5 of the best games like Devil May Cry

The Devil May Cry franchise has carved itself a niche in the gaming industry as one of the pioneers of the hack n' slash genre. The game, which initially began development as a Resident Evil spin-off, has evolved into a franchise of its own.

The Devil May Cry franchise's signature stylish and pacey action made it an instant hit among the fans and was instrumental in creating a subgenre of its own. The character-based action game was born as a result, and characters like Dante instantly became a favourite of the community.

Here are our top picks for five games you might like if you happen to like the Devil May Cry series.

Five of the best games like Devil May Cry

5) Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice

This might be the oddest entry on the list, but the game's mechanical roots in the hack n' slash genre is undeniable. Made by the developers of the 2013 reboot DmC Devil May Cry, Ninja Theory developed and published Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice to varying degrees of commercial and critical reception.

The game is heralded as one of the most ambitious games in history in terms of story and narrative themes, and is also a technical powerhouse. While it may not have the necessary bells, whistles and the glitter of the Devil May Cry series, fans will absolutely love the cinematic combat of Hellblade.

Ninja Theory are now set for the release of a sequel, possibly in the next year, with a bigger budget.

4) Castlevania: Lords of Shadow

The Castlevania franchise is one of the most recognizable and beloved game series' in the history of video games and deservedly so. The series had been dormant for a while, but a 2013 reboot saw the game series come out of the shadows.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow follows the story of Gabriel Belmont and his inevitable descent into villainy as the story progresses. The game is severely underrated and deserves a second playthrough.

The gameplay sees a major revamp as a more traditional third-person hack n' slash game and is endlessly rewarding and ticks all the boxes in the power fantasy column.

3) God of War

The hack n' slash genre of games dominated the mid-2000s and early 2010s and saw several massive hits. One of the biggest hits was Santa Monica's God of War, an impressive barrage of violence, rage and ruthless style.

The initial trilogy was a completely different experience than the 2018 God of War, that saw the series get decidedly mature with its story and characters. However, the original games still have a lot of charm and undeniable technical mastery.

This violent tirade through Greek Mythology will have players clutching their controller with a vice grip. It will also have them continually picking their jaws from the floor every 20 minutes or so due to the sheer spectacle of the game.

2) Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

Some games tend to go down the more subtle route, opting for a much more muted and subversive take on the genre. That is not the case with Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance.

The game takes the concept of the hack n' slash game and turns the volume up to an insane degree. The stakes continue to get higher with each level in Revengeance, and the spectacle keeps getting bigger and bigger.

If stylish combat, large-scale boss-fights and sheer ridiculous amounts of style is your thing, then Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is about to be your best friend.

1) Bayonetta

The Bayonetta franchise has always been the spiritual brethren to the Devil May Cry series. However, that is not to say that the series has been derivative, as the games are entirely original and both have influenced each other over the years.

Both games lie in the same vein of the stylish character-based combat of hack n' slash games and excel in their own respective fields. Bayonetta is simply a game that does all the talking with its gameplay.

Featuring one of the most badass characters in all of gaming, Bayonetta will impress players at every stage and fans are clamoring for a sequel.