Fans of Nintendo's Zelda series might fondly remember the breathtaking open world of Breath of the Wild. However, players who want a more action-packed take on Link's adventures in Hyrule might appreciate Hyrule Warriors and Age of Calamity. Unlike a conventional action game, Hyrule Warriors plays like a Musou title.
Made popular by Koei Tecmo's Warriors series (e.g., Dynasty Warriors), Musou games differentiate themselves from typical hack and slash titles due to their semi open-world nature. They have a prevalent Musou gauge feature that, once filled up, can unleash over-the-top combos that wreak havoc on the map. What are some other hack and slash games similar to Hyrule Warriors?
10 Dynasty Warriors 8: Empires
In essence, Dynasty Warriors acts as a fantastical adaptation of the popular "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" novel. Instead of simply showcasing the power struggle between ancient China's Eastern Wu, Cao Wei, and Shu Han kingdoms, Dynasty Warriors adds an action-packed twist.
Players can choose from more than 30+ characters across the three factions and tear through hundreds of soldiers in vast combat scenarios. However, Dynasty Warriors 8: Empires ups the ante with improved graphics and an immersive Empire Mode. In the latter, players don't just play through various scenarios, but their chosen character will head a province in ancient China and expand it through various strategic mechanisms.
9 Samurai Warriors 4: Empires
Players who want to take their Dynasty Warriors experience to Feudal Japan will enjoy Samurai Warriors. These games take place during Japan's Warring States period. Samurai Warriors takes cues from the Dynasty Warriors line, including unique character movesets, waves of enemy soldiers to demolish using awesome techniques, and a straightforward story. However, Samurai Warriors 4: Empires incorporates Dynasty Warriors' Empires Mode.
Unlike Dynasty Warriors, Samurai Warriors 4: Empires introduces a more complex allegiance system, policies that affect personal conflicts, and a 4X-like territory management system that fans might like more than Dynasty Warriors'.
8 Warriors Orochi 4: Ultimate
Fans of the Warriors series might end up trying to compare the power levels of their favorite characters. Thankfully, Warriors Orochi bridges this gap by bringing everyone together in one massive brawl. In essence, the Serpent King Orochi escapes from his prison and uses space-time manipulation to bring the heroes of the Three Kingdoms and Warring States Era together. In the end, the Warriors manage to defeat Orochi and his minions. Unfortunately, the Serpent King manages to come back sequel after sequel.
For Warriors Orochi 4: Ultimate's gameplay, Koei Tecmo and Omega Force merge the best mechanics from the two series to make a more cohesive title.
7 Dynasty Warriors: Gundam Reborn
Players who always wanted to obliterate hundreds of Mobile Suits with their favorite Gundam can finally do so, Warriors style. In Dynasty Warriors: Gundam Reborn, Koei and Omega Force team up to bring Mobile Suits from over 20 Gundam media in a single game. Unlike Warriors, Gundam Reborn doesn't have a shared storyline between the media featured. Instead, the game features iconic moments where players need to use various Gundam from different series.
The game's various missions allow players to do battle with various Gundam of their choosing. Additionally, the game features space battles and the possibility to use Mobile Armor as units or even request support fire from popular starships.
6 One Piece: Pirate Warriors Series
Fans who want a more action-packed One Piece game will appreciate One Piece: Pirate Warriors. Despite being a Musou series, the Pirate Warriors games also have lengthy Story Modes that cover various arcs of the manga. The only exception is the second game, as that has an original story. The devs also tried replicating the characters' iconic mannerisms and visual cues as much as possible.
These games adopt the hack and slash formula synonymous with the Warriors brand. However, Pirate Warriors also has unique elements such as Super Techniques, Comrade Strikes, and even dashes. One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 is the most recent entry in this series.
5 Fire Emblem Warriors
Players of Fire Emblem who want a break from the game's intense strategic mindset might appreciate Fire Emblem Warriors. Unlike the main title, Fire Emblem Warriors takes on the Musou formula of hack and slash. The game features Fire Emblem's most popular characters as they tear through opponents in various areas.
Unlike other Musou titles, Fire Emblem Warriors throws in a few Fire Emblem mechanics. For instance, players can still issue commands to units. Furthermore, the game still follows the Weapon Triangle, enabling players to have different results when fighting with swords, axes, lances, tomes, bows, and dragonstones.
4 Attack On Titan 2
Attack on Titan delivers a seat-gripping narrative and over-the-top action. After all, despite how awesome Captain Levi and the other Scouts are in their 3D Maneuver Gear, anyone can die against the hulking Titans. Thankfully, players can try to turn the tide of battle to humanity's side in Attack on Titan 2. In this game, players play through the first two seasons of the Attack on Titan anime.
This title allows players to create their own character who will become a member of the Scout Regiment. In turn, events of the first two seasons of the anime take place from their point of view. In terms of gameplay, players navigate cityscapes while zooming past various buildings with the 3D Maneuver Gear, like what the heroes do in the anime.
3 Berserk And The Band Of The Hawk
Berserk is known for its high-octane action in a brutal and unfair world. Koei and Omega Force translate these elements perfectly in Berserk and the Band of the Hawk (or Berserk Musou). In Berserk Musou, players follow Guts from the Golden Age Arc to the Hawk of the Millennium Empire Arc, which are substantial parts of the story.
The game represents popular battles in the story in an engaging way. In Berserk Musou, characters can unleash powerful attacks with the Frenzy Mode, or even have Transformations featuring Guts' Berserker Armor or Griffith's God Hand Femto.
2 Drakengard 3
Players who want a unique take on their RPG experience should check out the Drakengard series. This dark fantasy title lets players experience a story in Medieval Europe-esque Midgard where humans coexist with dragons and other creatures. Central to the game's plot are "pacts" humans can form with beasts, and the series boasts some of the most complicated plots in video game history. Despite sharing a setting, the Drakengard games generally tell their own stories.
In Drakengard 3, players take on the role of Zero and her dragon Mikhail. The game introduces Zero as an Intoner, a powerful being who can use song to perform magic. However, Zero needs to kill her fellow Intoners who may bring chaos to the world. Despite this dark premise, Drakengard 3 grabs players with its flashy fight-scenes as well as rather intense RPG mechanics. For instance, Zero can alternate between five weapons and has epic aerial battles with Mikhail.
1 Naruto Shippudden: Ultimate Ninja Impact
Fans of Naruto have more than 20 games to take them through Naruto Uzumaki's journey. However, Naruto Shippudden: Ultimate Ninja Impact amps up the action to 100 and lets players tear through wave after wave of enemy shinobi. Unlike other Naruto games, Ultimate Ninja Impact focuses more on area-based attacks. In turn, characters have techniques that let them obliterate multiple targets in this Warriors-style game.
The Playstation Portable title comes packed with content. In terms of story, the game takes place between the Kazekage Retrieval Mission and the Five Kage Summit, covering more than half of Shippudden's storyline.