Highlights
- 2023 has seen a record number of high-quality video game releases across various genres, but the Action/Adventure genre has stood out with impressive nominees for the Game Awards.
- Alan Wake 2, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, Resident Evil 4, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom are the nominees for Best Action/Adventure Game.
- Based on the description of the genre, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor would normally have a good chance of winning, combining excellent combat, parkour, environmental puzzles, and Metroidvania level design. However, with Zelda also being in this category, it feels very likely that it will bring home the award.
UPDATE: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom won Best Action/Adventure Game at The Game Awards 2023!
While the gaming industry only continues to grow every year, 2023 has set a new bar for the sheer number of high-quality experiences that can be released within the span of 12 months, and just how different each of those experiences can be. From horror games to shooters to sprawling RPGs and everything in between, this year has had video games come from a wide range of genres. But there's one genre that, by its very definition, has seen more games than the rest, and that's the Action/Adventure genre, which has one of the most impressive nominee line-ups going into The Game Awards 2023.
According to The Game Awards itself, an Action/Adventure game is a title that combines combat with puzzle and traversal mechanics, and it's those three components that end up encompassing a wide array of 2023's best games. As is usually the case, this year's Best Action/Adventure category at the Game Awards has a lot of overlap with the Game of the Year category, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything, and all of this category's five nominees have a good chance of taking home the Game Award trophy.
2023 Best Action/Adventure Nominees
- Alan Wake 2
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
- Resident Evil 4
- Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Alan Wake 2
A truly incredible game, Alan Wake 2 is deserving of all of its many nominations in this year's Game Awards. Taking a more survival-horror approach than the first entry, Alan Wake 2 delivers a mind-bending narrative, some cutting-edge visuals, and some of the spookiest set pieces of 2023. However, this is the Best Action/Adventure category, and going just off the Game Awards' official description, it doesn't seem likely that Alan Wake 2 will win here. While its puzzles and combat are good, Alan Wake 2 doesn't really have any traversal mechanics to write home about, which puts it at a bit of a disadvantage in this particular category.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2
Marvel's Spider-Man 2, on the other hand, is a game that absolutely excels at combat and traversal, but stumbles a bit in the puzzle department. While it technically has a few science puzzles, Spider-Man 2 really doesn't put the focus on those, and ultimately that's for the best, letting the sequel's phenomenal traversal and combat mechanics shine through. But, unfortunately, this could affect its chances in this Best Action/Adventure category.
Resident Evil 4
In a similar vein to Alan Wake 2, Resident Evil 4 lacks any form of notable traversal, though it does offer some of the best combat of any video game this year, and its puzzles aren't too shabby either. Taking an already-excellent 2005 classic and remaking it for the modern age, Resident Evil 4 somehow lived up to the hype, and it's quickly become the definitive version of the game for many fans. That being said, many wouldn't quite classify Resident Evil 4 as an action/adventure game, and that might cost it the winning spot here.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
The first game on this list to really tick all the boxes, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is an action/adventure game in every sense of the phrase. Taking its predecessor's great foundations, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor offers improved Soulslike combat, an expanded parkour system, some intuitive but engaging environmental puzzles, and some fun Metroidvania level design to top it all off. The only thing holding Star Wars Jedi: Survivor back from the top spot in this year's Best Action/Adventure category at the Game Awards is the next game on this list.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
A sequel that improves upon its predecessor in every way and truly exemplifies what it means to be an action/adventure game, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is the whole package and then some. While Breath of the Wild's combat was solid, Tears of the Kingdom takes it to the next level with its new Fuse ability. Meanwhile, Tears of the Kingdom's Ultrahand ability completely revolutionizes traversal and environmental puzzles, not just for the Zelda series, but potentially video games as a whole.
Final Prediction
For all the reasons just mentioned, it seems pretty likely that The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will take home the Game Awards trophy for the Best Action/Adventure game of 2023. While Baldur's Gate 3 is the favorite to sweep just about every other category, its absence here almost makes Tears of the Kingdom a shoo-in, and it's more than worthy of that top spot.
