There are plenty of games that fall into the action/adventure genre, including games like Assassin's Creed III, Dishonored, Darksiders II, Uncharted: Golden Abyss and Sleeping Dogs. Here is our list of the five best action/adventure games of 2012:
5. Assassin's Creed III: If this were a list of the most ambitious games of the year, AC3 would be number one. The historical action-adventure open world stealth video game takes place during the American Revolution and features a humongous world with lots of historical places for gamers to explore. The game doesn't reinvent the series and some of the gameplay mechanics feel a little stale, but that is easy too overlook because of the game's great narrative. What keeps this game from being on top of the list is the numerous glitches and some annoying missions.
4. Hitman: Absolution: Agent 47 is one of the kings of stealth action/adventure genre and he returned in 2012 with Absolution. Each mission has several paths to success and presents unique and fun options to achieve these goals. It is great to play a game that doesn't force to take the predetermined route and encourages creativeness. There is a lot of fun to be had in devising your own scheme and using the environment and in-game disguises to set up the perfect kill.
3. Uncharted Golden Abyss: Gamers have been looking for a killer title for Sony's PlayStation Vita and I think Uncharted Golden Abyss is it. The game isn't exactly like its home console counterpart, but it is pretty darn close. The story is not as engaging as previous entries in the series, but it still fun and one hell of a ride. The game's use of the touch screen is take it or leave it ad felt a tad bit forced, but it doesn't ruin the experience. The only thing it was missing was Sully and Elena.
2. Sleeping Dogs: United Front Games created one the year's biggest surprise hits with Sleeping Dogs. Wei Shin's quest to infiltrate the Triad is an original spin of the open-world crime drama genre. The game's fighting mechanics are reminiscent of the Batman Arkham series and work well most of the time except for the occasionally bad camera angle. The game also features really great DLC like the recently announced Zodiac Tournament bundle, which pay homage to the old Kung Fu movies of the 1970s.
1. Dishonored: Bethesda proves you can have a brand new intellectual property at the end of a console cycle with Dishonored. The game sort of reminds me of the first time I played Irrational Games' Bioshock. There is wonderful sense of mystery and wonderment in the city of Dunwall. Much like Hitman: Absolution, the game puts choice back in the hands of the gamer and lets you shape the way Corvo handles his quest for vengeance. The entire game can be completed without having to kill anybody.
What is your favorite action/adventure game of the year? Tell us in the comment section below...
