Best action-adventure game that rewards exploration

A great action-adventure game should be able to balance the action of combat with the fun of exploring large or small worlds. The following games mostly have a good balance overall, but they also lean more towards the idea of ​​exploration over combat.

Sometimes that's exactly what players want out of their experience from big epics like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild to smaller experiences such as Dave the diver. Either way, players will jump into rich worlds that will grab them by the hand and never let go. With each discovery, players will feel the greater sense of reward.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild

Looking for shrines

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a bright, big, beautiful Hyrulean world that's all about exploration, and it gives players the right tools at the start to move forward. There's plenty to see and do, from climbing towers to get views of the countryside to finding shrines, each with a unique puzzle inside.

There are also Koroks hiding literally everywhere, from in trees to under rocks, and the more players find, the more they can upgrade Link's inventory. Almost everything players can find in the game can benefit them in some way, from weapons to potion ingredients.

Hollow Knight: Silk Song

An open 2D world with many secrets

Hollow Knight: Silk Song is a 2D semi-open-world game and definitely one of the most expansive Metroidvanias ever made. Most of the game's world is optional, with entrances to certain areas difficult to reach or hidden, such as Sinner's Road or Bilewater.

Inside these side areas are NPCs with quests, secret bosses, and rare loot that can ultimately change how the game plays. The game is brutally difficult, so any way players can upgrade Hornet, from health to improving her needle weapon, will be beneficial in the long run.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Explore a galaxy far, far away

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor has several planets that players can visit, with different sizes. Koboh, for example, is teeming with places to explore and side quests, while other planets are a bit smaller and don't offer as much, but are still explorable as solid parts of a Star Wars game.

With such an exciting story to follow involving hidden Jedi awakenings after years, the thought of exploring can slip away, but going off the beaten path is worth it to see dilapidated ruins, which usually hide an upgrade or lightsaber for Cal. Although there are quite a few Star Wars content out there, fans always appreciate a way to enrich their lives by being able to explore the galaxy far, far away for themselves.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

No stone unturned

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a good hybrid between third-person and first-person games. Most of the game is played in first person, from exploring cities to fighting enemies. The point of view changes when you scale walls or swing around with the whip.

Although the game pushes players towards the linear story, there are side paths to follow, such as in the Vatican. Exploring sewers, paying attention to flyers, talking to NPCs and more can lead players to discover secret little treasures, each with a fun puzzle to solve, which is rewarding for the brain.

Ghost of Tsushima

Follows animals

Ghost of Tsushima's the island location, Tsushima, is absolutely stunning, and while the samurai gameplay is fantastic, it's not the selling point. The game practically knows it's more of a tourist experience, as there are things that guide players to hidden areas dynamically, helping with immersion.

Foxes can lead players back to dens, and yellow birds can sing and lead players to fog other locations, such as mountain paths or hot springs. All of these locations have a reward beyond the actual beauty of the area, such as a weapon case, an accessory, a piece of rare material, and so on.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

The Way of the Wolf

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice was developed by FromSoftware, but it is not a Soulslike game where players can grind for souls to level up their character. Instead, players will assume the role of a ninja, Wolf, who can get new gear, items and prosthetics to replace their arms, along with some upgrade materials.

Every item is valuable, given that players can't level up, and this game's difficulty is one of FromSoftware's toughest. It's up to players to explore under each bridge, climb each tower, and hug each wall to find items or, in some cases, secret passages to new areas.

Donkey Kong Banana

Search through, not over or under

Donkey Kong Banana lets players search high, low and in between as Donkey Kong can surf, climb, swing and walk through rocks. Inside rocky terrain, players can find randomized treasure chests with disposable items, gold deposits, fossils, and so much more.

The biggest find is the Banandium deposits, which can lead to DK leveling up his skill tree. Each biome of this underground paradise contains so much, and yet it's not impossible to 100% play the game even with only a mediocre understanding of platforming; that's how good the design of Donkey Kong Banana is.

Ender Magnolia: Bloom In The Mist

Expand your Homunculi arsenal

Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist is another 2D Metroidvania, and this one takes place in a gloomy world where the heroine, Lilac, has lost her memory. Players can encounter decomposed mechanical creatures called Homunculi, which serve as Lilac's attack prompts and her exploration aids.

Players can learn to get onto surfaces and slide for example, and even though the world isn't as big as Hollow Knight: Silk Song, Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist is tightly packed with secrets. There are hidden Homunculi, armor, upgrade nodes and so on, and all it takes is a little curiosity to check between every nook and cranny.

Verify

Going Beyond Horror

Verify isn't technically a horror game, but it's scary, considering protagonist Jesse Faden wanders into a federal building only to find it locked down. Also, most of the staff are hovering above muttering to themselves in glowing red light, while others are on the ground fighting back in wild states of delusion.

The Federal Bureau of Control building is almost like a 3D Metroidvania, with players able to open up new paths with powers and keys, so it's important for players to take manual notes. Going back to previously locked installations or thoroughly exploring an office, even if it seems barren, can potentially give players something useful or a fun clue about what's going on in the story.

Dave The Diver

Under the Sea

Dave the diver is two games in one, with daytime exploration and finding the titular Dave who dives underwater to catch fish for his sushi restaurant. At night, players can have their chef prepare sushi, and depending on how quickly and accurately orders are completed, the more money players can earn, which can help fund better deep-sea diving equipment.

With better ways to kill fish and better oxygen tanks to last longer, players can begin to explore the ocean depths more thoroughly. This can lead to treasures, story moments, or rare fish that stake players a small fortune.