Welcome to the Winter 2016 Watch Out for Fireballs! Action/Adventure Game Poll! It's time to get real dumb.

Big flashy mash-em-ups are a dime a dozen, but we've assembled a list of our favorite examples of this genre, each of them doing something cool with storytelling, world design, or mechanics.

You can find the poll at the very bottom of this page. I want to take some time to get you acquainted (or reacquainted) with the options before you vote. Thanks so much for backing us on Patreon. I hope you're as excited for this as we are.

THE DEADLINE IS FRIDAY, JANUARY 8 at MIDNIGHT EASTERN TIME.


THE OPTIONS

Supergiant Games, 2011. PC, XB360, PS3, misc.

Bastion is a modern take on classic top-down action-adventure games, probably best known for its unique narrator-driven story and world. It's colorful, fun, and more than a little poignant. Let's build that wall.

Ninja Theory, 2010. PC, XB360, PS3.

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West is a dystopian sci-fi retelling of the classic Chinese folktale, "Journey to the West". Except instead of Goku, you've got an empathetic brute... and the young girl who enslaved him out of necessity. This is Ninja Theory's most successful attempt at cinematic action games, and it's a game that more people need to play.

SCE Santa Monica Studios, 2005. PS2.

God of War helped define what action games look and feel like in the modern era. For all of its problematic sex and violence, there's a ton of flashy and satisfying combo work to be had here. It's also very easy to get ahold of if you own a modern Sony system.

Crystal Dynamics, 1999. PSX, Dreamcast, PC.

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver takes the top-down Kain games into a 3D, Zelda-like world. Instead of draining people's blood, you suck their souls... and solve puzzles in a very dark and vibrant world.


THE POLL

Are you nice and acquainted with the options? Good. Now it's time to choose. Use the poll below to make your choice. Remember, the deadline is midnight on Friday, January 8 (Eastern Time).

Thanks for voting, and thanks for continuing to back us on Patreon. We continue to be humbled and bolstered by your loyal support.