surprisingly refreshing superhero story full of lovable characters and brilliantly written dialogue. As always, its episodic release has helped fuel speculation from thousands of players who were dying to see what would happen the following week. It’s easy to understand why Dispatch became one of 2025’s most popular games, seeing as every one of its episodes was impactful and important, and none of them felt like unnecessary filler.
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