Even the most loyal Xbox fan can admit that the Microsoft brand of home console didn't have a great generation of exclusives with the Xbox One. Not only did the Nintendo Switch kick off with two of the best Mario and Zelda titles ever, but competitors Sony flooded its PlayStation 4 with numerous award-winning titles. Thankfully, the future is looking bright for the Xbox Series X/S. The acquisition of Bethesda has added to an impressive collection that should provide memorable experiences throughout the ninth generation of home consoles, with Activision set to follow suit soon.
One of the best exclusive franchises that has eluded Xbox players is God of War. The franchise has consistently released excellent games, with the most recent release, simply titled God of War, being considered by some as the best yet. Chances of the franchise ever coming to Xbox are slim, but luckily there are already many excellent adventure and hack-and-slash titles that can fill the void.
Updated on July 18th, 2022, by Jack Pursey: The upcoming entry in the beloved God of War series, God of War Ragnarok, has recently received its official release date after months of speculation. The game is set to hit stores on the 9th of November 2022 and will undoubtedly be a huge seller.
Unfortunately, the hack and slash game is another Santa Monica Studio title that won't be released on Xbox. So, to give Xbox players a few more ideas for alternatives to play, we've updated this list to include a few more games.
18 Elden Ring
God of War Ragnarok will have some serious competition at this year's gaming award shows, as Elden Ring is already being considered by some as the clear favorite for Game of the Year awards.
Elden Ring is the latest action RPG from esteemed studio FromSoftware, who have coined a unique style of game known as Souls-like. Such games include Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, which have all been huge hits with fans and critics. Elden Ring is no different, exemplified by its whopping 96 Metascore on Xbox Series X/S.
17 Nier: Automata
PlatinumGames' Nier: Automata was released in 2017 and is the sequel to 2010's Nier. The game is primarily a hack and slash action RPG, but it also incorporates an impressive range of other genres throughout its 20+ hour campaign, such as text adventure and shoot 'em up.
Nier: Automata was a hit with critics, scoring 90 on Metacritic, and receiving a ton of awards, including Role Playing Game of the Year from the D.I.C.E. Awards.
16 Hades
Hades was developed by Supergiant Games and first released on PC and Nintendo Switch in September 2020, before eventually arriving on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5 in August 2021.
The game was soon regarded as one of the roguelike genre's best-ever releases, thanks to its addictive gameplay loop, excellent progression system, and range of charismatic characters. The game is centered around a Greek mythology theme, which will appeal to fans of the classic God of War games.
15 Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice was initially released in 2017 on PC and PS4 before coming to Xbox One in 2018. The game was developed by Ninja Theory, who were best known at the time for their work on Enslaved: Odyssey to the West and DmC: Devil May Cry.
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice stood out in the late 2010s for its story, which offered an interesting and moving depiction of psychosis. The game has similarities to the most recent God of War with its emphasis on storytelling, hack and slash combat, and Norse mythology.
14 Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance was initially released in February 2013 and, as the name suggests, is a spin-off of the Metal Gear Solid series. Instead of the iconic Solid Snake, the game puts players in the shoes of Raiden. Along with a change in protagonist, the combat mechanics also saw an overhaul, with hack and slash replacing the Metal Gear Solid series' quintessential stealth.
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance was developed by PlatinumGames, who have become one of the hack and slash genre's most esteemed studios thanks to games like Bayonetta and Nier: Automata.
13 DmC: Devil May Cry
As mentioned before, DmC: Devil May Cry was developed by Ninja Studio, the same team that worked on Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice. The game is a reboot of the iconic Devil May Cry series, set in a parallel universe. The decision to reboot the series was extremely divisive, with Ninja Theory even receiving death threats from some fans.
The game was well-received by fans and critics when it was released, though, exemplified by its 86 critic score and 8.0 user score on Metacritic.
12 Alice: Madness Returns
When thinking of similar IPs to the brutal, gory God of War, Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland isn't likely to jump out in many people's minds. However, the franchise surprised the gaming industry in 2011 when Electronic Arts announced that they were publishing a hack-and-slash, psychological horror game set in the Alice in Wonderland universe.
Alice: Madness Returns was developed by Spicy Horse. They silenced any doubters that thought the game would just be a gimmick, providing a memorable action-adventure experience that is still thoroughly enjoyable today.
11 Middle-earth: Shadow of War
Much like the aforementioned Alice in Wonderland, J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings isn't an IP that is commonly associated with God of War.
Still, Middle-earth: Shadow of War is certainly worth including on this list. The game's hack and slash gameplay lets players take down a multitude of enemies at once, in a way that is reminiscent of classic God of War games. Moreover, Shadow of War also provides cinematic storytelling, impressive visuals, and explorable open areas similar to the latest God of War entry.
10 Ryse: Son of Rome
Launch titles can often be fundamental to a console's success in its first couple of years. Microsoft looked to hit the ground running by providing its players with a hack and slash title to challenge God of War, titled Ryse: Son of Rome.
It soon became clear that the game wasn't going to meet the high expectations, as reviews for the game were somewhat lackluster. Though the game is rough around the edges, it can still be a thoroughly enjoyable seven-hour adventure. A seven-hour runtime made it difficult to justify its full price upon release; However, now that it's come down in cost and is available with Game Pass, it's certainly worth checking out.
9 Lords Of The Fallen
Lords of the Fallen is what would happen if someone put God of War and Dark Souls in a blender. The game falls short of either franchise's quality, but the influences are clear to see.
The main strength of Lords of the Fallen is its boss fights. Whereas the standard enemies can be fairly rudimentary, the boss battles feel epic and engaging. The fights are challenging, testing both the player's skill and resourcefulness to obtain the best equipment. A sequel was announced in December 2014, though the game is still in development, with news on the game being scarce.
8 Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
Ubisoft has always been adaptive and shrewd when creating new IPs to suit what's popular in gaming at the time. Rayman capitalized on the mascot platformer genre that was popular during the fifth generation of home consoles; Splinter Cell and Ghost Recon were successful in the sixth and seventh. Franchises like Assassin's Creed and Far Cry have been instrumental in the rise of open-world adventures.
Assassin's Creed Odyssey falls into many of the shortcomings that Ubisoft open-world games suffer from, such as repetitive objectives. However, it's still a well-designed game that will appeal to anyone who wants to experience God of War's Greek mythology elements in an open-world.
7 Dante's Inferno
Of all the games on this list, Dante's Inferno is the one that most clearly set out to be a competitor of Santa Monica Studio's God of War. The game is based on Dante Alighieri's poem of the same name, depicting the nine circles of hell.
The game's hack and slash gameplay is similar to the original God of War trilogy, making it an ideal choice for the first few games' fans. Anyone who enjoys Dante's Inferno may want to check out the dark fantasy film Dante's Inferno: An Animated Epic, which was based on the game and released the same day.
6 Ninja Gaiden II
There aren't many hack and slash franchises as well-known as God of War, but the Ninja Gaiden series comes close. The first game released back in 1988, and it was regarded as one of the best and toughest beat 'em up titles of its generation.
One thread that has connected the Ninja Gaiden releases over the decades is the difficulty. The games are historically known for their brutal challenge, and Ninja Gaiden II is no different. The game is one of the series' most critically acclaimed modern entries, exemplified by its impressive 81 Metascore.
5 Castlevania: Lords Of Shadow
From one iconic franchise to another, the Castlevania franchise is known today for having one of the best releases of the late 90s in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, as well as being one of two games to make up the Metroidvania genre's name, due to its influence on the gameplay style.
Castlevania: Lords Of Shadow was released in 2010 and is today recognized as one of the series' best entries. The game received Metascores between 81 and 85 across its three releases and picked up the accolade of Best Original Score for a Video Game or Interactive Media from the Film Music Critics Association.
4 Darksiders
From one 2010 release to another, Vigil Games' Darksiders stood alongside Castlevania: Lords Of Shadow as one of its year's best hack and slash titles. The series is now on its fourth release, with Darksiders Genesis hitting stores in 2019. However, the original 2010 game is still widely regarded as the franchise's best.
The game puts players in control of War, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Like any good hack and slash game, War can gain new abilities and weaponry throughout his adventure to keep the gameplay fresh and engaging.
3 Bayonetta
With an Xbox 360 Metascore of 90, Bayonetta is one of this list's most critically acclaimed entries. Praise for the game was predominantly directed towards its combat. The hack and slash mechanics have excellent depth, ensuring that players become addicted to the rush of taking down the game's many difficult foes.
The second game received even more praise from critics than the first, exemplified by its Metascores of 91 and 92 between its two releases. Sadly, it was a Nintendo Switch exclusive.
2 Dark Souls III
FromSoftware's so-called "soulsborne" franchise has been one of the most influential series of the last decade. The first Dark Souls game was particularly influential. It went against the grain of modern tends like excessive hand-holding and simplistic difficulty, putting players in an unforgiving world and giving them minimal direction. Moreover, the game's storytelling was wonderfully intertwined with the gameplay, a style that has become increasingly prevalent in gaming ever since.
Any of the Xbox's soulsborne games could have featured on this list, but Dark Souls III takes the cake for being the most accessible of the three for new players due to its more linear design and fairly forgiving first hour.
1 Devil May Cry 5
The Devil May Cry franchise is one of the few hack and slash franchises that can compete with God of War in terms of its critical acclaim and commercial success. The series was initially a PlayStation exclusive, and the first game, which was originally planned as a new Resident Evil game, is one of the PlayStation 2's highest-rated games on Metacritic with a whopping mark of 94.
Devil May Cry 5 initially hit stores in 2019 and is now considered by many to be the best release since the original title.