Best Fantasy-Adventure Masterpieces of All Time, Ranked

The idea of adventure games encompasses a diverse subset of genres. RPGs, action games, platformers, and more can all be adventurous in their own ways. Also, the concept of a fantasy setting can include more than magic, elves, and orcs. That’s the great thing about the following video games, as they all try to put a spin on genre norms to create something unique.

From a PS1 game like Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver to something more modern like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, the following fantasy adventure games run the gamut. The following games will be ranked based on settings, mechanics, and world-building.

10 Legacy Of Kain: Soul Reaver

From Vampire To Avenger

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver takes place in a fantasy world where Raziel gets cast out by his vampire lord, Kain, for evolving beyond normal vampires. Now he has the power to steal souls, which is how players have to defeat enemies between monsters, humans, and other vampires.

Thanks to the recent remaster, fans were reminded how good the script and voice acting were for a PS1 game in 1999. The puzzle-based platforming and action were satisfying too, giving PS1 players a good Zelda-like experience.

9 Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time

Another Chance At Life

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time was a reboot that went beyond expectations for an old franchise that everyone had mostly forgotten. The key mechanic, rewinding time, provided fans with something to engage with between platforming and combat. Every room players entered basically guided them on where they had to go, but it was up to them to figure out how to complete their task.

With excellent platforming, wall-running, and combat, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time still gets triple marks, and it’s a shame that the remake keeps going away, as it could easily inspire a new generation.

8 It Takes Two

If Only Marriage Counseling Were This Fun

It Takes Two is a unique experience because it requires co-op to play. As a husband and wife on the verge of divorce get transformed into puppets, they must now go on an adventure, guided by a magic book, to save their marriage. Every area introduces a new gameplay mechanic that is experimental but still well thought out, including riding frogs or playing video games within a video game.

While there may be times where players argue like their characters in the story, It Takes Two should also deeply resonate with them and help players form a deeper bond with their partner.

7 Donkey Kong Bananza

Out Of The Jungle And Into The Dirt

Donkey Kong Bananza is the reason to buy a Switch 2, as there has never been a Donkey Kong game as fun as this. As the titular DK, players can smash their way through various environments, like a quaint seaside town or a rainy mountain filled with molten lava.

The destructibility is incredibly satisfying, as there is a purpose since there are secrets buried everywhere, from materials that can level DK up to usable resources. The music is great, the story goes to some fun places, especially the ending, and best of all, the bond between DK and Pauline is extra sweet.

6 Super Mario Odyssey

A Globe-Trotting Adventure

There are a lot of great 3D Mario games with fantasy settings, but Super Mario Odyssey is the only one that has a varied campaign that will make players understand the very essence of what adventuring means. Players will explore deserts, kingdoms filled with food, cities, and so much more.

The semi-open-world planets are filled with activities and wonder to behold, but the best feature was Mario’s partner, Cappy, who let him possess nearly anything in the game, from people to Goombas to Bullet Bills. Thanks to the Switch 2’s boost functionality, the game is better than ever before, waiting for anyone who missed it the first time.

5 God Of War (2018)

Beards, Boys, And Brutality

The original God of War trilogy is full of high-stakes adventures, but the 2018 reboot offers more fantasy aspects in uncharted realms. Players will go between a Norse-inspired frosty mountain, a dark volcano, an enchanted forest, and so much more.

The set pieces are wildly epic, and the combat is beyond brutal, from chopping heads off with an axe to splitting someone in half with Kratos’s bare hands. As violent as the game is, there’s also a lot of heart to it, as the game essentially boils down to a father out of his element on how to raise his child with his wife no longer around.

4 Okami

A Painting Comes To Life

Okami is as close to a Zelda experience as any developer has ever gotten, and compared to some entries, it’s an even better action-adventure game. Set in a fantastical version of ancient Japan, players assume the role of the sun goddess Amaterasu, who is in a wolf’s body.

Players will explore an overworld, fighting monsters to restore greenery to the world and diving into dungeons to learn new powers and solve puzzles. It has everything a Zelda game should have, including great combat, powerful tools, quirky characters, and a moving story, plus the watercolor cel-shaded aesthetic is beyond beautiful.

3 Shadow Of The Colossus (2018)

Big World, Bigger Bosses

Shadow of the Colossus is fully unique as a PS2 game or a PS4 game, as the 2018 remake fixed a lot of control issues. The game can essentially be called a boss-rush adventure, as players will explore a hauntingly empty world looking for the next Colossus to take down.

Each encounter is special, with players needing to figure out different tactics on how to approach, climb, and defeat these titans. Other games have attempted this style of gameplay, but none have captured the indescribable sense of scale Shadow of the Colossus has.

2 Hollow Knight: Silksong

Bug Fables

Hollow Knight: Silksong is proof that even a 2D game, and an indie game at that, can have better world-building than some of the most expensive triple-A experiences around. Set in a decaying kingdom filled with infected bugs and misguided worshippers, players have to get to the center of this cult to find answers about their past and to also escape this new realm they were kidnapped into.

It’s beyond challenging, getting into Soulslike territory, but also deeply rewarding when completing a difficult platforming challenge or slaying a boss that took an hour to defeat. Beautiful hand-drawn art, cool Metroidvania powers, quirky NPCs, and more. What else could players want in a game?

1 The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild

A Decade Of Breathlessness

One of the Zelda games had to make the list, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is still at the top of everyone’s minds even after almost a decade now. It is the perfect encapsulation of what a fantasy adventure game should be.

This version of Hyrule is gigantic, beautiful, and also deeply upsetting, with all of the monsters and ruins. Still, there’s plenty of whimsy to be had between the bizarre NPCs, hidden Koroks, and inventive physics-based puzzles. It’s a big world to explore, and players can easily get lost in it thanks to how immersive it is.