Action Games That Double as Deep Role-Playing Epics

Fallout 76 (Bethesda Softworks, PS4, Xbox One, PC)

If there’s any series that can put a silver lining on the mushroom cloud of a nuclear apocalypse, it’s the Fallout role-playing games, which mix zany anything-goes gameplay with 1950s atom-bomb hysteria in an open world crawling with mutant nightmares. This sequel is the largest and zaniest yet, offering a new option for postapocalyptic survival: multiplayer cooperative gameplay.

You are a survivor of Vault 76, a subterranean prepper community, tasked with scouring the surface realm for supplies 25 years after the mushroom clouds have cleared. Although lone-wolf types can still trek solo, you’ll find the game easier with a little help from your non-mutated friends. Squad up online with three fellow vault dwellers to undertake missions for the survival of your colony.

While previous entries let you explore irradiated versions of New England and Las Vegas, Fallout 76 unleashes players in a region that’s wild even by today’s pre-nuked standards: West Virginia. The state’s mountains, towns, and landmarks have been faithfully reproduced in post-nuked form and split into six regions. Each landscape crawls with nuclear horrors: cannibalistic humans, radioactive bears, dragon-size bats, and beasts inspired by backwoods folklore. A new combat system lets you confront foes in real-time as in a typical first-person shooter while using the tactical elements of the slower-paced past installments. In other words, you can play tactically or just shoot shit.

The game packs a broad payload of guns and ammo, from muzzle-loading pistols to flesh-broiling laser cannons. Hard-core role-playing fans can tweak hundreds of character-development perks. You’ll build a unique survivor and assemble settlements that you can manage with an iron fist. Eventually, you and your squad will find nuclear codes that unleash atomic hellfire on enemy settlements, perpetuating the cycle of mutually assured destruction and spawning more powerful mutants in the contaminated hellscape of West Virginia.

Hitman 2 (Warner Bros., PS4, Xbox One, PC)

Peer through the heightened senses of Agent 47, the genetically-bred assassin, in this sequel that accurately portrays the trials and triumphs of the world’s second-oldest profession. You’ll need to sniff out betrayals, pack the right tools, and choose the path of least resistance as you track down six high-profile targets around the world while trying to avoid early retirement yourself.

Middle Earth: Shadow of War Definitive Edition (Warner Bros., PS4, Xbox One, PC)

Set between events depicted in those Hobbit movies and Led Zeppelin’s “Ramble On,” Shadow of War gives you free rein to stymie the evil Sauron’s APB for the One Ring. Spared foes hold grudges and use your own tactics against you, so don’t be afraid to use scorched-Middle Earth tactics. This deluxe edition includes four massive expansions and a trove of bonus loot.

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey (Ubisoft, PS4, Xbox One, PC)

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey transplants its scowling antihero from the recent past to ancient history. You’re once again tasked with taking out historical figures as efficiently as possible, except now the character-building aspects of the series are ramped up to match the Hellenistic hyperbole of Greek mythology. Forge relationships and build a myriad of abilities both real and mythical.

Underworld Ascendant (505 Games, PC)

The spiritual sequel to Ultima Underworld, one of the most celebrated role-playing games of all time, Ascendant takes the tropes of ye olde dungeon-crawling adventures and adds the play-it-your-way style of modern sandbox games. Your mission is simple: sojourn to the darkest depths of a dungeon and slay a great evil with any combination of swords, sorcery, and/or sneakiness.