Everyone loves a good action game. Since the era of arcade machines, action games have been a staple of the genre, inspiring countless developers and studios to put out new iterations on the genre. Some games are bloody hack-and-slash types, others take a more narrative approach.
It’s a genre with a fairly wide tent to define what an action game is, and as a result, fans and critics often find themselves butting heads on how to appreciate different types of games.
While some critical reviews will often highlight clunky combat systems, or a shallow world surrounding a games world, fans, who may have more time and passion to dive deep into these combat systems, might rally around a game despite its flaws.
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None of these games are bad, but they aren’t the world-beaters that the reviews would have you believe.
That’s why, today, we’ll look at 10 action games where the user score is higher than the critic score. Because who doesn’t like exploring how two groups can appreciate something differently? That’s sociology baby.
10
Crimson Desert
88 User vs 77 Critic
Crimson Desert may just be one of the most bizarre phenomena to happen in gaming discourse this year. The game was originally intended as an MMORPG, but it shifted course during development into a single-player action-RPG. As a result, the skeleton of the MMO is still there: weak plot, massive open world with endless zones to explore, shallow main character, janky combat. These were all aspects that brought it down in the eyes of reviewers, but players had a different take.
Given the game’s frustrating approach to its user experience, it made sense. There weren’t many fast-travel points, the game’s controls worked against player intuition, and again, the story is told so poorly. Throw in the game’s controversial review period matched with the scale of content, and it’s fair that reviewers didn’t click with it the same way players did.
After some much-needed quality of life patches came through, players were able to have a far better time with the game shortly after its launch. Coupled with the desire to play a game of this size and really sink their teeth into it, it makes sense why this game is great for fans wanting a world to lose themselves in, and have the time to do so. Even though its narrative is bad, there’s also plenty of lore spread throughout the game to make the world more engaging than it seems on a surface level.
9
Black Myth: Wukong
82 User vs 81 Critic
Black Myth: Wukong is a gorgeous Soulslike game, with a varied boss roster with several stand-out moments that keep surprising you even up to its final battle. For whatever reason, this game, like Crimson Desert, would find itself at the center of a big online culture war pitting critics and players against each other. But as you can tell by the measly one point difference, this was all moot as the consensus seems to mostly be the same.
On release, the game was praised for its addictive action combat, gorgeous cinematics, and unique retelling of Journey to the West’s mythology. You couldn’t go past even the most mixed reviews without seeing them concede that it was, without a doubt, a fun time.
That’s not to say it’s a flawless action game, though. Some critics and players alike would highlight that while bosses are a standout, it’s the moments inbetween these battles that fall a bit short. The world design is somewhat bland and far too linear. Which for gamers old enough to remember, were complaints made about Asura’s Wrath, which was almost like a precursor to Black Myth: Wukong.
8
Darksiders 3
70 User vs 64 Critic
To say Darksiders 3 was a disappointment would be an understatement. After its publisher THQ went under, it was looking likely we’d never get another entry in the Darksiders franchise. That is, until a band of former devs took on the mantle and developed a third title in the series at their new fledgeling studio. This one would follow the horseman Fury, a more hot-headed protagonist compared to previous heroes. She’d also now wield a whip, which would mark the game’s transition from a hack-and-slash style of combat to incorporate Soulslike elements.
The game was fairly janky at the time of release, which soured some critics on the overall experience. Critics noted frequent performance issues, even on the highest-end hardware available at the time. The game’s pivot to a more Soulslike experience was also met with a middling reception, and I can’t blame them. The combat feels much more sluggish to manage, especially against groups of enemies. Throw in a clunky lock-on camera, and it makes fighting simple mobs in the overworld a more tedious activity than it has to be.
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Last but not least, the story did little favor for itself by effectively retreading the same story beats as previous games, making this entry feel somewhat redundant in the grand scheme of the series. Still, fans looking forward to the next chapter in the series, they were more than happy to stomach these issues if it meant getting to play another Darksiders game.
7
Lies of P
84 User vs 80 Critic
We’ve seen countless Soulslike games over the years, so by the time Lies of P came around, it’s fair to say some genre fatigue was starting to set in. Which is a shame, because out of every game inspired by FromSoft’s famous series, Lies of P is maybe the closest to succeeding it.
In this grim, dark reimagining of Pinocchio, you play as P (little guess as to who that is), who wakes up in the steampunk city of Karm. We quickly learn the city is overrun with terrifying mechanical puppets, and set off on a quest to save Geppetto, who we believe has been kidnapped by them. Throughout the game, we fight through various types of creepy puppets, learn about a human cult called “The Alchemists”, and through our choices, start to help P become more “human”.
The oppressive setting of a town gone to hell shortly before your arrival is a bit too reminiscent of Bloodborne, but man, does it work here. Lies of P’s unique spin on combat, focusing on parries and attacking bosses’ weak points to disarm them, adds a unique bit of skill expression to the genre, and one that’s incredibly satisfying to play through.
6
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2
63 User vs 61 Critic
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2
After Star Wars: Force Unleashed gave gamers a superb and brutal action title in the vein of God of War, it was only a matter of time before LucasArts would release an inevitable follow-up. Sadly, the game was noticeably rushed. Despite its impressive graphics upgrade, its short length, mediocre story, and ballooning power scaling within the Star Wars canon made it a mixed title among both critics and fans.
While critics and fans are mostly aligned on these points, fans are ever so slightly more lenient towards the game. Which should come as no surprise, as getting to spend more time with Starkiller is always nice, and this time, he gets two lightsabers, not just one! Given that the game is effectively one massive power fantasy wrapped in a rushed and unoriginal story, it’s not surprising some fans are able to appreciate it for what it is.
Even if it is somewhat shallow, sometimes you just want to play the McDonald’s equivalent of an action game and dismember arms from Stormtroopers.
5
Code Vein
75 User vs 70 Critic
Have you ever played Dark Souls and thought, “Man, I wish this was a shounen?” Well lucky for you, because Code Vein exists to fill that niche. As you might guess by critics and user scores, the game is a fairly serviceable attempt at blending those two genres together, but stops just at the cusp of greatness to make it a certified classic.
Of course, given the genre, it’s only expected that users would be more generous for the wish fulfillment as compared to critics who needed more substance. Which is exactly what critics would outline in their reviews, noting that it was a more shallow attempt at a Soulslike, lacking the series’ dynamic world design and careful enemy placement.
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A fair number of gamers, on the other hand, really appreciated its combat and could overlook some of its negative quirks, because getting to fight things with a big anime sword is all they really asked for. Which is fair enough, as that winning formula was enough to eventually release a sequel.
4
Stray Blade
64 User vs 60 Critic
Speaking of Dark Souls clones the public enjoyed more than critics, we have Stray Blade! This game is one that had some pretty interesting ideas, especially in regard to its color-coded parry and dodge mechanics. Unfortunately, it was let down by a number of technical issues and, if I’m honest, kind of ugly art style.
Ultimately, how fans felt about this one came down to how they appreciated its combat, and how lucky they were to avoid some of its most glaring bugs. It’s also fair to say that gamers love their Soulslikes, and are excited about any game that captures some of that magic while trying something new in the genre.
Still, only so much can help before broken hitboxes, shallow world design, and clunky enemy AI get in the way.
3
Days Gone
85 User vs 71 Critic
Before Crimson Desert became the idol of critics vs user online discourse, we had Days Gone.
This was a game that had immense hype behind it after a viral trailer that showed the playable character fending off an immense hoard of zombies was shown off at E3. It was a technical marvel at the time, and you better believe everyone, including myself, was keen to actually play it when it would eventually release. Sadly, it was a bit of a mess.
At launch, the game had countless bugs which heavily impacted its critical rating. The story was also fairly polarizing in that you either enjoyed the characters for who they were, or found them fairly cliché and detestable. Think Yellowstone, but with more zombies and less meandering dialogue about Ranch ownership.
Still, some gamers thought that critics were being a smidge too harsh on the game, swinging the pendulum of overcompensation to overcorrect reception of the title.
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The game would also get a second-life with its PC release years later, which fixed some of its more glaring tech issues at launch. With it managing to find a new audience, and now finally delivering on its immersive post-apocalypse sim, it’s become something of a cult classic over the years.
2
Crash of the Titans
70 User vs 65 Critic
Crash of the Titans is, to my knowledge, the only game (not tagged NSFW) to have the word “jacking” as a core mechanic, and that’s enough for me to put it in my personal top 10 of all time. Unfortunately, this wasn’t enough to spare it from critics’ ire, but perhaps it was just ahead of its time.
In this Crash Bandicoot adventure, Crash and team once again face off against the devious Doctor Neo Cortex, who manages to create an army of monstrous titans in a bid for world domination. To stop him, we need to make use of these Titans’ abilities by hijacking them, riding them to make use of their powers to fight enemies and solve puzzles.
Unfortunately, if you’re a long-term fan of the series, this game was a bit of a step-down. The game had transitioned from a unique platformer to a standard beat-em-up action game. This wouldn’t be a bad thing on its own, but the game was weighed down by shallow level design and fairly repetitive combat. Still, the game’s overall charm manages to carry it for fans of the series, so at least it has that for it.
1
Katana Zero
85 User vs 83 Critic
Katana Zero is a fantastic action game, and that’s something fans and critics can agree on. If you’re someone who loves speedrunning titles with immense skill potential, this game is absolutely for you. In saying that, given the high skill-ceiling needed to fully appreciate this game, it’s understandable why users would be far more into this than critics, who may not have had the time to fully realize its potential.
The game is built around its hyper-fast playstyle, with enemies taking only one-hit to kill (including yourself!), making for an intense and rewarding experience. Throw in a bold neo-noir setting that doesn’t feel shallow or simply cosmetic, and it’s easy to understand why it’s become a cult classic for fans of the 2D action space.
Is the difference between scores somewhat negligible? Sure, but I love this example, as it shows that critics and gamers alike can agree on something, even when a game is more niche and stylized. It’s a reminder that sometimes, rare examples like Days Gone and Crimson Desert are exactly that, and that disagreement is a healthy thing!
But at the end of the day, a score is just a score, and if you like a game that critics or users have differing views on it, then more power to you.
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