Hack and slash

Lore & Background

The term 'hack and slash' was originally used to describe a play style in tabletop role-playing games, carrying over from there to MUDs, massively multiplayer online role-playing games, and role-playing video games. In arcade and console style action video games, the term has an entirely different usage, specifically referring to action games with a focus on real-time combat with hand-to-hand weapons as opposed to guns or fists. The two types of hack-and-slash games are largely unrelated, though action role-playing games may combine elements of both.

Reader's Guide

In the context of action video games, the terms 'hack and slash' or 'slash 'em up' refer to melee weapon-based action games that are a sub-genre of beat 'em ups. Traditional 2D side-scrolling examples include Taito's The Legend of Kage (1985) and Rastan (1987), Sega's arcade video game series Shinobi (1987 debut) and Golden Axe (1989 debut), Data East's arcade game Captain Silver (1987), Tecmo's early Ninja Gaiden (Shadow Warriors) 2D games (1988 debut), Capcom's Strider (1989), the Master System game Danan: The Jungle Fighter (1990), Taito's Saint Sword (1991), Vivid Image's home computer game First Samurai (1991), and Vanillaware's Dragon's Crown (2013). In the early 21st century, journalists often use the term to refer to a distinct genre of 3D, third-person, weapon-based, melee action games. Examples include Capcom's Devil May Cry, Onimusha, and Sengoku Basara franchises, Koei Tecmo's Dynasty Warriors and 3D Ninja Gaiden games, Sony's Genji: Dawn of the Samurai and God of War, as well as Bayonetta, Darksiders, Dante's Inferno, Kingdom Hearts, and No More Heroes. The sub-genre that modernized the hack and slash is sometimes known as a 'character action' game, and represents a modern evolution of traditional arcade-action, hack and slash games. This subgenre was largely initiated and defined by Hideki Kamiya, creator of the first Devil May Cry, Okami, and Bayonetta. In turn, Devil May Cry (2001) was influenced by earlier hack-and-slash games, including Onimusha: Warlords (2001) and Strider. Hack-and-slash games have adopted concepts from beat 'em up and fighting games, including knockdowns, meter management, canceling, I-frames, hit/block stun, super armor, punishing, and zoning/spacing. In role-playing games, the term has roots in tabletop games such as Dungeons & Dragons, denoting campaigns of violence with no other plot elements. It made the transition to role-playing video games, influencing action RPGs such as Xanadu and Diablo series. Dynasty Warriors 4 features hack and slash action gameplay from a third person perspective, and player personas, weapons, and bodyguards can gain experience from combat. Other games like Samurai Warriors and Drakengard have created a 'Musou or Musō style' subgenre of hack and slash action role playing games.

Did You Know?

• The term 'hack and slash' dates at least as far back as 1980, as shown in a Dragon article by Jean Wells and Kim Mohan.
• The term 'hack-and-slash' in reference to action-adventure games dates back to 1987, when Computer Entertainer reviewed The Legend of Zelda.

Roots in the Tabletop: Where the Name Was Born

The phrase "hack and slash" did not originate in the video game world. Its earliest documented appearance traces back to at least 1980, in a Dragon magazine article by Jean Wells and Kim Mohan, who observed that Dungeons & Dragons campaigns held "great potential for more than hacking and slashing" and could instead weave in intrigue, mystery, and romance. In that tabletop context, the term simply flagged sessions dominated by combat with little narrative purpose beyond violence. From the table, the label flowed into MUDs, massively multiplayer online role-playing games, and broader role-playing video games, where it kept that connotation of combat-heavy, plot-light play. When the same words later entered the vocabulary of arcade and console action titles, they acquired an entirely separate meaning: real-time melee weapon combat as opposed to guns or fists. These two lineages of hack-and-slash remain largely unrelated to this day, although action role-playing games occasionally stitch elements from both traditions into a single experience.

The 2D Arcade Golden Age

The 1980s and early 1990s produced a remarkable wave of side-scrolling, two-dimensional melee combat titles that cemented the hack-and-slash identity in arcades and on home consoles. Taito's The Legend of Kage (1985) and Rastan (1987) helped establish the template, while Sega followed with the Shinobi series (debuting 1987) and the iconic Golden Axe (1989). Data East contributed Captain Silver (1987), Tecmo launched the 2D Ninja Gaiden line in 1988, and Capcom delivered Strider in 1989. The genre's reach extended to home systems as well, with Taito's Saint Sword (1991) on the Master System, Vivid Image's First Samurai (1991) for home computers, and Danan: The Jungle Fighter (1990). Notably, the phrase "hack-and-slash" in an action-adventure context can be traced to 1987, when Computer Entertainer reviewed The Legend of Zelda and remarked it had "more to offer than the typical hack-and-slash" epics. By the 2010s, Vanillaware's Dragon's Crown (2013) demonstrated that the 2D side-scrolling formula still had creative life.

The 3D Character Action Revolution

By the early 2000s, journalists and developers began using "hack and slash" to describe a distinct category of three-dimensional, third-person, melee-focused action games. Capcom's Devil May Cry, Onimusha, and Sengoku Basara franchises, Koei Tecmo's Dynasty Warriors and 3D Ninja Gaiden entries, Sony's Genji: Dawn of the Samurai and God of War, alongside Bayonetta, Darksiders, Dante's Inferno, Kingdom Hearts, and No More Heroes, all fall under this umbrella. The subgenre that modernized the formula is often called "character action," representing a direct evolution of the traditional arcade hack-and-slash. Hideki Kamiya, creator of the original Devil May Cry, Okami, and Bayonetta, is widely credited with initiating and defining this modern subgenre. Devil May Cry (2001) itself drew inspiration from earlier titles like Onimusha: Warlords (2001) and Strider, creating a lineage that connected the 2D arcade era to the polished 3D experiences that followed.

Borrowed Mechanics and the RPG Crossover

Hack-and-slash action games have absorbed a rich vocabulary of mechanics from both beat 'em up and fighting game traditions. Concepts such as knockdowns, meter management, canceling, invincibility frames, hit and block stun, super armor, punishing, and zoning or spacing all appear in the genre's combat systems, blending the crowd-clearing spectacle of arcade brawlers with the precise timing of one-on-one fighters. Meanwhile, the hack-and-slash label in role-playing games has spawned its own subgenres. Omega Force and Koei developed the "Musou or Musō style" through Dynasty Warriors 4 and Samurai Warriors, where player personas, weapons, and bodyguards gain experience from combat to increase rank and strengthen statistics. Drakengard further expanded this space. The Soulslike theme, originally called hack-and-slash RPG, gained prominence with Bloodborne (2015) and its stylish combat. Even franchises from other genres, such as Final Fantasy XVI and Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, have crossed into hack-and-slash action RPG territory, while earlier titles like Xanadu and the Diablo series show how deeply the tabletop roots shaped action role-playing design.