Originating in 2001, theDevil May Cryfranchise has been fundamental in bringing the popular arcade genre, hack and slash, into the realm of modern gaming. The latest entry in the series,Devil May Cry 5, has successfully recaptured the series' magic, exemplified by its impressive Metascores that ranged between 84 and 89.
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Capcom’sDevil May Cry 5has once again forced the hack and slash genre back into the forefront of the gaming industry, and many players will likely be itching for games with similar over-the-top gameplay. To help scratch that itch, here are 10 games with extreme action, predominantly from the hack and slash genre, that offer similarly exhilarating experiences.
10God of War III
One of the many gaming franchises from the 2000s that was heavily inspired byDevil May Cry, Santa Monica Studio took the gameplay formula that Capcom created and implemented it into a world heavily inspired by Greek Mythology.
The most recent entry into the series,God of War(2018), has quickly become the franchise’s most critically acclaimed game; however,God of War IIIis the better choice for this list, as its gameplay is more akin toDevil May Cry.
9The Dynasty Warriors series
TheDynasty Warriorsfranchise, which is now on its 9th main series installment, originated in 1997 on the PlayStation 1 and is known for its combo-centric action. The latest entry in the series,Dynasty Warriors 9, made one of the most significant changes in the franchise’s history byimplementing an open-world for the first time.
The next game in the franchise,Dynasty Warriors 9: Empires, was announced in late 2020. Ateaser for the gameconfirmed that it will feature on all major platforms, and is set to release in “early 2021”.
8Resident Evil 6
One of the most divsive entries into the iconicResident Evilseries,Capcom’sResident Evil 6frustrated many of the series' die-hard fans with its focus on movie-like action, rather than the survival horror that the franchise was built on.
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Interestingly, theResident EvilandDevil May Cryseries' aren’t just connected by Capcom, but by the fact thatthe originalDevil May Crygame was initially planned to be an entry intheResident Evilseries, as Hideki Kamiya wanted to implement more action mechanics into thesurvival horrorfranchise.
7Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity
The most recent main-seriesLegend of ZeldagameThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildwasn’t just beloved for itsincredible open-world, but also for its captivating story that took place 100 years after the Great Calamity.Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, the successor of theDynasty WarriorsinspiredHyrule Warriors,takes players back in time to the Great Calamity itself.
Much like the original,Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamityisn’t considered to be among thebest hack and slash games of this generation, but it is a solid game that will appeal to bothLegend of Zeldaand hack and slash fans.
6Street Fighter IV
One of Capcom’s many iconic franchises, theStreet Fighterseries has been a cornerstone of the fighting genre since its inception in 1987 and has gone on to have over 35 releases since.
Street Fighter IVwas released in 2008, initially in the arcades, before coming to consoles the following year. The game is one of the franchise’s most critically acclaimed entries, exemplified by its eye-watering94 Metascore on PlayStation 3. Along with the impressive Metascore,Street Fighter IVpicked up numerous awards upon release, includingGolden Joystick’s Fighting Game of the Year accolade.
5Dante’s Inferno
Inspired by numerous popular hack and slash titles, as well as Dante Alighieri’s poem Inferno,Dante’s Infernoreleased in 2010 and tasks players with fighting their way through the Nine Circles of Hell.
Electronic Arts and Visceral Games' PS3 and Xbox 360 title didn’t manage to reach the heights of theGod of WarandDevil May Cryseries' that it took inspiration from, but it still offers a solid8-hour adventurethat will satisfy hack and slash fanatics.
4Blitz: The League II
Over-the-top games aren’t just limited to the hack and slash and action genres, as numerousunlicensed sports titlesoffer comparably extreme action.
Blitz: The League IIwas released in 2008 by Midway Games and provided an alternative take on American Football that highlighted its dark side. Not only does the game let players inflict bone-crushing injuries, but it also implements the taking of performance-enhancing drugs as a standard gameplay mechanic.
3Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
The most recent entry into FromSoftware’s so-called “soulsborne” set of games,Sekiro: Shadows DieTwiceditched the stamina bar that the other games utilized but kept thepunishing difficultyand lack and hand-holding that sets the games apart from most modern titles.
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Sekiro: Shadows Die Twicedemands that players strike and dodge with lightning pace to ensure that they stand a chance against the game’s excruciatingly tough bosses. The game’s Divine Dragon and two Giant Serpents are more than enough to earn FromSoftware’s game a spot on this list.
2No More Heroes
Grasshopper Manufacture’sNo More Heroesreleased exclusively on the Nintendo Wii in 2008, before being ported to the Nintendo Switch in 2020 by Engine Software.
The game performed well with critics, scoring a respectable83 on Metacritic; just one point shy of its sequelNo More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle.Grasshopper Manufacture is set to releaseNo More Heroes IIIin 2021, which will see the series' protagonist Travis Touchdown fend off a galactic invasion.
1Bayonetta 2
BayonettaandBayonetta 2are undoubtedly the top choices forDevil May Cryfans as the games were directed byDevil May Cry’s creator Hideki Kamiya and have a similar take on the hack and slash genre.
The second game is recommended in particular as PlatinumGames managed to find ways to improve upon the already excellent first title, exemplified byBayonetta 2’s impressive Metascores of 91 and 92 on Wii U and Nintendo Switch.Bayonetta 2’s Metascore isn’t its only impressive accolade, as the game also picked upIGN’s Best Action Game award in 2014.
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