Top 20 Best Sword Fighting Video Games
Get ready to slice and dice your way through countless enemies, in this list we’re going to talk about our favorite sword fighting games. This list isn’t just dedicated to the latest releases available as we’re going to dive back to earlier console generations and pull out some titles that you might have enjoyed yet.
#20 Onimusha
Platform : PC, PS2, Xbox, Xbox One, PS4, Switch
Release Date: January 25, 2001
PS2 March 13, 2001
Xbox January 28, 2002
PC January 15, 2019
Switch PS4, Xbox One January 15, 2019
Genre: Action-adventure, hack and slash
Onimusha is a pretty old video game franchise at this point. It was first released back in 2001 and over the following years, we’ve received new mainline installments along with spin-offs. Overall, the game series is set within Japan that retells historical stories featuring some supernatural elements. Players take the role of a samurai facing against a slew of demonic forces or otherwise known as Oni.
When the game was first being developed, it was meant to be a ninja version of the popular Resident Evil franchise. While the Onimusha series had more footing during the early 2000s, we recently received a remastered edition of the first installment, Onimusha: Warlords so you can enjoy the game on modern platforms.
#19 Ninja Gaiden
Platform : Xbox 360
Release Date: June 3, 2008
Genre: Action
Ninja Gaiden is an even older title compared to Onimusha. The series got its start back in 1988 but since 2014, the IP has become dormant. Throughout the series, players have an assortment of weapons to keep them stealthy and away from danger but included in the mix is a wide range of swords.
Over the years, we’ve seen quite a few swords featured throughout the series such as dual katanas to the iconic Dragon Sword, the main primary weapon the protagonist has in the franchise. The Dragon Sword has quite the history lesson behind it which includes the spiritual power within it to the fact that this blade is capable of slicing through anything.
#18 Chivalry 2
Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Release Date: June 8, 2021
Genre: Hack and Slash
If you enjoy the first Chivalry game then you will want to take a look at Chivalry 2. This installment was just released at the time of writing this description. In this game, you’re once again thrown into a war where you’ll hack and slash against your enemies. It’s all about melee here with brute force being the answer to winning battles. Everything from massive sledgehammers, long swords, battle axes, to bows and arrows is available for players to wield.
While there are different deathmatches that players could partake in, there are team objective modes as well where you’ll have to complete a series of goals such as defending a castle or busting through the gates to slay the king. Being a new game, it’s not only going to have an active community of players but there’s bound to be plenty of updates added into the mix as well to give players more content or tweaks made to adjust from the development team.
#17 Assassin’s Creed Unity
Platform : PC, PS4, XBOX ONE, STADIA
Release Date: November 11, 2014
Genre : Action-adventure, stealth
Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed franchise is incredibly popular and with each new installment, we’re thrown into a new historical era. With Assassin’s Creed Unity, players are tossed into the French Revolution which had a range of weapons available at that point. Not only were there swords, but guns and pistols. It’s a brutal period of fighting and fortunately, players can get a wide range of weapons to use at their disposal such as swords.
Much like the franchise is known for, stealth is more of a key component to Assassin’s Creed, and going with something that can deliver a ton of damage without making too much noise can be crucial at times. Unfortunately, the sword you want to use in this game, Sword Of Eden, is something locked behind the final mission. This is the strongest one-handed sword within the game with full damage and parry. However, you still have other swords to deliver some devastating blows against the enemy.
#16 Tenchu
Platform : PS, PS2, Xbox, Nintendo DS, Xbox 360, Wii, PlayStation Portable
Release Date: Tenchu: Stealth Assassins February 26, 1998
Tenchu: Shadow Assassins February, 2009
Tenchu is a Ninja game that came out back in 1998 under development studio Acquire. This franchise thrived for about ten years with new video game releases before getting shelved in 2009. Overall, the game series is set in feudal Japan which follows various storylines. Players typically follow Ninja’s, Rikimaru, and Ayame as they serve under Lord Gohda, the ruler of the providence, as they help aid gathering intelligence or taking out corruption within the land.
The gameplay is typically where you’re controlling the protagonist from a third-person perspective. Stealth is also extremely crucial as you can easily get overtaken by enemies so you’ll need to keep your blade ready but remain in the shadows and wait for the perfect opportunity to strike.
#15 The Legend of Zelda
Platform : Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, Switch, Wii, Wii U, Nintendo 64
Release Date: February 21, 1986
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity November 20, 2020
The Legend of Zelda is a franchise I probably don’t need to go over very much. It’s an incredibly popular series that’s been around since the Nintendo Entertainment System and continues to still thrive today with new installments. Most would rank the latest installment available as the best in the series, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Each game puts players into the role of Link as he sets off an adventure to rescue the land from corruption and often the evil control of Ganon. Furthermore, Link usually has an assortment of weapons to use such as bows, bombs, to of course swords. The most iconic sword is the Master Sword, it’s been featured in several of the video game titles over the years and you don’t typically see Link without this blade. You can go pretty deep into the lore of this sword as well from how it was crafted to the different appearances in makes throughout The Legend of Zelda franchise.
#14 Ghostrunner
Platform : PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PS5, XSX
Release Date: PC, PS4, Xbox One October 27, 2020
Switch November 10, 2020
PS5, XSX 2021
If a ninja cyberpunk game sounds even remotely interesting to you then pick up Ghostrunner. This is an insanely fast-paced hack and slash game set in a futuristic dystopian world where players take on the role of a skilled protagonist tossed out of a large building. With no memories of what happened prior our hero finds himself getting pulled into a fight between power.
This game is going to require skilled platforming, parkour-style jumps, midair dashes, and of course slicing your blade through those unfortunate opponents that stand in the way. Ghostrunner can at times not be so forgiving as it doesn’t take much to get killed by an enemy, but fortunately, the title does a pretty decent job of throwing players right back into the action if they happen to lose their life.
#13 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Platform : PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, XSX, Switch
Release Date: PC, PS4, Xbox One 19 May 2015
Switch 15 October 2019
PS5, XSX 2021
Genre : Action role-playing
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt the third installment to the franchise not only saw a massive overhaul in terms of graphics but provided gamers with a much more lively world filled with quests and exploration. Players still take the role of Geralt of Rivia, where they must deal with the invasion of the Northern Kingdom along with the growing threat of the Wild Hunt.
Outside of just a massive world to explore, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt delivers a long campaign and quests to keep you busy for hours on end. If you’re familiar with the franchise then you know that Witchers are extremely skilled in a variety of combat such as the use of swords.
#12 Way of the Samurai
Platform : PS2, PlayStation Portable
Release Date: PS2 May 31, 2002
Genre : Action-adventure, action role-playing
Way of the Samurai came out from developer Acquire which you might remember as the developer that made another video game franchise in our list, Tenchu. This game throws players into a wandering Ronin who happens to come across a village with three factions fighting to take control. How the story plays out is up to the player as the game features a branching storyline, but you can expect quite a bit of combat throughout the title.
Players will be using swords when they decide to challenge an NPC and there are over 40 different types of swords within the game. Combat is rather basic, you have the strong and regular attack, along with the block or kick if needed. It’s only after defeating an enemy that you’re able to add the fallen enemy’s sword to your collection.
#11 For Honor
Platform : PC, PS4, Xbox One
Release Date: February 14, 2017
For Honor is an action hack-and-slash type video game. Within this For Honor world, factions of medieval knights, samurai, and Vikings meet up on a battlefield in one epic war. This is an multiplayer fighting-based video game, where friends can jump online and battle in a series of modes such as brawls, skirmishes, and elimination type matches.
Likewise, because there are different types of factions featured within the game, there are different weapons to select from. There’s a loadout screen featured within the game that will allow players to make different gear sets for their character whether it be the armor you have equipped to the weapons you’ll have when the match begins.
#10 Blade Symphony
Platform : PC, Linux
Release Date: April 30, 2013
May 7, 2014 (Full release)
Genre : Action
Blade Symphony is a free to play sword battling video game. It’s only available on the PC platform, but with it, players can face one another with one of the four playable characters. Each has a unique fighting style to use. Depending on your character you could go into battle as this tank-style knight that’s focused on large heavy attacks or a more acrobatic assassin that’s quick on their feet.
Don’t expect this to be like For Honor either. While there are different types of fighters available, Blade Symphony is more focused on flashy animation with fewer realism attacks. Since this game has gone free to play in 2019, there’s been an influx of new players trying the title out which means you shouldn’t have much trouble getting a match started today.
#9 Kingdom Come: Deliverance
Platform : PC, PS4, Xbox One
Release Date: 13 February 2018
Genre : Action role-playing
Kingdom Come: Deliverance is set in 1403 at the Kingdom of Bohemia, the old king has passed leaving his heir to struggle in maintaining order within the lands. Players take on the role of a blacksmith’s son who is out for vengeance when his family is slaughtered during an attack. As mentioned, developers Warhorse Studios has taken great care in presenting a game that would show an accurate depiction of the period with various armor, clothing, combat techniques, and real-world castles.
This is a long game and it takes a good while before you get into the combat. If you enjoy some of those old PC RPGs that are very narrative-driven then that might not be a problem for you. However, the combat is a bit different, it’s very realistic in sense of keeping an eye on your stamina and successfully parrying attacks or deciding how to swing your sword to land a hit.
#8 Mordhau
Platform : PC
Release Date: April 29, 2019
Genre : Fighting, Hack ‘n’ slash
Mordhau is a hack-and-slash style multiplayer video game, almost similar to For Honor. Players will enter a battle filled with over sixty players as they attempt to outlast or bring victory to their team. It’s all about melee combat and you’ll find a wide assortment of weapons to use on the field from swords to bow and arrows. Combat is pretty strategic as well, the way it’s setup is that depending on how your character is facing or leaning will determine the kind of attack you’ll be able to pull off. This combat system isn’t too difficult to understand but after a game or two, you should have a grasp of how things sort of work. There’s also a play with customization here as well with players being able to craft weapons from various parts along with tweaking your armor to help withstand heavy blows.
#7 Soulcalibur
Platform : Arcade, Dreamcast, Xbox 360, iOS, Android
Release Date: July 30, 1998
Genre : Fighting
Soulcalibur is a fighting game that got its start in 1995 where it was called Soul Edge in the arcades. However, since then the franchise has continued to see new installments released for console and PC platforms. The latest of which is Soulcalibur VI from 2018. The game series is easy to get involved with as it still has the arcade-style of combat where you can pick up a controller and start delivering some powerful attacks against your opponent without too much of a learning curve. There is a storyline attached with the latest installment acting as a reboot to the entire series so this would make for a great jumping point into the franchise.
As for the combat, each match involves two characters with their respected weapons. Just like with any fighting game, each characters have their kind of attacks and attributes so it’s best to give everyone a try. To go one step further, there are special guest fighters that are added into games with the latest installment featuring 2B from Nier: Automata and Geralt of Rivia from The Witcher.
#6 Bushido Blade
Platform : PS
Release Date: September 30, 1997
Genre : Fighting
Bushido Blade is a fighting game that came out back in 1997 for the original PlayStation console. This was a unique kind of game when it launched as it’s a one-on-one sword combat game that has follows a society of assassins. However, before you go swinging your blade around there are some restrictions to the fights. For instance, you couldn’t strike someone from behind and kill them, likewise, if your opponent begins the fight talking then you would have to wait until they finish before the battle can begin.
As mentioned, this is a fighting game, but there are some customization options right from the start. Players can pick from a selection of characters and from there decide on what weapon to pick from to start the game. This includes the likes of a Katana, a long sword, to even a sledgehammer. While the game was praised from its launch and the title even receiving a sequel a year later, the franchise wouldn’t see the third installment unless you count the spiritual successor series, Kengo.
#5 Nidhogg
Platform : PC, PS4, OS X, PS VIta
Release Date: PC January 13, 2014
OS X May 19, 2014
PS4, PS Vita October 14, 2014
Genre : Fighting
Nidhogg is a simplistic indie title that launched back in 2014 from developer Messhof. The video game is a fast-paced fencing title in which players start the title off with two players ready for a battle to the death. Here’s where things get interesting, no matter who dies, you continue to progress. The only thing that changes is in which way the player will progress. Again, it’s simplistic, feature minimalist visuals, and addicting to play.
#4 Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Platform : PC, PS4, Xbox One, Stadia
Release Date: PC, PS4, Xbox One 22 March 2019
Stadia 28 October 2020
Genre : Action-adventure
FromSoftware, known best for their Souls series, also released Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. This is a third-person RPG title with brutal samurai-style swordplay. Players take the role of a shinobi who finds his lord was kidnapped. During the scuffle, our protagonist was left battered along with his arm severed.
Thanks to a busshi our shinobi manages to keep his life. In place of his missing arm is a prosthetic that players will be able to equip different gadgets and tools to use again enemies. Most of the RPG elements from the Souls series such as classes and character creation will be dropped. Stealth can also play a bigger role in the game but overall Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice has been a bit easier to manage than the Souls installments.
#3 Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord
Platform : PC
Release Date: March 30, 2020
Genre : Strategy, action role-playing
Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord, is a prequel to the first installment, taking place a couple of hundred years earlier. Much like the last installment, you can expect everything from siege gameplay, working with an economy, to even crafting weapons. Likewise, there is a modding engine already planned to allow players to create their unique content for others to enjoy. Just like the first installment, this is a medieval setting game where battles take place with swords and shields. Mount your steed and gallop into the chaos as iron clashes against each other and arrows fly through the crowds.
Unfortunately, at the time of writing this description, Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord is only available as an early access title which means there could be changes made to the gameplay. It’s uncertain just how long this game will be kept as an early access game either.
#2 Dark Souls Trilogy
Platform : PS4, Xbox One
Release Date: October 19, 2018
Genre : Action, Compilation, RPG
The Souls franchise is immensely popular. From the dark lore, the competitive combat, and the slew of enemies that you’ll come across, the series has not only gained worldwide attention from fans but also inspired other video game titles. While we could spend countless hours going over the background of the franchise and its lore, we’re instead putting our attention into the combat. All-in-all, the combat is the same for the most part with each installment.
While you have a wide range of weapons to choose from, the combat mainly comes down to successfully parries timed with offensive attacks. From there, it’s a play on blocks and stuns in hopes of getting the edge on the enemy. It’s clear that the Dark Souls franchise combat is not for everyone, but if you’re patient, keep a good amount of distance from your enemy, and wait to strike, each victory can be really rewarding.
#1 Ghost of Tsushima
Platform : PS4, PS5
Release Date: July 17, 2020
Genre : Action-adventure, stealth
Ghost of Tsushima is set in 1274 where the Samurai have been quickly taken out by the Mongol forces that invaded the island. Players in this title will be stepping into the role of Jin who is one of the very last samurai. Jin quickly learns that the traditional ways of combat won’t save those he loved as the rest of the samurai have been wiped out.
Sucker Punch has made quite a fun, thrilling and gorgeous game for players to enjoy. Set on an island where you can pretty much explore or simply take in the visuals, Jin will have to go through a series of battles. Combat is quite enjoyable here as well. There’s not a lock-on system available so it’s more or less swinging your sword in the right direction. Also, another aspect to keep track of when battling against enemies is the fact that you need to hit an enemy with the right attack to break through their block before you can deliver a barrage of slices. With that said, the game was update with a Director’s Cut. For the PlayStation 5, players will get a visual upgrade also new storyline content. Players can battle against another Mongol invasion from a nearby island called Iki.
Bonus Games
Naraka: Bladepoint
Platform: PC
Release Date: August 11, 2021
Genre: Action-Adventure
Naraka: Bladepoint is a game well worth checking into. This is a premium battle royale game where players can enter a sixty-player match. Here you’ll face against others, but rather than strictly focusing on ranged combat, there’s a mix of melee battles. This is more of a fantasy melee battle where players have a mixture of abilities and weapons that can range from spears, grappling hooks, and swords, just to name a few. This is also a relatively new game that launched in August of 2021. Unfortunately, it is a premium title, so you’ll have to purchase a copy of the game to enjoy it rather than being a free-to-play experience.
Chivalry: Medieval Warfare
Platform : PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Linux, OS X
Release Date: PC October 16, 2012
Xbox 360 December 3, 2014
PS3 February 10, 2015
Linux, OS X February 25, 2015
PS4, Xbox One December 1, 2015
Genre: Hack and slash
Chivalry: Medieval Warfare is a multiplayer hack and slash video game. Set in medieval times, players head into a brutal war where the only things available to attack the enemy with are various maces, longbows, and of course swords. Weapons you’ll use against your opponent will be determined by the class you select before battle. Still, throughout the game, you can find yourself wielding or facing against an opponent with a shortsword to a two-handed greatsword.
At the time of writing this description, Chivalry: Medieval Warfare is still available to purchase today, but there is a sequel in the works for a launch at some point this year. This upcoming sequel is not only going to provide players with a better visual experience but new mechanics, animation systems, to even large 64 player battles.
Dishonored
Platform : PC, PS3, Xbox 360, PS4, Xbox One
Release Date: PC, PS3, Xbox 360 9 October 2012.
PS4, Xbox One 25 August 2015
Genre : Action-adventure, stealth
Dishonored is set within a steampunk world where players step into a role of an assassin. The franchise features two installments along with a spin-off but all mainly play the same. It’s more of a stealth-based game with combat done through either melee combat or a supernatural ability called blink which can allow the protagonist to transport the protagonist instantly.
Hellsplit: Arena
Platform : PC
Release Date: 9 Sep, 2019
We didn’t have a VR game featured in the full list but if you’re after a title with your virtual reality headset then we would recommend Hellsplit: Arena. This is a horror title where players have access to several melee weapons such as swords or clubs while you face all sorts of hostile enemies. These enemies can range from humans, skeletons, or other heinous monsters.
Metal Gear Rising: Revengence
Platform : OS X, Shield Android TV, PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Release Date: February 19, 2013
PS3, Xbox 360 February 19, 2013
PC January 9, 2014
OS X September 25, 2014
Android TV January 7, 2016
Genre : Action, hack and slash
Konami is known for their line of Metal Gear Solid games but it was PlatinumGames that developed Metal Gear Rising: Revengence. This is a pretty different installment to the Metal Gear Solid franchise as it’s less about stealth and more about an action-packed hack and slash combat. Players take the role of Raiden who uses his high-frequency katana blade to cut up every enemy that stands in his way.