Top 15 Best Action Games for Xbox Series X|S

This refreshed version replaces several weaker or less relevant choices from the older list while keeping the games that still represent the best action experiences on Microsoft’s current consoles.

	Game	Release	Genre	Developer
	Elden Ring	2022-02-25	RPG	FromSoftware
	Baldurs Gate 3	2023-12-08	RPG	Larian Studios
	Rust Console Edition	2021-05-21	MMO	Facepunch Studios
	Sekiro Shadows Die Twice	2019-03-22	Adventure	FromSoftware, Inc.
	Gears 5	2019-09-10	Action	The Coalition
	Assassins Creed Valhalla Complete Edition	2020-11-10	Action	Ubisoft Montreal
	Halo Infinite	2021-12-08	Action	343 Industries
	Hitman 3	2021-01-20	Action	IO Interactive
	Cyberpunk 2077	2020-12-10	RPG	CD PROJEKT RED

1. Elden Ring

Best for: Exploration mixed with demanding combat

Elden Ring still earns the top spot because its fights, bosses, build variety, and open-world structure remain exceptionally strong. You can approach enemies with heavy weapons, sorcery, dexterity builds, summons, or something completely unreasonable that somehow works. The freedom to leave a difficult encounter and explore elsewhere keeps the difficulty challenging without making progression feel completely rigid.

You can also compare it directly with its newer spin-off in our Elden Ring vs Nightreign guide.

2. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Best for: Pure melee precision

Sekiro strips away much of Elden Ring’s build flexibility and replaces it with a sharper question: can you actually master the sword? Deflections, posture damage, counters, stealth, and aggressive movement make fights feel closer to duels than conventional RPG battles. Few action games deliver a better feeling than finally reading a difficult boss correctly.

3. DOOM: The Dark Ages

Best for: Heavy, aggressive FPS combat

DOOM: The Dark Ages makes the Slayer feel heavier without making the action less violent. The Shield Saw adds blocking, parrying, and brutal close-range pressure, while larger combat spaces give you more room to attack demon hordes from different angles. It is one of the clearest modern examples of a single-player shooter built entirely around momentum and combat mastery.

For more hellish history, check our complete DOOM series retrospective.

4. Ninja Gaiden 4

Best for: Fast technical action

Ninja Gaiden 4 brought the series back in 2025 with Team Ninja and PlatinumGames sharing development duties. Yakumo’s Bloodraven abilities, rapid weapon switching, counters, aerial movement, and demanding enemies make this one of the most mechanically intense games on Xbox Series X|S.

G2A News also covered the game’s release, characters, and difficulty options.

5. Cyberpunk 2077

Best for: Building your own combat style

Cyberpunk 2077 can be played as a shooter, stealth game, melee action RPG, hacking playground, or an increasingly ridiculous combination of all four. Modern updates transformed progression and combat, while Phantom Liberty added more missions and tougher encounters. Night City also gives the action enough context that fights rarely feel disconnected from exploration or story.

6. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

Best for: Adventure action with more brains than bullets

The Great Circle mixes first-person fistfights, stealth, exploration, puzzles, disguises, and improvised weapons instead of behaving like a conventional shooter. That makes action feel physical and situational. Sometimes the best solution is a punch. Sometimes it is a whip. Sometimes it is simply avoiding the fight completely.

G2A News has also covered The Order of Giants expansion.

7. Monster Hunter Wilds

Best for: Boss fights and weapon mastery

Monster Hunter Wilds is built around learning enormous creatures and the weapons used to bring them down. Each weapon changes movement, timing, positioning, and attack opportunities, while multiplayer lets up to four hunters coordinate against the same target. The result is an action game where preparation matters almost as much as reflexes.

8. Gears 5

Best for: Classic Xbox cover shooting

Gears 5 remains one of the strongest traditional action games in the Xbox catalog. The campaign mixes heavy weapons, aggressive enemies, cover mechanics, co-op, and larger exploration spaces without losing the series’ familiar weight. It may be older than the newer additions here, but its combat still represents Xbox extremely well.

9. Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Best for: Switching between stealth and direct combat

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is a better fit for a current Xbox action list than Valhalla. Naoe specializes in stealth, agility, and assassination, while Yasuke offers direct combat and raw force. Switching perspectives gives the open-world formula two very different rhythms depending on whether you want to disappear into the shadows or walk through the front gate.

Not sure where it fits in the series? Read our Assassin’s Creed Shadows newcomer guide.

10. Halo Infinite

Best for: FPS sandbox combat

Halo Infinite remains one of the best examples of a shooter giving players tools rather than scripted solutions. Grappleshots, vehicles, explosives, weapons, equipment, and enemy encounters interact in ways that encourage experimentation. The campaign’s larger spaces also make movement a much bigger part of combat than in older Halo games.

11. South of Midnight

Best for: Stylish story-driven action

South of Midnight combines third-person combat and traversal with Southern Gothic folklore. Hazel uses weaving powers to attack, dodge, control enemies, and restore damaged areas while moving through a world inspired by stories from the American Deep South. The stop-motion-style presentation also gives the game a visual identity few Xbox releases share.

Our South of Midnight beginner guide covers useful combat and exploration tips.

12. Hitman 3

Best for: Action built around experimentation

Hitman 3 is less about reflexes and more about knowing when action should happen. Every location is a dense sandbox full of disguises, accidents, shortcuts, weapons, and opportunities. A perfect mission may contain almost no conventional combat, while a disastrous one can turn into a desperate escape. That flexibility keeps it relevant even beside newer releases.

13. Elden Ring Nightreign

Best for: Faster Soulslike co-op

Nightreign takes familiar FromSoftware combat and compresses it into shorter runs. Nightfarers explore Limveld, collect gear, level quickly, survive a shrinking battlefield, and prepare for major bosses at the end of each night. The structure creates much more immediate action than Elden Ring’s slower open-world journey.

For a deeper breakdown, see our Nightreign explained guide.

14. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Best for: RPG strategy with action-game reactions

Clair Obscur is technically turn-based, but real-time dodging, parrying, aiming, and timing attacks make every battle far more active than the label suggests. Learning enemy animations can matter just as much as selecting the right ability, which makes it a natural fit beside more traditional action RPGs.

15. Beast of Reincarnation

Best for: A fresh 2026 action RPG

Beast of Reincarnation is the newest game on this list. Game Freak’s post-apocalyptic action RPG follows Emma and her dog Koo across a transformed Japan, combining real-time combat with tactical companion abilities that can slow the flow of battle. Skill trees, gear, and the relationship between the two characters give it enough depth to earn a place among Xbox’s freshest action releases.

Xbox Action Games on G2A.COM

Several games from the updated list currently have active Xbox marketplace offers on G2A.COM. Check the platform, region, edition, and activation method before buying.

Best Xbox Series X|S Action Games FAQ

What is the best action game on Xbox Series X|S?

Elden Ring remains the strongest all-round choice because of its combat depth, bosses, exploration, build variety, and replay value. Players who want a more traditional shooter should start with DOOM: The Dark Ages.

What are the best newer Xbox action games?

DOOM: The Dark Ages, Ninja Gaiden 4, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, South of Midnight, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Elden Ring Nightreign, and Beast of Reincarnation are among the strongest newer additions.

Which Xbox action game has the best melee combat?

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Ninja Gaiden 4 are the strongest choices for highly technical melee combat. Monster Hunter Wilds is better if you prefer slower weapon mastery and large boss encounters.

What is the best co-op action game on Xbox Series X|S?

Monster Hunter Wilds is excellent for long-term co-op progression, while Elden Ring Nightreign is better for shorter repeatable runs. Gears 5 remains a strong campaign co-op option.

Is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 really an action game?

It is primarily a turn-based RPG, but its real-time dodges, parries, aiming, and timing mechanics make player reactions a significant part of combat. That makes it a reasonable fit in a broader action-focused Xbox list.

Xbox Action Has Moved On Since 2024

The original version of this list included excellent games, but Xbox Series X|S has gained too many strong action releases to keep the same lineup forever.

Elden Ring, Sekiro, Cyberpunk 2077, Gears 5, Halo Infinite, and Hitman 3 still hold up. The difference is that they now share the stage with DOOM: The Dark Ages, Ninja Gaiden 4, Monster Hunter Wilds, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Nightreign, Clair Obscur, South of Midnight, Indiana Jones, and Beast of Reincarnation.

That makes the current Xbox action catalog much stronger, and considerably harder to reduce to only ten games.