Best Action Game Maps

Action games abound in the video game industry to a degree I occasionally find overwhelming, as it seems the interactive medium struggles to avoid violent verbs.

That said, it would be completely hypocritical of me to omit the fact that many of my favorite games belong to this genre, given I grew up with them and, to this day, I still enjoy their lighthearted, exciting, and belligerent gameplay.

However, even though these titles prioritize the strictly mechanical aspects, some elements are often overlooked by the public, such as the spatial setting in which the adventures unfold.

Therefore, in order to demonstrate that experiences of this style can also offer great layouts, I invite you to read this list of the ten best action game maps.

10 God of War III

The Majesty of Olympus

As someone who spent over a decade on God of War 2's cliffhanger, it's impossible to describe the sheer satisfaction of the unrestrained, visceral, and undeniably bloody action of conquering Olympus in God of War III.

While this game prioritizes combat over puzzle-solving, which felt more balanced in previous installments, it's still a spectacular setting for one of the most memorable trilogy finales of all time.

Progressively ascending the mythical mountain, battling the gods and their unique circumstances, is an indescribable adrenaline rush, including the moments when you fall or even the blessed stairs of Hera's Garden.

It's not the most complex or varied level design, though it's the perfect environment to carry out the most long-awaited revenge in the video game industry, with visual spectacle and tone perfectly suited to make God of War III a magnificent hack-and-slash experience.

9 Darksiders

A Religious Apocalypse

I'm a Darksiders fanatic like few others in the history of humankind, constantly recommending each game and praising them for their hack-and-slash brilliance.

Each title in the series stands out for a different reason, but the first one's The Legend of Zelda influence makes it particularly noteworthy for its use of the IP's most prominent setting, with numerous fascinating puzzles and dungeons that keep you on your toes every time you unlock a new tool.

Despite being a traditional post-apocalyptic environment with limited human interaction, Darksiders' brilliance lies in its gameplay, in how seamlessly the different areas of the world connect as your arsenal of abilities grows, and you master War's powers.

It's like a modest Metroidvania, but with visceral third-person combat, superb combos, and an equally amazing story. This post is to praise the franchise's origin, but also to recommend all the installments in their entirety.

8 Metro: Last Light

Living Underground

All the affection I feel for Darksiders stems from a motivation similar to my love for Metro, based on the understanding that these are remarkably underrated names despite their immeasurable contributions to their genres.

In the case of Metro: Last Light in particular, we're talking about an outstanding adventure whose immersion breaks conventional standards, achieving this not only through its diegetic mechanics and minimalist presentation but also through the atmospheric nature of its world.

The entire franchise is renowned for its striking duality of settings, oscillating between the claustrophobia of the subway and the dangers of the wilderness, which are combined perfectly in Last Light, with constant action, escapes, and even stealth sequences that keep you on the edge of your seat.

Seeing humanity flourish in such adverse circumstances, exploring the remnants of a civilization that no longer exists as we knew it, and trembling at the approach of the Nosalis make this post-apocalyptic Russia a genuine marvel to explore… from the safety of our homes.

7 Devil May Cry

On Vacation on Mallet Island

Given its Resident Evil heritage, Devil May Cry pays an unusually high level of attention to level design for a hack-and-slash game, especially considering its single-location setting.

Unlike the genre standard, which typically takes us on grandiose epic journeys across numerous areas, Mallet Island is the sole focus of the series' first installment, and it perfectly fulfills its role of feeling like a place brimming with power and secrets.

With bosses that pursue you through multiple sites, connections between different parts of the island that make you feel like you're inside a fantasy castle, and teleportations to alternate realities, it's a game that knows how to circumvent its limitations, making every inch feel like a meter.

Add to that the fixed camera angles, the alternating between enclosed and wide-open rooms, and even the unfortunate underwater sequences, and Devil May Cry becomes a charming marvel despite the passage of time.

6 Max Payne

The Finest New York is Noir

Among the genres that don't pay much attention to the geographical composition of their spaces, I'd say third-person shooters also fall into this category, especially due to the reduction of everything to covers, which, thankfully, Max Payne doesn't suffer from.

Instead of making you a static being who just moves from one corner to another, the game energizes each section in a sensational and highly advanced way for its time, with all sorts of dynamic locations where you jump, run, dive, do parkour, dodge explosions, and shoot everyone in slow motion.

Despite not playing it at launch, I couldn't help but be amazed by each new mission, since the title completely rejects the idea of ​​feeling like it's putting you through two identical circuits, which is evident both in the verticality and non-linearity of the corridors and in the gameplay challenges themselves.

Max Payne is a true masterpiece that the genre should look back to in order to revitalize itself, because only a variety and identity like that of this police thriller can bring greatness back to it.

5 Deus Ex: Human Revolution

A Not So Distant Future

Whenever I make lists dedicated to specific genres, I feel like I'm cheating when I include Deus Ex: Human Revolution because of its immersive sim nature, though I suppose it's not my fault the game does everything so well.

Among its standout features, the map has always struck me as one of the most fascinating, brimming with playable and narrative points of interest that truly compel you to hack every last strand of code and explore every last air vent.

With a semi-open level design geared towards diverse playstyles and a subtly futuristic aesthetic with an easily recognizable color palette, stepping into Adam Jensen's shoes is captivating in every sense of the word, whether you're infiltrating corporations or traversing the city's sewers.

While the areas aren't overly large, the game's interactivity more than compensates, providing all the necessary content and making Deus Ex: Human Revolution a dense yet consistently engaging experience.

4 ULTRAKILL

The Best Descent into Hell

Hell has been depicted countless times across all cultural media, and video games are among those with several remarkable results, just as ULTRAKILL demonstrates.

It always feels strange to include it on so many lists, considering it's an early-access title, but the game simply excels with its fast-paced gunplay, exciting movement mechanics, and, of course, its iconic levels and enemies.

Each new chapter in this descent into the depths of hell involves penetrating a new layer of mythological quality, with secrets accessible only to the most skilled players and those who are eager to explore the true face of this subterranean world.

At first glance, it's just walls of earth covered in lava and the occasional giant king against a purple sky, though when you delve deeper, you realize ULTRAKILL has such a wonderfully beautiful and functional layout that all you can do is praise it.

3 Prey

No Vessel Like the Talos I

There are certain video games that manage to make you one with their setting thanks to the way they blend it with the gameplay, and few examples are better than Prey to illustrate this point.

At first, Talos I is this monstrous space station with intricate technology and terrifying enemies, but then it transforms into a playground where you can unleash your understanding of the mechanics.

Its walls tell the story of what preceded our arrival, and its threats reveal what will happen if we don't stop them, exhibiting a tremendous synergy between narrative and gameplay that makes finding a new data log as fascinating as navigating the ship without getting lost or destroying enemies without exhausting your resources.

Prey's map grows as the player grows, always leaving room so that the desire to explore it thoroughly never wanes until you've seen everything. Its progression is perfect, largely because the environment knows exactly when to reveal what you need to see.

The game's intro, the first time you go out into space, the initial shortcuts, the rooms you stumble upon by accident… Everything reflects a spontaneous adventure that really gets under your skin, which is only possible given the immersion generated by its confines.

2 BioShock

Rapture is an Icon

The reason so many games try to imitate BioShock and fail miserably, even though it's always been the same, is Rapture, among the best settings ever crafted for a video game.

Yes, it's a title that excels in its script, characters, and narrative, but what truly sets it apart is the environment it inhabits, whose personality and presence are greater than anything the average game can aspire to.

The very first descent into the bathysphere, accompanied by Andrew Ryan's welcoming words, has more substance and impact than entire campaigns, and that sense of transcendence never leaves the game.

Exploring the ruined civilization of Rapture is a process as terrifying as it is archeological, with a superb contextual narrative that explains the story as the player chooses to learn it, also shaping the way stories would be told in video games for years to come.

It's not just about the unparalleled art direction, which BioShock possesses in abundance. Instead, the real feat lies in the prominence of the background over the character, something I dare say has never been achieved in any other title.

1 Bloodborne

The Most Glorious Nightmare

While I don't think Bloodborne is the genre's best game in terms of bosses or gameplay systems, it's almost impossible to deny it's FromSoftware's most outstanding title when it comes to story, themes, and, of course, atmosphere.

Yharnam is a setting as intriguing as it is unsettling, making use of a Lovecraftian foundation perfectly suited to instill a constant feeling of never quite grasping the true scale of things, only to eventually confirm it.

Its combination of Victorian architecture and clothing with beasts drawn from European folklore and cosmic horror makes each step more impressive than the last, transforming from a plague-ridden city into the epicenter of a dreamlike battle for collective consciousness.

Yharnam's transformation from one facet to another coincides with the plot and gameplay to create an otherworldly coherence, presenting two titles that seem contradictory but actually complement each other as they ascend from a human form to a celestial one.

All of the developer's games have exquisite settings, though when it comes to atmosphere, Bloodborne's interconnectivity and incomparable audiovisual essence are too powerful not to put them above all else.