There’s a reasonthe action-adventure genrehas stood the test of time. Titles of this type have spanned all systems and consoles, but have recently found quite a welcome home on handheld gaming systems. These portable devices offer you more options to play and tackle obstacles, including innovative touchscreen and gyro controls.
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Action-adventure games are particularly well-suited for shorter bursts of play, as you engage in brutal combat encounters or become absorbed in a relaxing bit of exploration. So, whether it’s on aNintendo Switch, aSteam Deck, or anything in-between, there’s an action-adventure game out there that is better suited to being played on a smaller screen on the go.
10Middle-Earth: Shadow Of War
Shadow of War’s world is a joy to explore. It’s split up into various regions in Mordor and its surrounding areas, which makes for more concentrated bouts of exploration. It suits the often shorter play sessions that playing on a handheld usually demands.
There’s plenty to get up to in the five fairly contained zones the game offers, including the randomly generated events that determine the Nemesis System’s overarching Uruk hierarchy. It’s perfect for small bursts of play time as the story missions are short and sweet. A lot of grinding can be achieved when messing about in the open world and when recruiting higher-tier Uruks to make your orc army a force to be reckoned with.
9Pokemon Legends: Arceus
The long-runningPokemonseries has always found its home on smaller screens, and has appeared on every iteration of Nintendo’s extremely successful line of handheld consoles. Great for beginners,Pokemon Legends: Arceusis the series’ biggest shake-up to date, bringing some appreciated changes to the Pokemon formula.
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Arceus has a much heavier focus on exploration than previous titles, allowing you to stumble upon and catch Pokemon when roaming about out in the open world. There’s a revamped battle system, which is a nice change of pace from the series’ more traditional turn-based roots, and better fits the more open-ended nature of the game. It was a welcome change-up and had many features carry over intoPokemon Scarlet & Violet.
8Monster Hunter Rise
Following the mainstream success of Monster Hunter World, there was a lot of pressure on the shoulders ofMonster Hunter Rise. Thankfully, Rise built upon the quality of life additions of World, while including a greater number of awe-inspiring monsters and improving your mobility with the use of Wirebugs and Palamute mounts.
For the staggering amount of content on offer, it’s incredibly impressive that Capcom could cram it all into the Nintendo Switch hardware. With itssubsequent launch on PC, Rise has found a definitive home for its expansive monster-slaying gameplay. As it was built with handheld hardware in mind, playing it on the Steam Deck is a delight.
7Bayonetta 3
Made exclusively for the Nintendo Switch, the third game in theBayonettaseries mixes things up with even more frantically fast-paced combat and the outlandishly bizarre antics the series is known for.
In Bayonetta 3, everyone’s favourite Umbran Witch can summon Infernal Demons to her side, which complements the action-packed and combo-filled gameplay many of you know and love. The game is bigger in every sense of the word, withmore beautiful open-ended areas to explore, multiple protagonists to control, and the series’ iconically wacky story and characters. All of that runs surprisingly well on Nintendo’s hybrid system, allowing you to take all that over-the-top action on the go.
6Skyrim
With all the rereleases and ridiculous number of ways you can playSkyrim(did someone say Amazon Alexa?), it’s no wonder you can play the game on a variety of smaller screens. A port came to the Nintendo Switch soon after the console’s launch, and was a great experience on the system.
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Playing on the go is a great way to knock out some side quests and venture into a few dungeons along the way. It runs even better on the Steam Deck, andcan even be tweaked to add modsfor quality-of-life improvements. We’re just waiting for Bethesda to port the game to more platforms, such as the scientific calculator to distract us from math class, or the toaster for a spot of dragon slaying while waiting for our morning crumpets.
5No Man’s Sky
After improvingNo Man’s Skyfollowing a very rocky launch, Hello Games have created a wonderful survival adventure that will see you delve into the cosmos. You must gather resources in order to fuel your ship, build your base, engage in space battles, and trade within a vast intergalactic market.
With a surprising port for the Nintendo Switch and‘Verified’ status on the Steam Deck, you may now take this persistent universe with you wherever you please. The portability of handheld consoles lends itself well to the sometimes grindy and monotonous survival, mining-and-resource-gathering gameplay loop. It’s a fantastic way to chill out in bed while taking in your favourite podcast or sitcom.
4Uncharted: Legacy Of Thieves Collection
Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection is a fantastic bundle of two stellar Uncharted games. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy will see you take control of the lovable maverick Nathan Drake and endearingly reckless Chloe Frazer on their treasure-hunting adventures, with all the bombastic cinematic action you can handle.
Related:The Best Story-Driven Games For The Steam Deck
Now you’re able to take them anywhere, experiencing their groundbreaking treasure hunting-infused narratives and gorgeous visuals on the Steam Deck, with barely any hitch in performance. This is one to completely immerse yourself in on long-haul flights and peaceful boating jaunts. Just try not to play that hair-raising boat chase on your next fishing trip — it might spoil some of the tranquillity.
3Metroid Dread
As a sequel to a game that first launched decades ago,Metroid Dreadshows us why Metroidvania games are one of the medium’s most popular genres. You’ll be using the beloved arm cannon and charge beam of the classic games while frantically shooting down a collection of the series’most intense bosses.
Yoshio Sakamoto waited this long to make this fantastic 2D sidescroller as he wanted to ensure it would be launched on a handheld system that was powerful enough for his ideas. It was more than worth the wait, and the game’s striking visuals really pop on the Nintendo Switch OLED screen.
2Hollow Knight
Hollow Knightis a sprawling and intricate adventure that blends the best elements of gaming’s most beloved genres. It merges the punishingly difficult hack-and-slash combat of the Souls series with the deep exploration of Metroidvanias. The result is a deeply captivating action adventure that will see you lose many hourswithin the vast cave networkof Hallownest.
Related:The Best Metroidvanias You Can Play On Nintendo Switch
You can pretty much play Hollow Knight on any platform you choose, though the game particularly shines on a handheld system. The pick-up-and-play nature of the Nintendo Switch or Steam Deck is well suited for the game’s difficulty, allowing you to take regular breaks and then quickly come back to it with a fresh set of eyes.
1The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
Made with the Nintendo Switch and the tablet controller of the Wii U in mind,The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildis one of the best action-adventure titles ever made, and is most likely the best game you can play on a handheld system. Its cel-shaded graphics means that less detail is required for textures and general graphical fidelity, but it still looks amazing on the Switch’s 7-inch screen.
The shrines you can find in the open world are like mini-dungeons, which were clearly designed for shorter sessions of handheld play. There are many physics-based mechanics that utilise the Switch’s gyro controls, which simply work better when you’re holding the device in your hands. It’s one of the best games ever made, and it’s made even better when playing it the way it was intended — on a smaller screen.
