Best Hack and Slash Games

Why it's here: The genre's high-water mark, and the clearest answer to what hack and slash means in 2026. Three playable hunters, each with a combat system deep enough to sustain hundreds of hours of style-ranking obsession, wrapped in the series' slickest presentation. Reviewers overwhelmingly praise the combat and soundtrack; the loudest gripe is a story that gets convoluted late. Start here, on Devil Hunter, and let the SSS rank pull you back in.

Why it's here: PlatinumGames' fluid combat is the hook, but the reason it tops critics' lists is what happens when you finish and the game asks you to begin again. Each route recasts the story through a new lens until an ending that lands like few others. Players call it a masterpiece; the recurring caveat is that later playthroughs reuse environments and the opening drags. Treat the repeats as the point, not a chore, and it rewards you completely.

Why it's here: Hideki Kamiya's Umbra Witch is the purest combo playground on the list, built around Witch Time slow-mo and a move list that turns survival into showmanship. Reviewers call it a must-play for the genre and praise the replayability, while flagging difficulty spikes and cutscenes that interrupt the flow. If you came for the deepest expression-driven combat and can shrug off some rough edges from its older engine, this is where to start.

Why it's here: The hardest pure action game here, and that is the appeal. Ryu Hayabusa's blistering, gory swordplay demands you read enemy tells or die, and the remaster sharpens the visuals without softening the bite. Player sentiment is genuinely mixed: the combat thrills, but reviewers flag performance issues and a camera that fights you. Come for a stern, old-school test of reflexes, not for story or polish, and it delivers.

Why it's here: The closest thing to a blockbuster action movie you can hold a controller through. Kratos' Greek-mythology rampage still stuns with set-piece scale, titan-sized bosses and brutal, readable combat, all running at a clean 60fps in this remaster. It is a PlayStation exclusive, so there is little aggregated player-review data to lean on, but its standing as the series' spectacle peak is well earned. Play it for pace and payoff over combo depth.

Why it's here: The friendliest way onto this list, and a genuinely fresh idea: every dodge, hit and hazard snaps to the beat of its licensed soundtrack, so timing feels musical rather than punishing. Reviewers love the art style, humor and rhythm hook, with the main knock being combat that grows a little repetitive by the end. If spectacle fighters usually intimidate you, Chai's cartoon romp is where to start.

Why it's here: A look at where character action began: Capcom's 2001 samurai classic, remastered. Fixed-camera castle exploration meets sword combat built around the Issen, a perfectly timed counter that kills in one flash and still feels great to land. Players regard it warmly for its eerie castle setting and memorable bosses, with the fair caveats being its brevity, unskippable cutscenes and fixed angles. Recommended for anyone curious about the genre's roots or after a tight, replayable weekend.

Why it's here: The best pure martial-arts brawler here, and the most novel: die and you age, coming back older, harder-hitting and closer to a permanent game over. That aging loop turns Sifu's gorgeous Kung Fu combat into a mastery puzzle you unravel run by run. Player sentiment is strongly positive on the combat and art, with difficulty spikes the common complaint for newcomers. Push through the wall and it becomes one of the most satisfying fighters on PlayStation.

Why it's here: If hack and slash means literally cutting through armies, this is the one. Origins is the strongest Dynasty Warriors in years, tightening the one-versus-thousands power fantasy with sharper mechanics and a focused Three Kingdoms story. Players welcomed the return to form, while flagging a thinner roster of playable characters and some repetition across battles. Come for cathartic crowd-clearing and momentum, and it is the most accessible entry the series has had.

Why it's here: The pick for players who want brawler combat with a Zelda-style adventure wrapped around it. As War, one of the Four Horsemen, you hack through a ruined Earth while gating new zones behind tools and abilities, closer to a metroidvania than a pure action game. Players enjoy the loop and the remaster's cleaner 60fps, with dated lock-on, camera and a draggy final stretch the usual gripes. A strong, exploration-heavy entry point to the series.