Xbox has long been a home for fast, physical action, from stylish character-action games and brutal duels to arcade brawlers and boss-rush challenges. The Xbox One and Series X|S library covers every flavor, and most of the games below run smoothly on both generations. Each entry includes one honest drawback, because action games differ wildly in difficulty and pace.
1. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice#
FromSoftware's Sekiro released in March 2019 and swaps the usual Souls-style builds for a single, precise sword duel. You play a shinobi in Sengoku-era Japan, using a grappling hook, deflects and a posture meter to break enemies instead of just draining their health. Combat rewards rhythm and patience, and boss fights such as Genichiro and the Owl are standouts. It won Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2019. There is no difficulty setting and no co-op, so anyone who dislikes repeated failure should look elsewhere.
2. Devil May Cry 5#
Capcom's Devil May Cry 5 arrived in March 2019 and returned the series to its stylish best. You switch between Nero, who uses swappable robotic arms, the magic-wielding V, and the returning Dante, whose styles and weapons offer the deepest combo system. The ranking system pushes you to vary attacks, and the soundtrack fits the mood perfectly. The Series X|S edition adds Vergil as a playable character. The story is silly and the V sections feel slower, but mechanically it is a high point for the genre.
3. Hades#
Supergiant Games' Hades reached Xbox in 2021, a year after its full release, and turned the roguelike into a story-driven action game. As Zagreus, prince of the underworld, you fight out of Hades with a choice of weapons and boons granted by Olympian gods. Every escape attempt that ends in death advances the story, which keeps the loop satisfying. Combat is quick and responsive, and the voice acting is excellent. It won the BAFTA for Best Game in 2021. Players who want a fixed, handcrafted campaign may find the repetition frustrating.
4. Doom Eternal#
id Software's Doom Eternal launched in March 2020 and demands constant movement. You chainsaw enemies for ammo, use glory kills for health and swap weapons quickly, which turns each arena into a puzzle of resource management. Mick Gordon's heavy metal score drives the pace, and the campaign is packed with demons to learn. It is an intense first-person action game rather than a slow shooter. Some of the platforming sections and the lore-heavy story interrupt the pace, and the tempo can be exhausting in long sessions.
5. Hi-Fi Rush#
Tango Gameworks released Hi-Fi Rush in January 2023 on Xbox and PC, and it stands out for making the beat of the music part of combat. Chai, an aspiring rock star, fights robots in cel-shaded stages, and attacks and dodges land best when timed to the soundtrack. A cast of partners adds combos and a cheerful, well-written story. It is colorful, easy to pick up and generous with accessibility options. The combat depth is lighter than in the top-tier character-action games, and the campaign is fairly short.
6. Black Myth: Wukong#
Game Science's Black Myth: Wukong launched in August 2024 on PC and PS5, and came to Xbox Series X|S in August 2025. You play the Destined One, a monkey warrior with a staff, transformations and spells, on a journey inspired by Journey to the West. The bosses are spectacular and the environments are gorgeous, with a strong sense of Chinese mythology. Combat is demanding and leans on dodging and careful resource use. The pacing can be uneven, it is Series X|S only on Xbox, and some areas feel linear.
7. NieR: Automata#
PlatinumGames and Square Enix released NieR: Automata in February 2017, and it reached Xbox One in 2018. The android 2B and her companions fight machines in a ruined world, switching between slick hack-and-slash combat, bullet-hell shooting and side-scrolling segments. Yoko Taro's story rewards multiple playthroughs, and the music is among the best in games. The open areas look plain and some side quests are dull, but the combat and story together remain unforgettable.
8. Cuphead#
Studio MDHR's Cuphead released in September 2017 with hand-drawn 1930s cartoon animation that still looks unique. It is a run-and-gun game built around long boss fights, where every pattern has to be learned through failure. Controls are tight, bosses are inventive, and the jazz soundtrack is superb. Local co-op makes it more approachable with a friend. It is very hard, which will put off many players, and the run-and-gun levels are fewer than the bosses, so it is best for those who enjoy mastering patterns.
9. Dead Cells#
Motion Twin's Dead Cells reached consoles in August 2018 and mixes roguelike structure with a Metroidvania-style action platformer. You fight through a changing castle with fast, responsive combat, dozens of weapons and strong movement. Every run differs, and permadeath pushes you to learn enemy patterns. The pixel art is crisp, and updates have added a large amount of content. Some players will dislike losing progress and repeating early areas, and the balance between weapons can vary, but the combat feel is excellent.
10. Monster Hunter: World#
Capcom's Monster Hunter: World launched in January 2018 and brought the series to a far wider audience. You hunt huge monsters in living ecosystems, learning their behavior, crafting gear from their parts and choosing among fourteen very different weapons. Online hunts with friends are the highlight. It is demanding, slow to explain itself, and its systems can overwhelm new players. The late-game grind for better gear is the real goal and is not for everyone.
11. Yakuza 0#
Sega's Yakuza 0 is a prequel set in 1988 Japan, following Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima through the neon districts of Kamurocho and Sotenbori. It combines brawling that changes with each fighting style, a dramatic crime story and absurd side activities like karaoke and real-estate management. It reached Xbox One in 2020, several years after launching on PlayStation. The fights are satisfying, and the writing has real heart. It is a slower, talkative game, and the story is long, so fans of nonstop action may prefer something faster.
12. Lies of P#
Round8 Studio's Lies of P launched in September 2023 and reimagines Pinocchio as a dark Souls-like set in a decaying Belle Epoque city. You fight puppet-like enemies with a blade and a modular weapon system, and perfect guards are central to combat. Boss fights are tense, and the atmosphere is excellent. It borrows heavily from FromSoftware's design, so it offers few surprises to veterans, and some difficulty spikes are sharp. Still, it is one of the strongest games in its style on Xbox.
13. Batman: Arkham Knight#
Rocksteady closed its Arkham trilogy with Batman: Arkham Knight in June 2015. Gotham is an open city you traverse by glide, grapple and Batmobile, and the Freeflow combat system turns fights into fluid chains of counters and gadgets. The city is detailed and the story is dramatic. Tank battles in the Batmobile are repetitive and too frequent, and some of the side content feels like filler, but the core combat and stealth remain some of the best in superhero games.
14. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge#
Tribute Games and Dotemu released Shredder's Revenge in June 2022 as a love letter to arcade beat-'em-ups. You pick one of the turtles, or other characters later, and fight through the classic cartoon's enemies with a bright pixel style and a great soundtrack. Local co-op for up to six players is a highlight. It is short and fairly simple, with limited depth compared with more technical brawlers, but it is a joyful couch game that works well for a night with friends.
15. Dragon Ball FighterZ#
Arc System Works released Dragon Ball FighterZ in January 2018, and it turns the anime into a fast 3-on-3 fighter that looks like a playable episode. Simple auto-combos let newcomers pull off spectacular moves, while a deeper system of assists and mix-ups keeps competitive players busy. The art style is superb. Its story mode is repetitive and the roster feels limited without additional content. It is a great entry point to fighting games for fans of the series.
16. Katana Zero#
Askiisoft's Katana Zero, published by Devolver Digital, launched on PC and Switch in April 2019 and reached Xbox One in October 2020. It is a neo-noir side-scrolling action game. You play an assassin who can slow time, and every enemy and you die in a single hit, so each room becomes a puzzle of timing. The stylish pixel art and synth soundtrack give it strong personality, and the story has intriguing twists. It takes only a few hours to finish and some sections can feel trial-and-error, but it stays memorable.
17. Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor#
Monolith Productions released Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor in September 2014 with its famous Nemesis System, in which orcs remember you, get promoted after killing you and develop personalities. Combat borrows from the Arkham games with counters and stealth kills, and it fits the setting well. The story is forgettable and the open world repeats itself, but the system was so influential that it still feels distinctive, and it remains a fun way to play an action game on Xbox One.