Best games
Best Action games of 2016
The 173 best Action games released in 2016, ranked from 33,826 critic and player ratings.
The best Action game of 2016 is Persona 5, with a critic score of 94/100 — updated August 2026.
01
S
Persona 5
Persona 5, a turn-based JRPG with visual novel elements, follows a high school student with a criminal record for a crime he didn't commit. Soon he meets several characters who share similar fates to him, and discovers a metaphysical realm which allows him and his friends to channel their pent-up frustrations into becoming a group of vigilantes reveling in aesthetics and rebellion while fighting corruption.
94
/100
02
A
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
93
/100
03
Rez Infinite
91
/100
S
Persona 5
Persona 5, a turn-based JRPG with visual novel elements, follows a high school student with a criminal record for a crime he didn't commit. Soon he meets several characters who share similar fates to him, and discovers a metaphysical realm which allows him and his friends to channel their pent-up frustrations into becoming a group of vigilantes reveling in aesthetics and rebellion while fighting corruption.
94
/100
02
A
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
93
/100
03
Rez Infinite
91
/100
04
Tumblestone
91
/100
05
Overwatch
Join the fight for the future in the world of Overwatch and choose your hero from a diverse cast of soldiers, scientists, adventurers, and oddities. Bend time, defy physics, and unleash a dizzying array of extraordinary powers and weapons. Engage your enemies in iconic locations from around the globe in the ultimate team-based shooter.
89
/100
06
B
Dark Souls III
Dark Souls III is an action role-playing game developed by FromSoftware and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. Released in March 2016, it is the fourth entry in the Souls series and the final instalment in the Dark Souls trilogy. Set in the decaying kingdom of Lothric, players take on the role of the "Ashen One," an undead warrior tasked with rekindling the First Flame to prevent the world from falling into darkness. The game features challenging combat, intricate level design, and a deep, lore-rich narrative.
89
/100
07
Hyper Light Drifter
Echoes of a dark and violent past resonate throughout a savage land, steeped in treasure and blood. Hyper Light Drifter is an action adventure RPG in the vein of the best 16-bit classics, with modernized mechanics and designs on a much grander scale.
89
/100
08
Owlboy
Owlboy is a platform/action-adventure video game created by Norwegian developer D-Pad Studio. Explore a vibrantly crafted pixel world in this flying adventure platformer. Being a mute, Otus struggles living up to the expectations of owl-hood. Things spiral from bad to worse with the sudden appearance of sky pirates. What follows is a journey through monster infested ruins, with unexpected encounters, and burdens no one should have to bear.
89
/100
09
S
Battlefield 1
Discover classic Battlefield gameplay with epic multiplayer and an adventure-filled campaign. Experience the dawn of all-out war, only in Battlefield 1. Fight your way through epic battles going from tight urban combat in a besieged French city to big open spaces in the Italian Alps or frantic combats in the Arabic sand dunes. Experience large-scale battles as infantry or piloting vehicles on land, air and sea, from the tanks and bikes on the ground, to bi-planes and gigantic battleships.
88
/100
10
Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration
88
/100
11
A
Titanfall 2
87
/100
12
Orcs Must Die! Unchained
87
/100
13
Doom
87
/100
14
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered
87
/100
15
Dishonored 2
86
/100
16
Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2
85
/100
17
Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana
85
/100
18
Ratchet & Clank
85
/100
19
Gears of War 4
85
/100
20
Thumper
85
/100
21
BlazBlue: Central Fiction
85
/100
22
NBA 2K17
85
/100
23
SuperHot
85
/100
24
SpeedRunners
84
/100
25
Salt and Sanctuary
84
/100
26
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life
84
/100
27
ICEY
84
/100
28
Hitman
83
/100
29
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
83
/100
30
Don't Starve Together
83
/100
31
Grim Dawn
83
/100
32
BioShock: The Collection
83
/100
33
Devil Daggers
83
/100
34
Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight
83
/100
35
Yakuza Kiwami
83
/100
36
Enter the Gungeon
82
/100
37
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life
82
/100
38
Tales of Berseria
82
/100
39
FINAL FANTASY XV
82
/100
40
The Last Guardian
82
/100
41
Flat Heroes
82
/100
42
Dragon Quest Builders
82
/100
43
SuperHot VR
82
/100
44
Starbound
81
/100
45
Slime Rancher
81
/100
46
Dying Light: The Following
81
/100
47
GoNNER
81
/100
48
Arizona Sunshine
81
/100
49
Redout: Lightspeed Edition
81
/100
50
Zombie Night Terror
81
/100
Tumblestone
91
/100
05
Overwatch
Join the fight for the future in the world of Overwatch and choose your hero from a diverse cast of soldiers, scientists, adventurers, and oddities. Bend time, defy physics, and unleash a dizzying array of extraordinary powers and weapons. Engage your enemies in iconic locations from around the globe in the ultimate team-based shooter.
89
/100
06
B
Dark Souls III
Dark Souls III is an action role-playing game developed by FromSoftware and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. Released in March 2016, it is the fourth entry in the Souls series and the final instalment in the Dark Souls trilogy. Set in the decaying kingdom of Lothric, players take on the role of the "Ashen One," an undead warrior tasked with rekindling the First Flame to prevent the world from falling into darkness. The game features challenging combat, intricate level design, and a deep, lore-rich narrative.
89
/100
07
Hyper Light Drifter
Echoes of a dark and violent past resonate throughout a savage land, steeped in treasure and blood. Hyper Light Drifter is an action adventure RPG in the vein of the best 16-bit classics, with modernized mechanics and designs on a much grander scale.
89
/100
08
Owlboy
Owlboy is a platform/action-adventure video game created by Norwegian developer D-Pad Studio. Explore a vibrantly crafted pixel world in this flying adventure platformer. Being a mute, Otus struggles living up to the expectations of owl-hood. Things spiral from bad to worse with the sudden appearance of sky pirates. What follows is a journey through monster infested ruins, with unexpected encounters, and burdens no one should have to bear.
89
/100
09
S
Battlefield 1
Discover classic Battlefield gameplay with epic multiplayer and an adventure-filled campaign. Experience the dawn of all-out war, only in Battlefield 1. Fight your way through epic battles going from tight urban combat in a besieged French city to big open spaces in the Italian Alps or frantic combats in the Arabic sand dunes. Experience large-scale battles as infantry or piloting vehicles on land, air and sea, from the tanks and bikes on the ground, to bi-planes and gigantic battleships.
88
/100
10
Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration
88
/100
11
A
Titanfall 2
87
/100
12
Orcs Must Die! Unchained
87
/100
13
Doom
87
/100
14
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered
87
/100
15
Dishonored 2
86
/100
16
Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2
85
/100
17
Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana
85
/100
18
Ratchet & Clank
85
/100
19
Gears of War 4
85
/100
20
Thumper
85
/100
21
BlazBlue: Central Fiction
85
/100
22
NBA 2K17
85
/100
23
SuperHot
85
/100
24
SpeedRunners
84
/100
25
Salt and Sanctuary
84
/100
26
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life
84
/100
27
ICEY
84
/100
28
Hitman
83
/100
29
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
83
/100
30
Don't Starve Together
83
/100
31
Grim Dawn
83
/100
32
BioShock: The Collection
83
/100
33
Devil Daggers
83
/100
34
Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight
83
/100
35
Yakuza Kiwami
83
/100
36
Enter the Gungeon
82
/100
37
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life
82
/100
38
Tales of Berseria
82
/100
39
FINAL FANTASY XV
82
/100
40
The Last Guardian
82
/100
41
Flat Heroes
82
/100
42
Dragon Quest Builders
82
/100
43
SuperHot VR
82
/100
44
Starbound
81
/100
45
Slime Rancher
81
/100
46
Dying Light: The Following
81
/100
47
GoNNER
81
/100
48
Arizona Sunshine
81
/100
49
Redout: Lightspeed Edition
81
/100
50
Zombie Night Terror
81
/100
FAQ
What is the best Action game of 2016?
Persona 5 currently tops the ranking with a score of 94/100 across 1,064 ratings. It holds a S grade from the Tier community — updated August 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.