Sure, soothing games to unwind with are fine. But there are also times you need to wallop everything in your path. When that’s the case, you need action-packed, high-octane adventures.
So we endeavored to put together a list of amazing action-packed games that might not be on your radar, but are worth checking out.
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With all that in mind, here is our carefully cultivated list. The adventures included range from 2D sidescrollers to 3D playgrounds, but every one of them is perfect when you need to punch something.
10Alien Hominid Invasion
Please Don’t Probe Me…
PC, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
The Behemoth
Run and Gun
Release Date
July 14, 2025
You’re probably familiar with the original Alien Hominid released in the early 2000s. It had you in the role of a lone alien fighting their way through goons in black and all sorts of other impediments.
Publisher The Behemoth decided it needed a modern twist, and so they releasedAlien Hominid Invasion.
Not only does Alien Hominid Invasion feature the run-and-gun chaos of the original, but it also adds rogue-like twists and multiplayer insanity with groups of up to 4. Heck, there’s even permadeath if you need more of a challenge.
Either way, you’ll be grabbing insane weapons, zipping around the field, and destroying everything in your way in this insane sequel.
9Deathwish Enforcers Special Edition
Keep the Streets of San Francisco Scum Free
PC, Switch, PS4, PS5
Monster Bath Games Inc.
Shoot ‘em up
August 12, 2025
When many gamers of a certain age think of beating up bad guys, their minds go back to the arcade machines of their youth. Plopping in quarters, teaming up with friends, and smashing everything in a pixelated fugue state.
So, when modern games embody that spirit, they’re usually perfect examples of action-packed adventures. Take one called Deathwish Enforcers Special Edition.
Deathwish Enforcers Special Edition is deeply inspired by Sunset Riders. It features crime syndicates, demons, and biker gangs.
Not only does it include several playable characters with different styles, but it also perfectly captures that quarter-plopping arcade machine vibe. Easy to pick up and play, fun to master, and full of well-hidden goodies behind destructible environments.
Black, White, and Red All Over
There’s been a handful of Super Rare Originals that have come out recently, but none quite like OTXO. It’s a top-down experience full of noir energy.
You wake up on a lonely shore, and all you want is to save your lost love. But to do that, you’ll have to shoot your way through a dangerous and ever-changing mansion full of armed goons, monsters, and endless secrets.
The gameplay is fast, furious, and intense. You’ll be dodging bullets like a pro with the help of a bullet-time feature, grabbing new weapons, and infiltrating rooms full of enemies.
When you inevitably fall in a rain of gunfire, you’ll get another shot and can improve your chances with the game’s abundant rogue-like elements. Change the armory of available weaponry, indulge in exotic drinks to enhance your abilities, and find some way to save the day.
7Megaton Musashi W: Wired
Robots, Aliens, and a Shattered Earth
Megaton Musashi W: Wired
At first,Megaton Musashi W: Wiredseems like a pretty generic anime adventure. Sleepy town, rebellious youths, and not much to do. Then the curtain is pulled from your eyes, and you discover all is not as it seems.
The town is the last remaining stronghold on Earth after it was devastated by alien forces. Now, you’re part of a small, elite crew of pilots that control powerful mechanized robots.
What’s great about Megaton Musashi W: Wired is how much control you have over the experience. You’re completely free to tweak and upgrade all the parts of your robot and will acquire tons of powerful new parts by demolishing alien invaders.
You’ll need the best to have a chance against the incredible boss battles, usually against gigantic alien amalgams or powerful ships. Smash your way through an endless stream of threats as you enjoy the unpredictable and surprisingly robust story.
6No More Heroes III
Travis Versus the Galaxy
No More Heroes 3
Travis Touchdown is many things. An otaku, a fan of cuisine, and someone determined to prove themselves the best. But it’s probably safe to say none of us expected him to go toe to toe against alien invaders inNo More Heroes 3.
Regardless, that’s exactly what the game is all about as he climbs the Galactic Superhero Rankings and maybe even saves the world.
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With his trusty beam katana in hand and astride his new Demzamtiger, he’ll take on odd jobs to get the money he needs to challenge and defeatPrince FU and his many underlings.
Sure, they call themselves superheroes, but Travis knows a bad guy when he sees one. Annihilate them in epic fashion using beam katana and brutal attacks in this truly demented sequel.
5Anger Foot
A New Type of Foot Soldier
Anger Foot
When we think of First Person Shooters, normally we’re focused on our hands. But leave it to Devolver Digital and Anger Foot to make us consider our feet as well.
Anger Footis a strange and wonderful adventure where you shoot fast, kick hard, and utterly trash the anthropomorphic goons in your path.
Shit City is a hard place, but you have plenty of tools to whip it into shape. Not only can you unlock new weapons, but there are a multitude of different sneakers.
Heck, you can even beat levels to focus on style, speed, or power. It’s a bloody job, but only you can do it in this crazy and inventive FPS.
4Pepper Grinder
An Ode to Drill Dozer
Pepper Grinder
There might not be many people who are familiar with a little Game Boy Advance title called Drill Dozer. It was an utterly creative platformer by Game Freak, and it deserved some sequels.
Though we never got an official one, Devolver gave us a spiritual successor in an adventure called Pepper Grinder. It’s about Pepper, her drill (the titular Grinder), and an army of Narling thugs who stole all her loot.
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Pepper Grinder is a puzzle platformer where you’ll drill through the earth as well as use your Grinder to activate tons of different mechanisms. You’ll shoot out of cannons, manipulate elevators and platforms, and generally make a mess out of the naughty little Narlings arrayed against you.
It has a distinctiveDonkey Kong Countryenergy as well, including some challenging and fun boss battles. A great, destructive mix of old-school energy and new-age ideas.
3Freedom Planet 2
Gotta Go Fast!
Freedom Planet 2
If you thought you had saved Avalice after the first Freedom Planet, you’re very wrong. A new threat has landed inFreedom Planet 2, and it’ll take heroes old and new to defeat it.
Much like in the first game,the sequeltakes that franticSonic the Hedgehogenergy and marries it with epic boss fights that wouldn’t be out of place in a classic Treasure title.
ThoughFreedom Planet 2features lots of running and collecting, it also has a distinct focus on fast-paced combat. Best of all, each of the game’s playable heroes has their own style and special abilities to keep things fresh.
If you need pure destruction, there’s the Battlesphere Arena, featuring some epic challenges. There’s a lot to enjoy, and maybe reason to hope this isn’t the last time we’ll all return to Avalice.
2Astral Chain
Working the Chain Gang
Astral Chain
Earth has been devastated, and the few remaining survivors live on the Ark. Even there, humanity isn’t safe from astral portals opening up and unleashing monstrous chimeras on the populace. Luckily, there’s a select few which can fight against them, and surprisingly, they’re the police force. This is the setting of the sci-fi adventure calledAstral Chain.
Unlike standard cops, these soldiers are bound with creatures called Legion to fight against the chimera menace, as well as corrupted humans called Abberations. You’ll start out playing just the human part of your crime-fighting pair, but it won’t be long until you’re controlling both them and their Legion as well.
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Like most games from Platinum, Astral Chain is frantic, over-the-top, and completely action-packed. Though you start with one Legion, eventually you’re able to switch between several on the fly, and use them to get the edge in combat. If that dynamic style wasn’t enough, there are also multiple difficulty settings, as well as side quests to pad things out.
While Astral Chain does have a pretty steep learning curve, once you master it you’ll find it’s a very worthwhile action-packed experience.
1Hi-Fi RUSH
Battle to the Beat
Hi-Fi Rush
It’s not often you consider a rhythm game when you’re thinking of destroying your foes. But when they’re as stylish, innovative, and incredible asHi-Fi RUSH, you have to adjust your expectations.
You play Chai, the so-called Defect fighting against endless robots and an insidious megacorp. What makes Hi-Fi RUSH amazing is how it meshes the rhythm and combat aspects of the adventure.
Chai has a music player in his heart, and it empowers his robotic arm and makes everything play to the beat. That includes run-of-the-mill foes and overpowered mechanized bosses.
Once you’re done with the main game, you can tackle the Arcade Challenge and rogue-like Rhythm Tower. Combined with super stylish art and pumping music featuring the likes of Nine Inch Nails and the Glass Pyramids, you have a destructive, rhythmic wonder child inHi-Fi RUSH.
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