A good story can be a great way to help you escape reality, but nothing beats the immersion of a visually stunning action sequence. When you’re backed into a corner and can do nothing but grit your teeth and bear through the mob, you feel like you are a part of the game’s world and there are actual stakes at hand.
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The Wii U may have been a critical failure that cost Nintendo millions, but it still featured some iconic games with tight combat mechanics and complicated skill trees to work with. From whimsical settings to gritty hand-to-hand fights, there are all kinds of iconic action games that know how to make your heart beat a lot faster.
10 Guacamelee!
Bounce off the walls, fire away at all kinds of wacky enemies, and make sure you don’t get cornered in this colorful yet challenging Metroidvania video game. Guacamelee features some tight combat mechanics and unique bosses that will captivate you for hours.
Its 2D aesthetic and platforming action sequences make it a solid entry to the Wii U catalog, and the port itself works flawlessly with the controls of the device. It’s a fast-paced game that celebrates Mexican culture with its themes.
9 Bayonetta 2
If you like hack-and-slash run-and-gun combat, then Bayonetta 2 is an action game that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat trying to control the near-infinite horde of enemies piling up from every corner of the screen.
It’s a visually stunning spectacle that features religious iconography and balls-to-the-wall action. One minute you’re fighting an angel and the next it’s Gabriel themselves occupying most of your screen. You get a decent arsenal of spells and weapons to play with too, along with an interesting story.
8 Batman Arkham City
If you want an authentic experience of what it’s like to visit the iconic Arkham Asylum then Batman Arkham City is the perfect deep dive into the world Gotham has to offer. Get to the bottom of a grand mystery as you take down one iconic foe after the next.
Arkham City does a great job when it comes to the setting; the atmosphere definitely swallows you up and engrosses you into a world full of chaos and dread. Since you’re playing Batman most of the time, you can expect to have access to all of his equipment during combat.
7 Splatoon
Paint the town and mark your territory to assert dominance over other players looking to do the same. Splatoon is a fun third-person shooter paintball-esque game that features bright colorful graphics and cute chibi characters with impeccable gunmanship.
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There’s some strategy involved when it comes to taking out your foes, and the weapons at your disposal require some getting used to in order to use them properly as well. Despite the aesthetics, it’s a rather fast-paced action-filled experience.
6 Shovel Knight
An action platformer that’s won several awards and is perhaps one of the best side-scrollers on the platform, Shovel Knight is a complicated yet simple game with some impeccably tight combat and sound level design.
This pixilated stage-based beaut is filled to the brim with scenarios that will make your heart thump, since some levels bombard you with tough obstacles and enemies that pile up in an instant. The game’s got a lot of heart and this port of the game barely features any bugs or control issues.
5 Darksiders 2
A criminally underrated and forgotten game, this RPG hack-and-slash has such a captivating story that it’s a shame it didn’t get the attention it rightfully deserved. Darksiders 2 features God of War style combat and Prince of Persia-esque platforming sequences that drive the game forward.
The game also features a decent skill tree, and techniques that look captivating on-screen. It’s set in a fantasy world that encompasses a number of different kinds of layouts and terrains, and it also has a ton of areas to thoroughly explore.
4 Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Blacklist
A tactical FPS with more stealth than action, this port for Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Blacklist features the same thrills without any caveats. The game’s dark and gritty, especially considering the tone.
It features an entertaining story to keep up with as well as a diverse selection of areas to play through along with co-op/multiplayer gameplay. It’s a sandbox experience where you choose how to interact with your environment and the way you tackle each mission.
3 Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag
Considered by fans of the series to be one of the best Assassin's Creed games in the series thus far, Black Flag is a love letter to experiences that offer an immersive world to interact with and become a part of. Playing as a skilled mercenary, your tasks involve tailing and taking out important people but this time in an open world featuring the golden age of piracy.
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The game features the usual tight combat you expect from any of the other installments, but also ship battles and island exploration that keep things fresh. It’s a massive expansion on what made its predecessors so great.
2 The Wonderful 101
The Wonderful 101 is a superhero game that doesn’t take itself too seriously most of the time. But, when it does, you sense things picking up a notch, especially when it comes to the scale of the bosses you come face-to-face with in this cartoony world.
It’s a fast-paced hack-and-slash with personality and unique zest. This classic Nintendo exclusive gained cult-classic status as soon as it launched and deservedly so for its nuanced combat and strategy elements.
1 The Legend Of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD
As one of Nintendo’s flagship series, The Legend of Zelda pulls no punches when it comes to delivering an experience that encompasses everything related to exploration and fantasy.
The Wind Waker HD is no different with its massive world and immersive storytelling. The game features heavy exploration, a large yet diverse selection of weapons, and settings that will take your breath away. It originally came out back in 2002, and this HD remaster does the game justice.
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