20 BEST 7 out of 10 Video Games

20 Best 7 out of 10 Video Games

Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we are taking a look at 20 awesome 7 out of 10 video games. Now, for some context here: these aren’t necessarily games that specifically scored a 7 out 10 in the reviews. It’s more of a saying (if you will) for above average games that have so much going for them, so many high notes, and are a lot of fun, but certainly have their flaws. However, these types of games are often more fun overall than the 9 or 10 out of 10 games out there. Also, this of course, is a highly subjective list. We easily could have featured loads more titles here that fit into this criteria but 20 seemed good to us. With all that shenanigans out of the way, let’s dive in!

“Atlas Fallen” (2023)

“Atlas Fallen” delivers a flawed but deeply enjoyable fantasy action-RPG that shines brightest when you are in motion. The game's crowning achievement is its exhilarating momentum, allowing you to fluidly surf across vast, beautiful locales and engage in high-flying, spectacle-filled combat and parkour with shapeshifting sand weapons. Tracking down massive monsters and systematically shattering their body parts is immensely satisfying, backed by a clever Momentum mechanic that rewards aggressive play with higher damage at the cost of taking more damage. However, the game is weighed down by a thoroughly generic fantasy narrative, stiff voice acting, and repetitive quest structures that make the world feel somewhat empty between major encounters. It will not revolutionize the genre, but for players seeking a flashy, fluid, and fast-paced action game with exceptional traversal mechanics, its high notes more than justify the ride.

“Sleeping Dogs” (2012)

“Sleeping Dogs” stands as an unforgettable cult classic that nails its gritty Hong Kong cinema atmosphere, even if its open-world sandbox feels noticeably dated. Rather than aping standard crime epics, this game elevated the formula through an emotionally charged undercover cop narrative led by Wei Shen, backed by a wonderfully visceral hand-to-hand martial arts combat system that turns ambient telephone booths, air conditioners, and neon signs into brutal execution devices. Searing street food, bustling neon night markets, and authentic triad melodrama breathe tremendous flavor into every corner of the map. The cracks show, however, whenever the game steps away from brawling: vehicle handling often feels floaty and imprecise, gunplay lacks punch, and the side activities—like repetitive police drug busts and mundane surveillance minigames—drift quickly into formulaic filler. Even so, its thrilling kung-fu brawls and gripping underworld drama ensure that its flaws never overshadow the raw excitement of its best moments.

“Darkwatch” (2005)

It’s an FPS set in the Weird West. You get vampires, supernatural shenanigans, Wild West imagery, gothic horror, and loads of explosive action. It’s absolutely great, if a bit by-the-numbers in terms of its actual FPS gameplay. Stepping into the spurs of the newly turned vampire outlaw Jericho Cross gives the game room to unleash macabre creativity, arming you with blade-tipped revolvers, crossbow rocket launchers, and supernatural powers like blood shields and vampire vision across eerie frontier ghost towns and haunted trains. The visceral shooting mechanics feel crunchy, fast, and remarkably satisfying, complemented by a simple morality mechanic granting distinct dark or light powers depending on how Jericho slakes his thirst. What drags the adventure down from the top tier, though, is its razor-thin four-to-six-hour campaign and severe asset and enemy repetition in the second half. Yet, for an afternoon spent galloping on an undead horse and blasting zombies with silver bullets, its sheer pulpy bravado makes the ride well worth dusting off an old console.

“Alone in the Dark” (2024)

I constantly champion this Southern gothic horror tale for its sublime atmosphere, sharp character writing, clever and varied playgrounds of exploration, albeit quite linear, and general sense of dread and tension. But, if I’m honest, it’s often let down by less-than-stellar combat, some uneven puzzles, and an ending that doesn't really feel all that satisfying - even if it is off the wall bonkers. You can play through two campaigns as either Edward Carnby or Emily Hartwood (both strong characters), with certain sections and intervals being swapped out and mixed about depending on who you are playing as. This leads to some great replayability and better overall context for the story at large. This game simply nails the vibes through and through, even when the action can get repetitive and stale. Despite its overall stiffness and super duper short runtime, “Alone in the Dark” thrusts you into an engaging Lovecraftian, jazz-soaked Southern gothic tale that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

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“The Saboteur” (2009)

“The Saboteur” remains a stellar example of an ambitious open-world concept that overcomes its unpolished edges through sheer stylistic brilliance. Pandemic Studios delivered a masterstroke with their artistic direction; namely, Nazi-occupied Paris begins as a stark, black-and-white noir landscape where color literally bleeds back into the streets as Irish mechanic-turned-freedom-fighter Sean Devlin inspires the local resistance. Climbing historical landmarks to plant dynamite, sneaking into heavily fortified bases, and engaging in chaotic street-level gunfights offer a playground of satisfying, explosive catharsis. However, the technical structural seams are hard to ignore. The climbing mechanics frequently feel sticky and frustratingly clunky, stealth systems can be maddeningly inconsistent, and the driving physics suffer from a floaty, detached sensation. While it lacks the mechanical refinement of its contemporaries, the striking visual metaphor of fighting back oppression makes this historical revenge fantasy an unforgettable ride that’s a heck of a lot of fun to play.

“Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn” (2024)

Gosh, this one is strange because it’s a truly enjoyable character-driven adventure with meaty, engaging, flashy combat. The world is unique and keeps you exploring even if your exploration isn’t always rewarded properly. Plus, it’s got a narrative and doesn’t outstay its welcome. It’s honestly really good. But, there is this strange overall feeling that the game isn’t quite finished and is missing stuff - like you’ve seen all it has to offer about halfway through, at least when it comes to weapons, tools, and items. The game shines when you weaponize the unexpected synergy between melee weapons, powder firearms, and magic. Playing as the vengeful sapper Nor Vanic alongside a mystical, fox-like deity named Enki, players can fluidly parry blade strikes with gunshot blasts, pull off flashy airborne execution chains, and use magical rifts to leap vertically across levels with exhilarating momentum. A clever, high-stakes combat multiplier rewards you with extra experience for chaining together completely different attack types, adding a great layer of stylistic tension.

“Kya: Dark Lineage” (2003)

“Kya: Dark Lineage” is an imaginative PS2 sleeper hit that channels the golden era of 3D action-platformers while carving out its own distinct, vibrant identity. Developed by Eden Games, the adventure captures lightning in a bottle by blending fluid traversal mechanics, tactical, if wonky, stealth, and a surprisingly robust combo-driven brawling-centric combat system used to cleanse and liberate oppressed creatures. These lofty multi-genre ambitions are awesome to be sure but are frequently undercut by a frustratingly uncooperative camera that routinely sabotages tricky platforming leaps. The game also suffers from padding-heavy economy loops for mandatory upgrades and a sudden, unresolved cliffhanger ending. Even with these rough edges, though, its gameplay variety and lush worlds ensure that anyone unearthing this classic will find a highly memorable journey.

“Burnout Revenge” (2005)

Where “Burnout 3: Takedown” is considered the absolute high note of the storied arcade racing series and “Burnout Paradise” being the series’ stellar open-world swan song, “Revenge” sits in this strange middle ground. It’s a remarkable polished arcade racer with all of the thrilling takedowns, crashing, and speed you’d expect from the franchise. It’s got great music, great tracks, great crash scenarios, and an unparalleled sense of speed and ferocity moment-to-moment. Plus, it's got a super lengthy career mode that will keep you entertained for dozens of hours. So, what lets it down then? Honestly, kinda cause it’s just more of the same that we saw in “Takedown.” Obviously, that’s not a bad thing by any stretch of the imagination. But it mostly iterated instead of reinvigorated. It went full petal to the metal on event to event mayhem instead of finding a brand new path forward. But , it does so with aplomb and style. Many arcade racing fans seemed to miss this frantically fun experience, instead just opting for “Takedown” or “Paradise.” “Revenge” feels sublime to play and won’t let you down, always tasking you with just one more race or crash event.

“RoboCop: Rogue City” (2023)

“Rogue City” functions as an absolute love letter to 80s sci-fi cinema, channeling a hyper-specific power fantasy that perfectly offsets its mid-budget clunkiness. The game thrives by leaning into Alex Murphy's identity. You stomp through Detroit absorbing a comical amount of gunfire while obliterating gangs with a satisfyingly gory Auto-9 pistol, amongst other powerful weaponry. Authentic touches like slow-paced detective work, mundane police duties, and Peter Weller’s original voice work make the world feel incredibly faithful to the source material. Conversely, this dedication to immersion comes at a cost, as the intentionally slow, tank-like movement can make exploration feel agonizingly sluggish over time. The experience is further weighed down by stiff character animations, frequent visual bugs, and a bloated, combat-heavy final act. Yet, for fans of Old Detroit, its glorious B-movie charm and visceral combat make it a deeply gratifying shootout.

“Visions of Mana” (2024)

I swear, I never hear anybody talk about “Visions of Mana,” whether in the gaming scene at large or even the RPG crowd. It’s weird because it’s a truly stellar, vibrant, and absorbing open-zone action-RPG with oodles upon oodles of charm and panache. Yes, the combat and character leveling/upgrading can get super grindy and is often unrewarding later in the game; the rest of the components that make up this meaty fantasy romp more than make up for it. The cast of characters never fails to capture your attention and imagination, especially as they make their way through myriad drop-dead locations. For a game that can easily take you 40-50 hours to wrap up, none of it really feels like padding or fluff; that is, unless you want to grind out levels and find random macguffins to bolster your journey. I guess its biggest letdown is that it's quite derivative and repetitive overall. But, don’t let that stop you from experiencing this whimsical and emotional adventure for the ages.

“Castlevania: Curse of Darkness” (2005)

Apart from “Symphony of the Night,” “Curse of Darkness” is my absolute favorite “Castlevania” game out there. “Curse of Darkness” breaks away from traditional Belmont lore to deliver a deeply satisfying, mechanics-driven gothic adventure that ultimately stumbles in its lackluster environmental design. Stepping out of the shadow of its legendary predecessors, Konami cleverly shifts the spotlight to Hector, a devil forgemaster whose ability to breed, evolve, and command diverse ‘Innocent Devils’ introduces an enticing layer of strategy to the action. Combining this companion system with a robust weapon-crafting matrix and crunchy, fluid hack-and-slash combat (even if a bit repetitive) makes battling through Dracula's legions consistently enjoyable. The game's structural flaws are hard to overlook though. Players must navigate an endless maze of flat, barren, and visually repetitive corridors that lack the atmospheric genius the franchise is famous for. Great set dressing, yes, but Hector seems to just sprint around through same-y locations. Even with these aesthetic pitfalls, the brilliant depth of its companion mechanics ensures that action-RPG enthusiasts will find a hidden treasure worth conquering. Oh, and the music is second-to-none!

“Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair” (2019)

This one a delightfully creative 2.5D platformer that just misses greatness due to a frustratingly uneven endgame challenge – you know, the eponymous Impossible Lair. Playtonic Games shines by pairing tight, gorgeous side-scrolling stages with a puzzle-packed isometric overworld where you can physically alter levels—like freezing or flooding them—to completely transform the gameplay. Collecting the ‘Beettallion’ to build a living shield creates an incredibly unique, flexible progression loop that should be commended. Unfortunately, the game's central hook is also its biggest detriment: the titular final dungeon is an utterly grueling, checkpoint-free gauntlet that demands absolute perfection. This brutal finale introduces a jarring difficulty spike that alienates casual players and clashes with the breezy, whimsical tone of the rest of the journey. Even so, its exceptional level design and fresh ideas make it highly rewarding for genre fans.

“Darsiders Genesis” (2019)

While “Darksiders 2” is my personal favorite “Darksiders” game out there, having played through every single one of them with my wife (yes she’s really awesome), I can absolutely still recommend “Genesis” as a nice side dish to the main games. “Darksiders Genesis” translates its spooky and macabre apocalyptic universe into a punchy isometric spin-off, thriving on the dynamic combat contrast between Strife’s twin-stick shooting and War’s heavy hack-and-slash brawling. Obviously, this is more fun in co-op. Tackling its puzzle-dense dungeons and upgrade hunts—especially in co-op—delivers immediate, enticing fun. However, the fixed camera frequently sabotages tricky platforming intervals, a frustratingly vague map makes navigation a chore at times, especially when you want to try and collect every goodie, and a lightweight, static comic-panel story keeps it from reaching its full potential. Despite these rough edges, the core combat chemistry and mostly engaging narrative beats makes this detour of the series well worth playing, especially if you are already a fan of the series at large.

“Alice: Madness Returns” (2011)

“Alice: Madness Returns” leans heavily into its macabre, psychological artistry to deliver a gothic action-platformer that captivates your eyes even as its gameplay loops settle into predictable patterns. Spicy Horse constructs a spellbindingly morbid Wonderland, letting you glide through stunning, twisted landscapes while slicing through corrupt entities with a Vorpal Blade or blasting them with a Pepper Grinder. The fluid, multi-jump traversal and psychological storytelling surrounding Alice's trauma offer a genuinely haunting, memorable atmosphere. It’s really good! However, the title struggles significantly with mechanical monotony; the combat encounters and environmental puzzles feel virtually unchanged from the opening hours to the final credits. This repetition is exacerbated by overly bloated, lengthy chapters that wear out their welcome at times, alongside a lock-on camera system that frequently loses track of enemies during hectic brawls. It lacks mechanical evolution, but for players seeking unparalleled dark aesthetic design and a gripping psychological narrative, it remains a beautifully warped journey.

“Blur” (2010)

“Blur” is essentially kart racing injected with high-octane nitrous and wrapped in licensed sheet metal, pitting real-world supercars against each other in neon-drenched, projectile-flinging street brawls. “Blur” hits upon pure arcade magic with its frenzied multiplayer, where drifting around a bend while launching homing bolts or dropping shockfields delivers instant, white-knuckle adrenaline that feels so, so sublime, each and every time. The brakes screech, however, once you step into the sterile, grind-heavy single-player campaign, which turns the electrifying premise into a checklist of dry challenges against rubber-banding AI. Its identity crisis between realistic motorsport aesthetic and cartoony power-ups kept it from mass-market stardom, but when the chaos peaks with a full grid, this vehicular slugfest is an absolute blast that tantalizes your senses.

“Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden” (2024)

“Banishers” offers a wonderfully somber, narrative-heavy investigation action adventure experience that cements its 7 out of 10 legacy by contrasting masterclass storytelling with repetitive action loops. Developed by storytelling juggernauts Don't Nod, the game excels through its gripping 17th-century supernatural setting, where you unravel deeply moral, emotionally devastating Haunting Cases as ghost hunters Red and the spirit of his deceased lover, Antea. Forcing players to choose between sacrificing living colonists or peacefully ascending Antea's soul creates an incredibly high-stakes, gray ethical dilemma that drives the plot forward beautifully. It can be so hard to know what the “right” thing to do is during these cases since both sides often tug at you, morally speaking. While I personally enjoyed the combat quite a bit, I can fully see and understand how this combat (for many players) feels largely formulaic and floaty, dragged down heavily by atrocious enemy variety. Also, the exploration, while fun mostly, can sometimes just artificially pad the map. Yet, even as the tedious mechanical jank and backtracking stretch the runtime a bit too thin, the sheer emotional weight of its narrative choices ensures a hauntingly memorable journey for story-driven fans.

“Sunset Overdrive” (2014)

So, what do you get if you smashed together “Tony’s Hawk Pro Skater’s” grinding (albeit with Soap Shoes), “Ratchet & Clank’s” wacky weaponry, “Marvel’s Spider-Man’s” fluid traversal, and…ummmm, I don’t know – some caffeinated Skittles? You’d get “Sunset Overdrive.” Ya, that was a dumb analogy that fell apart at the seams. Eh, whatever. This gem offers a colorful, hyper-kinetic explosion of pure fun and mayhem that is often held back by its repetitive mission structure and dated humor. Its greatest triumph is its incredible, energy-infused traversal system, which forces players to constantly grind on rails, bounce off cars, and wall-run while unleashing an arsenal of absurdly creative weapons against hordes of mutant soda-drinkers. When you are in the zone, flowing seamlessly through the vibrant city, the gameplay loop delivers a masterclass in chaotic kinetic joy. However, this brilliant momentum frequently grinds to a halt during tedious tower defense sequences and generic fetch quests that fail to match the creativity of the movement mechanics. But, the game lets you collect toilet paper so that’s cool…

“Evil West” (2022)

I’m gonna be fully transparent with you here: the first time I played “Evil West,” I actually stopped playing about an hour or so into the experience, despite absolutely adoring the whole creepy and macabre Weird West setting; one loaded with vampires, supernatural monsters, and Wild West electricity-infused gunslinging. I can’t pinpoint why I stopped – it just didn’t click. But, when I went back to it a couple of years later, it fully immersed me and captivated me. “Evil West” is all about bombast and action, thrusting you through a linear narrative that often feels more cheesy than engaging. But, the fulcrum of vampires as the evil baddies and you, as Jesse Rentier, as the one to combat them with brutal, over-the-top carnage ensures the game’s fangs stay deep within you. “Evil West” just feels and plays like one of those 2000s era games that we often don’t see anymore; really, the epitome of the 7 out of 10 experience.

“New Super Lucky’s Tale” (2019)

Platforming games thrive off of traversal and momentum, with the best ones putting you into a flow state, if you will. That point is so darn evident when you play “New Super Lucky’s Tale.” Burrowing underground to then jump and double-jump around collecting coins and letters, all while smacking baddies around just feels so, so good here. And, the level design ensures that flow state is felt strongly as you navigate around as Lucky. Plus, I mean it’s just such a cozy, charming, and wholesome 3D platformer that never fails to put a smile on your face from start to end. For me, it’s a near-perfect 3D platformer – it just feels and plays so well. But, if I take a step back, apart from that flow state and creative level designs, it is a mostly derivative experience that we’ve seen dozens of times in this beloved genre.

“Vampyr” (2018)

“Vampyr” masterfully constructs a dark, atmospheric morality play that secures its status as an unforgettable cult favorite despite its rough-around-the-edges mechanics. Set against the bleak backdrop of 1918 London during the Spanish Flu epidemic, the game casts you as Dr. Jonathan Reid—a newly turned vampire torn between his Hippocratic Oath as a blood transfusion specialist to heal the citizenry and his insatiable thirst for blood. The game’s brilliant, high-stakes hook links progression directly to the narrative: feeding on a fully fleshed-out NPC yields massive experience to upgrade your vampiric abilities, but doing so actively destabilizes the district, causing sickness to spread and the neighborhood to slide into chaos - and even locking you out of certain story intervals. This stellar societal simulation frequently collides with clunky, stamina-based melee combat that often lacks real kinetic punch. This mechanical friction is compounded by tedious backtracking through spawning street-thugs, alongside lengthy loading screens that disrupt the pacing of your investigation. Ultimately, it sacrifices mechanical polish for superb thematic ambition, but for players seeking a rich, consequence-driven narrative, its grim world-building delivers an intoxicating bite.

So, what did you think of our 7 out of 10 picks for this list? What games do you consider to be awesome 7 out of 10s? Let us know in the comments.