In the past decade, action-adventure games have really come into their element. We have seen smash hit games such as Horizon Zero Dawn, Red Dead Redemption 2 and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild capture players’ imaginations worldwide, and more recently, wonderful indie titles such as Hazelight Studio’s It Takes Two have begun to made their mark upon the genre.
In this article, I cover ten must-have features that any action-adventure game worth its salt should aim to get right – regardless of whether it is an indie title, or an AAA blockbuster.
A Compelling Story
Given how many hours it typically takes to complete an action-adventure game, it goes without saying (though I am ironically saying it in this article) that it is crucial for each to have a compelling story that players will lose themselves in. You want to be anticipating each new discovery, eager to see what happens next, and at least somewhat emotionally invested – not bored of playing, or wishing the journey would end.
That isn’t to say that an action-adventure game needs to be a lengthy experience, however. So long as the story is well-structured, engaging, and inspires players to keep on playing, there will be an audience for that game’s journey for years to come. You may even find that players will replay the game again just to experience its twists and turns anew, and lose themselves all over again in the story they fell in love with.
An Engaging Playable Character
A compelling story is a must, but where would one be without an equally engaging playable character? It is imperative that the protagonist of an action-adventure game is someone that its players connect with. They need to feel for them, perhaps relate to them, and ultimately enjoy taking on their persona. If you find yourself disliking the character you’re playing as, it is unlikely that you’ll see that game through to its end – no matter how good you may have heard it is.
The character doesn’t have to necessarily be a good person, of course. Playing as a bad guy can be just as captivating as playing a hero. It can often be more fun, too. Equally, there are no mandatory values for how the protagonist should look, sound, or act. An unorthodox or innovative character can bring a much-needed excitement to a game. After playing the same types of characters for so long in classic games in the genre, experiencing someone new is refreshing.
Side Activities
Modern action-adventure games are increasingly being set in large open worlds. But, regardless of size, it is important for these worlds to be appropriately populated with additional activities, side quests, collectibles and secret areas for players to discover alongside the completion of the main story. Having extra content for players to enjoy can really enhance their experience, keep them engaged in the world longer, and open up opportunities for unique and memorable encounters.
Marvel’s Spider-Man, for instance, compliments its story with collectible bits of lore (Pete’s old backpacks), more opportunities to play the hero (through the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man App) and even links to old fiends and friends alike (the Black Cat stakeouts and Taskmaster challenges). This is an excellent example of how to incorporate additional elements well, in particular the collectibles. Collectibles in a game need to be planned carefully, and made realistic for even the most casual of players to hunt down. The 900 Korok Seeds in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild don’t appeal to me for this reason, though they certainly do to the hardcore fans.
Tangible Progression
As mentioned previously, modern games in this genre are typically a serious time sink. You’ll likely spend many hours engrossed in the same world, and as such, it is important that you can both feel and see the fruits of your labour. Some tangible signs of progression may be the skills or abilities you unlock. Others might be the items you have collected, or the number of regions you have explored. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla has all of these, and a lot more besides – including a numerical Power Level to signify your strength.
Many existing action-adventure games involve an element of inventory management, too, and seeing that filling up with your collected resources and trinkets feels good. Handing in all of those quest items? Fabulous! Receiving that long-awaited special item for completing a set of quests? Exhilirating! Having tangible markers for progression – not just in terms of character development, but also in terms of unlockables and completionism – truly makes a game feel rewarding. More of this please!
Pleasant Graphics and Audio
This point is not exclusive to action-adventure titles, but is crucial nonetheless. To have pleasant graphics and audio is to enable you to enjoy a game to the full. This is not to say that the graphics or audio need to be complex, or even the best-looking or sounding. They just need to compliment your experience, make it enjoyable, and not distract from the rest of the game. Graphics and audio can be somewhat overlooked if the gameplay and story are excellent, but they are still important factors to consider.
It Takes Two, for instance, has a unique appearance which takes advantage of bright colours and a clearly stylised design. Though its environments are not the most complex, they are vivid and engaging. The small details are well-worth taking the time to appreciate, and each world has its own unique appearance and feel. Creating unique experiences throughout – which graphics and audio are often pivotal for – is what makes a game truly memorable. So, getting these elements right can only help a game shine.
Puzzles
Tomb Raider is an action-adventure series where puzzles are at the forefront. Whether it’s navigating a complex environmental set-up, or attempting to best a Challenge Tomb, Lara has her work cut out for her. These games aren’t the only ones in the genre that incorporate puzzles, however. Many, if not all, of the other games mentioned and shown throughout this article do, and they’re a staple of the genre. As such, it is critical to create puzzles that are challenging, but not frustrating.
For any puzzle to be engaging and fun, it needs to not be overly complex or pressuring. While some puzzles will have high stakes attached, many should be opportunities to slow down and take a breather. You should be able to solve them at your own pace, and exercise your brain as much as your fingers. If puzzles are needlessly frustrating or lengthy, they may put players off from continuing. If these are tied to game progression, even worse, as some players may stop playing completely. This leads into my next point well.
Reasonable Challenge
Tying into tangible progression, when playing a lengthier action-adventure title, it is important for the gameplay to not feel stagnant. To keep gameplay fun and refreshing, having a reasonable level of challenge is critical. Scaling enemies to match the player’s level is one method of achieving this. Another is to make each explorable region tougher in sequence. A third is requiring the player to have particular skills or abilities in order to access them.
But, of course, challenge does not just relate to combat. Challenge can also relate to the exploration, puzzles, activities and collectibles. It is important that challenge is not confused with a game’s difficulty, as a result. Players should be able to enjoy the game on any difficulty, but still be challenged by the content. It is important to make gaming accessible for everyone, catering to different levels of experience and ability as well as those who play games differently.
Exploration
Many action-adventure games have begun to combine their stories with huge open worlds. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is an excellent example of such a game. Open worlds give players incredible environments to explore, investigate, and engage with, and are often full of secrets. Regardless of how big a game’s world is, you should always be left wanting to explore every nook and cranny. If you’re going to spend a lot of time in a world, you should want to engage with its content fully.
The tantalising offer of a whole world to explore needs to be implemented skilfully, however. Too often there is the risk of overabundance, with worlds being made either too big or overpopulated with extras. Creating a world that is just the right size, containing just the right amount of activities and adventures, is difficult. As such, it is important for developers to carefully consider the size of their game world – and whether it is appropriate.
Controls That Don’t Suck
Action-adventure titles typically incorporate many different elements. If there’s one thing that any developer needs to get right, therefore, it’s their game’s controls. If they are too complex – or conversely, too simplistic – this can take away from the overall experience and turn a game into a pure frustration-fest. The last thing you want is to spend more time opening the controls menu and checking what buttons do what, than actually playing the game.
If a game’s responsiveness to inputs is also lacking, or if it is impossible to “feel” how inputs are reflected in the playable character’s movements, this is also damaging to the player experience. You don’t want to struggle when exploring the world, completing platforming elements, solving puzzles or engaging in combat; you want to be able to immerse yourself fully in the game and not be held back.
Satisfying Combat
Speaking of combat, this is the final element of an action-adventure game that needs to be done right. Combat should be engaging, challenging, and make use of all of the weapons, trinkets, skills and abilities you have at your disposal. It shouldn’t feel repetitive, dull, or limited to only the same few bland moves. It should be an element of the game that expands in scope in-line with your character’s progression, and a testament to your developed skills.
When engaging in combat, there should be several options open to you at any one time. Should you play it safe, and if available, make use of ranged weaponry from a distance? Or is it time for you to take on the enemy up-close-and-personal? Whatever your playstyle, the combat should enable you to settle things your way, and ultimately feel fluid, impactful, and very, very satisfying.
And that’s our list! Can you think of any other must-have features for action-adventure titles that we’ve missed? Or would you like to share your thoughts on what are some of the best action-adventure titles out there? Leave a comment below, or reach out to us on social media:
@anxietycrossing / @TechStomperIE
