Hack-and-slash gamesgenerally offer traditional, old-school gameplay loops revolving around melee-focused combat. These games are often fast-paced, accessible experiences, and their gameplay is commonly fused with the genre of action role-playing games.
When combined with ARPGs, especially, hack-and-slash games tend to feature an inventory system and a great deal of loot to find. This often results in build-crafting gameplay that can add a dash of strategic choices to an otherwise basic gameplay loop. For the sake of variety, games such asDiablo,Path Of Exile, and other household names have been excluded.
This arena-survival rogue-lite plays like one of the manyVampire Survivorsclones to have been released in the wake of its popularity. Players roam around a relatively cut-and-paste map, hacking through hordes of enemies in an effort to survive for thirty minutes.
The game’sold-school art-styleis clearly an homage to the olderDiablogames and, whileHalls Of Tormentisn’t quite up to par with classic ARPGs such asDiablo 2, it’s a worthwhile distraction for fans of the aesthetic andVampire Survivorsgameplay alike. Similar toVampire Survivors, much of the fun inHalls Of Tormentcomes down to the loot, offering an addictively satisfying loop that tends to get stale once players have exhausted the potential strategies.
5Into The Necrovale
An ARPG Rogue-Lite With Diverse Loot
Featuring a subtle visual-style with crunchypixel-art graphicsand a quiet atmosphere,Into The Necrovaleis a simplistic hack-and-slash dungeon-crawling rogue-lite. Despite its simple gameplay,Into The Necrovaleis elevated by its massive variety of unique items for players to loot.
Into The Necrovaleis a small and affordable title for fans of ARPG gameplay and rogue-lite structures. It’s not an incredibly unique rogue-lite, especially when compared to other games on the market, but the solid hack-and-slash combat and diversity of loot makes for a worthwhile experience.
Simplistic pixel-art and a basic user-interface makeChroniconeasy to pass at first-glance, but players that dig a little deeper will find a deep, granularcharacter progression systemwith a great deal of customization available to the player. This allows for tremendous build-crafting that borders on sandbox, especially in combination with the dizzying array of items.
Chronicon’scombat is chaotic hack-and-slash at its best and, like many action-RPGs, success relies relatively heavily on a character’s build. As mentioned, though, the fun ofChroniconcomes from working on and perfecting each build, and the four distinct classes make it a replayable experience.
Torchlight 2is similar to the games it’s inspired by, predominantlyDiablo 2, featuring a gameplay loop that centers around taking on quests and battling large groups of enemies across the land and through dangerous dungeons. LikeDiablo,Torchlight 2is an ARPG with a simple andintuitive combat system, build-crafting, and a tremendous amount of items to loot.
UnlikeDiablo,Torchlighttakes place in a bright and colorful world with a cartoon visual style that’s upbeat and lightweight. This makesTorchlighta much friendlier experience, but it may turn away fans ofDiablo’sdarker tones. Overall,Torchlight 2offers a hack-and-slash, ARPG experience that blends homage with unique ideas and a vivid world that’s fun to explore.
Though its art-style may bean assault on the eyesfor some with its obtrusive colors and aggressive visual effects,Mortal Sinis a crunchy, wholly satisfying experience.Mortal Sinis a first-person action rogue-like with an ensemble of strange character designs and unsettling imagery, with excellent melee combat and a variety of unique weapons.
Mortal Sinis primarily a hack-and-slash game, though at times it can feel more like a beat ‘em up, relying on combo-based gameplay. Each weapon is tremendously expressive, offering players a sense of excitement and discovery whenever they find a new one, and there are over thirty of these weapons in the game’s Early Access state. Its visuals may be an acquired taste, but those that judge it purely by its aesthetic may be doing themselves a disservice, considering the high level of craft that’s on display beneath the surface.
Fans of old-school action-RPGs will find plenty to love within the world ofGrim Dawn, an indie ARPG with hack-and-slash combat and hundreds of items to find and collect.Grim Dawnis old-fashioned in its design, focusing its efforts on granular build-crafting supported by its variety of loot, skills, and crafting system.
Grim Dawnalso features a great many quests and a richly-detailed world that makes exploration all the more rewarding and keeps things from getting stale. Despite nearing ten years old at the time of writing,Grim Dawnis still receiving meaningful updates. Furthermore, the gamefeatures online co-opfor those who don’t like to journey alone. While those that haven’t taken the time to enjoy classic ARPGs such asDiablo 2should certainly pay a visit there first,Grim Dawnshould prove a welcome sight for veterans of the genre.
