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Classic adventure games that still hold up

Somewhere to get to, and plenty in the way

222 games · page 1 of 5

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt 2015 Why it still holds upOn every road the world offers something to choose or find, from contracts to buried treasure, and that keeps it worth playing today.
Red Dead Redemption 2 2018 Why it still holds upA world that answers what you do, from the weather to the law, still keeps it worth playing today.
The Last of Us 2013 Why it still holds upThe fights still come down to that scarcity today, and retreating to come back from another angle is often the way through, in levels open enough to improvise in.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2017 Why it still holds upAny direction is still worth taking today, because the world runs on systems and physics and even a simple environmental puzzle can have three or four solutions.
God of War 2018 Why it still holds upThe combat still carries it today, with the axe thrown and called back while a second fighter works beside you, so each fight has several things going on at once.
Portal 2 2011 Why it still holds upA few simple tools that combine keep producing new puzzles, and the writing and characters carry them, so it still plays well today.
Hollow Knight 2017 Why it still holds upExploring is still the draw: you map the world, beat bosses to gain abilities and use them to reach places that were closed.
Super Mario World 1990 Why it still holds upExploring the world map pays off as much as the levels, with red spots that lead to secret routes, so it is still worth playing today.
Mass Effect 2 2010 Why it still holds upYour squad keeps it worth playing today: you spend time on your ship, the Normandy, learning their pasts and doing their optional missions, and those choices carry through to the end.
Bloodborne 2015 Why it still holds upCome to it today for the combat: everything pushes you to step in and hit rather than wait behind a guard.
Super Metroid 1994 Why it still holds upThe world is still the reason to go back today, made to be explored from its silent, empty start.
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End 2016 Why it still holds upYou would play it today for the traversal and the performances, since climbing carries much of the game and the dialogue and acting carry a personal story.
Grand Theft Auto V 2013 Why it still holds upToday the reward for your time is the detail: conversations while driving change if you repeat a mission, and the story takes about 30 hours.
Final Fantasy VII 1997 Why it still holds upThe Materia and the size of the world still give you plenty to get into.
The Last of Us Part II 2020 Why it still holds upFights that leave many ways open, from sneaking through to setting groups against each other or shooting your way out, are still worth playing for today.
Silent Hill 2 2001 Why it still holds upThe horror is the reason to go now: it is psychological, built from the characters' regrets and fears and from a town seen through fog, rather than from monsters alone.
Metroid Prime 2002 Why it still holds upExploring is still the draw today, with a story you find by scanning and locked areas that pull you back later.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice 2019 Why it still holds upMastering the parrying is the reward now: the combat is built on it, and getting good at it gives a sense of pride.
Super Mario Bros. 3 1988 Why it still holds upIts level design holds up today because the power-ups change how each level can be crossed, and the difficulty rises gradually toward the eighth world.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door 2004 Why it still holds upThe timed hits and the audience make the battles worth playing today, since stylish play is rewarded, and each chapter is nearly a self contained episode.
Half-Life 1998 Why it still holds upThe story told without cutscenes keeps it fresh to play now, and its soldiers still change how a gunfight plays.
Super Mario Odyssey 2017 Why it still holds upToday it works because you choose what to do toward the moon count, and capturing drives much of the level design.
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves 2009 Why it still holds upIt stays playable now because you keep control of Nathan almost every time something happens on screen, and the characters talk like people.
Shadow of the Colossus 2005 Why it still holds upEach colossus is its own puzzle in scale, with only a quiet land between them, which is why it holds up today.
Super Mario 64 1996 Why it still holds upMario still controls crisply today, and each painting lets you pick which star to chase, so the game feels open.
Super Mario Galaxy 2007 Why it still holds upEvery level is built around that gravity, so walking upside down and jumping between small planets is what you do throughout, which keeps it fresh today.
Super Mario Galaxy 2 2010 Why it still holds upLevels that keep changing the rules, playing with gravity and shifting between 2D and 3D, still give each stage something new today.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City 2002 Why it still holds upA whole city built on one decade and its music still makes every drive part of the same setting, which is the reason to play it now.
It Takes Two 2021 Why it still holds upWith a partner it is still worth playing now: the ideas change level after level, and every one of them needs both players.
Horizon Zero Dawn 2017 Why it still holds upFighting each machine is a small puzzle of weak points, in a seamless world with tribes at different technology levels, which keeps it worth playing now.
Ghost of Tsushima 2020 Why it still holds upIts sword fights still make it worth playing: each one asks you to read the enemy, pick the stance for it and break its guard.

A wide selection, and that is its strength: big open worlds, tight corridors and small stories all earned their place here on the same terms. If you are not sure where to start, any of these is a safe first step.

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