Ah, the hack and slash, truly one of gaming’s most nebulous genres. Games aren’t really called “hack and slash” as much as they used to be, if only because genre classification has become much more specific thanks to the advent of genres like “character-action” or “Musou.”
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Even so, it’s not an inaccurate label; these games have no shortage of hacking and, time permitting, slashing, and sometimes that’s all you really want in life. It’s especially nice to have them on the Nintendo Switch, so you can bring all the hacking and/or slashing on the road with you. If you’re looking for suggestions for such games, we have a few.
10Astral Chain
Have you ever watched Neon Genesis Evangelion? Well, what if instead of teenagers in giant robots, it was cops tethered to extradimensional beasties? Well, you’d getAstral Chain, a game that isn’t shy about its influences and is awesome enough that it doesn’t need to be.
With your Legion cohort, investigate the streets of a cyberpunk city and unravel the mystery of a deadly dimensional incursion. Chain combos on enemies with both your own weapons and your Legions', working in tandem tomaximize your offensive capabilities.
9Bayonetta Series
What do you think of when you think “witches?” Black cats, flying brooms, all that jazz? Good, now throw all of that out the window.Bayonettais a witch like you’ve never seen, strapping pistols to her arms and legs and conjuring forth demons made of her own enchanted hair.
All three games in the Bayonetta series are available on the Switch. Get a feel for the precise combat in Bayonetta, power up with the Umbran Climax ability in Bayonetta 2, and summon forth gigantic Demon Slaves in the middle of battle in Bayonetta 3.
8Hyrule Warriors: Age Of Calamity
In broad terms, theLegend of Zeldagames could be considered hack and slashes in their own right, but if we were to really exemplify the notion, we’d do it inHyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. This game serves as both a prequel and what-if to Breath of the Wild, telling the story of the original Calamity while steering things in new and interesting directions.
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Take control ofa massive rosterof Breath of the Wild characters like Link, Zelda, Impa, the Champions, and more as you take on massive hordes of enemies single-handedly. Use the Sheikah Slate to conjure various special abilities both for combat and puzzle-solving.
7No More Heroes Series
It’s good to remember sometimes that there’s a fine line between a “hero” and a “protagonist.” For instance, Travis Touchdown, protagonist of theNo More Heroesseries, isdefinitely no hero. He’s a foul-mouthed assassin wielding a Beam Katana in a bloody crusade to be the best assassin there ever was, one severed head at a time.
While the first two games were originally on the Wii, all three No More Heroes games can be played on the Switch. Get your start in the original No More Heroes, move up to dual-wielding and new characters in No More Heroes 2, and master wild and weird superpowers in No More Heroes 3.
6Hades
Death isn’t as scary a concept when you’re a Greek god, and especially not when you already live in the underworld. That’s why inHades, Zagreus will try to escape from the realm of his titular father as many times as it takes. After all, if he gets killed, he’ll just end up back home!
Fight your way through the realms of the underworld in this fast-paced action roguelite. Master various weapons, build your powers with the boons of the Olympic pantheon, and meet a cast of characters in a deep and fascinating story.
Maybe just hacking and slashing dudes and monsters isn’t enough for you. Maybe you want a massive map to explore as well. Well, if you haven’t yet experiencedDead Cells' patented brand of “RogueVania” gameplay, then we’ve got some good news for you.
Explore a shifting tower full of distinct rooms and corridors, seeking out new weapons and treasures as you develop your character and take on bosses. Even among roguelites, no two playthroughs of Dead Cells are truly the same thanks to the sheer breadth of items to uncover.
4Diablo 3
The series that truly popularized the dungeon crawler game (which, as we’ve established, is a firm subset of hack and slashes),Diablo 3is the epitome of action-RPGs. In this massive fantasy quest, build your character from scratch, carefully customizing their stats and abilities.
Wanna swing a sword around? Go ahead! Wanna cast some serious spells? You got it! Diablo 3 offers an in-depth experience for players of all styles, and it’s at its absolute best when enjoyed with a full team of buddies.
3Persona 5 Strikers
Persona 5may have been a traditional turn-based JRPG, but can its distinctive elements and styles be translated into an action hack and slash? Turns out they absolutely can, and with surprising aplomb.Persona 5 Strikersreturns players to the lives of the Phantom Thieves after the events of Persona 5 for a new heart-snatching mystery.
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With a blend of Persona 5 elemental exploration tactics and Musou-style enemy crowds, you can wipe massive hordes of Shadows from existence with the power of your Personas. Control all the Phantom Thieves, each with their own weapons and Persona abilities, and perform a Baton Pass to switch between them on the fly.
2Devil May Cry Series
The crown prince of character-action,Devil May Cry’s Dante has been swinging swords since 2001 and is still going strong. If you’ve played the modern games but missed out on the oldies, then good news, they’re all available on the Switch.
Devil May Cry shows Dante’s first major outing, showcasing the experimental combat action that put the series on the map, while Devil May Cry 3 shows the series' incredible innovation and evolution in the field of action gameplay. And Devil May Cry 2… also exists, if you’re into that.
1Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3
It’s basically a rule that for every genre of video game, there is at least one instance of it thatcontains Marvel superheroes. If we’re talking hack and slashes on the Switch, the Marvel march of the hour isMarvel Ultimate Alliance 3.
Command a roster of Earth’s mightiest heroes (and a couple of villains) in dungeon-crawler action gameplay. Every character has their own unique moves and skills, and as you level them up, they’ll unlock even more of them for your comic book-loving pleasure.
NEXT:The Best Hack And Slash Games Of All Time, Ranked
