Summary
Double-A games are the unsung category falling between indie and Triple-A development.You can read more about the key differences between each here, but Double-A aims at hitting that elevated mark of Triple-A despite budgetary constraints and smaller development teams. And on certain occasions, they can even out Triple-A large studios.
These are the kind of quality Double-A games that are highlighted below. Whether you’re into FPS, open-world fantasy RPGs and Soulslikes, narrative-driven games, horror, or co-op adventures, these games have you covered and might be almost indistinguishable from Triple-A.
Atomic Heartis a Double-ABioShockclone, plain and simple. The inspirational mix of sci-fi and horror and allowing the protagonist to wield Polymer abilities that act essentially like Vigors and Plasmids make it seem all the more so. Also, instead of a U.S. city in the sky, the USSR made one of its own with all its advancements in developing AI and Polymer technologyin this altered history of the post-WW2 era.
The introduction to this game is astonishing and will hook you right away into the narrative that unfolds. The traversal and world design further pivot into a moreFar CryandDead Islandstyle, particularly the feel of the vehicle mechanics during exploration. Where Atomic Heart might lose you a little is its dialogue writing and voice-acting delivery.
Check out our3.5/5 star review of GreedFall!
You don’t have to buy into big Triple-A titles likeSkyrim,The Witcher 3, andDragon’s Dogma 2to get an immersive fantasy experience with excellent world-building and character creation. What Spiders was able to accomplish with GreedFall inthe open-world fantasy RPG genreis a perfect example — a game rich enough in lore and mythology to even warrant an entire prequel game.
What setsGreedFallapart as an RPG narrative isits major historical inspirations from the period of global colonizationrather than traditional medieval fantasy. As much as there’s combat built around magic and giant beasts on the mythical island of Teer Fradee, the game is largely centered around the themes of colonialism and the plight of the indigenous population (even in its very name).
Check out our3/5 star review of Alone in the Dark!
Don’t go intoAlone in the Darkexpecting a polished survival horror combat experience likeResident Evil 2 Remake, because that’s not what the heart of the game is. It’s more of a Southern Gothic horror noir puzzle game that immerses you in atmospheric environment design, lighting, audio, and Lovecraftian monsters.
This is meant to be a reimagining of the series, keeping some aspects faithful to the original 1992 game with new direction fromAmnesiaandSomawriter Mikael Hedberg, creature art from Guy Davis (Guillermo del Toro’s collaborator), and lead characters played by none other thanactors Jodie Comer and David Harbour. If you survey all the Alone in the Dark games since the original, 2024’s is a stellar entry.
Check out our3.5/5 star review of RoboCop: Rogue City!
Out of all theRoboCopvideo games that exist, Teyon delivered a winner with its 2023 title, RoboCop: Rogue City. This is the gamefor fans of the original movie series from the ’80s and early ’90s, and the FPS genre in general. The missions, locations, gunplay action, and UI that places you in Alex Murphy’s suit understand what was so iconic about Paul Verhoeven’s original film.
Even better, you have the original actor for RoboCop, Peter Weller, reprising the role of the titular protagonist, along with more Easter eggs hidden throughout the game. For Rogue City being a Double-A title, the weapon variety, skill system, and combat certainly don’t show it.
Check out our4/5 star review of Lies of P!
What’s not to love aboutLies of P? It’s the best and closest successor toBloodborneby far and interweaves an excellent storyline of necromancy, a plague, murderous puppets,and lore from Carlo Collodi’s The Adventures of Pinocchio. And yes, you get to play as Pinocchio in a Gothic Soulslike backdrop of Krat.
The atmosphere and story, along with its highly unique boss designs and enemies that are made of nightmares, also make it a compelling horror game. The parry mechanic, legion arm customization, weapons, NPCs, and world design will have you deceived into thinking it’s a FromSoftware title.
Check out our4/5 star review of Helldivers 2!
Double-A gaming just can’t get enough of Paul Verhoeven. Not only do you have RoboCop: Rogue City, but now also a game so clearly inspired by his 1997 film Starship Troopers in all but name, and some might even say far superior to the licensedStarship Troopers: Exterminationgame that launched in 2023.
It’s, of course,Helldivers 2, a grand sci-fi co-op adventure where you must kill giant space bugs that swarm and inhabit hostile planets all in the name of Super Earth!There are lots of satirical momentsand funny dialogue, excellent combat and alien designs, and plenty of fun to be enjoyed with your fellow Helldivers. Do your part!
Check out our4.5/5 star review of A Plague Tale: Innocence!
If you wantThe Last of Usequivalent in the Double-A sphere, Asobo Studio’sA Plague Talegames are truly the most identical in theme, characters, and gameplay. It’s also surprising what the series was able to achieve from a cinematic, emotional, and horror standpointfrom a team that also gave you Microsoft Flight Simulator, Monopoly, and 2017’s Zoo Tycoon remaster.
The series takes place in Medieval France where a fictional scourge of rats has descended on the land, feasting on everything and everyone in sight. You control siblings Amicia and Hugo de Rune, the latter of whom has a connection to the plague that puts a target on their backs. It grapples with puzzles, stealth, and the harrowing themes of the loss of innocence.
Check out our5/5 star review of Life is Strange: True Colors!
Don’t Nod Entertainment is one of the masters of producing quality Double-A story-driven adventures. While it has been leaning more into the Soulslike genre lately with releases such asVampyrandBanishers: Ghosts of New Eden,Life is Strangewill always be its most well-known and iconic contribution to gaming.
All three mainline games (five if you include the Before: The Storm prequel and prologue The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit) are an episodic anthology that follows new characters wrapped up in an emotional storyline dealing with supernatural powers. It also has some of the most relatable and heartwarming moments and character development you’ll see in games.
2021’s Life is Strange: True Colors was developed by Deck Nine and was the first game to forgo the episodic release model at launch.
Check out our4.5/5 star review of It Takes Two!
When you beat out massive Triple-A titles like Capcom’sResident Evil Village, Arkane’sDeathloop, the gorgeous next-gen platformerRatchet & Clank: Rift Apart, and evenMetroid Dreadfor Game of the Year, you know you’re doing something right.It Takes Twois special like that.
This game comes from designer Josef Fares and Hazelight Studios, which specializes in heavy narrative co-op and teamwork-driven titles likeA Way OutandBrothers: A Tale of Two Sons. The premise of It Takes Two is cuter and more heartwarming,exploring the love between a husband and wife, Cody and May, who transform into dolls and go through a series of puzzle-platformer trials to save their marriage.
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrificewill always be peak Double-A gaming, as nothing can come closer to bordering on Triple-A than this wonderful gem based around psychosis and a harrowing Celtic descent into hell. It’s part historical horror, part emotional tale, and features excellent hack-and-slash combat and visuals to rival that of Sony’sGod of War.
While the sequel is surely set to surpass what the first game has accomplished in terms of graphics and set pieces, Hellblade set the standard for the researching and handling of sensitive trauma and mental illness subject matter in video game storytelling. Infusing all that heavy materialwith Celtic and Norse mythologyis an added cherry on top.
