Love explosions? Tight combat? Big boss fights? If you crave mayhem, this is your genre, and 2025 has been a wild ride for action games. Swords, shotguns, superpowers, or just bare fists, doesn’t matter. These games bring the heat and keep your heart rate in the red.
It’s been a superloaded year with surprising hits involving new IPs, some long-awaited sequels, and oldie legends aging like fine wine. Whether you’re here for the spectacle or the grind, this list has something for every kind of chaotic soul.
1. God of War (PC)
Kratos is back on PC, and yes, he still slaps. Hard. This isn’t just cinematic storytelling. It’s tight, weighty combat blended with emotional gut-punches and mythological madness. The port is silky smooth, and the modding community is already going nuts.
2. Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition
You want style? DMC5 oozes it. Every fight is a performance. With faster frame rates and bonus content, this Special Edition turns demon-slaying into an artform. Combos, dodges, and finishers feel like muscle memory once you’re dialed in.
3. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
If you ever wanted to feel like a superhero, this is the one. Swinging across NYC as Peter or Miles has never been this fluid. The traversal is next-level, the combat packs a punch, and the emotional story actually earns its moments.
4. Elden Ring
Yeah, technically it’s an RPG. But if you’ve fought Malenia, you know it’s an action game at heart. Every parry, every roll, every death teaches you something. It’s punishing, sure, but it never stops being fair (unless you forgot to level your Vigor… that’s on you).
5. Bayonetta 3
She’s back, faster, sassier, somehow even more insane. In favor of intense combat, ridiculous weaponry, and spectacle after spectacle after spectacle, Bayonetta 3 sacrifices nuance despite the chaos and loudness, everything manages to function.
6. Control: Ultimate Edition
Physics-based combat never looked so good. Control gives you psychic powers and an office full of throwable furniture. The story’s a trip, the setting is weird in all the right ways, and launching a desk into a monster’s face will never get old.
7. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
With improved lightsaber skills, more fluid combat, and a great deal more depth, Cal Kestis is back. The platforming’s improved, the world feels more alive, and the Jedi fantasy is fully realized. Force-push stormtroopers off cliffs for maximum fun.
8. Doom Eternal
Still insane. Still angry. Doom Eternal is the purest form of controlled violence. Every fight feels like a death-metal puzzle, if you stop moving, you die. It’s super exhausting, but somehow in the best way which makes it the best.
9. Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection
Finally on PC, and it looks ridiculous. Sure, it’s half Indiana Jones, half Fast & Furious, but the set pieces, shootouts, and treasure-chasing tension are still peak action. Feels like playing a movie (without the popcorn).
10. Dead Cells
Roguelite royalty. Dead Cells offers combat that is razor-sharp and has infinite replay potential. Each run offers a unique taste of strength or misery, and it’s better than ever thanks to all the 2025 upgrades. One more run, please… then another after that.
What Makes These Action Games Actually Great?
It’s not just about blowing stuff up. The best action games all get some stuff right:
- Controls that slap – Snappy, responsive inputs that just feel right
- Combat variety – Melee, ranged, powers, gadgets, mix it all up
- Cinematic flair – Set pieces that stick in your brain and can’t get rid of
- Real challenge – Something that punches back
- Replay hooks – Reasons to come back, over and over
Every game on this list delivers on at least four, some, all five.
Honorable Mentions (Still Bangers)
Done with the top 10? Try these too:
- Ghostrunner II – Cyber ninja with wall-running and blade speed
- Hi-Fi Rush – Beat-’em-up meets rhythm game meets Saturday morning cartoon
- Trek to Yomi – Black-and-white samurai drama with gorgeous 2D slicing
- Sifu – Every time you die, you age… and your strikes hit harder
- Remnant II – Guns, monsters, alternate dimensions, and co-op chaos
Match Your Playstyle
Not every action game hits the same way. Here’s a simple sample of what to play based on what you like:
| Playstyle | Game Suggestions |
| Fast & flashy combos | Devil May Cry 5, Bayonetta 3 |
| Cinematic solo ride | God of War, Uncharted |
| High mobility | Spider-Man 2, Ghostrunner II |
| Tough as nails | Elden Ring, Sifu |
| Full chaos mode | Doom Eternal, Hi-Fi Rush |
Where to Buy & Why Steam’s Still King
Most of these are on Steam, Epic, or publisher stores (like PlayStation’s PC launcher). Many now support Steam Deck, meaning you can blow stuff up on a handheld. What a time.
Also:
- Watch for Steam Sales, games like Control and Dead Cells regularly dip under $20.
- Some ports are mod-friendly, adding replay value or ridiculous tweaks.
The Hybrid Trend in 2025
Here’s what’s cool right now: action games that mix genres. Think Dead Cells (action + roguelite), Hi-Fi Rush (action + rhythm), or Jedi: Survivor (action + narrative RPG). Developers are blending everything, and surprisingly, it works.
You’re not just shooting or slashing anymore, you’re doing it with music cues, permadeath systems, or a rich backstory. The chaos is more complex, and way more fun.
Final Hit Combo
In addition to being louder, 2025 action games are also more intelligent, fluid, and merciless.Combat hits harder, pacing feels tighter, and the chaos? Still front and center. But no matter how the genre evolves, the goal hasn’t changed: make you feel unstoppable.
Whether you’re here for the story, thrill, just maybe the jaw-dropping visuals? These games bring it. So fire up your desktop, tighten your grip, and blast that soundtrack, it’s time to wreck stuff.