It’s a term used to describe a huge amount of games released every year, but what does “action-adventure” even mean? It’s a good question. Here at IGN, we classify any game that fuses combat with a genuine sense of exploration as action-adventure. They often take place in open worlds, but that’s not a mandatory requirement (see the likes of Uncharted and God of War), and so this flexible format allows for a wide range of different projects to make the cut this year, from the tightly crafted co-op platforming action of Split Fiction and the vast, isolated, do-it-yourself atmosphere of Death Stranding 2, to the adventures of banana-hunting apes and revenge-seeking ronin. So let’s get on with it as swiftly as a Hornet and reveal the runners-up and ultimate winner of our award for the Best Action-Adventure Game of 2025.
Runner-Up – Split Fiction
Following on from the wonderful It Takes Two, developer Hazelight took things to the next level when it comes to scale in Split Fiction and continued to hone its craft as the modern-day masters of the co-op game. Much of its story is spent platforming and puzzle-solving, but a healthy amount is also reserved for combat against its many varied sci-fi and fantasy-laced foes, as well as exploration of its larger-scale levels. It never once stands still, constantly evolving and switching up its mechanical ideas to match each world’s colourful set dressing. That sense of exciting propulsion along an ever-changing journey, balanced with areas designed for you to slow down a little and hunt for secrets and surprising side missions, is what makes Split Fiction one of our top five action-adventure games of the year.
Runner-Up – Ghost of Yotei
Perhaps the most traditional “action-adventure” on our list, Ghost of Yotei follows in a long line of PlayStation Studio exclusives that firmly fit that mold. Telling the story of revenge-seeking wandering Ronin, Atsu, Yotei takes everything that made people fall in love with its predecessor, Ghost of Tsushima, and tweaks it for the better. Where action is concerned, its slick sword, spear, and kusarigama combat is a real star of the show, with new-age weaponry such as firearms also brought into the mix to expand this ghost’s arsenal. In terms of adventure, 17th-century Hokkaido plays stage to as beautiful a looking and sounding world as you could step into in 2025, with no shortage of collectibles, side stories, and show-stopping duels to engage with. Sucker Punch’s latest is the Seattle studio’s most accomplished effort to date, and one of this year’s very best action-adventures.
Runner-Up – Donkey Kong Bananza
Donkey Kong Bananza encourages you to explore its many sandbox levels, not through careful investigation, but by smashing every corner of them into tiny pieces to see what secrets lurk inside. Nintendo’s modern 3D reinvention of what its beloved ape could be in 2025 quickly became the Switch 2’s must-have game, and for good reason. Bananza is a feast for treasure hunters, with hundreds of glowing bananas begging to be uncovered through destruction courtesy of DK’s pounding fists and many special abilities. Those skills are at the heart of it all, with the titular Bananzas powering inventive new ways to adventure through each of its themed levels. From the rampaging Kong Bananza that allows you to unleash a monstrous fury capable of breaking the toughest of terrain, as well as any enemy’s soon-to-be dust skeleton, to the wing-flapping Ostrich Bananza that allows for new heights to be soared to. It’s far from conventional, even by Nintendo 3D platforming standards, but Donkey Kong Bananza is one of this year’s very best when it comes to action-adventure.
Runner-Up – Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Speaking of unconventional, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach certainly isn’t worried about obeying genre norms. An action-adventure that’s never afraid to show, tell, or have you engage with things you’ve never quite seen before, Kojima Productions’ latest is the fulfillment of a promise made in its predecessor. That’s not to say that there isn’t the familiar to be found here, with its increased focus on combat echoing memories of its creator’s Metal Gear Solid roots, thanks to an expanded range of options when it comes to approaching its stealth-action. It’s in its adventure, and the exploration of themes of grief and human connection at its centre, that make each of Sam Porter Bridges’ challenging steps through a post-apocalyptic Australia in Death Stranding 2 really sing, though, and one of this year’s very best action-adventures.
Winner – Hollow Knight: Silksong
Not only is it a huge relief that Hollow Knight: Silksong finally came out in 2025, but an even bigger one that it turned out to be so great. Placing an even greater emphasis on the action part of “action-adventure” than its predecessor, Team Cherry delivered a challenging, yet incredibly rewarding sequel via the tip of protagonist Hornet’s needle. That rapier-like blade will get plenty of use, too, with sprawling caverns laden with all manner of darting foes and patience-testing bosses possessing all manner of attack patterns, which once learned unlock the path to ultimate satisfaction.
Boss battles are only half of the, well, battle, when it comes to Silksong, though, with exploration still providing the meat of this Metroidvania/Soulslike soup. Breakable walls hide valuable materials behind them, and side quests encourage careful investigation into each of its many biomes, whether on the hunt for precious bounties or searching for missing fleas that need to be reunited with their traveling caravan companions. It’s this balance of both action and adventure that has turned the Hollow Knight series into such a phenomenon, and, in turn, Silksong into the winner of our award for best action-adventure game of 2025.
Is Silksong your pick for the best action-adventure game of the year, or would you have chosen differently? Vote for your favourite in the poll above, or let us know in the comments below.
Simon Cardy is a Senior Editor at IGN who can mainly be found skulking around open world games, indulging in Korean cinema, or despairing at the state of Tottenham Hotspur and the New York Jets. Follow him on Bluesky at @cardy.bsky.social.
