10 Adventure Video Games Without a Single Flaw

Image via FromSoftware Published Oct 26, 2026, 7:21 AM EDT Diego Pineda has been a devout storyteller his whole life. He has self-published a fantasy novel and a book of short stories, and is actively working on publishing his second novel. A lifelong fan of watching movies and talking about them endlessly, he writes reviews and analyses on his Instagram page dedicated to cinema, and occasionally on his blog. His favorite filmmakers are Andrei Tarkovsky and Charlie Chaplin. He loves modern Mexican cinema and thinks it's tragically underappreciated. Other interests of Diego's include reading, gaming, roller coasters, writing reviews on his Letterboxd account (username: DPP_reviews), and going down rabbit holes of whatever topic he's interested in at any given point. Sign in to your Collider account The adventure genre has always been one of video gaming's most foundational pillars, having provided several titles that are often praised as some of the greatest in the medium's history. These are games all about allowing players to explore, solve puzzles, and interact with the environment. Whether they're combined with action elements or purely about adventure, it's a genre that's as timeless as video games themselves. From modern action-adventure masterpieces like Uncharted 4: A Thief's End to foundational classics like The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, there are plenty of adventure games that are great, but only a handful that are truly devoid of any substantial flaws. These are all must-play titles for gaming fans, and could potentially be phenomenal introductions to the adventure genre for the uninitiated. 10 'Uncharted 4: A Thief's End' (2016) Image via Sony Computer Entertainment In 2007, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune proved that Naughty Dog was able to make cinematic, surprisingly mature action-adventure games unlike anything else they had delivered before. From there, the Uncharted franchise immediately became one of Sony's flagship IPs, but no one had ever seen anything quite like Uncharted 4: A Thief's End. Promoted right off the bat as the final chapter in Nathan Drake's story, Uncharted 4 was a massive pop-cultural event which still feels delightfully modern a decade after its launch. Often ranked as the very best Uncharted game, it has an absolutely perfect balance between fluid traversal and refined combat mechanics. It's fun, it's action-packed, it's impeccably written, and it's the best possible way that Nathan's story could have possibly come to a close. 9 'The Last of Us' (2013) Image via Naughty Dog Following the tremendous success of their first three Uncharted titles, Naughty Dog wanted to prove that they could take things even further when it came to telling powerfully cinematic, gritty, and mature stories through the gaming medium. Enter The Last of Us, one of the most universally loved games since 2000, a blockbuster release that completely re-defined and revolutionized the survival horror genre. On the one hand, you have the wonderfully complex and layered story, led by two of the most fascinating and endearing main characters in the history of gaming. Add to that some terrifyingly immersive gameplay, where every resource counts and every movement must be carefully thought-out; as well as some truly visceral and weighty combat, and you get one of the most groundbreaking games of the 2010s. 8 'The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt' (2015) Image via CD Projekt Red For many years, Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski's The Witcher books remained popular mostly just in Eastern Europe. It wouldn't be until the arrival of CD Projekt Red's game of the same title in 2007 that the franchise would smash its way into the mainstream. Likewise, it wouldn't be until the arrival of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt that this IP would truly cement itself as a pop culture sensation. One of the best sword-and-sorcery games of all time, The Witcher 3 is one of the most sprawling open-world action-adventure RPGs the world has ever seen. With a level of narrative depth not often seen in the genre, including a myriad of side quests that manage to all feel deeply meaningful, it really has aged as one of the most important dark fantasy video games in the medium's history. Image via Bethesda Softworks As great as they are, the first four titles in The Elder Scrolls series have dated mechanics and steep learning curves that make them not-all-that-welcoming to fantasy RPG newbies. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, on the other hand, is one of the best fantasy video games for beginners, a masterpiece that was widely acclaimed as one of the greatest video games ever made immediately upon hitting store shelves. A decade and a half later, Skyrim still tends to be in the conversation whenever people talk about the greatest action-adventure games in history. It should be particularly appealing for those who prefer action-adventure titles that lean far more toward adventure than action, seeing as this is perhaps the ultimate sandbox of player freedom and agency. The level of player freedom and roleplaying potential that Skyrim allows for is still unmatched all these many years later. 6 'Super Mario Galaxy' (2007) Image via Nintendo It would in no way be an understatement to say that 1985's Super Mario Bros. is one of the most groundbreaking video games of the 20th century. Eleven years later, Nintendo's poster boy made the jump to 3D, and things were never the same again. For the Wii generation, Nintendo knew that they needed to go all-out with Mario's newest adventure in the third dimension, and that's precisely where Super Mario Galaxy comes in. Still widely remembered not only as one of the best Mario games of all time, but as one of the greatest video games of all time in general, Super Mario Galaxy is a genuine masterclass in level design and innovation. The mere act of moving Mario around and experiencing the stunning gravity mechanics is one of sheer joy, resulting in one of the most re-playable games Nintendo has thus far made. 5 'Elden Ring' (2022) Image via FromSoftware Whether George R. R. Martin will ever finish his Song of Ice and Fire book series remains to be seen, but at least he's keeping busy. He co-wrote Elden Ring with Hidetaka Miyakazi, and under Miyakazi and Yui Tanimura's direction, this became one of the best video games released since 2020. FromSoftware's Souls games have long been some of the greatest action RPG titles of all time, but never had a Souls game had a sense of adventure as rich as Elden Ring's. Without losing a single ounce of the depth, tension, atmosphere, of challenge that has always made their games successes. FromSoft took their famously punishing and tightly-designed formula and expanded it into a colossal, absolutely seamless open world without losing a single ounce of the depth, tension, atmosphere, of challenge that has always made their games successes. Every discovery feels organic, every boss fight feels challenging in all the best ways, and every last corner of the map feels atmospheric and carefully crafted. 4 'Red Dead Redemption 2' (2018) Image via Rockstar Games The original Red Dead Redemption was a massive hit with critics and players alike; such a hit, in fact, that when a prequel game was announced, fans were nothing if not deeply skeptical. In the end, not only did Red Dead Redemption 2 end up living up to expectations, it absolutely smashed and surpassed them in every single department that mattered. It's one of those adventure games that are absolutely amazing from start to finish, and even though not all gamers may appreciate its commitment to slow-burning realism, fans of true adventure games should find it beyond delightful. But as fun as the gunplay, exploration, and sense of immersion are, it's the deeply moving story of Arthur Morgan that has enshrined RDR2 as one of the biggest classics of its generation. 3 'The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild' (2017) Image via Nintendo The Legend of Zelda franchise has always been one of Nintendo's biggest and most important game series, one whose formula was already so perfect and timeless that there seemed to be no reason to alter it in any significant way. Nonetheless, Nintendo took a big swing when they released Breath of the Wild, an open world adventure title that was unlike anything else the Zelda franchise—or the company as a whole—had ever offered. Not only did things turn out just fine, Breath of the Wild ended up earning praise as one of the best video games released since 2010, and many would confidently call it their favorite adventure video game of all time. There's no "right way" of playing Breath of the Wild or beating its main story. Its version of Hyrule opens itself up to the player almost right away in ways that fans of open-world gameplay have found immediately engrossing throughout the last 9 years. 2 'The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time' (1998) Image via Nintendo Breath of the Wild is exceptional, and it's undoubtedly the biggest and most sprawling adventure video game that Nintendo has ever produced, but there's a certain other Zelda game that's to video games what Citizen Kane is to cinema: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, far and away one of the best video games of the last 30 years. Many people, whether they grew up playing Ocarina of Time on the Nintendo 64 or not, would call this the greatest adventure video game ever made, and for good reason. It's perhaps the single most foundational 3D video game ever made, but instead of its first-of-their-kind mechanics making it feel dated, it's one of the most timeless and enjoyable retro gaming experiences out there. It's an all-out masterclass in dungeon, level, and puzzle design that all those who love adventure games should play at least once in their lives. 1 'Minecraft' (2011) Image via Mojang Studios Is Ocarina of Time the greatest adventure video game in history in the strictest of terms? Perhaps. But there's one other title that embodies every quality of the adventure game genre better than any other video game that has ever been or could ever be made: Minecraft, which is not only one of the most fun video games of all time, but also one of the biggest cornerstones of 21st-century gaming pop culture. There's no set protagonist, no linear plot, no prescribed quests, no pre-constructed world. Every single playthrough of Minecraft feels entirely different from the last, every world provides a distinct experience, every decision feels like the product of your own limitless agency. It's the ultimate sandbox game, an illustration of how the adventure genre can provide titles which genuinely feel like an entirely blank canvas for the players to express their creativity on. Collider Exclusive · 8 Questions · 2 Minutes Which Iconic Fandom Should You Join? Harry Potter · Lord of the Rings · Star Wars · Star Trek Eight honest questions about how you actually are: what you put on when you need cheering up, how deep you go into the things you love, what you argue about, what you keep on your shelf. Answer them and we will tell you where you belong. Four of the biggest fandoms on earth are taking new members, and they could not be more different from one another. ⚡Harry Potter(Wizarding World) 💍Lord of the Rings(Middle-earth) ⚔️Star Wars(A Galaxy Far Away) 🖖Star Trek(The Final Frontier) FIND YOUR PEOPLE → 01 What do you put on when you need cheering up? Nobody is brave about this one. AThe same thing I have watched a hundred times. BSomething long, slow and beautiful. CSomething big and loud with a great score. DOne clever episode of something hopeful. NEXT QUESTION → 02 How deep do you go into something you love? There is no shallow end here, only different deep ends. AI know every character and all the gossip. BI have read the appendices and studied the maps. CI have a ranked opinion on every instalment. DI want to know how the world actually works. NEXT QUESTION → 03 What do you and your friends actually argue about? Every fandom has one argument it has been having for years. AWhich one of us is which type. BWhether the adaptation got it right. CWhether the new stuff ruined the old stuff. DWhether the right thing was actually done. NEXT QUESTION → 04 How do you feel about a room full of strangers? Every one of these comes with a very big room. AGreat, and I will know everybody by the end. BFine, as long as they take it seriously. CBrilliant, especially if there is something to dress up for. DHappy, provided the conversation is interesting. NEXT QUESTION → 05 Where would you rather spend a week? Pick on instinct rather than on budget. AAn old castle somewhere rainy. BMountains, long walks, no phone signal. CA desert with an unbelievable night sky. DA city built around a university. NEXT QUESTION → 06 What do you believe about people, mostly? All four of these stories have an answer, and they disagree. AMost of them turn out better than expected. BThe smallest ones decide the biggest things. CAnybody can change, even very late on. DWe work it out if we keep talking. NEXT QUESTION → 07 What is actually on your shelf? Look over at it before you answer. AEverything I owned when I was twelve. BHardbacks, in order, read more than once. CFigures, posters, and a few things still boxed. DBooks about how things work, plus a model or two. NEXT QUESTION → 08 What do you actually want from a story? Eight questions in, this is the one that picks your fandom. AA place I can go back to whenever I need it. BA world complete enough to get lost in. CSomething huge I can share with everybody. DAn idea that changes how I think. REVEAL MY FANDOM → Membership Confirmed Your Fandom Is…Four of the largest communities on the planet, and four completely different reasons to belong to one. Here is yours, what it would give you, and the argument you would be having within a week. Harry PotterYou belong to the fandom that is really about comfort. Hogwarts works on people because it is a place rather than a plot, and the pull is not the wizard war so much as the corridors, the food, the weather and the sense that somebody is expecting you. You are drawn to belonging, which is why this fandom sorted itself into houses within about five minutes and has never stopped. This is the most social of the four, and the one most likely to know which type every single person in your life would be. The books are built to be reread rather than analysed, and rereading is exactly what you do with things you love. The new HBO series is bringing the whole thing back one book at a time, which means the arguments are about to start all over again. Lord of the RingsYou belong to the deepest fandom on this list, the one where somebody has always read further than you and is quietly delighted to say so. Middle-earth rewards patience more than any other world in popular culture. You like the sense that the story you are reading is only the visible part of something enormous, which is precisely how Tolkien built it. This fandom takes adaptation seriously to a degree that other fandoms find slightly alarming, and it has good reasons for that. Your favourite thing about the books is probably the bit that is not action at all, which is the walking, the songs and the long goodbyes. Nobody here thinks heroism belongs to the powerful, and the whole story exists to make that argument. Star WarsYou belong to the loudest and largest tent of the four, the one where three generations are all watching the same thing and none of them agree about any of it. That disagreement is not a flaw in this fandom, it is the main activity. You want something you can share with absolutely everybody, from a six year old to a grandparent, and this is the only one on the list that really does that. Nobody argues like Star Wars fans argue, and the argument has been running since roughly 1980 with no sign of resolution. The pull here is sensory before it is narrative, since it is the sound design, the score and the look of a used and dented galaxy. You would be first in the queue, in costume, with strong opinions and a genuinely good time. Star TrekYou belong to the thinking fandom, the one that turns up for the argument rather than the explosion. Trek has always been a series of ethical problems in space, and the people who love it love being asked what they would have done. You are an optimist in a way that is currently unfashionable, and this is the only major franchise still willing to say the future might be better. The best episodes are the ones where nobody fires anything, which is a sentence that makes perfect sense to this fandom and to nobody else. Starfleet Academy brought the franchise back to a classroom in 2026, which is appropriate, because Trek has always been a bit of a seminar. You would want the conversation afterwards more than the episode itself, and here you will always find somebody willing to have it. ↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ