With gradually more female characters in video games, the titular Bayonetta is one of the most iconic.

No wonder fans are looking for similarly stimulating titles after completing all three games featuring this legendary heroine!

Charismatic protagonists and action-fueled gameplay fit together perfectly, as Bayonetta — a powerful witch using massive guns and demonic powers in an epic fight against hordes of supernatural enemies — admirably proves. On top of being a classic slasher, the series does not shy away from combining a mystery-centered plot with cheesiness, creating an intense mixture capable of engaging any player.

Criteria for Selection

We focused on essential features like comparable mechanics, storyline depth, visual aesthetics, and player reviews. As a result, the final list consists of titles sharing adrenaline-fueled hack-and-slash combat, immersive supernatural storylines, smooth graphics, and top ratings.

Devil May Cry

Release date:2018-03-13
Genre:Adventure
Developer:CAPCOM CO., LTD.

Since these two games share the same creator, Hideki Kamiya, DmC is the closest thing to Bayonetta on this list. And it features one of the hottest male protagonists in gaming history!

The first installation in this legendary series shows Dante — half man, half demon — confronting the forces of darkness using secret powers, a massive sword, and two trustworthy guns. The game offers 32 levels of intense combat enriched with an exciting storyline representing just an introduction to this gripping hack-and-slash series.

Key features
  • Discover the story of Dante, half man, half demon
  • Develop his skills to slash your way through 32 levels of fierce battles
  • Lose yourself in fast-paced, acrobatic combat
  • Relish supernatural atmosphere focusing on confrontation with the forces of evil

Darksiders 3

Release date:2018-11-27
Genre:Adventure
Developer:Gunfire Games

Like Bayonetta, Darksiders touches on religious themes engulfed in flashy combat. Play as Fury – a mage tasked with restoring the good-evil balance.

Defeat the Seven Deadly Sins to restore harmony on the devastated Earth. Explore post-apocalyptic locations, destroy opponents with a powerful whip, and solve puzzles leading to surprising plot twists revealing pieces of the mysterious story. Darksiders III is a spectacular soulslike slasher, perfectly on par with Bayonetta!

Key features
  • Find and defeat the Seven Deadly Sins
  • Explore an open world packed with puzzles and enemies
  • Fight with magic and powerful weapons
  • Enjoy a deep story enriched with unpredictable plot twists

NieR: Automata

Release date:2017-03-17
Genre:RPG
Developer:SQUARE ENIX

From the creators of Bayonetta, NieR: Automata tells the story of the female android YORHa No.2 Type B and her two companions trying to reclaim Earth from the hands of mighty machines

It is a role-playing game revolving around a brutal war between machines and androids. Explore the post-apocalyptic open world, complete quests, and earn money to upgrade your protagonist. This beautiful and immersive recommendation offers an impressive number of six alternative endings!

Key features
  • Fight in an epic war
  • Explore an open world full of main and side quests
  • Earn money to upgrade the female android’s weapons and body
  • See six alternative endings to this engaging story

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

Release date:2014-01-09
Genre:Action & Shooter
Developer:PlatinumGames

It is a hack-and-slash spin-off of the legendary Metal Gear Solid series, following the story of Raiden – half human, half cyborg, slaughtering hordes of mechanical opponents with a katana!

Prepare for very Bayonetta-like combat mechanics, including complex combos, effective attacks, and eliminating enemies by surprise. Each defeated cyborg regenerates the protagonist’s health, and the impressive Blade Mode ensures the best wrecking-everything-in-your-path experience.

Key features
  • Play as Raiden to take brutal revenge on the hostile cyborgs
  • Combine attacks and eliminate enemies by surprise
  • Regain health with each killed opponent
  • See how Bayonetta and Metal Gear Solid mechanics blend into one game

Ninja Gaiden Sigma

Release date:2007-06-14
Genre:Action
Developer:Team NINJA

It is an exceptionally successful remake of the 2004 game, revealing nineteen chapters of Ryu Hayabusa’s journey. Prepare for a wildly soulslike challenge!

Ninja Gaiden Sigma represents a high difficulty level and focuses on furiously dynamic combat with ever-present enemies. Play as Ryu Hayabusa or Rachel to adopt different combat tactics for each and encounter this world differently every time. It is a very ninja take on your favorite Bayonetta experience!

Key features
  • Play as Ryu Hayabusa to embark on an extraordinary journey
  • Use magic and ninja moves to eliminate multiplying enemies
  • Experience unexpected plot twists enhancing the adventure
  • Enjoy high difficulty level

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow

Release date:2013-08-27
Genre:Adventure
Developer:MercurySteam - Climax Studios

Kill supernaturals! Play as Gabriel – a desperate member of the Brotherhood of Light searching for his destiny in the blood of brutally slaughtered unholy creatures.

Lords of Shadow flawlessly merges combat with riddles, delivering an atmospheric story about a man confronting the forces of darkness. Use Combat Cross, holy water, magic, and daggers to explore Gothic locations and decipher the meaning of the message from your deceased wife.

Key features
  • Play as a member of the Brotherhood of Light, equipped with an arsenal of the most sacred weapons
  • Kill supernatural creatures to avenge your dead wife
  • Learn your destiny
  • Enjoy dynamic combat set in a beautifully Gothic environment

Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands

Release date:2010-06-10
Genre:Fighting
Developer:Ubisoft Montreal

Following The Sands of Time plot, The Forgotten Sands focuses on Prince visiting his brother, Malik. Little does he know that the kingdom will soon find itself under heavy siege.

When Malik decides to release the Sands of Time, everything takes a turn for the worse, and the Prince must save the day. Use your mighty powers and wits in this epic adventure to overcome platform elements and lose yourself in spectacular combat. What about the graphics and overall atmosphere? Two words – legendary and unforgettable!

Key features
  • Play the continuation of the Sands of Time storyline
  • Explore, fight, and solve puzzles to find out what happened to the Prince’s brother
  • Lose yourself in fast-paced combat against multiple enemies
  • Enjoy a perfectly crafted plot featuring deep personalities

Supernatural enemies, powerful weapons, dynamic combat, and memorable characters – this is what we love in Bayonetta games. As you can see, its alternatives present the same features! Whether you prefer to hunt down the Seven Deadly Sins with Fury, uncover dark secrets with Gabriel, or embark on an epic war for Earth in NieR: Automata, enjoy an eerily similar gameplay experience!