While third-person action games have been around for decades, it wasn't until the release of the original Devil May Cry in 2001 that the hack-and-slash game became a popular genre, full of innovation and unique gaming experiences. It spawned plenty of rivals to the Son of Sparda's crown too, like Bayonetta, the 3D Ninja Gaiden series, and God of War among others.
But for every success story, there was a game that fell by the wayside. Some were rightly forgotten attempts to ride the bandwagon (does anyone remember X-Blades?). Others were one-offs that didn't get their due, but are worth revisiting to see their charm. Here are a few that are worth picking up again.
6 Bujingai: The Forsaken City
There were reasons why this PS2 DMC-alike disappeared from the scene soon after release. The level design wasn’t the most exciting, and the tale about its hero Lau Wong (modeled after J-Pop star Gackt) saving the titular city from his rival and his army of demons wasn’t as exciting as it sounds. Yet, the gameplay was fun and showed potential.
It was enough to earn the game positive praise, and the Chinese futuristic wuxia design helped it stand out compared to the gothic DMC or neo-Japanese style of Ninja Gaiden. If Taito made a sequel improving on its faults, it could have been a contender. Instead, aside from an announced MMORPG spin-off that never got made, Bujingai was one and done.
5 Ghost Rider
Unlike Bujingai, this game was roasted in hellfire on release. The more Castlevania-esque GBA game received better press than the hack-and-slash PS2 and PSP entries. It didn’t help that it was a tie-in to the Nicolas Cage movie, which had yet to build up its B-movie cult fame. However, time has been kind to the game. While Ghost Rider is not exactly a diamond in the rough, it’s still a solid gem.
It’s a competent DMC-clone with touches of God of War with the Rider’s chain whip weapon. The game’s presentation is suitably infernal and grim, and it throws in the vampire hunter Blade as an in-game rival and alternate player character. For a tie-in game, it did Johnny Blaze and Ghost Rider quite well.
4 Dante’s Inferno
Fans may remember this game for its infamous advertising campaign. Mailing $200 checks to journalists to represent ‘Greed,’ running a contest to ‘commit acts of lust’ with booth babes at Comic-Con, and faking religious protests were the kind of stunts Acclaim would’ve done back in the day. But few people talk about the actual game nowadays. If they do, they often think it was a terrible God of War rip-off.
While it does play akin to Kratos’ adventures, it did it quite well. Dante’s scythe-swinging was nippy and responsive, and the save-or-damn mechanic for the unfortunate souls he came across was unique. The graphics hold up even today, as does the art design and acting. Rumors of a sequel lingered right up until the closure of developers Visceral Games in 2017. Sadly, Dante’s journey is unlikely to continue.
3 Heavenly Sword
Ninja Theory’s first big game was seen as a stop-gap entry for the PS3’s launch. It was a God of War-alike made to keep fans happy until Sony Santa Monica made a true next-gen Kratos game in God of War 3. Despite Heavenly Sword’s unique feudal Japan look and striking protagonist in Nariko, it couldn’t out-rage the Ghost of Sparta. Nonetheless, it could have carved a good niche out for itself if Ninja Theory kept it going.
Saints Row was in a similar spot compared to Grand Theft Auto until its sequel gave the games their own identity. Instead, Nariko’s last appearance was in PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, where she felt like a weak inclusion next to Kratos, Nathan Drake, and Tekken’s Heihachi. Maybe Heavenly Sword can get its due through its fresh PS Plus Premium release.
2 Enslaved: Odyssey to the West
Even then, Heavenly Sword got more attention than Ninja Theory’s follow-up. Enslaved was a cool, cyberpunk take on the classic Journey to the West novel, where Monkey has to escort a young woman called Trip back home through the post-apocalyptic wasteland. He has to fight off mechs and other foes with his multipurpose staff. Trip can also help out by throwing bombs or interacting with objects.
It’s akin to the 2018 God of War and Black Myth: Wukong, but predates both by about a decade. It still had a few issues (unlike Atreus, Trip needs to be protected), but it showed promise for a sequel. Unfortunately, it didn’t sell enough units, which shelved any plans of a follow-up.
1 The Wonderful 101
There’s still a chance The Wonderful 102 could become a thing following the game’s escape from the Wii U into the Remastered editions for PS4, Switch and PC. Though given it still didn’t meet financial expectations, it’s unlikely. Which is a shame. Designed by DMC creator Hideki Kamiya, it saw the player control a cluster of heroes called the Wonderful 100 that could cluster together (‘Unite Morph’) into different weapons for combos and puzzle solving.
It also mixed up the gameplay with segments based on Zaxxon, Punch-Out, and Space Harrier to stop the evil GEATHJERKs from taking over the Earth. Given PlatinumGames has had a rough run of games lately, The Wonderful 101 shows what the developers are capable of when they’re on form.