Looking for a third-person video game with some over-the-top action and gameplay? Well, look no further than these beloved games that straight-up get wild. We managed to squeeze the top 10 third-person game picks today.
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10. Vanquish
Vanquish” is a PlatinumGames third-person shooter. Basically, the approach is, what if “Devil May Cry” was actually a third-person action sci-fi shooter?
Vanquish is incredibly fast-paced and aggressive with long-range slides, vaulting, crazy enemies, big spectacle, and the best part about it is that even though it looks really wild, it’s also fun to play.
The finely-tuned controls and the way the combat works just really, really make you feel in control of being an absolute and complete badass.
Jet boosting around really, really helps spice up traditional third-person shooter gameplay, and along with that, just some wild, over-the-top boss battles that get super cinematic, but still manage to feel like good old-fashioned video game boss battles.
In between some really intense sections, you’ll get plenty of over-the-top QTE cut-scene finishers and just that type of action You’d expect from the mid-2000s. “Vanquish” is an absolute freaking treat, dude.
If you’ve never played it but you’re into what PlatinumGames generally does, you should check it out.
9. Just Cause
This series is totally responsible for pioneering the concept of climbing out of a car, standing on the hood of it, and then back-flipping off of it, Engaging your parachute, and flying around.
Among a lot of other things, really, “Just Cause’s” freedom in the open world is what makes it feel so over-the-top.
The fact that Rico can flip out and hop on an airplane, and surf on the airplane as it glides, and then you can choose to shoot enemies, dive off and skydive, or engage your parachute or grappling hook.
Every single game is ripe for chaos, from the destructible elements to the vehicles, To the speed, Rico can get around, like some sort of revolutionary Spider-Man, it is downright ridiculous, but fun, from beginning to end.
And a lot of fans are divided on which game is the best, some do things a little bit better than others, but it doesn’t really matter to me. If these series were to suddenly go away, I would really, really miss them because there’s nothing else like it out there.
That type of open world, high-flying, crazy chaos, is something that we don’t really see in games, And when you couple that with the more recent games like DLC expansions and what modders have done with these games, it really is just an incredible, over-the-top action experience.
8. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
This was a game that was released when many games were trying to go for the “God of War” over-the-top action, and while you could look at this game cynically And think it ditched some of its traditional “Castlevania” roots, still the action was really, really awesome.
This game has over-the-top boss battles, a really cool move set, screen-filling combos, and just a really over-the-top sense of scale to it all. It truly feels like this, like, an epic, gothic adventure, and has tons of memorable moments right up until the end.
It’s definitely not the best action game inspired by “God of War”, we have plenty more to talk about, believe me, but “Castlevania: Lords of Shadow” does not get enough love. I don’t know if that’s, like, controversial or anything, but we wanted to talk about something a little bit different on this list and we never talk about this game, so, yeah.
7. “Bayonetta” series
“Bayonetta” one, two, and most recently three are over-the-top action combat games. In a similar vein as something like “Devil May Cry,” but so much wilder and sexier, “Bayonetta 2” specifically comes to mind.
Many moments throughout the game, but I’d say the best elevator pitch for playing it is probably the intro. This high-flying crazy interactive playable sequence involves giant creatures flying and battling through New York City.
It’s a great introduction to Bayonetta if you’ve never seen or experienced her or the games before, and it really only just gets crazier. And you couple that with “Bayonetta 3” which gives you bigger environments, massive summons, and just a more general celebration of all the craziness. It really is something else.
This series has a dedicated cult following for a reason. We love games where you can get some S-ranked combos and Bayonetta with her guns on her feet, hair, witch magic, and other kinds of weird weapons and combos.
6. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
This spinoff from the Metal Gear Solid series you think would piss off hardcore fans with just how wild it goes, but I think it was so committed to the chaos and just straight-up fun that it didn’t matter, it won everybody over.
This third-person action game is focused on pretty intense and challenging combat as cyborg ninja Raiden, who is an extremely capable character and basically almost like a superhero God at this point.
It’s move set based, it’s combo-based, but it’s also centered around using your blade to accurately And specifically slice pieces of enemies. Like you’re literally slicing and dicing in moments of this game.
And what seemed to be kind of like a gimmick at first actually turned out to be a really, really cool gameplay mechanic.
You’re battling really tough bosses, challenging enemies. You’re pulling out their spines, you’re sucking their life force, but you’re also facing off against screen-filling metal gears and of course Senator Armstrong.
If you haven’t seen the memes yet, just know that he is one of the most ridiculous, insane video game characters with super villains but also comedic monologues. It really is just unlike anything we’ve seen before.
I might have to just leave it at that. You should look up the YouTube videos for yourself. From the gameplay to the crazy action moments, “Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance” really is an achievement. It’s something that really stuck to what it wanted to do.
It wanted to go crazier than “Metal Gear Solid” had ever gone before. And yeah, mission accomplished. Years after its release it still holds up.
5. John Woo’s Stranglehold
This is a third-person shooter from the Xbox 360, and PS3 era that we do not give enough love to here, but it’s one of my favorites.
It’s specifically a sequel, a follow-up to John Woo’s classic film, “Hard Boiled.” That it’s all centered around those crazy, practical, realistic, over-the-top shootouts that John Woo was famous for pioneering.
You play as Chow Yun-fat, what’s cooler than that? And you’re third-person shooting, you’re slow-motion diving Max Payne style, but you’re also surfing down banisters on staircases. You’re jumping onto carts chest first, flying around, shooting enemies, you’re falling, you’re dangling on chandeliers shooting dudes.
The game’s environments and the gameplay system are really built around you kind of bouncing around levels, blasting enemies in over-the-top ways.
The environment gets destroyed, enemies fly, and you look cool in slow motion with doves flying behind you while doing it all, And it is absolutely perfect. This game is a treasure, not only for third-person shooter fans but movie fans. I’m hoping that some of you have never even seen this game and you’re seeing it now and you’re absolutely surprised by it.
You should still definitely go check it out. It’s aged a bit, but if you like a good old-fashioned third-person shooter like “Max Payne,” this one is for you. It’s “Max Payne,” but way crazier.
4. Earth Defense Force series
Pick your poison, pick your favorite one with this, but essentially it is you as a small defender, a small army man fighting off against forces invading earth.
Yes, aliens from outer space but these aliens are essentially just giant bugs. It’s kinda like an over-the-top Japanese-style “Starship Troopers,” but with giant ants and other bugs causing almost kaiju-level destruction.
And it is absolutely perfect, because even though you are oftentimes a very small character on screen, the game gives you all sorts of tools To destroy your enemies, and they explode in gross, spectacular fashion.
As buildings collapse around you, that chaos can really, really ramp up. DuPont is close in. We’re flying in the combat area. – These games are charming and have their cult following for a reason. Personally, if you ask me, I hope they never stop making games like this.
Games where you run around to cities, fight enemies and destroy buildings and stuff in the process. There are plenty of other games where you do that type of thing, but “Earth Defense Force’s” breed of it is special, and we never really highlight these games enough, but we love ’em.
3. Devil May Cry 5
“Devil May Cry 5,” right from the high-flying opening credits where the main character is flying around a van In slow-motion hopping around, should just set the stage for how crazy this game can be.
Of course, “Devil May Cry’s” combat at this point is a fine-tuned machine that is really, really fun with a bunch of crazy moves to just basically combo the shit out of your enemies and try and get to that S ranking.
It pioneered it, it’s really the king of that at this point, but “Devil May Cry 5” specifically really doesn’t take itself too seriously.
It has a lot of fun with the characters, the series itself, And just some really wild and weird moments. I mean, especially when Dante gets involved. Dante at this point is an absolute cartoon character.
He has a Michael Jackson dance sequence, but he also has a weapon that essentially is like a motorcycle that you can use to piece in half and combo your enemies and ride around.
If that is not over-the-top action. I don’t know what is, man. “Devil May Cry 5” is our pick for today, but the whole series is absolutely perfect.
Yes, I even have a spot in my heart for “Devil May Cry 2.”
2. God of War: Ragnarok
If you’re still playing, of course, we won’t spoil it for you, but it definitely delivers over-the-top action. If you like the Baldur fight from “God of War” 2018, you get a bunch of that.
Kratos squaring off with gods, head to head with crazy punches and people flying through the sky and all sorts of effects, And of course the brutal finishers and absolute just brutality and meanness you’d expect from the “God of War” series.
I know some fans will argue that the old-school games are still better, and yes we should include those on the list as well. because they really pioneered some over-the-top action.
But for the sake of decency, “God of War: Ragnarok” is no slouch either. There are a couple of real jaw-dropping action gameplay moments in this game.
1. Asura’s Wrath
Asura’s Wrath” is a third-person action game that kind of is in its own genre. It’s kind of like God chaos action where you’re basically killing screen-filling gods, basically planets. It is so wild that it’s hard to explain other than show it.
While it is something that has moments of repetition here and there, you can’t deny that the moments that this game presents are incredibly unique.
We’ve talked about the game and its DLC in the past a little bit, but really this game is special because it takes a lot of Anime action conventions and just grand spectacle, but somehow manages to make it feel different than the pack.
Probably maybe because it is so like abstract and godly with it all, but it doesn’t matter how it’s described or anything like that. Just know that it is incredibly satisfying.
The wild stuff you see on the screen here is actually that cool to pull off in-game. This game had a demo back in the day, and if you played that demo and you weren’t hooked, I don’t know what to tell you. “Asura’s Wrath” is absolutely crazy for over-the-top action. We haven’t seen anything like it since. I would really, really like to see a sequel just because there’s nothing else like it out there.
but those are some third-person action games with over-the-top action that we got for you today. As I said, there are so many more out there that we wanted to include.
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