Since I’ve been making a lot of lists about replayability this past week, I’ve realized how many of my favorite games owe said condition to allowing me to play through them more than once.

I didn’t think it was a factor I considered when buying video games, but it seems my subconscious tends to gravitate towards experiences whose premise is heavily tied to seeing the credits roll more than once.

Whether it’s because of the genre they belong to or their gameplay is compelling enough that I want to finish it again, recognizing how many of these games I’ve played in my life has been quite an eye-opening experience.

I can’t think of a better way to spend my time in light of this discovery than with deeper exploration, so here are the ten best action games with high replay value.

10

Furi

You Can Always Be Better

I’ve realized I’m quite a fan of games with a combat system that’s easy to understand but difficult to master, so I don’t think it’s tough to understand my love for Furi.

As one of the indie games that sparked my interest in the non-AAA scene, partially thanks to Takashi Okazaki’s magnificent aesthetic I loved so much in Afro Samurai, it’s among the titles I’ve finished more times in my life without any explicit reason to do so.

While many other games have hidden endings or progression between playthroughs to encourage replayability, Furi simply gives the best melee combat system possible, with a divine parry, complex enemy patterns, a glorious soundtrack, and tremendous bullet hell sections, making you want to play it dozens of times.

It’s one of those games that keeps you replaying as long as you fall in love with what it offers, urging you to become even better in combat and defeat bosses with better times and less damage. It’s a very self-incentivized replayability, but you will definitely feel it.

9

NieR: Automata

Looking for the Truth

Unlike its predecessor in this article, NieR: Automata makes a real effort to give you precise motives to want to watch its credits as many times as possible, especially when it comes to understanding its story.

Since you have to reach Ending E to see its true climax, which easily ranks among the best in video game history, replayability isn’t just a bonus; it’s practically an integral part of the experience.

It’s easy to digest because PlatinumGames are masters at crafting hack-and-slash combat, immersive worlds, and captivating soundtracks, making it one of the most enjoyable campaigns to replay I’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing.

Furthermore, NieR: Automata has ARPG elements that allow for considerable customization of the combat, so you can experiment with different weapons, powers, and even difficulty levels, which helps to keep each repeated playthrough dynamic.

The fundamental reason will always be to find the truth behind this secretive story, though I can’t deny the studio learned from the complications of that same philosophy in Nier Replicant and did an incredibly more pleasant job.

8

Monster Hunter Wilds

Farming is an Art

As the first game in the franchise that truly captivated me beyond the basics, Monster Hunter Wilds is one of those titles whose addictive nature is difficult to grasp unless you experience it firsthand.

I, too, found it completely inexplicable that people enjoyed grinding endgame content for hours just to obtain better weapons and armor in an endless loop, but the effort-reward system is so well-designed that it’s incredibly satisfying.

At first, the appeal lies in discovering its majestic beasts, exploring the infinite depth of each playable class and their weapons, and being captivated by the magnificent landscapes of the Forbidden Lands, and then it becomes an endless hunt where you’ll be pleased to control the environment and its fauna at will.

I understand if it’s not for everyone, but Monster Hunter Wilds is fully aware its gameplay loop is addictive, and it takes full advantage of it. I ignore if everyone enjoys fighting Rey Dau or Mizutsune dozens of times to look more fashionable like me, but the series didn’t get where it is by chance.

7

Sifu

Immortally Addictive

Imagine what I said about Furi and give it an entire mechanical structure dedicated to making it replayable not only for self-induced enjoyment but also for real incentives, and you basically get Sifu’s bread and butter.

If you’re a fan of complex combat systems with dozens of moves, possibilities, and an undeniable ability to put you in a flow state, this game will touch a part of your brain you didn’t even know existed.

However, if you not only like such systems but also accept Sifu’s proposal to master its gameplay to the point where you can achieve its true ending—which is only attained by surpassing the bosses so much that you don’t need to kill them but only defeat them, which is devilishly more difficult—you’ll be here for dozens of hours.

It’s an incredible philosophy because it boasts unparalleled ludonarrative coherence, fitting the story that tries to show that revenge isn’t always the solution, making it a superb addition to the gameplay that you’ll love enough to want to marry the developers.

6

Dishonored 2

Shadows Are For Those Who Want Them

I imagine you might find Dishonored 2’s presence in a list of action games odd, but I’d like to take this opportunity to vindicate it as a title that does much more than simply excel in the stealth genre.

Having played through both this game and its predecessor dozens of times, I can say the direct combat aspect of the IP is highly underrated, especially considering the sheer number of powers that practically beg for a Rambo-style playthrough.

Yes, playing it stealthily is indeed its best experience, though seeing the various endings with high Chaos, always striving to make increasingly different and creative use of Emily and Corvo’s arsenal of abilities, is far more entertaining than you might think.

Ultimately, taking advantage of its level design, depth of interactions with enemies and environments, and sheer number of tools isn’t exclusive to stealth. Dishonored 2 is an action game as competent as many others solely dedicated to that genre, which speaks volumes about its excellence.

5

Hollow Knight

Hallownest Captivates Everyone

Despite thinking Hollow Knight: Silksong is a perfect and practically unbeatable video game, Hollow Knight surprised me in ways I can barely explain.

It took me years to complete the first game with all its endings, though I was persistent because Hallownest captivated me enough to keep me glued to the controller until I saw my progress percentage reach 112%.

This, due to the campaign’s structure and its belonging to the Metroidvania genre, naturally means watching the credits more than just one time, each one even more magical than the last.

If we understand each ending as part of a larger story and not as a playthrough in itself, Hollow Knight maintains remarkable replayability thanks to its open structure and the number of builds that can arise from its Charms system, which completely change the game at your will.

Although I finished the game on many occasions, I still keep going back to it because even the movement itself is enjoyable, but not as much as exploring the countless gameplay possibilities and mastering them all, especially now in preparation for the future expansions of its successor.

4

Bloodborne

The Satisfaction of Blood

FromSoftware has created many of the best action games of the last decade, but I dare say none come close to the raw emotion that Bloodborne brings.

With what I like to call one of the best combat systems of all time, this rhythm game disguised as a hunting adventure is among the ultimate examples of how practice makes perfect.

Going from a hesitant beginner unable to parry properly to a veteran capable of taking down cosmic beings is a superb journey, so much so that you won’t be satisfied with just one playthrough.

Seeing the game’s credits once is enough of a thrill, but exploring the different endings after multiple New Game+ playthroughs, starting to blast everything in sight with the skill of a speedrunner, is a feeling of pure joy I need to recommend to everyone.

With no builds beyond which weapon suits you the most, Bloodborne is made for repetition, and repetition is the basis of replayability, so it makes sense that it works so perfectly.

3

Dead Cells

One Difficulty Level per Year

In my life as a gamer, there almost always comes a point where I completely abandon games to let them settle in my memory, but with Dead Cells it’s been an impossible task because I just can’t stop playing it.

I acquired all the upgrades, weapons, and powers the game offered a long time ago (which took me hundreds of hours, I must say), and yet I still dedicate a significant part of my life to it because of its infernal difficulty.

It’s definitely a skill issue, but I’ve been doing sporadic playthroughs since 2018, and I can’t get past the second boss cell, an unfortunate reality I only tolerate because it’s as addictive as it is fun.

Roguelikes are intimately linked to the concept of replayability, so it shouldn’t surprise anyone that one of the best games in the genre is so high on this list.

Of course, it depends a lot on how good or patient you are, but if you have the skill or enough time, I’m sure Dead Cells is one of those titles that will be added to your list of favorites sooner or later.

2

Hades 2

Time Never Stops

Although I did my best to omit the arguments from the previous entry and avoid filling this list with roguelikes, I can’t leave out what is perhaps now its greatest and most refined representative: Hades 2.

If the first game amazed me with its ability to match its writing to its gameplay, this sequel left me completely speechless by surpassing its predecessor, something I was certain was impossible.

More systems that encourage replayability, more characters to grow fond of and talk to after each attempt, more weapons and variations that make facing more bosses an even greater delight, more gods and modifiers that change each expedition… It’s too much, in the best possible way.

No two playthroughs of Hades 2 are the same, and while this is true for most roguelikes, none dare to approach it with the same depth. From the basics, such as its systems, to the more specific aspects, such as its in-game challenges, it’s built for you to play it until the end of time, and it’s achieving that with me.

1

Elden Ring

You’ll Never Leave The Lands Between

It’s the easy way out, given I’ve already included a FromSoftware installment on the list, but I think that with games like Bloodborne and Elden Ring itself, the real challenge is not including their entire catalog.

However, I’ll top this list with the developer’s masterpiece simply because nothing compares in scale to what they achieved in The Lands Between, with a number of weapons, bosses, enemies, areas, secrets, endings, interactions, NPCs, and more that is completely unattainable.

No open-world game, action title, RPG, or similar experience from recent years has reached this level of replayability, much less considering its expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree, is larger than many contemporary AAA releases.

That’s why Elden Ring remains among the most played games, most streamed, and most featured in videos, because its sheer density and quality of content are enough to provide a lifetime of entertainment.

The Soulsborne formula has reached its peak, so from here on out it’s time to backtrack and explore other avenues. There won’t be another game like Elden Ring for a long time, but believe me when I say it won’t be necessary because it’s not going anywhere anytime soon.