I’m looking for action hidden gems, preferably scripted and linear—no open world or procuderal generation (roguelike, roguelike-like, or roguelite)
Some of my “usual suspects” favorites are Bayonetta, The Wonderful 101, Viewtiful Joe, God Hand, and Ninja Gaiden II. On the shmup/twin-stick shooter side: Crimzon Clover, Ketsui, and Assault Android Cactus+.
I also love Catherine, so I wouldn’t mind some puzzle thrown in there.
As nonlinear as I can go: The Deadly Tower of Monsters.
Have you had the pleasure of playing Cave Story? One of my faves
Maybe Sifu? It’s a first person martial arts game. I haven’t played much but it seems tight. In the beginning you can do the hallway scene from old boy which is always fun.
I for some reason just remembered about Shadow Complex . It’s a side scroller metroidvania. From the 360 era it was fun. More stealth than action. I’m not into metroidvanias but I enjoyed it because it wasn’t overwhelming.
Aces Wilds is a 2D beat’em up, fast paced, straightforward arcade game
Brigador is a top down mecha shooter game; I wouldn’t usually recommend it in regards to action since it can be a little difficult, but since you mentioned God Hand then I can assume you understand that some games can be action but still require thinking. Just like you wouldn’t rush every single mook in God Hand, you wouldn’t do the same in Brigador. Look for weakpoints, burst through walls, make use of explosives and don’t think about the civilians.
Zeno Clash is a first-person brawler game set in a weird world, and it all somehow comes together. The fighting is fluid and the punches, kicks and throws all feel solid while not risking motion sickness.
STRIDER has a little bit of Vania in it, but its far more linear than its counterparts. You’ll do some basic exploring, but most of the time it’ll be following an objective and slashing foes in your way.
Zero Ranger is a delightful shmup with some tough - and sometimes unfair - challenges.
One Finger Death Punch is a simple game: You can click your left or right mouse button to attack. Now defeat wave after wave of incoming foes that require precise or different amount of clicks to be taken down. Its essentially Xiao Xiao: The Game
Nex Machina is one of the last great arcade games from Housemarque before they couldn’t break even and went into a different market. A gem, still.
Volgar The Viking takes inspirations from classics like Ghouls & Ghosts to make you regret feeling nostalgic.
You mentioned Bayo, so I’ll assume you’re aware of Vanquish, as they’re often sold in bundles, but I’ll still leave the rec here. Fast paced third person shooter where you can take cover, but its far better to just slide across the battlefield shooting at whichever is around you.
FURI is a straightforward boss battle game. Escape from a galactic prison by fighting each of the wardens in your way, powerful and merciless opponents.
Brigador is amazing! The flavor text is so good I went out of my way to purchase it all (in game money, but still). Even better, it gives you hints of powerful combos to try out, amongst the many many possible combinations. It’s a fantastic blend of Mechwarrior, with Syndicate graphics, with a brilliant soundtrack. Such a gem!
Thank you for taking the time to include links! Very helpful.
So I’m familiar with all of these, but you encouraged me to give Aces Wilds and Brigador a real shot. Thanks again!
I’ll comment on the ones I played and found interesting:
Furi and Nex Machina got really close to becoming favorites. Only criticisms I have: Furi’s moveset is a bit too limited and I have an issue with visual clarity in Next Machina.
I freaking wish I could get into Vanquish! High-level play looks so cool, but apparently I’m allergic to aiming 😅
Strider is fun combat, but I can’t get into the vania side.
ZeroRanger is great, but the horizontal segments put me off. Not a fan of horizontal shmups.
glad I could help, if I remember anything else I might chime in once more
Aces Wild is an exhausting game. I actually need to take a break after playing for 15min or so due to how high octane it is. But its a damn good game.
Brigador, as I mentioned, is no unga bunga action game. You might think at first you’re a big warrior riding on their mech, but a few sudden defeats will humble you and set your mindset into what the game actually is about - strategic war crimes.
Maybe not that much of a hidden gem but I don’t see it listed in your favourites and I would expect to based on the other entries - Nier: Automata?
Hmm… I couldn’t get into it at all, TBH. I tried it long time ago and here’s what I remember: “go to X on the map and talk to Y to progress” really put me off, and I didn’t enjoy the combat enough to put up with it.
I’ve been thinking about giving the prequel a shot though. Is it any less nonlinear?
Haven’t played other Nier games but I think older entries are quite different in general. If you didn’t like combat of Automata then it’s probably a dead end.
I am playing Lords of the Fallen right now. It attracted me by being a soulslike, but I am finding it to be much more linear than most which, while disappointing for me, might make it something worth your time. It’s way easier than other souls likes, and has a kind of “comic book death metal” feel to its aesthetic and story (reminds me of Darksider but less exaggeration) and makes you feel powerful rather than weak.
I’m familiar with Lords of the Fallen, but I don’t enjoy souls-like combat. I’m a big fan of old school death metal though (Autopsy, Brutality, Immolation… etc.) so I’ll check it out to see what that is about. Thanks!
