Hack and Slash

The hack and slash , which literally has the meaning ” cut and split “ refers to a type of game that mainly emphasizes the battle . The term hack and slash was used in its beginnings to be able to describe a style of tabletop role-playing game , from which the different MUDs , MMORPGs and role-playing video games derived . In video games the action genre with a style arcade / console , the term has a different use, since it specifically involves a focus on combat in real time with weapons melee rather than the use of pistols or fists.

Hack and slash history

Golden Ax in 1989 was acclaimed for his visceral hack & slash action and use of cooperative mode , and was influential through his selection of multiple protagonists with different fighting styles. It is considered one of the strongest beat ’em up titles for its fantasy elements, distinguishing it from the urban settings seen in other beat’ em ups. The games are based on three-dimensional combat in the third person.

Looking back in history , hack and Slash is a term that has its roots in ancient ‘ pen and paper ‘ role- playing games like Dungeons & Dragons. It was initially used to describe the campaign that players would be involved in, which as the name describes it, one with minimal or no history, but with a ton of battles . The first quote from this can be found in a D&D Dragon magazine , an article published in the 1980s, by the editors, Jean Wells and Kim Mohan .

Later, the term hack and slash moved from board games to video games , as many of the earlier video games had similar visual characteristics and play styles to D&D games. The term was often coined to refer to the early 2D beat-em-up that included optional weapons in them, as well as action games like Golden Ax and Final Fight . It should be noted that beat-em-up games were games where the player characters only used martial arts with fists or kicks as in River City Ransom. Only if the game has weapons for players to use is the appropriate term in its description.

Hack and slash features

Some characteristics of this type of game are:

• It is a game that aims to eliminate the enemies and destroy the scenarios to achieve progress level.
• It is mainly based on fighting .
• It has a beat’em up style .
• The characters carry some kind of weapon to fight hand to hand.
• It can be combined with adventure , role-playing  and horror genres .

Name’s origin

The origin of this genre to the genre evolved from the classic beat ’em up , but with the characteristic that the character controlled by the player carried a sword , ax or some other blunt-edged weapon to face waves of enemies.

Featured games of the hack and slash genre

Some of its most prominent games in the market are the following:

• God of War for PS4: it  is an action and adventure game . A mixture of combat , a very technical and refined game, with a narrative sensibility that gives the saga more value. Kratos and Atreus’s journey through Norse mythology is a journey full of surprises, wide, open and interconnected areas, secrets, side missions, and many different activities to discover.
• God of War: Ghost of Sparta for PSP: action and adventure  video game . It is not considered the most innovative of the series or the longest, but Kratos continues to successfully demonstrate why he is the God of War.
• God of War 3: Remastered for PS4 : also from the action and adventure genre that was born on July 15, 2015. Full of visual improvements and one of the best games of recent times that attracted customers for its powerful new look.
• Dragon’s Crown Pro for PS4 : action and adventure game . An excellent 2D co-op and action beat’em up game from Vanillaware and ATLUS, Dragon’s Crown, initially released in 2013 for the PS3 and PS Vita.
• NieR: Automata for PC – PS4 : from the action and adventure genre, it has all the virtues and qualities of a work from Platinum Games . One of the most extraordinary video games that have emerged within the video game market.
• Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Impact for PSP : action and fighting game . A game of repetitive combat but that stands out for its  multiplayer , especially the cooperative one, which adds more interest to a game system that is too invariable.
• God of War 3 for PS3:  from the action and adventure genre, it was released on March 18, 2010. It is considered a great game in the trilogy of Kratos and his fight against the cruel divine designs. Visually full of technology and with almost perfect combat mechanics, the game is full of spectacular situations that will be recorded in our retina.