The 10 Most Underrated Hack and Slash Games

10 Underrated Hack and Slash Games

Welcome to MojoPlays, and today, we’re taking a look at 10 hack-and-slash games that should really get more love than they do.

“Dante’s Inferno” (2010)

Poor Dante and developer Visceral Games never got the respect they deserved for this game. Upon release, “Dante’s Inferno” was widely dismissed by critics and players as being nothing more than a “God of War” clone. Look, we won’t lie - there are definitely a lot of similarities between Dante and Kratos’s respective outings. However, this is one of those few clone games that is still a ton of fun to play! Dante’s own arsenal puts a lot of focus on brutality than agility, and many of the environments are gruesomely astounding in their design. We’re glad EA and Microsoft were able to make the game backwards compatible with Xbox Series XS, but when are we getting a proper port with faster, smoother performance?

“Deadpool” (2013)

If you have ever wanted a superhero game with a comedic, bloodier edge, then we cannot stress how absurdly hilarious and violent “Deadpool” is. This is a game that encourages exploiting combos just so you can build up Momentum and unleash even more vicious attacks. In addition to katanas and pistols, you’ll be able to use sai, hammers, SMGs, shotguns, and even plasma rifles! Off Mister Sinister’s cronies however you see fit all while enjoying the Merc with the Mouth’s colorful commentary. Just try not to get too reckless - death is still possible even when you have a sick healing factor.

“Castlevania: Lords of Shadow” (2010)

When talking about “Castlevania”, almost everyone immediately starts talking about “Symphony of the Night”, “Aria of Sorrow”, or “Order of Ecclesia”. All great games, yes, but where’s the love for “Lords of Shadow”? This game was a unique take on the IP as it tried to blend then-modern action game traditions with the world and aesthetics of “Castlevania”. On top of that, it included some incredibly fun puzzles and enough enemy variety to challenge our skills with the Combat Cross. And holy hell, the Combat Cross feels so good to use! Just one or two combat encounters with it, and you won’t want “Lords of Shadow” to end!

“Strider” (2014)

Hiryu Strider has been around since 1989, yet his 2014 reboot remains to be his best outing ever. Even though you don’t get as many moves as other hack-&-slash games might give you, “Strider” still lets you go nuts with Strider’s blades while keeping things tough (as one would expect from an action-platformer born in the 80’s). Plus, the enemy variety will keep you on your toes as you zip around areas trying to avoid their fire. That said, this is a game perfect for those wanting a hack-&-slash with more of a retro feel to it. We only hope Capcom revisits this sometime soon with a new entry.

“Marlow Briggs and the Mask of Death” (2013)

It's funny how “Dante’s Inferno” got so much heat for supposedly being “a ‘God of War’ knock-off”, yet “Marlow Briggs and the Mask of Death”...wasn’t? Yeah, think of this game as “‘God of War’ but if it followed the tropes of cheesy action flicks”. Admittedly, the game is not as fine-tuned as the Ghost of Sparta’s adventures, but just look at the insane abilities Marlow Briggs has access to! Of course the frame rate is going to tank while he’s flailing his chains and causing explosions all over the place! Honestly, if you have a PC or an Xbox Series XS, you should absolutely pick this game up. It's hilarious, it's fun, and it did not get enough love when it launched.

“Heavenly Sword” (2007)

If you’re one of the folks who might be frustrated with Ninja Theory’s output in recent years, we have a strong feeling you might be an OG fan of “Heavenly Sword”. This was the game that almost instantly made a name for Ninja Theory as it was only their second game ever made. And what a damn fine game “Heavenly Sword” turned out to be! The controls helped reinforce players to play more patiently than other hack-&-slash games at the time by allowing you to defend only if you weren’t pushing any buttons or moving. It was a great way to let players assess their situation quickly and effectively while also discouraging them from mindless mashing. Additionally, the four to five hour-runtime was just the right length for this experience.

“Dust: An Elysian Tail” (2012)

Once upon a time, “Dust: An Elysian Tail” was one of the most revered games on the market. Towards the tail end of the Xbox 360 days, it felt like “Dust” was leading the charge for indie game development. Unfortunately, the game seems to have left people’s minds these days as it rarely ever gets talked about. Not only did the combat excel in maintaining a fast pace and giving the player various moves to execute, it looked exceptionally great throughout the game. While you can still buy and play the game on PC, Switch, PS4, and Xbox Series XS, developer Humble Hearts is no more.

“Lollipop Chainsaw” (2012)

If there was any way to perfectly describe “Lollipop Chainsaw”, it’s “pure, unadulterated, dumb fun”! While its attitude and visuals really lean into Suda51 and James Gunn’s absurd sense of humor, “Lollipop Chainsaw” does offer more with its different types of attacks and combos. You can’t just spam the chainsaw or low attacks. You do have to mix it up as enemies will start reading your inputs. If this adventure of rainbows, sparkles, and zombie heads sounds like your cup of tea, then, please, go and buy the remaster!

“Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning” (2012)

What’s not to love about this game? We could go on about the music and art direction, but the combat is where “Kingdoms of Amalur” can get addicting. While you can go for a magic-primary build, building your character around Might will give you a plethora of vicious attacks to utilize between your swords, daggers, hammers, or whatever else you prefer to use. And once you gain access to Fate abilities, it’s all over for whoever crosses your path! It’s a crime it didn’t become something greater.

“Champions of Norrath: Realms of EverQuest” (2004)

Of the early pioneers of hack-&-slash gameplay, the only one that is missing out on gaining a new audience is “Champions of Norrath”. This was one of the best games to grace the PlayStation 2 as it gave us the scope of a traditional RPG while giving us a great amount of combat scenarios to truly test our builds. It was everything you could ask for in a game with the right amount of difficulty, an incredible number of quests to take on and dungeons to explore, and boss fights that felt epic every time. Sadly, “Champions of Norrath” has been forever stranded on PS2, and we’ve been begging Sony for a couple years now to bring this to PS5 in some form.

What’s your favorite hack-&-slash game? Did it make our list? Let us know down in the comments, and be sure to subscribe to MojoPlays for more great videos everyday!