Favorite Action games

 (List is still under construction).
 
Rather than making some large, arbitrary list for all my favorite games in a particular order, I decided to instead make a small list for each genre. The first item on each list is my favorite, with a couple of runner-ups in no particular order.  There's also a rule that I will only allow one game per franchise on a list, aside from rare occasions where it's incredibly hard to decide between two games. 
 
I define a pure 'Action' game as a title with emphasis on combat, and little else. The title's need to be 3D (most 2D games can easily be fit into a more specific genre), 3rd person, primarily focus on melee combat, and keep a steady pace, moving you from one enemy encounter to the next very quickly. Any other modes/sequences in the game should serve to further and/or assist the combat in some way, shape, or form.