Examples include Capcom's Devil May Cry, Onimusha, and Sengoku Basara[9] 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,[10][11][12] and No More Heroes.
[13] In turn, Devil May Cry (2001) was influenced by earlier hack-and-slash games, including Onimusha: Warlords (2001)[14] and Strider.
[15] The term "hack and slash" itself has roots in "pen and paper" role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons (D&D), denoting campaigns of violence with no other plot elements or significant goal.
The term itself dates at least as far back as 1980, as shown in a Dragon article by Jean Wells and Kim Mohan which includes the following statement: "There is great potential for more than hacking and slashing in D&D or AD&D; there is the possibility of intrigue, mystery and romance involving both sexes, to the benefit of all characters in a campaign.
"[16] Hack and slash made the transition from the tabletop to role-playing video games, usually starting in D&D-like worlds.