Best games emerge when you mix the hack & slash and RPG genres. Such as Diablo, V Rising, Hades, etc. For the 20 best ones, scroll down below.
Hack & slash: Is a type of game that emphasizes non-stop action. You’ll be fighting and slashing hordes of enemies without a break.
RPG: Is a game in which you assume the role of a completely unique character and role-play to immerse yourself with the in-game universe.
Most RPGs lack real action. Also, most hack & slash games miss role-playing. So, when the two mixed, you get amazing action game with real-deal role playing elements.
20 best hack & slash RPGs:
1. Diablo 4
Most popular hack & slash video game franchise is most definitely Diablo. The Diablo 1 and 2 was cult-classic genre defining games. If you haven’t played them before, you can get the remastered versions from Blizzard’s website.
Anyway, latest game of the series is Diablo 3. It’s absolutely brilliant hack & slash with many classes, acts, enemies, overall content. You better not miss it. Especially now that Diablo 4 is on the corner. Initial release date of Diablo 4 is June 6, 2023 and before that, I recommend you play rest of the Diablo games and be ready!
What more can I say? Diablo is the king of isometric aRPG hack & slash genres.
2. V Rising
V Rising is a mix between action RPG and hack & slash elements. It’s also a vampire game. By the way, check best vampire RPGs if you like vampires.
You awaken as a Vampire in V Rising and the hunger hits. You must hunt for blood in nearby settlements. As you feed, your vampiric powers grow. You get to hack and slash a lot too.
V Rising can be played solo. But the real fun is in the online mode, especially when you raid other players castles. Yes, you can build a mighty vampire castle in the open-world and others can raid it, just like Rust.
3. Hades
Hades is an action roguelike which is also hack & slash RPG. It’s one of the highest rated games you can find on Steam platform because of its top-notch story, artwork, music, and gameplay.
In the game, you defy the god of the dead (Hades himself) as you hack & slash through Underworld. See, the game is heavily inspired or literally taken from the Greek mythology. As a history & mythology enthusiast, I can’t get enough of this game.
4. Path of Exile
Path of Exile is the ultimate hack & slash RPG, but I had to put it to number 4. Because unlike many other games on this list, Path of Exile is a MMORPG.
You start as an Exile, struggling to survive on the dark continent of Wraeclast. You fight and earn power so that you can exact your revenge against those who wronged you in the past.
By the way, Path of Exile has the biggest skill tree you’ll ever see in a video game.
5. Diablo 2 Resurrection
Diablo 2 is superior to Diablo 1 in every way you can imagine. Besides, Diablo 2 got remastered in 2021. So, if you haven’t played it before, go get Diablo 2 Resurrection now.
Choose amazon, assassin, necromancer, barbarian, paladin, sorceress, or druid class and embark on a epic journey. Fight denizens of hell including Diablo, Mephisto, and Ball. Diablo is resurrected, literally.
6. Lost Ark
Lost Ark is a Korean hack & slash MMORPG with the most ridiculous classes, spells, and abilities. Everything about Lost Ark is in grand scale in Lost Ark. Best part is, Lost Ark is free to play on Steam.
Lost Ark classes:
- Warrior
- Martial Artist
- Gunner
- Mage
- Assassin
- Specialist
Of course, all these classes have their own sub-classes.
Even though Lost Ark is a great hack & slash game, it’s still a MMORPG. So, if you don’t have lots of time and patient, I urge you to skip Lost ark.
7. Grim Dawn
Grim Dawn is another popular action RPG / hack slash. The game is set in an apocalyptic fantasy world where entire humanity is about to be destroyed. Cause of that destruction are Aetherial entities and interdimensional aliens. As one of the remaining human survivors, you must observe the war to learn your enemies’ weaknesses and use everything you can throw at them.
With dual class feature you can use over 250 skills, collect hundreds of unique items, and slash your way through your enemies.
8. Last Epoch
Some say it’s even better than Diablo 4 because of its potential. But Last Epoch was in early access for the past 4 years… Will they ever release the full version? Who knows. Let’s discuss the gameplay now.
Last Epoch is a great hack & slash game with some RPG elements. It has 15 mastery classes, 100+ skill trees, epic loot, crafting, and time travel since it’s a sci-fi as well.
9. Darksiders Genesis
All the Dark Siders games are in third person view, except the latest release Darksiders Genesis. This one is an isometric hack & slash game in which you control fourth and last horseman STRIFE. If you play co-op, other play will control the horseman WAR. Co-op is also a first for Darksiders genre. Overall, Darksiders Genesis was an experimental game, but the experiment ended in success. The game turned out to be great, positive reviews also points to that fact.
Darksider Genesis also has great puzzles waiting to be solved. Puzzles are especially fun in co-op mode.
10. Victor Vran ARPG
Victor Vran is claiming to be an action RPG. It does have some RPG elements, but the main focus is action! It’s a true hack & slash in my opinion.
You play as the Victor Vran, a demon hunter who arrives in the city of Zagoravia. Your job is to help humans by fighting off a demon infestation.
11. UNDECEMBER
Undecember is another mix of action RPG and hack & slash genres with many rich features. Such as, fulfilling acts, chaos dungeons, boss raids, PvP, guilds, re-playability, and tons of skills.
Some say it’s the Korean version of Path of Exile. But there is a huge difference, Undecember has some paid features… It’s even pay2win if you’re interested in PVP combat. However, it’s not really an issue if you’re going to stick to the single-player aspect of the game.
12. The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing
Victor Vran and Van Helsing, I always mix up the two. Both are demon hunting hack & slash games. The good thing is, if you like one, you’ll like the other two. So, more fun for you!
As a fan of the 2004 Van Helsing movie, I love this game. It has many features such as 6 classes, 24 skills, 12 auras, 3 unique abilities, hide out building & defending, humory dialogues, and co-op option.
13. Children of Morta
Let’s continue with a melting pot of a game. It’s an action RPG, roguelike, hack & slash, dungeon crawler, and co-op game. In short, Children of Morta is an all in one video game.
You want chill game with good story and lots of hack & slash? Go for it.
14. Eldest Souls
Eldest Souls is a souls-like game as can be seen on its title. It’s pretty similar to Dark Souls games in terms of classes, enemies, combat, and difficulty. Except, Eldest Souls use isometric camera unlike the third person view of Dark Souls games. An interesting take which works very well.
Pros of Eldest Souls would be artistic graphics, atmosphere, and epic boss battles. Can’t think of any cons except, the game is a little bit short. Wish it was longer!
15. Torchlight 2
Torchlight (2009) and Torchlight II (2012) are cult classic games offering lots of fun. The franchise is filled with action, epic battles, bountiful treasures, and fully randomized world instances. You can play it co-op too.
In truth it’s kinda outdated. So, if you’re going to play it, either do it for nostalgia or be okay with bad graphics.
16. Titan Quest
Talking about nostalgia… This one in particular brings me old memories. If you haven’t played it, definitely do now know that you’re looking for hack & slash games.
Besides, you can play the 2016 remastered version of this 2006 cult classic game.
Titan quest is a game about mythologies from all over the world. Including Greek, Egyptian, and Norse. As a legendary hero, you’ll find many mythologic creatures and gods just like Kratos from god of war.
17. Rum & Gun
There aren’t many pirate themed hack & slash games. In fact, I can’t think any other. Except Rum & Gun. It’s a fast-paced shooter action with ARPG elements.
You like piracy themed games, check out the list of best pirate RPGs ever. You’ll definitely find something you’ll like.
Anyway, you’ll travel the Indian Ocean, uncover the secrets of the Drunken God, and become a legendary pirate captain in Rum & Gun. Be careful though, you’re not in Caribbean anymore. Natives, tribes, zombies, exotic animals, monsters, and many other enemies will relentlessly face you.
18. Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem
Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem is a dynamic hack & slash with no class restrictions or whatsoever. You simply choose a path as you level up with no limitations. Thanks to that mechanic, you don’t feel like missing anything in this game.
Other than that, you can expect free character development, three types of resources (willpower, rage, and stamina), item diversity, rotative skill tree (POE like), skill customization, strategic fights, and endless replayability.
19. Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance
Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance is a hack & slash game released way back in 2001. However, you can get the 2021 remake from Steam. It’s a Baldur’s Gate game based on Dungeons & Dragons but it’s far from being a RPG. The game is pure action hack & slash. Check out other Baldur’s Gate games.
The game allows you to choose from three customizable characters, each with distinctive powers, appearances and abilities. It can be played solo and co-op. Needles to say, co-op is brilliant.
20. Book of Demons
Book of Demons is an underrated, lesser-known hack & slash game released in 2018. You’ve probably never heard of it before, but you’ve heard this hidden gem now.
In this game, you wield magic cards instead of weapons to slay the enemies before you in the dungeons. In essence, it’s a dungeon crawler game. But also mixed with deckbuilder, RPG, and hack & slash elements.
Bit grindy though! So, better be ready to invest a lot of time before getting into it.