Third Person Action-Adventure Games
If you’re anything like me, you’ve been playing video games for years, on all types of consoles. I grew up playing video games since I was in middle school, and by now I know what kind of games I enjoy playing the most, and those that I don’t care about as much. Classics like Minecraft or Fortnite will always have a special place in my heart, but if you’re going to ask me what my favorite game would be, they definitely wouldn’t be at the top of my list. Open world games are great, and they have their place in the gaming world, as do online shooter games such as Call of Duty or Overwatch, but my favorites will always be those that follow a story. Especially those that allow the use of a bow and arrow, because let me tell you, that’s my favorite weapon in a game ever. These are my top three third person action-adventure games that I will always recommend to everyone. All three of these even give you an option between going all in or sneaking around like an assassin, all with terrific graphics.Â
- Tomb Raider – Survivor TrilogyÂ
The Tomb Raider games, specifically the Survivor Trilogy, will always be my first recommendation when talking about video games. While I have not played the original Tomb Raider games, I have played the newer, remastered versions of Lara’s adventures multiple times over, and plan to play the new games when they release later in 2026 and 2027. The Survivor Trilogy includes Tomb Raider (2013), Rise of the Tomb Raider (2015), and Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018). If you had to ask which of the three I prefer, I would tell you that Rise has always been my favorite.Â
In these games, Lara Croft is unstoppable. Her quests through various ethnic communities in search of treasure, side stories with different characters she encounters, treasures and papers that she finds, traps she evades, and puzzles she solves creates a compelling storyline. While the games have their quirks (anyone else accidentally jump off a cliff while button-mashing?), they are by far one of my favorite games to play. Lara is a compelling narrator, and most of the time you can choose to go in guns blazing or the slower, stealthier approach. Me personally? I love to sneak around and pass the level by taking out the opponents one by one, and the Tomb Raider games are terrific at providing you the opportunity to do that.Â
- The Last of Us
The next franchise on my list would have to be The Last of Us duology. Never before have I ever been able to play a game that moved me in the same way that Parts I and II of TLOU managed to do. Painting a world that has been rocked by in the wake of a 20 year old Cordyceps pandemic, we see the effects that this has had on society and how mankind has handled it. Characters like Joel, Ellie, and Abby, encounter various stages of Infected, such as Runners, Clickers, Bloaters, Shamblers, and my least favorite, Stalkers. More dangerous still are the other groups of survivors that have made it this far, because not just anyone has the ability to survive 20+ years of a zombie outbreak without being just a little bit daunting. Â
The game takes you through different themes of loss, durability, and selfishness, and it’s impossible to only see one side of the coin, as the narrative switches enough to show you that every individual is just trying to survive, no matter the consequences. The game involves stealth, wit, and more as you pass through the different chapters of the story, and can have a specific scary element that can make it more difficult to get past certain things. For me, I enjoy the level of narrative that these games offer, and the amount of combat that the characters encounter. The story is realistic enough to be striking, and I do think that the story in The Last of Us Parts I and II are probably some of the best that I have ever encountered—video game or other form of media.Â
- Horizon Zero Dawn
Taking a similar approach to the end of the world as The Last of Us, Horizon Zero Dawn does this with machines taking over the world, rather than the result of a pandemic. In this game, the main character Aloy traverses through the world, encountering other characters from different tribes, different kinds of machines, and other quests throughout the world. As Aloy continues along the main quest she (and you) will discover what exactly led to the world winding up like this, and which officials had created the technology that now runs amok on the land.Â
The game explores realistic themes, especially in the prejudice and fear that can exist within and among the tribes, as well as the mutual fear of the machines that have taken over the land. It blends a non industrial world with a primitive one while still having access to certain technologies very well, and creates a compelling and unique story line. There are also enough side stories and quests to keep you occupied long after the main quest has been completed, which is always a nice thing that a game can do for those of us who aren’t ready to leave the world. The graphics in this game are wonderful, and I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who enjoys this kind of storyline and game-play.Â
These three games stand out because they offer more than just action—they tell powerful stories about survival, discovery, and what it means to be human. Whether you prefer stealth, exploration, or emotional depth, you can’t go wrong with any of them.