Summary
The perspective that a game is presented in is much more than just a stylistic choice. It paints the way a game world is perceived. For isometric games, it’s about showing details in a world that otherwise wouldn’t be seen from a different angle. Action games in this style take it a step further still, allowing for a better view of everything from the arena to attacks headed the players' way.
Naturally with this type of game, developers have taken it upon themselves to craft some of the most wicked gauntlets in gaming. Interestingly enough, some of them also might make a person want to punch a wall.
Run and Gun Through a Futuristic World
Ruiner
RUINER is a brutal action shooter set in the year 2091 in the cyber metropolis Rengkok. A wired psychopath lashes out against a corrupt system to uncover the truth and retrieve his kidnapped brother under the guidance of a secretive hacker friend. Combine preternatural reflexes, augmented tools, and the arsenal of fallen foes to tear down and dismantle the corporate titans of virtuality dealers at HEAVEN.Sophisticated & Brutal Combat: RUINER features lightning fast combat that requires a delicate balance of overwhelming, brute force, and elegant strikes to overcome all manner of savage opponents. Blast through crowds or slow down time and hand select your points of attack before unleashing a storm of violence on the battlefield.Cyberpunk Inspired Arsenal: Equip all manner of high-tech firearms and melee weapons to ruin all that oppose you. Employ state of the art gadgets like energy shield, dash augmentations, and the switch gun stun or hack the opposition onto your side of the fight.Story-Driven Action: Violent confrontation is a means to an end and trust is a devalued currency in Rengkok as you navigate a senseless world with the help of a mysterious hacker friend.Exceptional Soundtrack: Explore and battle to the intense beats of Sidewalks & Skeletons, Zamilska, Antigone & Francois X, DJ Alina and famed anime composer Susumu Hirasawa (Paprika, Millennium Actress).
What Makes This Isometric Action Game Great?
Ruineris afast-paced twin-stick shooterset in a dystopian future full of hackers and evil corporations. These ideas are par for the course in a futuristic world like this.
There are no special bells or whistles to speak of inRuiner.It’s just a tough, run-and-gun action game with 3 difficulty levels and a skill tree that can be re-organized at any time. The variety of enemies can get overwhelming, especially on hard mode, but this is one of the more forgiving games listed here.
Children ofMortais a beautiful 2D hack-and-slash adventure with an awe-inspiring pixelated art style. Playing as a chosen member of the Bergson family, the player must traverse the game’s procedural dungeons to save a mountain that the family calls home.
The player picks a family member according to their playstyle and gets to work hacking and slashing. Of course, mileage may vary when it comes to a game like this, so it’s best to go into it for the main purpose of taking in its stunning world.
Explore aprocedurally generated dungeonby night and return to sell the spoils to the public by day. This addicting and truly original gameplay is what drivesMoonlighter, as opposed to a traditional narrative.
There is lore to be found, explaining the state of things inside the dungeon. However, it’s very easy to ignore among all the harrowing combat rooms and boss battles. The struggle plays off, though, as the profits from each day’s item sales are used to purchase helpful items and upgrades for the next run.
Dead Nation
THE WORLD HAS ENDED!
A viral epidemic has ravaged the planet and infected almost everyone, leaving flesh-hungry zombies to roam the Earth. InDead Nationfor PS3, you’ll play as either Jack McReady or Scarlett Blake – two survivors who’ve somehow remained impervious to the devastating virus. Your goal: fight through zombie-infested streets, buildings and swamps in order to escape your home city and find the only cure that can save humanity.
Along the way, you’ll not only contend with hundreds of zombies, but also various “ex-humans” who’ve mutated into hideous creatures of the night. Escaping won’t be easy — but who said a zombie apocalypse would be a walk in the park?
Think you’ve got what it takes to survive this brand-new game from the creators ofSuper Stardust HD? Let’s find out. Grab your controller, hit the streets and start cleaning house!
Dead Nation: Apocalypse Editionhas only had some updated textures and character models given to it since its original release in 2013, but that just means it’s the same ridiculously difficult twin-stick shooter it always was. Blow through tons of flesh-eaters alone or with a pal, using everything from guns to dynamite.
The environment is meant to be exploited as well. For instance, shooting a car will set its alarm off, attracting any nearby horde. Shoot it a few more times and watch it start raining chunks.Dead Nationis perfect for anyone who can’t get enough of the gory zombie genre that has captured the hearts of so many over the years.
Magic and Dodging are the Key to Survival
Death’s Door
Reaping souls of the dead and punching a clock might get monotonous, but it’s honest work for a Crow. The job gets lively when your assigned soul is stolen, and you must track down a desperate thief to a realm untouched by death - where creatures grow far past their expiry and overflow with greed and power.Talon Sharp Combat: Utilize melee weapons, arrows, and magic to overcome a fantastic array of beasts and demigods. Mistakes are punished, and victory is rewarded. Gain an edge by customizing your character stats and mastering the abilities and upgrades you obtain.A Beautifully Bleak World: Venture beyond the Doors and explore a land full of twisted inhabitants and countless secrets, bringing hope to the weird and wonderful characters you’ll meet along the way.A Dark Mystery to Unravel: Track down and defeat colossal tyrants with stories and motivations of their own. Experience a somber yet darkly comedic tale, uncovering the truths behind the flow of souls, the role of the Crows, and the origin of the Doors.
Morbid and charming in the same breath,Death’s Dooris obsessed with the loss of life. In it, a bureaucratic entity that deals with the reaping of souls has secrets that the player uncovers by progressing through the three main zones of thegame, Metroidvania style.
Death’s Door’s challenge comes when contending with the varied combinations of enemies and their attack patterns, as well as the game’s beefy bosses who all have no health bar to speak of. The player character, Crow, has some tricks under their wing to protect themself, though, like a powerful fireball, and some well-timed dodge-rolls.
Tunicis by farthe cutest entryon this list, following a nameless fox who washes up on shore and must find their way in a post-apocalyptic world. The game’s sweet façade fades rather quickly as the brutality of its enemies and bosses becomes apparent.
The name of the game is to methodically plod through the land in search of items to beef up with, while also looking for pages of the in-game instruction manual that offer tasty bits of lore and gameplay instructions when deciphered.Tunicdoesn’t hold hands at all, but that’s exactly what makes it so gratifying to get through.
Zagreus, son of the title character, is sick of his daily life in the Underworld, and decides to take on droves of his dad’s forces to escape it. Death is constant, but each death brings the opportunity for more of the character interactions that developer Supergiant Games is known for.
Using boons received from various gods during each consecutive run, the playergrinds their way through each floordefeating enemies, which allows the purchase of permanent upgrades to help in future runs. Regardless of how powerful a weapon is, one false move and Zagreus will be sent floating down the river Styx.
Exanima’sgameplay is similar to games likeHuman Fall Flat, where the controlled character moves in a slow, drunken manner. Movements tend not to be pulled off exactly as imagined, and in combat one wrong move will see a trained knight rag-dolling across an arena.
Play through story mode or create another character andjoin arena modefor some good ol’ gladiatorial combat. With enough practice, movements become purposeful, weapons and their specific uses become apparent, and the game becomes a bit more manageable.
Be Mindful of a Bullet’s Trajectory at All Times
Helldivers
HELLDIVERS™ is a hardcore, cooperative, twin stick shooter. As part of the elite unit called the HELLDIVERS, players must work together to protect SUPER EARTH and defeat the enemies of mankind in an intense intergalactic war.A NEW GAME MODE: “Proving Grounds”. Take on challenging missions with unique modifiers. NEW loadout system with random- and favorite-loadout options. All previous expansions (A New Hell, Masters of theGalaxy, Turning Up The Heat and Democracy Strikes Back).Full friendly fire - “accidentally” kill your friends, again and again. Direct the full might of the military with a wide variety of Support Stratagems. Community-driven galactic campaign. A universe of worlds to liberate. 100+ hours of gameplay.
Twin-stick shooting has never been as hectic as it is when playingHelldivers.Four players choose a loadout and a planet to land on which determines the difficulty of a run. Then, select from 3 enemy types to fight while working through objectives. Complete or fail those assigned tasks before calling in a drop-ship for a quick escape.
On higher difficulties,Helldiversis absolutely brutal, especially sincefriendly fireis always on. Bullets fly in every direction, so at times a buddy’s skill at handling a gun means the difference between a failstate and a clean getaway.
Light Up the Arena or Give In to the Darkness
Curse of the Dead Gods
You sought untold riches, eternal life, the power of a god. It led to this accursed temple, a seemingly-infinite labyrinth of bottomless pits, deadly traps, and monsters.Collect swords, spears, bows, guns and many more alongside Relics that change your abilities and fuel your greed in new ways. Discover Dozens of unique, powerful curses influence each attempt, putting a twist on every action. One example includes Volatile Remains that sets your enemies on fire, and they will explode on death – hurting everything around them. Or you could try out Auric Malediction that lets Damage taken now be split between your health and gold pool. Stay alive, but stay poor.Dozens of enemies block your path, with powerful champions and deadly bosses to face off against should you make it.This isometric action roguelike is brought to you by developer Passtech Games and publisher Focus Entertainment for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, and Nintendo Switch.
Succumb to greed inCurse of the Dead Gods,a rogue-lite that sees the main character do just that while treasure-hunting through three procedural temples. This entry is tough, but if its systems are taken advantage of, runs become slightly less so.
Temple rooms are full of traps that can’t be seen in the dark. Choose to fight without lighting the room anyway tobuild the corruption meter, gaining curses that both help and harm during any given run. This risk/reward system helps makeCurse of the Dead Godsone of the most difficult rogue-lites there on the market.
