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Best Action games of 1999

The 9 best Action games released in 1999, ranked from 1,190 critic and player ratings.

The best Action game of 1999 is Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, with a critic score of 91/100 — updated November 2026.

How this ranking is built
  • Games are ranked on the aggregated critic score out of 100 imported from IGDB and Metacritic, never on Tier's own grades.
  • A game only enters the ranking with at least 30 external ratings, so a single enthusiastic review never outranks a proven classic.
  • Each game is ranked in one genre only, the one that defines it best, so the same title never tops two different genre charts.
  • Community grades from F to S are shown next to every game, and only stated as a fact above 5 Tier ratings.
  • Release window covered: 1999.
  • 9 games are listed on this page, carrying 1,190 ratings between them.
  • Rankings are recomputed hourly; this one was last rebuilt on 13 November 2026.

Top 9

Played them? Give your tier with the + next to each game. No account needed to try — create one to keep your tiers.

01 Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1999 · 182 ratings · finished by 9% A third-person action-adventure game set after the events of Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain (1996). Kain has established a vampiric empire in the world of Nosgoth, but when his lieutenant and progeny, Raziel, evolves wings before him, Kain casts him down in jealousy. Centuries later, Raziel awakens in a corrupted form and sets out to take revenge against his former brethren. 91 /100
02 Thief Gold Thief Gold 1999 · 67 ratings · finished by 4% Thief Gold is a first-person perspective stealth game. It was the first game to use light and sound gameplay mechanics – different surfaces cause varying noise. You can use sound to your advantage - it's not only your main source of information on how close your enemies are but you can use it to distract them, for example by throwing objects. With unscripted levels, and objectives and paths altered based on difficulty settings, Thief Gold can give you hours of non-repetitive gameplay. This extended edition includes all of the missions from the first release, as well as three new missions adapted to the original storyline, with full voice acting and new graphics. It can still be considered the first game in the Thief series. 92 /100
03 Castlevania (1999) Castlevania (1999) 1999 · 38 ratings Take control of Reinhardt Schneider, a whip-toting Vampire Killer who has waited his whole life to meet his destiny, or Carrie Fernandez, a young girl with a strong magical presence who is mysteriously drawn to Dracula's evil Castlevania. It is their duty to seek out Castlevania and put an end to its residents' plans. What is your destiny? 78 /100
04 Outcast Outcast 1999 · 36 ratings Outcast is a 3D third-person (with an optional first-person view) action game with adventure elements. In search of five sacred relics, the protagonist travels through the five continents of Adelpha (plus one tutorial island). Each land has its own landscape (mountains, lakes, forests), populated areas, as well as dozens of minor problems - small quests that the hero is required to solve. Most Talans populating the world can be conversed with about a variety of topics. A large portion of the game consists of finding key characters and performing quests for them; some of these are optional, though most must be completed in an adventure-like linear fashion in order to advance the plot. Cutter is free to travel between the continents using special portals. Apart from exploration and completing quests, Cutter will also fight many guards and creatures. At his disposal are six futuristic weapons (railgun and others); ammunition for those guns is scattered around and can also be produced by mixing items. Aiming help is provided in the form of laser sights. Sneaking up to the enemy and punching him out silently is also possible. Gadgets such as a holo-decoy can be used to help Cutter gain the upper hand in combat. The player character can also jump, climb, swim, dive, crawl, and ride a local animal known as Twon-Ha for faster travel. 90 /100
05 Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine 1999 · 36 ratings 1947. The Nazis have been crushed, the Cold War has begun and Soviet agents are sniffing around the ruins of the fabled Tower of Babel. What are they up to? The CIA wants renowned archaeologist and adventurer Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones, Jr. to find out. Grab your whip and fedora and join Indy in a globe-spanning race to unearth the mysterious "Infernal Machine." 75 /100
06 Grand Theft Auto 2 Grand Theft Auto 2 1999 · 552 ratings · finished by 19% Grand Theft Auto 2 is an open world action-adventure video game. It is the sequel to Grand Theft Auto, part of the Grand Theft Auto series. The open world design lets players freely roam Anywhere City, the setting of the game. 70 /100
07 Metal Gear Solid: VR Missions (DLC) Metal Gear Solid: VR Missions (DLC) 1999 · 62 ratings Metal Gear Solid: VR Missions is an add-on disk that includes 300 missions, ranging from missions that are more advanced levels of the training missions in MGS to solving mysteries. 70 /100
08 Shadow Man Shadow Man 1999 · 45 ratings He is coming, stalking criminals in the spirit world and the real world. A possessed man is coming, a voodoo mask in his chest and lines of power in his back. Shadow Man is coming, trailing evil from Liveside to Deadside. To stop an apocalypse. To save your soul. 70 /100
09 Dino Crisis Dino Crisis 1999 · 172 ratings Dino Crisis is a survival horror video game developed and published by Capcom in 1999. Set in a remote research facility, it follows special agent Regina as she investigates a scientific experiment gone wrong. The game combines exploration, puzzle-solving, and combat against hostile dinosaurs. It uses a real-time 3D environment rather than pre-rendered backgrounds, distinguishing it from earlier Capcom horror titles. Dino Crisis is often noted for its emphasis on tension, limited resources, and fast, unpredictable enemies. 59 /100
Browse all Action games

Other years

Best Action games of 2026Best Action games of 2025Best Action games of 2024Best Action games of 2023Best Action games of 2022Best Action games of 2021Best Action games of 2020Best Action games of 2019Best Action games of 2018Best Action games of 2017Best Action games of 2016Best Action games of 2015

Same year, other platforms

Best PC games of 1999Best PlayStation 1 games of 1999Best Dreamcast games of 1999Best Nintendo 64 games of 1999Best Mac games of 1999Best Linux games of 1999

Nearby rankings

Best Action games of 2000Best Arcade games of 1999

Catalog statistics

Most abandoned gamesMost completed games

Frequently asked questions

What is the best Action game of 1999?

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver currently tops the ranking with a score of 91/100 across 182 ratings. Ranking updated November 2026.

How is this ranking built?

Games are ranked on their aggregated critic score out of 100, with a minimum vote threshold so a single glowing review never outranks a proven classic; the Tier community's own F-to-S grades are shown alongside each game.