Top Action Games On Nintendo Switch And Mobile: A Comprehensive Guide

What are the best action games? Join us as we take you through some of the best action games on Nintendo Switch and mobile. While many of these games contain fantasy or sci-fi elements, there’s no denying that straight-up awesome battles are the bread and butter of these titles. From epic RPGs to thrilling shooter experiences, there's something here for every type of player.

With an ever-growing selection of games, players often find themselves overwhelmed with choices. If you’re after a specific line of games, we have guides covering Mario games, Zelda games, Pokémon games, The Witcher games, and Candy Crush that are worth a read. Or, if you want to explore genres that often complement action games, check out our adventure games, ARPGs, and Switch RPGs articles. This guide aims to highlight the standout titles that are worth your time and attention.

Here are the best action games on Nintendo Switch and mobile:

Dark Souls – Switch

Welcome to Lordran, a place where the action never stops. As an action RPG, Dark Souls has all the combat you can dream of, allowing you to approach things in a different way each time you start a new playthrough. I like having a long, sharp sword and flipping my way around my enemies, but that’s not the approach I recommend for new players, especially as the Dark Souls ring you need to dodge like that takes a considerable amount of effort to get.

To put it bluntly, Dark Souls is one of the best RPGs of all time, going on to essentially create an entire genre with its success. Though a lot of action is present here, it has a spot on our hard games list for a reason – you’ll die, die, and die again in this one. Still, it’s worth it for the convoluted lore you need to piece together yourself to truly uncover the events of this world. If you want a head start in learning the lore, our Dark Souls Gwyn guide is the perfect place to begin, as he’s the reason the world is in such disarray, desperately clinging to his age of fire.

As with most RPGs, there are various stats for you to increase through leveling up. These determine what sort of build you have – you can have dexterity, strength, pyromancy, miracle, and sorcery builds, or a combination if you want to. Admittedly, magic is a very good choice, but I prefer getting up close and personal with melee combat. No matter what sort of play style you have, you can tailor your Dark Souls experience to it, though the Dark Souls bosses are sure to give you a hard time no matter what you do.

Dark Souls bonfires are your saving grace in this world, while Dark Souls’ divine weapons can save your heiny in the Catacombs and Tomb of the Giants, so make sure you learn about those. We also have Dark Souls Gwyndolin, Dark Souls Artorias, and Dark Souls Sif guides if you want to know more about some of the characters found within. Or, for more videogames like this, check out our lists of the best Soulslike games and games like Dark Souls.

Genshin Impact – mobile

How could we possibly make an action games list and not mention HoYoverse’s massively popular RPG? Genshin Impact took the world by storm in 2020, and it’s showing no sign of slowing down. If anything, things continue to ramp up with the constant updates and livestreams; it certainly keeps the Hoyo team busy, and our Genshin Impact Sumeru review is a testament to that.

Considering it’s an RPG, it should come as no surprise that Genshin features plenty of action for you to sink your teeth into. You find yourself in the world of Teyvat and must journey across its seven nations as you search for your twin after being separated upon your arrival in this strange land. Luckily for you, there are many enigmatic characters for you to meet, though this does mean that you often find yourself running errands or helping out various people.

Thanks to the Genshin Impact banners, you can summon characters to join your team, helping you out in combat. It’s worth noting that there are seven elements in Genshin Impact, one for each nation, and each character shares an affinity with one of these elements, giving them access to unique attacks in battle. The fact that each character has a different preference for weaponry also plays a part in how they perform in battle and whether or not they’re the best fit for your team.

If you decide to jump into this sprawling RPG, our Genshin Impact codes guide can give you a nice boost in primogems, adventurer’s experience, and fine enchantment ore. We also have a Genshin Impact tier list if you want to know who the best characters are and a list of the best games like Genshin Impact if you’re after similar experiences.

Bayonetta 3 – Switch