The God of War series defined what the action genre was capable of back in the days of the PlayStation 2. With brutal combat, incredible combos, and enough monsters to slice, dice, and serve on rice, these games gave new meaning to the term hack-and-slash. But like so many games, other titles wanted a piece of that juicy action.
After God of War hit the scene, dozens of imitators and rip-offs that tried their hand at similar mechanics. Thanks to the lovely people at Metacritic, we’ve gathered together some of the best in recent years. Steady your blade and prepare to get messy as we hack into the 15 best games like God of War.
Updated January 12th, 2021 by Patrick Mocella: No other modern action series has influenced video gaming more than God Of War. By weaving an epic story with quick-time events, brutal finishing moves and ludicrous numbers of combo hits, GOW has inspired many similar games who in the worst of cases cloned the formula while the better ones added a welcome addition to it. Some of these titles may be similar to GOW in gameplay only while others owe much of their ethos to the themes in Sony’s franchise series, but they can all owe a debt of gratitude to Kratos’ quest for vengeance.
15 Spider-Man: Web Of Shadows (68)
It might be weird to compare an open-world superhero game to God Of War and especially when that superhero is the family-friendly Spider-Man. But Spider-Man: Web Of Shadows somewhat successfully adapts the classic God Of War formula to the template set by Spider-Man 2.
While the game is littered with bugs, poor technical performance and a poor story, the incredible combat makes up for it. Players can switch between the classic red and blue suit and the symbiote suit on command and the number of hits you can achieve in a combo is right at home with GOW. The symbiotic flails you can whip at enemies might as well be the Blades Of Chaos with how they function. It may lack the brutal violence of Kratos’ adventures, but its combat is still satisfying as heck.
14 Conan (69)
There hasn’t been a ton of games based around Conan The Barbarian, but he’s such a natural fit to the God Of War formula that his title from the Xbox 360 and PS3 must be included.
The game is as bog-standard as a GOW clone can be. You run around linear levels defeating enemies and collecting experience points to upgrade your moves and finally defeat a boss with a quick-time event finisher. While the game doesn’t innovate in any meaningful way, it’s still a fun enough time for fans of the character.
13 Ninja Blade (69)
This Xbox 360 exclusive from the same developer responsible for the future Dark Souls series is entirely forgotten about nowadays, but in 2009 it was one of Microsoft’s few exclusives to the system. But was it any good? Well, it’s a big mixed bag.
The game strives to be a big, dumb Hollywood action movie by heavily relying on quick-time events far more than even God Of War ever did. All the while allowing players to rack up big combos on massive enemies with various weapons. This is a case of a game that is more fun to watch than it is to play though, but still an ok time for gamers.
12 Dante’s Inferno (75)
We’re going to be honest, Dante’s Inferno essentially took God of War’s gameplay, gore, and combat, but replaced the Greek pantheon with figures from Christianity. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. After all, how can you hack and slash your way through the legions of Hell, absolving or condemning damned souls, and not feel like a holy warrior?
Very loosely based on the epic poem of the same name, this game reimagines Dante Alighieri as a Crusader knight who must descend into the nine circles of Hell rescue his beloved Beatrice from the clutches of Satan himself. Sound’s like a fun trip, right?
11 Alice: Madness Returns (75)
Anyone familiar with American McGee’s Alice knows that it’s a dark fantasy action-platformer inspired by Alice in Wonderland. Its sequel, however, takes the action and cranks it up to ten. When Wonderland is threatened by a malignant and malicious presence, Alice must return and face the fiendish evil before her world and her mind shatter like a looking glass.
Alice doesn’t go into this fight empty-handed, not by a long shot. She has quite an impressive arsenal of weapons to dish out some serious damage. Whether you’re hacking up enemies with the Vorpal Blade or blasting them with the Hatter’s Eye Pot, you’re definitely in for a good time.
10 Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks (78)
Releasing only six months after the original God Of War, Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks remains the only spin-off game of Mortal Kombat that is worthy of praise.
Unlike other games on the list, Shaolin Monks allows local multiplayer which lets you tackle the campaign mode with a partner. You travel the realms defeating henchmen and big names like Shao Kahn and Shang Tsung in a reimagined story of Mortal Kombat 2. While the combat and story aren’t nearly as deep as GOW, racking up massive combos and executing bloody finishers on foes is just as much fun as doing it with Kratos.
9 Heavenly Sword (79)
Though the combat is nearly identical to God of War, Heavenly Sword is arguably better performed. Featuring Andy Serkis as the main villain and a style that’s like a brilliant blend of Conan the Barbarian and Akira Kurosawa, Heavenly Sword definitely doesn’t disappoint by any means.
Nariko might not be as brutal as Kratos, but her dance-like fighting technique and her bond with her blade make her an incredible character to tear into slews of enemies with. Not exactly the most unique on our list, but it’s still a fun, action-packed game to scratch that hack-and-slash itch.
8 Metal Gear Rising Revengeance (80)
Whenever you hear the name Metal Gear, you probably think of a military-based stealth shooter or action title, right? Lots of camo, takedowns, and eye-patch wearing protagonists. Cyborg ninjas, gigantic mechs, and samurai swords probably aren’t really images conjured up in your mind’s eye. Not in the case of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance.
This weird but wonderful game has players take up the sword as Raiden to tear through waves of enemies and bosses with crippling combos and dazzling swordplay. What separates this from other entries on our list is the slashing mechanic that lets you carve up targets like a Thanksgiving turkey. Definitely worth a playthrough or two.
7 Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (81)
Definitely one of the darker and lore-heavy titles on our list, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice takes more than a few pages from 2018’s God of War’s playbook than anything else. Along with the influences from Norse mythology, the story-heavy presentation and the savage hack-and-slash combat are what truly sell us on this title.
Senua’s Sacrifice isn’t your typical button-masher or bloody brawler. It’s an experience that deals with themes of psychosis, loss, and at times beauty. It’s the game’s focus on story rather than slashing that earns it a spot on our and many other people’s lists.
6 Darksiders (82)
Darksiders definitely wears its God of War influence on its blood-drenched sleeves, but its over-the-top comic book art style is what sets War apart from Kratos. It might have similar combos and combat, but we definitely have a soft spot for this dark fantasy title.
When the horseman of war is accused of a crime he didn’t commit, he must take up his blade against the forces of both Heaven and Hell on his quest of salvation, leaving a few severed limbs and bloodstains along the way. With its God of War inspired combat and its Zelda inspired puzzles and dungeons, it’s a bloody union of gameplay with something for every action-adventure fan.
5 Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 (83)
Even if they’re often compared to one another, the Ninja Gaiden series and GOW are quite different in terms of gameplay. While GOW has a much lower skill level, the Ninja Gaiden series is known for its complex combat that will punish newbies if they don’t pay attention to their defense. But if there’s one Ninja Gaiden game that plays most like GOW, it would have to be Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2.
This Tecmo title abandons more of the adventure and puzzle-solving elements of the previous game and leans more heavily into brutal and flashy combat. “Obliteration” techniques are introduced which are akin to GOW finishers minus the QTEs. Gamers can approach this Ninja Gaiden with a much more offensive style akin to GOW and it’s a spectacle to behold.
4 Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey (83)
Admit it, anytime an action-focused video game uses Greek mythology as its main inspiration, the first thing that comes to mind will almost always be God of War. Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey is definitely no exception to the idea. Though it’s certainly deeper and more story-heavy than God of War, the combat and visuals are definitely similar.
Though the large open world, acrobatic exploration, and standard stealth gameplay are all as present in this title as they are in other Assassin’s Creed games, the combat, boss fights, and ancient Greek setting are all classic God of War. Pick up this game if you want a little more story with your Greek epic.
3 Castlevania: Lords of Shadow (85)
Definitely one of the most fun and beautiful games on the Playstation 3, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow takes all the best hack-and-slash elements and mechanics, rolls them into a gothic epic, and paints the whole thing in a gorgeous art style inspired by the works of Guillermo Del Toro.
Lords of Shadow is almost nothing like other Castlevania titles, but it stands on its own well enough to be something unique and original. With invigorating combat, monsters galore, and incredible boss fights, Gabriel Belmont could easily give our boy Kratos a little competition.
2 DMC: Devil May Cry (85)
The original Devil May Cry might have spawned the hack-and-slash genre, but its ultraviolent remake by the guys over at Ninja Theory shares more than a little in common with the God of War series. Though Dante certainly has more attitude and guns than the Ghost of Sparta, their appetite for slaughter are most certainly evenly matched.
While this reboot of Dante is a far cry away from his cool and cocky self, the game itself is about as fun as a hack-and-slash title can be. Rock on and rack up devastating combos and tear through waves of different demons in this incredible title.
1 Bayonetta (90)
Though she basically fights for the other side of the angelic/demonic divide, Bayonetta is the only one on our list that could be considered not only Dante’s equal, but Kratos’s as well. But certainly more visually appealing. Bayonetta’s spells and over-the-top combos and gunplay are so bombastic and brutal, it’s easy to see why she gets our top spot.
Famous for her killer hair and heat-packing stilettos, Bayonetta makes life hard for the slew of celestial creatures who get in her way. Though not nearly as gory as some of Kratos’s work, this gal is the baddest witch in town, and her games are as exciting and beguiling as she is.
NEXT: The 10 Most Difficult Bosses From Bayonetta, Ranked
