Action Adventure

A subgenre of both the Action Game and Adventure Game genres (naturally), the Action Adventure game was effectively created by such titles as The Legend of Zelda and Metroid back in the days of the 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System. These two titles are recognised as archetypical of the genre, and since then, the Action Adventure has expanded to include games in a wide variety of thematic genres, as well as appearing on every video game platform around. The essential traits of an action adventure are considered to include reflex-based gameplay, an action game element, combined with item collecting, environment exploration and puzzle solving, which are associated with the adventure game genre. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, the Action Adventure is sometimes used as a catch all for games that do not overtly suit any one genre but still have a plot, a usage which some consider erroneous.

The action adventure is exemplified in games that have large and detailed worlds to explore, a range of options in terms of possible actions and some level of non-linearity in terms of plot, but this last aspect is often sacrificed, in whole or in part, on the altar of budgets and/or writers. This lack of large-scale non-linearity is what differentiates the Action Adventure game from a Wide Open Sandbox, though there are other minor, but important, differences. This level of non-linearity is a characteristic the action adventure shares with the RPG, though it usually doesn't have experience points or levels -- character improvments, if any, are only ever the result of gaining new items or upgrading old ones. The key here is that in an action adventure a character either has an ability or he doesn't; there is no measure of how good he is with a given ability (which is considered an RPG element).

As a rule of thumb, an Action Adventure game is distinguished from those of closely related genres, such as Platformers, Action Games and Adventure Games by its combination of but lack of commitment to any one of these genres. It contains reflex gameplay, which adventure games do not; puzzle solving, which action games do not; and jumping puzzles, which both adventure games and action games generally do not. Action Adventure games also seldom, if ever, have "Extra Lives" (though there may be items that stop you from dying, such as the fairies in The Legend of Zelda), with the distinction between "fairies" and extra lives being that one has an "in-game" explanation and one is completely arbitary.

As the plot of these games becomes less and less Excuse Plot and more and more developed, this genre has become increasingly similar to the Role Playing Game genre. A general rule of thumb for telling them apart: In RPGs, you are in a dungeon because of the plot, whereas in Action Adventure games, you are in a plot because of the dungeon.

Most Licensed Games not on a portable console have this type of gameplay.

See Metroidvania for a particular sub-genre.

Games:

 * Three D Dot Game Heroes
 * Advent Rising
 * Adventure
 * Adventures of Bouapha
 * The Adventures of Robin Hood
 * Air Fortress (At least the "inside the Fortress" segments)
 * Alice in Wonderland
 * Alundra
 * Alundra 2
 * Amea
 * American McGee's Alice
 * Alice Madness Returns
 * American Mcgees Grimm
 * Aquaria
 * Armed and Dangerous
 * Assassin's Creed
 * Assassin's Creed II
 * Assassin's Creed Brotherhood
 * A Valley Without Wind
 * Batman: Arkham Asylum
 * Batman: Arkham City
 * Batman Vengeance
 * Beyond Good and Evil
 * Beyond Oasis
 * Bioforge
 * Blade Kitten
 * Blaster Master
 * Brave Fencer Musashi
 * Musashi Samurai Legend
 * Brutal Legend
 * Bully
 * Bunny Must Die
 * Cadaver
 * Castlevania (prior installments were Platform Games)
 * Castlevania II Simons Quest
 * Castlevania Symphony of the Night
 * Castlevania 64
 * Castlevania Resurrection
 * Castlevania Circle of the Moon
 * Castlevania Harmony of Dissonance
 * Castlevania Chronicles of Sorrow
 * Castlevania Lament of Innocence
 * Castlevania Curse of Darkness
 * Castlevania Portrait of Ruin
 * Castlevania Order of Ecclesia
 * Castlevania Harmony of Despair
 * Castlevania Lords of Shadow
 * Castle Wolfenstein
 * Cave Story
 * The Caverns of Hammerfest
 * Clash At Demonhead
 * Combat of Giants
 * Critical Mass 1995
 * Crusader of Centy
 * Cubivore
 * Dark Earth
 * Darksiders
 * Darkstone
 * Deadly Creatures
 * Deadly Towers
 * Disaster Day of Crisis
 * Distorted Travesty
 * Dizzy
 * Dragonball Origins
 * Drakan
 * Dreamfall: The Longest Journey
 * Dual Hearts
 * Ecco the Dolphin
 * Emo Game
 * Enclave
 * Enslaved Odyssey to The West
 * Eragon
 * Fear Effect
 * Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles
 * Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles
 * Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Ring of Fates
 * Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Echoes of Time
 * Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Crystal Bearers
 * For the Frog The Bell Tolls
 * The Flowering Nose
 * Ganbare Goemon (Though spinoffs of other genres have been made)
 * Giants Citizen Kabuto
 * The Goonies (I & II)
 * Graffiti Kingdom
 * Grand Chase
 * The Guardian Legend (also a partial Shoot Em Up)
 * Gurumin a Monstrous Adventure
 * Harry Potter
 * Hello Kitty Roller Rescue
 * Henry Hatsworth in The Puzzling Adventure
 * Hydrophobia
 * Team Ico Series
 * ICO
 * Shadow of the Colossus
 * The Last Guardian
 * Iji (with Platformer and RPG Elements)
 * The Immortal
 * In Famous
 * Jabless Adventure
 * Jak II
 * Jak 3
 * Jenkas Nightmare
 * Kameo Elements of Power
 * Kid Chameleon
 * La-Mulana
 * The Last Resurrection
 * Legacy of Kain
 * Legacy of the Wizard
 * The Legend of Spyro Trilogy
 * The Legend of Zelda (series)
 * The Legend of Zelda (game)
 * Zelda Classic
 * Zelda II the Adventure of Link
 * The Legend of Zelda a Link To T He Past
 * The Legend of Zelda Links Awakening
 * The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time
 * The Legend of Zelda Majoras Mask
 * The Legend of Zelda Oracle Games
 * The Legend of Zelda Four Swords
 * The Legend of Zelda Four Swords Adventures
 * The Legend of Zelda the Wind Waker
 * The Legend of Zelda the Minish Cap
 * The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess
 * The Legend of Zelda Phantom Hourglass
 * The Legend of Zelda Spirit Tracks
 * The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword
 * Lego Adaptation Game
 * LEGO Island
 * LEGO Universe
 * Leo and Leah (primarily an Eastern RPG, but has elements of this genre as well)
 * Loonyland
 * Lost in Shadow
 * Majin and The Forsaken Kingdom
 * Luigi's Mansion
 * Medievil
 * Medi Evil 2
 * Metroid in most of its incarnations
 * Metroid Prime
 * Metroid Other M
 * Milon's Secret Castle
 * Mini Ninjas
 * Mirrors Edge (Includes elements of the Platformer, First Person Shooter, and Puzzle Game)
 * Monkey Hero
 * Mushroom Men
 * Neutopia
 * Nicktoons Unite!
 * Oddworld Strangers Wrath
 * Okami
 * Okamiden
 * Onimusha
 * Outcast
 * Owlboy (Also a Platformer)
 * Overlord
 * Overlord I
 * Overlord Raising Hell
 * Overlord: Dark Legend
 * Overlord II
 * Overlord: Minions
 * Popful Mail
 * Primal
 * Prince of Persia
 * Prince of Persia (2008)
 * Project Eden
 * Prototype
 * Prototype 2
 * Psychonauts
 * The Red Star
 * Rise of the Kasai
 * Rock Raiders (The Play Station version. The PC is Real Time Strategy)
 * Rygar
 * Sabre Wulf
 * Scurge Hive
 * Second Sight
 * Secret Agent Barbie
 * Shadow Complex
 * Shadow Man
 * Shadow of the Beast
 * Shantae
 * Soul Blazer
 * Space Pirates and Zombies
 * Spider-Man
 * Spider Man Shattered Dimensions
 * Spider Man Web of Shadows
 * Sphinx and The Cursed Mummy
 * SPISPOPD
 * Star Tropics
 * Steambot Chronicles
 * Swim Ikachan
 * Tail Concerto
 * Tails Adventure
 * Toejam and Earl (The first game is solidly one of these, with RPG Elements. The sequels are Platform Games.)
 * Terracon
 * Tomb Raider
 * Too Human
 * Treasure Adventure Game
 * Tron 2.0
 * Turgor
 * Twinsen's Odyssey
 * The Twisted Tales of Spike McFang
 * Uncharted
 * An Untitled Story
 * World of Mana (series)
 * Final Fantasy Adventure
 * Secret of Mana
 * Seiken Densetsu 3
 * Legend of Mana
 * Sword of Mana
 * Children of Mana
 * Dawn of Mana
 * Heroes of Mana
 * WURM Journey to The Center of The Earth
 * Zan Zarah
 * ZZT