Have you ever played an online game that seemed so realistic it was as though you were there?
Just think of how you run through a falling building and every brick is where it is supposed to be. Or skidding a car on a rainy road where traction is just satisfying. Not only great design, but also great physics.
When it comes to action gaming, the secret ingredient to realism is physics engines. It could be the way objects shatter, the bullets nosedive, or characters respond to the force; physics is either something that will later destroy immersion or save the day.
We want to take a closer look at the top action games with the best physics that not only feel great, they also look real.
Physics Systems Behind Action Games
Ever asked yourself how to make a character fall realistically or why a car will behave on ice or on asphalt differently? All this is because of game physics engines. So briefly, here are some of the fundamental frameworks running some of the most realistic action games being played today:
Unity Physics
Unity Physics aims at performance. It performs optimally on ECS (Entity Component System) projects, so anything can happen anytime, and it is ideal when there is a lot of action taking place, such as explosions, collisions, and debris flying around.
- Appeared in numerous indie and mid-tier action games, where it is used in large-scale games to simulate high-speed physics interactions.
Havok Physics for Unity
The physical game Havok is renowned. It now comes in Unity and drives highly realistic animations, dropped items, explosions, and even character movement. Havok enables games like Halo and Elden Ring to have dynamic and immersive gameplay.
- Relied upon by more than 600 AAA titles to provide real-time physics computing and complex interactions.
NVIDIA PhysX
Engines such as Unity and Unreal have PhysX integrated into them, and perform the work of the wow, that crash looked real! moments. It adds physics to the game world, featuring broken glass and ragdoll effects for characters.
- Perfect for 3D simulations of cars, explosions, and the obstruction of objects.
Built-in Physics for 2D Games
Even the 2D action games employ physics, but simpler than that. Gravity, bounce, and momentum are checked by lightweight engines that give a feel of natural and fun play to the game.
- Consider side-scrollers or action games that exist on the phone: it feels natural to jump, fall, and slip with the help of physics.
ECS vs OOP-based Game Physics
ECS (Entity Component System): ECS is the contemporary and extremely efficient one. It lets thousands of objects act autonomously and react to the surrounding world-this is terrific in open-world games and large-scale action games.
OOP ( Object-Oriented Programming): Classical, easier to update, fewer games. It is predictable and comprehensible, but cannot be used as effectively in complex, fast-paced environments.
In a nutshell: ECS = Speed Scale. OOP = Easy & Restrictive.
Top 8 Action Games with Best Physics
1. Grand Theft Auto IV
The physics engine of Grand Theft Auto IV was far advanced at the time of its release, and this could be attributed to the advanced physics engine. The game introduced the reactivity of character movement and interaction with an environment to the open-world genre in the truest sense using the Euphoria system. This was whether it was tripping backwards after taking a punch, jumping off a moving car, or flying over obstructions, it all seemed improvised and fluid. Its physics is not the most ultra-realistic, but it is fun, random, and adds a gritty weight to every action scene.
Physics Engine:
Rage + Euphoria + Rockstar Advanced Game Engine (RAGE)
Where To Play:
PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC
Official Link:
https://www.rockstargames.com/games/IV
2. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Tears of the Kingdom has changed the way a sandbox adventure is. Its innovative physics engine gives players the freedom to interact with rich creative possibilities–mixing, raising, pinning objects and objects to construct puzzles or working machines. The magnetism, gravity, and energy seem to react naturally to the world in a credible fashion. It has been hailed by developers in the industry for its novel application of physics not only to emulate realism, but to enable freedom and experimentation for the players themselves.
Physics Engine:
New hand-coded Nintendo physics engine
Where To Play:
Nintendo Switch
Official Link:
https://www.zelda.com/tears-of-the-kingdom/
3. Red Dead Redemption 2
Red Dead Redemption 2 is among the most immersed and detailed open-world games of all time, and physics contributes immensely to that. Everything has weight, even on how you want your horse to move on the ground, as well as how your characters fall in a battle. The way the environment interacts with other aspects, such as the weather, water, mud, and even the movement of fabrics, is depicted softly. Together with Euphoria physics, the game will have cinematic realism, which will be so natural and vivid.
Physics Engine:
Rockstar Advanced Game Engine (RAGE) + Euphoria
Where To Play:
PlayStation 4, PC, Xbox One
Official Link:
https://www.rockstargames.com/reddeadredemption2
4. Arma 3
Arma 3 is not your ordinary shooter game; it is a military simulation game and one that has the most improved physics compared to other games in this category. Bullet drop, wind resistance, armor penetration, and realistic vehicle handling are all done accurately to the situation. External conditions govern every shot and all movements. Its lifelike physics aren’t playfest-they determine what strategy you have to use, and what tactics. Arma 3 can not be beaten by anyone who wishes to experience combat as it is.
Physics Engine:
Real Virtuality 4 + Bullet Physics
Where To Play:
PC
Official Link:
5. Grand Theft Auto V
In Grand Theft Auto V, physics in the open world were even better. When you crash cars, fly helicopters, or watch NPCs respond to an explosion, the game engine is fueled by an interesting physics system. The player’s actions have a realistic reaction to the world, and the ragdoll-like movement of the characters, coupled with the interactivity of the environment, produces some cinematic game moments. Whether it is gunfights or street racing, every little thing is polished and responsive. GTA V achieves the right balance between fun and realism, which allows a player to spend hours playing this game.
Physics Engine:
RAGE (Rockstar Advanced Game Engine) + Euphoria
Where To Play:
PC, PlayStation 4 & 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X / S
Official Link:
https://www.rockstargames.com/V
6. Outer Wilds
Outer Wilds is a unique space exploration game whose whole solar system consists of a series of realistic and physics-based rules. It has gravity, motion, and time loops. It allows the players to travel to any world, land on it in real life, and observe how the planet bodies move around them in a moving world. The physics is more than superficial; they are integral to the (puzzles and) story. The combination of science and narration is an ideal type of book that never allows your interest to fade.
Physics Engine:
Mobius Digital Custom physics engine
Where To Play:
PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
Official Link:
https://www.mobiusdigitalgames.com/outer-wilds.html
7. SnowRunner
SnowRunner is breaking ground in vehicle simulation, and it is worth saying that the terrain is so responsive that it almost forms a gameplay challenge. The mud gets on the tyres, the rivers can wash the cars off, and the ice needs planning and accuracy. It observes the physics to the smallest detail, unlike other driving games in the arcade, where you just drive straight forward and cross the finish line in the fastest time possible. The realistic nature of SnowRunner gives each mission a good tension. It is not only fast but also to conquer the elements.
Physics Engine:
Saber3D Engine
Where To Play:
PC, PS4 and 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch
Official Link:
https://snowrunner-thegame.com/
8. Red Faction: Guerrilla
There is something so complete and truly devastating about the destruction in Red Faction: Guerrilla has been claimed to have surpassed, yet to provide evidence. It takes place on an open-world colonized Mars in which the idea is to blow stuff up, not only because it is fun, but also as a valid game system. Injury to a building occurs according to the damage that has occurred on the building, and by the placement of a single explosive, one can destroy an entire enemy base. It provides the freedom of choice to the players, and the environment becomes a form of a tool as well as a weapon. It is viscerally satisfying and geography-based destruction.
Physics Engine:
Geo-Mod 2.0
Where To Play:
PC, PS3, Xbox 360
PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch remastered version
Official Link:
Why Does Physics Matter in Action Games?
Have you ever experienced the distinction between a game that is lively and one that is lifeless? Physics is always the answer.
Physics engines convert fixed computer-mediated spaces into dynamic, boundless worlds. When you fire off a tire and it blows, see a tower collapse realistically, or experience a vehicle fight through snow, that is physics doing its work. It causes tension, freedom, and surprise. Indeed, one survey by Unity in 2025 showed a 40 percent higher retention of games that incorporated real-time physics than the ones that did not.
Briefly, action games are not only enjoyable because of physics, but they are also realistic. That is what gives a game its visual-to-physical feel.
Explore our Portfolio and learn how MangoMango makes use of creativity and technology to create memorable campaigns in the gaming world.
Final Thoughts
It is not all about guns and explosions; it is all about interaction with action games. With the best games of action on this list, the bar has just been raised, allowing the player to interact with their world in a responsive and appropriate manner.
Be it creating machines in Tears of the Kingdom or just having to drive through mud in SnowRunner or even seeing buildings crumble in Red Faction: Guerrilla, physics just increases depth, realism, and replayability.
As game worlds continue to expand and become more detailed, it is evident that, one thing that has become evident is that, physics is no longer a peripheral element of gameworlds; it is the spine of immersion.