The very first Devil May Cry game was released in 2001 on the PlayStation 2. What initially began as an early concept for Resident Evil 4 became the standard for a new sub-genre of hack-and-slash action-adventure games.

Despite being looked at as a sub-genre of its own, the Devil May Cry series harked back to classic beat em ups like Golden Axe, Double Dragon, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade. The major difference, of course, is that games in the same genre as DMC are usually single-player affairs giving its players a sense of power.

It didn’t take long for other developers to work on games that used the same power fantasy action hero concept of their own. With many of those titles becoming critically acclaimed in their own right we take a look at some of the best games to play if you like Devil May Cry.

Updated December 31st, 2020 by Michael Llewellyn: The Devil May Cry series has made something of a comeback with Devil May Cry V by improving on the already established formula of its predecessors. It’s even received an enhanced port ready for next-gen consoles the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X.

There is something about Devil May Cry and the hack and slash genre that feels likes a throwback to classic beat-em-ups. The games seem simplistic in some ways but there’s a huge amount of skill involved when it comes to hitting combos and defeating large and difficult enemies. For those that enjoy that style of gameplay, there are other options available for hack and slash fans to try.

15 X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Released in 2009 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, Nintendo Wii, and the PC, X-Men Origins: Wolverine is a movie tie-in game that for many people is more entertaining than its source material.

The game is far more violent and bloody than the movie and features a combat system inspired by the God of War series. The combat isn’t as complicated as Devil May Cry but fans of that game’s mechanics should feel right at home with Wolverine.

14 Conan (2007)

THQ published Conan in 2007 on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It was an overlooked title because of its similarities to the God of War series. While it may be fair to call Conan a God of War clone, its counter-attack system, equipment mechanics, and weapon variety were far superior to Kratos’ PS2 and PS3 outings, even Conan wasn’t quite as epic.

Furthermore, Conan the Barbarian was the ultimate power fantasy in fiction long before God of War and Devil May Cry. Additionally, Conan features artwork inspired by the original works of Frank Frazetta, an award-winning soundtrack, and great voice work from Ron Perlman and Claudia Black in the lead roles.

13 Transformers: Devastation

Developed by PlatinumGames and released in 2015 Transformers: Devastation was an action title that combines hack-slash gameplay and shooting mechanics similar to Devil May Cry and other Platinum titles. Players take on the roles of Autobot heroes Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Grimlock, Sideswipe, and Wheeljack.

Just the like Devil May Cry series, Transformers: Devastation incorporates fast action, gameplay variety, timing, and of course a memorable boss battles. Players can also upgrade their move sets with TECH enhancements that increase the Autobots’ stats as the game progresses.

12 Dante’s Inferno

During its early development, Capcom openly stated that Devil May Cry took inspiration from Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy. EA’s Dante’s Inferno released in 2010 and is another hack and slash action-adventure video game that took inspiration from the same piece of literature.

The entire game’s story is based on the first canticle of the epic poem Inferno. The combat isn’t as fast or as complex as the Devil May Cry series but it is just as visceral and the game’s hellish level design is just as impressive as anything found in Capcom’s series.

11 God Hand

God Hand is a cult PS2 action title that was developed by Clover Studio of Okami fame. Many of the same members of Clover Studio went on to form Platinum Games should give Devil May Cry fans an idea of God Hand’s pedigree in the action beat-em-up genre.

In addition, the game was directed by Resident Evil 4’s Shinji Mikami and who wanted to make a game where the character didn’t rely on weapons. The game’s characters and the action take inspiration from the Fist of the North Star manga and its outlandish sense of humor from JoJo’s Bizare Adventure.

10 Metal Gear Rising: Reveangence

Released in 2013 on the PS3 and Xbox 360 Metal Gear Rising: Reveangence was an action game developed by Platinum Games. The development studio is comprised of many of the same staff that worked on the Devil May Cry series.

Metal Gear Rising features Metal Gear Solid 2’sRaiden as its main protagonist. The game’s “free slicing” mechanic is one of the most accomplished in the action genre and allows for a lot of versatility in combat. Initially, the game features Matrix-style effects allowing players to slice bullets and even rockets mid-flow.

9 Ninja Gaiden Sigma

Ninja Gaiden was released in 2006 on the PS3 and was created by Nioh and Dead or Alive developer’s Team Ninja. The series is beloved by fans of the action-adventure genre and is notorious for its punishing difficulty.

Sigma was a director’s cut of the critically acclaimed original game on the Xbox and featured enhanced visuals, new gameplay mechanics, and weapons. Fans of Devil May Cry will appreciate the blistering speed of the combat and the strategy required to defeat enemies.

8 Castlevania: Lord Of Shadow

Castlevania: Lord of Shadow was released in 2010 on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 was co-developed by Mercury Steam and Kojima Productions. It was a departure from the side-scrolling originals in the series but there was an element of platforming and puzzle-solving like the originals.

The core gameplay of Lords of Shadow is its combat with up to forty unlockable combos where skill and timing are paramount. Additionally, the game is absolutely loaded with content and like Devil May Cry, it’s a Gothic demon-slaying epic that deserves another look.

7 Ghost Of Tsushima

Released in 2020, Ghost of Tsushima was one of the biggest hits of the year and is considered by fans as one of the best PlayStation 4 exclusives. While the gameplay mechanics and open-world nature are fundamentally different from the Devil May Cry series, Tsushima’s timing-based combat is definitely something that fans of the Capcom series will appreciate.

Every fight in the game is thrilling and there are lots of different ways to take down enemies, whether it’s in a duel or by using ninja-like stealth tactics.

6 Ryse: Son Of Rome

Released as a launch exclusive for the Xbox One, Ryse: Son of Rome is a historical action game that has a fighting system that combines elements of Devil May Cry, God of War, and Batman: Arkham games. The production values are still fantastic, the voice acting is top-notch, and the facial animations remain some of the best today.

While the game was criticized for its lack of variety at the time of its release, Ryse’scombat-heavy mechanics are a great fit for Devil May Cry fans who enjoy taking down multiple enemies. While the fighting system has more in common with the Arkham series than Devil May Cry, there’s enough action in Ryse to please even the most jaded of action fans.

5 Bloodborne

A PlayStation 4 exclusive, Bloodborne is an action RPG from the developers of the Dark Souls series. It has many of the same elements as those games but the combat is much faster-paced. Instead of using a more methodical pace, Bloodborne’s combat is more about timing dodges and attacking when there are openings.

Additionally, the visual style is much darker than Dark Souls or Devil May Cry. Bloodborne’s elements of gothic horror and the incredible boss battles, which are some of the most memorable of the eighth console generation, make it a great fit for Devil May Cry fans.

4 Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Released in 2019, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is an action-adventure game from the developers of Dark Souls, Demon’s Souls, and Bloodborne. Even though it shares some of the same elements as its predecessors, Sekiro is not an RPG and shares a lot in common with the Devil May Cry series.

Sekiro, however, is more open and lets players explore its world, while it takes a more strategic approach to combat than Capcom’s license. The swordplay is fantastic and the fights really do play out like a dance of parrying and combinations. Sekiro also happens to be one of the most challenging games of the generation, which didn’t stop it from winning big at the 2019 Game Awards.

3 Astral Chain

Astral Chain was released exclusively on the Nintendo Switch in 2019 and was developed by Platinum Games. Getting released the same year as Devil May Cry V means there are two contenders for the best action-adventure hack-and-slash games in 2019.

Astral Chain was directed by lead gameplay designer for Nier: Automata Takahisa Taura and Devil May Cry director Hideki Kamiya. The game’s Legion summoning mechanic works similarly to Devil May Cry’s V demon summoning powers. The game’s pacing isn’t as relentless as DMCV due to the exploration and RPG elements.

2 God Of War (2018)

God of War was released in 2018 exclusively for the PlayStation 4 and although it was the fourth mainline entry in the Kratos saga it was very much a reboot. The original games had more in common with Devil May Cry but the newest entry is hailed as one of the best action games ever made.

God of War finally made Kratos a likable and relatable character thanks to the new voice actor Christopher Judge, but controlling him is still the same power fantasy that it has always been. The game’s combat works similarly to the Dark Souls series as does the semi-open Castlevania-Esque interconnected world.

1 The Bayonetta Series

The Bayonetta series was developed by Platinum Games and released in its entirety on the Nintendo Switch and Wii U. The game was directed by the original Devil May Cry director Hideki Kamiya and feels as much of an evolution of the DMC formula as the series’ fifth entry.

The combat feels very similar to Devil May Cry but the titular Bayonetta is a witch capable of inflicting magic and melee combos with fluid precision. Additionally, she can summon contraptions like a medieval torture device called the Iron Maiden to perform devastatingly creative attacks.

NEXT 10 Games To Play If You Like Astral Chain