Much of Sony's success in the console market can be traced back to the many excellent PlayStation exclusive IPs. With some of them having now been with the console line since the very beginning, they can effectively put players in a position where not purchasing the latest PlayStation console can prevent them from playing future entries in their all time favorite franchises; franchises like The Last of Us, Marvel's Spider-Man and God of War.
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Since its debut back in 2005, the latter has boasted some of the very best hack and slash combat in gaming and has regularly backed this up with interesting narratives that borrow heavily from mythology. While undoubtedly one of the finest though, the series is far from the only one to have mastered satisfying hack and slash combat and many of the others are not exclusive to Sony consoles.
10 Diablo 3
While there may be some debate as to whether Diablo 3 succeeds as an action RPG, most can agree that the execution of its hack and slash elements is near perfect. What's more, the Switch port of the game is considered by many to be the definitive edition, which is great news for those who are limited to titles on Nintendo's latest console.
Its dated visuals may not hold up too well in the modern era, but its combat system is still top notch and just might be one of the very best on the Switch. Sadly, that's where the God of War comparisons end, although given how important combat is to some of the latter series' earlier entries, it's definitely a significant similarity.
9 Torchlight 3
Like Diablo 3, Torchlight 3 isn't much to look at, although it does benefit from a few major quality of life updates due to it having released almost a decade later. These do come at the expense of combat cohesion though, with the game's hack and slash action not quite as enthralling as it is in Blizzard's classic series.
There are some pretty decent customization options available though and the game's world is a lot more vibrant, but anybody who cares more about combat might be better off picking up its predecessor instead. It may not be quite as well polished, but it arguably offers a far superior ass-kicking experience.
8 Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity
At its core, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is a Musou game with Zelda characters thrown in. Its frantic hack and slash combat remains ridiculously satisfying though and the inclusion of Link and co only sweetens the deal. The story is a little weak in places, but there is plenty of replayability and variation thanks to the huge cast of playable protagonists.
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Alternatively, the definitive edition of the original Hyrule Warriors game features significantly more characters and can usually be picked up for around half the price. It too suffers from shoddy storytelling at times, but, like its successor, puts much of its focus into providing a solid and enjoyable hack and slash experience.
7 Fire Emblem Warriors
Those who love Musou games but aren't particularly fond of the Zelda franchise should instead consider Fire Emblem Warriors. Like the Hyrule Warriors games, it was developed by Omega Force and Team Ninja and also offers a Dynasty Warriors style experience. This time, however, the likes of Lu Bu and Cao Cao are instead replaced by Fire Emblem characters rather than Hyrule's finest.
Of course, some may prefer simply going straight to the source and that's not at all a terrible idea. Dynasty Warriors 8 runs like a dream on Switch and features the same frantic hack and slash combat as the aforementioned Warriors games while also providing some interesting insight into Chinese history and folklore as well.
6 Titan Quest
For a 15 year old game, Titan Quest still holds up incredibly well. Granted, it's starting to look a little rough and ragged around the edges, but the gameplay remains just as solid today as it was in 2006. Of course, this likely has something to do with the fact that THQ Nordic continued supporting the game for more than a decade after its release; a rare but welcomed touch indeed.
Frustratingly, however, the Ragnarok and Atlantis expansions are not included with the Switch release of the game and must instead be purchased as expensive DLC. The base version of the game does still have plenty to offer though. Like the God of War series, it also packs in plenty of mythology while also packing one hell of a punch when it comes to its hack and slash combat.
5 Astral chain
Astral Chain blends together elements from a lot of different genres and although they don't always mesh together seamlessly, when it does work, it tends to work incredibly well. Combat is well refined, the story is solid and its light RPG mechanics compliment the action adventure dynamic that PlatinumGames was going for rather than clashing with it.
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Due to the heavily stylized graphics, there are very few visual similarities to be drawn between Astral Chain and God of War and the hack and slash combat is pretty different as well. One thing that is consistent across both series, however, is the feeling of satisfaction that can be gained by putting together an effective and stylish combination of attacks.
4 Bayonetta 1 & 2
For as good as Astral Chain can be, it's nowhere near as exciting as one of PlatinumGames' earlier IPs, Bayonetta. Originally released as a multi-platform series before becoming a Nintendo exclusive, Bayonetta features some of the best hack and slash combat to have come out of the last few decades and runs incredibly smoothly on the Switch.
While other ports of the first game are perhaps better due to their support of 4K resolutions, the Switch port of Bayonetta 2 is hands down the definitive version. Of course, it certainly helps that the only other console that it released on was the Wii U. With a third game on Switch hopefully arriving in the next few years, it's definitely a series worth checking out.
3 Attack On Titan 2
Attack on Titan is arguably one of the more easily accessible Japanese animes thanks to its relatively straightforward plot and scintillating action scenes. The first few cours are particularly impressive and Attack on Titan 2 does a fantastic job of capturing the energy and excitement that's contained within them.
Those who enjoyed taking down overpowered Gods with Kratos will likely take a lot of enjoyment from decimating the gigantic and grotesque titans; not to mention the game's buttery smooth combat. The art style may not be to everybody's tastes, but players who are able to look past it will find a lot to love about the game.
2 God Eater 3
God Eater 3 doesn't look much like a hack and slash game at first glance, thanks largely to the its at times heavy-handed use of RPG mechanics. Once these have been stripped away though, players will find a combat system that's built around one key idea. Fun.
That's a word that can be used to describe the game on many levels, although it does have its problems too. The bulk of these relate to its mediocre story, although its fantastic combat and challenging difficulty arguably make up for this. Ultimately, when it comes to beating up and then eating up Gods (or Aragami, as they are referred to as in game), no series does it better.
1 Devil May Cry
Devil May Cry's Dante has forgotten more about hack and slash combat than most main protagonists will ever learn. In fact, just about the only person who could even come close to him is Kratos himself. Like God of War, the classic Capcom series played a hugely important role in popularizing the hack and slash genre back in the early two thousands and remains a key player even to this day.
Sadly, the excellent Devil May Cry 5 is not yet available on Switch, nor is there any word on if it will ever be. The first three games were ported to the system not too long ago, however, and, visuals aside, they still hold up incredibly well today. That's perhaps not too surprising really though, as stringing together complicated and badass combos is unlikely to ever truly go out of style.