Originating in 2001, the Devil May Cry franchise 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's Devil May Cry 5 has 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.

10 God of War III

Kratos in God of War III

One of the many gaming franchises from the 2000s that was heavily inspired by Devil 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 III is the better choice for this list, as its gameplay is more akin to Devil May Cry.

9 The Dynasty Warriors series

Dynasty Warriors 8 Empires - Best Hack And Slash Games Aside From Hyrule Warriors

The Dynasty Warriors franchise, 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 by implementing an open-world for the first time.

The next game in the franchise, Dynasty Warriors 9: Empires, was announced in late 2020. A teaser for the game confirmed that it will feature on all major platforms, and is set to release in "early 2021".

8 Resident Evil 6

Leon in Resident Evil 6

One of the most divsive entries into the iconic Resident Evil series, Capcom's Resident Evil 6 frustrated 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, the Resident Evil and Devil May Cry series' aren't just connected by Capcom, but by the fact that the original Devil May Cry game was initially planned to be an entry in the Resident Evil series, as Hideki Kamiya wanted to implement more action mechanics into the survival horror franchise.

7 Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity

Link using an Elemental Rod - Hyrule Warriors Age Of Calamity Tips

The most recent main-series Legend of Zelda game The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild wasn't just beloved for its incredible 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 the Dynasty Warriors inspired Hyrule Warriorstakes players back in time to the Great Calamity itself.

Much like the original, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity isn't considered to be among the best hack and slash games of this generation, but it is a solid game that will appeal to both Legend of Zelda and hack and slash fans.

6 Street Fighter IV

Street Fighter IV fighting gameplay

One of Capcom's many iconic franchises, the Street Fighter series 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 IV was 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-watering 94 Metascore on PlayStation 3. Along with the impressive Metascore, Street Fighter IV picked up numerous awards upon release, including Golden Joystick's Fighting Game of the Year accolade.

5 Dante's Inferno

Dante's Inferno cover art

Inspired by numerous popular hack and slash titles, as well as Dante Alighieri's poem Inferno, Dante's Inferno released 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 the God of War and Devil May Cry series' that it took inspiration from, but it still offers a solid 8-hour adventure that will satisfy hack and slash fanatics.

4 Blitz: The League II

Over-the-top games aren't just limited to the hack and slash and action genres, as numerous unlicensed sports titles offer comparably extreme action.

Blitz: The League II was 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.

3 Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

sekiro shadows die twice - dragon

The most recent entry into FromSoftware's so-called "soulsborne" set of games, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice ditched the stamina bar that the other games utilized but kept the punishing difficulty and lack and hand-holding that sets the games apart from most modern titles.

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Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice demands 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.

2 No More Heroes

No More Heroes - Enemy Explosion

Grasshopper Manufacture's No More Heroes released 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 respectable 83 on Metacritic; just one point shy of its sequel No More Heroes 2: Desperate StruggleGrasshopper Manufacture is set to release No More Heroes III in 2021, which will see the series' protagonist Travis Touchdown fend off a galactic invasion.

1 Bayonetta 2

bayonetta 2 guns closeup

Bayonetta and Bayonetta 2 are undoubtedly the top choices for Devil May Cry fans as the games were directed by Devil 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 by Bayonetta 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 up IGN's Best Action Game award in 2014.

NEXT: 15 Games You Need Play If You Love Metal Gear Solid