Devil May Cry Retrospective
I recently replayed all six Devil May Cry games, one right after the other. Since it's been years since I played any of these, I decided to write down some thoughts on each game: how well it holds up, what I like and dislike, and a final score based on the standards of today. For DMC1-3, I played the PS4 HD collection, along with the PS4 versions of DMC4 and DmC, and the PS5 version of DMC5. I played each game once on Normal difficulty.
I hope you enjoy!
Devil May Cry
First thought is that the graphics are terrible, which makes sense given this is a PS4 remaster of a PS3 remaster of a PS2 game. But still, holy crap are the graphics terrible. That said, one of the best things about the game is the environmental design. Still the best in the series. The atmosphere and attention to detail is top notch for a twenty year game, as well as in general. I really wish we could get a full remake of this game. It would look gorgeous.
Music also held up well. It's fitting, adds to the tension during quiet moments and excitement during gameplay. Enemy design still ranks as my favorite in the series. Each enemy is distinct and interesting. Frost remains my favorite in the series.
As for the story and characters, the writing is super cheesy and I love it.
As for gameplay, the controls are janky and took some time to get used to. There were quite a few times Dante just didn't respond to button prompts. I tried some other games and didn't have this problem, so I'm confident it's not my controller. In spite of these issues, the gameplay held up surprisingly well. Yes it's limited by the standards of today- both DMC games and other, similar action games, but stringing together combos while avoiding damage is still a great time.
One glaring issue is how bad the final boss is. It's the worse part of the game (yes even worse than the underwater sections because at least those are easy and brief), and the reason why I refuse to ever play the game on a higher difficulty level. Why this games needs a shoot 'em up boss battle, I don't know. The rest of the game was surprisingly easy but the final boss is just awful. The controls are maximum jank, the gameplay is out of left field, and that's only the first phase. The second phase of the boss is super easy to cheese and feels unsatisfying after three intense fights against Nelo Angelo.
Overall, this game held up better than I expected. Yes it's incredibly dated and the issues it had in 2001 have only gotten worse, but what was great then is still great now. Devil May Cry is a classic.
Judging it purely by how much I enjoyed it now, I give it an 7/10.
Devil May Cry 2
Holy hell this game is terrible. Gameplay is boring: sword attacks are unsatisfying, guns are way over powered, and there's very little variety. Level design is also awful both aesthetically and in terms of navigation. I got lost a couple times because everything looked the same. I think this was the only time I ever looked at a map in a DMC game and it was devoid of helpful information. So thanks for that.
Despite all its problems, it's amazing how many good ideas DMC2 has. We see the beginnings of the Gunslinger and Trickster styles. Getting to switch up how your devil trigger works is a cool concept I wish they would bring back and expand on in a future game. This is still my favorite character design for Dante. It's a shame so many good ideas are trapped inside a terrible package. This game is a slog, and I was only able to get through it by listening to podcasts while playing. That's why I'm not commenting on the story or writing because I didn't pay attention to any of it.
From what I remember, it's bad though. And I didn't touch Lucia's campaign with a ten foot pool because once through this game was enough thank you.
I give this game a 5/10. It's not the worse game I ever played, but it's not good.
Devil May Cry 3
Damn this game held up great in some areas and failed in others. Let's start with the good stuff. Combat is still a dream. I'm all about the Gunslinger style and had a blast with it once again. Weapon variety is fantastic, I loved trying out each gun and found that my favorites have changed. I used to rock Ebony and Irovy along with Artemis, but this time I preferred the shotgun. Gunstinger is great; you can't change my mind.
Enemy variety is also good, but several enemies feel really gimicky and aren't all that fun to fight. The boys with the saw shields and the shy enemies that only appear when your back is turned spring to mind. (Sorry I forgot what they're called.) I do think the chess pieces are still pretty neat, though. It's a creative concept and the fact they move slow make them great enemies to practice combos on.
I still like this version of Dante as well, but his edgy, cool mid-2000s attitude is a little cringe by today's standards. (Or it's just because I'm an adult. I don't know.)
Vergil's dramatic hair flipping is also pretty lame, but whatever. I'll go with it.
I also still really like the story in this game. Normally having to fight the same boss multiple times is annoying (looking at you DMC1), but here each Vergil fight has so much weight to it and the fact he uses different weapons each time helps keep it fresh. The story also has some interesting things to say about family responsibility that I spent some time pondering over.
The biggest letdown for me was the environmental design. I appreciate that we're back to spending nearly the entire game in one location, like in the first game, but DMC3 really fails to capture the atmosphere of the first game's design. The best way I know how to explain the environments in DMC3 is "try hard." It comes off as the development team really wanting to envoke that gothic style of the first game, but BIGGER and it comes off as cheesy. There isn't nearly as much detail in each rooms' design and it just gives the whole game a dated feel I didn't get from the first game (despite it being older).
Issues aside, DMC3 is still fantastic. I give it a 9/10.
Devil May Cry 4
What a weird game this is. The first on what was at the time "next gen" consoles. On the one hand, we have fantastic ideas like the Devil Bringer and style switching. We also have great bosses, multiple playable characters, bright, colorful graphics, and excellent enemy variety.
But on the other hand we have a dumb story that takes itself too seriously and the minor problem of having to replay the first half of the game but now in reverse.
Let's start with Nero.
He's not Dante, despite Capcom's efforts to make him just like Dante, but I don't mind him. Gameplay wise he's fun to play. Yeah there's less to him, but his DB is so much fun it makes up for it. It's all the flash of a QTE but without the emptiness of a QTE. His sword's exceed function is also fun and satisfying to use. In terms of personality, Nero's a little annoying but I also get it. His girlfriend did get kidnapped by a statue or something.
(I may or may not have paid attention during some of the scenes.)
As for Dante, yes he's a giant goof that doesn't seem to care much about what's happening, but at this point I don't mind. Because I've played this game so many times over the years, I appreciate Dante's cheese in sharp contrast to Nero's drama. My one huge gripe with Dante's gameplay is the fact you have to have all weapons equipped. I really wish I had the option to only keep two guns and two devil arms with me at a time. Weapon switching is annoying; I lost count of the number of times I messed up a combo because I forgot I needed to hit R2/L2 twice instead of once.
This game also has some of the best and worst boss fights. Best is Credo; not only is it a fun, intense fight but it also feels like the Nero version of Dante fighting Nelo Angelo/Vergil. Weird then that you only fight him once but you fight other bosses three freakin' times. Yes I know every game makes you fight the same boss multiple times, but it feels extra obnoxious in DMC4.
As for the worst boss fight, that goes to the statue that may or may not have kidnapped Kyrie because I wasn't paying attention. What a slog of a fight. It's not just the fact it boils down to the lazy "hit the enemy in the obvious, glowing weak spot" that is, frankly, beneath this series, but it also takes forever. I hate it.
Level design is also pretty whatever in this game. Sure it's colorful and bright, which is nice, but it's also not very interesting. Given that the PS3/Xbox 360 era was the time of browns and grays, DMC4 being colorful is a god send. Quite a few games from that era now look awful and downright depressing because of the obsession with drab colors.
Devil May Cry 4 held up well and is still a blast to play. Yes it recycles a lot of content, but the combat is so good I didn't mind. I give DMC4 an 8/10.
DmC: Devil May Cry
Wooooow I should not have played this immediately after DMC3 and 4. Holy hell this game did not age well. Controls are clunky, most weapons feel flimsy and weak, and the framerate chugs. Damn.
I will say, that once I was able to adjust, I had more fun. I appreciate a hard lock on button getting added in, but it does wreck the controls. There is no comfortable way to perform the angel dodge move while also using lock on. Launch getting it's own dedicated button feels insane even without a hard lock on option. With said option it's even worse. The controls just don't feel very good at all. With one exception: weapon switching feels great.
As for the weapons, I didn't care for most of them. I still like Aquila the most; yes I know it's cheese, but I like it. In fact, I liked the other angel weapon a lot too (Osiris?). Fast, flashy weapons feel great in this kind of game and I want more of them.
The story had some interesting, but poorly executed ideas at the time and that remains the case now. In fact, the story feels even more stupid now that we're a decade past the Occupy Wall Street movement. Also the writing is terrible.
And I need to rant about Dante for a second. Everything about him is gross. Our introduction to him is drinking in the club, then we see he's literal trailer trash who just got done with some hookers. Then we have the super lame scene of him getting dressed. I will give the voice actor credit for doing a good job, but god I hate this Dante. He's not funny, just obnoxious. And gross.
Ok anyway.
Level and environmental design is still pretty good but my god have the graphics aged poorly. The only ways I can come up with to describe the graphics are "grainy, grimy, and dirty." I know that doesn't make sense, but I really don't know how else to say. It's just an ugly game to look at, and that's a serious shame because the art team is clearly very talented. A lot of the environments look cool, but the graphical style just bothers me.
The nightclub level still threatens to give me a migraine. Way too much orange. What were they thinking?
The boss fights are still bad with the exception of the Hunter. That one is decent, but the rest are a slog. And cutscenes during boss fights are a crime against humanity.
Speaking of cutscenes, there are way too many. This game is way too in love with its own story. And Dante. Why is it every time new enemies appear, we need a close up on Dante? Why? Platforming sections (which I liked) also have so many weird, quick cutscenes of Dante landing on a platform. Why?
Everything said, I did overall enjoy the game. Yes the combat is too easy and staying in the air is a joke instead of a challenege, but I actually liked that. It's fun zipping around in the air. I liked it. It does also serve as an accessible entry point into the series. It's easier, so players unfamilar with hack 'n slash action games will have an easier time with it while still getting to look and feel cool.
I give this game a 6/10. For clarity, I consider 1-5 to be bad scores and 6-10 to be good scores.
But also where is gunstinger???
Devil May Cry 5
And here we are. The long awaited fifth (I guess technically sixth) game in the legendary Devil May Cry series. Since the original game isn't that old, I wasn't expecting my thoughts to change much. And they didn't. At all.
I still really like the story. Very fan service-y, but done so well I don't care. It's a beautiful game, but honestly I didn't care for most of the environments. Also most of the characters look a bit off. I just don't like the RE7 style of character models. Nero is the exception. He looks good somehow.
I also enjoy Nero a lot more in this game. Now that he's had two passing the torch games in a row, I hope we get a DMC6 that actually lets Nero carry the game himself. Maybe he won't be able to do it, but let the poor man try. I want to spend more time with Nero and give him a chance to be fleshed out more.
His gameplay is also excellent. The cynical part of me is still annoyed that these are the same combos from the now over ten years old DMC4. But combat is so much fun that who really cares? The Devil Breaker is a mechanic that sounds insane on paper but works beautifully in practice. I just wish I could switch which one I was using on the fly like a style. I like some way more than others, after all.
Also give the man more weapons please. Thank you.
Dante is also a ton of fun, as always. I'm glad that my prayers from DMC4 were answered and you can now choose how many weapons to have equiped at a time. I do wonder about the style system though. Devil Sword Dante makes some classic Swordmaster moves regular attacks. I'd like to see Dante's combat move past the style system. It was a great idea in DMC3, and while switching is clunky, it was still fun in DMC4. But the fact it's back again and will probably never go away is disappointing.
That's something that really hit me. Now that it's been a bit since the game came out, DMC5 isn't "as" big of a step up as I would have liked given how long of a wait we went through. Don't get me wrong, it's an incredible game, but so much of what's here was in previous games.
All the way on the other end of the spectrum, we have V. Who was terrible a few years ago and he is terrible now. Everything about him: his design, his voice and dialogue, his gameplay. Please, Capcom, don't force me to play as V. Why must you ruin the momentum with this emo dude? AGH! The plot twist with him is great though. It's one of those things I didn't see coming but in hindsight makes a lot of sense. Since this was a replay, the hints stood out to me like a sore thumb, which were fun to spot.
I haven't played through as Vergil yet, so I can't comment on that. On a side note, how many more times are we going to have to fight Vergil? I hope never again because I'm sick of it. Yeah I get that the games weren't designed with the intention of playing them all one right after the other, and that each Vergil fight serves an important purpose, but I'm tired of it all the same. I fought the man six times. Nine if you count Nelo Angelo and 50 times if you count Urizen. Enough please.
Overall, DMC5 is fantastic. When I first played it, DMC3 was still my favorite in the series. I think that is still the case, but it's a lot harder to choose now. I think I need to play DMC5 more before I can really decide. In the meantime, I give it a 9/10.
Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed.
I recently replayed all six Devil May Cry games, one right after the other. Since it's been years since I played any of these, I decided to write down some thoughts on each game: how well it holds up, what I like and dislike, and a final score based on the standards of today. For DMC1-3, I played the PS4 HD collection, along with the PS4 versions of DMC4 and DmC, and the PS5 version of DMC5. I played each game once on Normal difficulty.
I hope you enjoy!
Devil May Cry
First thought is that the graphics are terrible, which makes sense given this is a PS4 remaster of a PS3 remaster of a PS2 game. But still, holy crap are the graphics terrible. That said, one of the best things about the game is the environmental design. Still the best in the series. The atmosphere and attention to detail is top notch for a twenty year game, as well as in general. I really wish we could get a full remake of this game. It would look gorgeous.
Music also held up well. It's fitting, adds to the tension during quiet moments and excitement during gameplay. Enemy design still ranks as my favorite in the series. Each enemy is distinct and interesting. Frost remains my favorite in the series.
As for the story and characters, the writing is super cheesy and I love it.
As for gameplay, the controls are janky and took some time to get used to. There were quite a few times Dante just didn't respond to button prompts. I tried some other games and didn't have this problem, so I'm confident it's not my controller. In spite of these issues, the gameplay held up surprisingly well. Yes it's limited by the standards of today- both DMC games and other, similar action games, but stringing together combos while avoiding damage is still a great time.
One glaring issue is how bad the final boss is. It's the worse part of the game (yes even worse than the underwater sections because at least those are easy and brief), and the reason why I refuse to ever play the game on a higher difficulty level. Why this games needs a shoot 'em up boss battle, I don't know. The rest of the game was surprisingly easy but the final boss is just awful. The controls are maximum jank, the gameplay is out of left field, and that's only the first phase. The second phase of the boss is super easy to cheese and feels unsatisfying after three intense fights against Nelo Angelo.
Overall, this game held up better than I expected. Yes it's incredibly dated and the issues it had in 2001 have only gotten worse, but what was great then is still great now. Devil May Cry is a classic.
Judging it purely by how much I enjoyed it now, I give it an 7/10.
Devil May Cry 2
Holy hell this game is terrible. Gameplay is boring: sword attacks are unsatisfying, guns are way over powered, and there's very little variety. Level design is also awful both aesthetically and in terms of navigation. I got lost a couple times because everything looked the same. I think this was the only time I ever looked at a map in a DMC game and it was devoid of helpful information. So thanks for that.
Despite all its problems, it's amazing how many good ideas DMC2 has. We see the beginnings of the Gunslinger and Trickster styles. Getting to switch up how your devil trigger works is a cool concept I wish they would bring back and expand on in a future game. This is still my favorite character design for Dante. It's a shame so many good ideas are trapped inside a terrible package. This game is a slog, and I was only able to get through it by listening to podcasts while playing. That's why I'm not commenting on the story or writing because I didn't pay attention to any of it.
From what I remember, it's bad though. And I didn't touch Lucia's campaign with a ten foot pool because once through this game was enough thank you.
I give this game a 5/10. It's not the worse game I ever played, but it's not good.
Devil May Cry 3
Damn this game held up great in some areas and failed in others. Let's start with the good stuff. Combat is still a dream. I'm all about the Gunslinger style and had a blast with it once again. Weapon variety is fantastic, I loved trying out each gun and found that my favorites have changed. I used to rock Ebony and Irovy along with Artemis, but this time I preferred the shotgun. Gunstinger is great; you can't change my mind.
Enemy variety is also good, but several enemies feel really gimicky and aren't all that fun to fight. The boys with the saw shields and the shy enemies that only appear when your back is turned spring to mind. (Sorry I forgot what they're called.) I do think the chess pieces are still pretty neat, though. It's a creative concept and the fact they move slow make them great enemies to practice combos on.
I still like this version of Dante as well, but his edgy, cool mid-2000s attitude is a little cringe by today's standards. (Or it's just because I'm an adult. I don't know.)
Vergil's dramatic hair flipping is also pretty lame, but whatever. I'll go with it.
I also still really like the story in this game. Normally having to fight the same boss multiple times is annoying (looking at you DMC1), but here each Vergil fight has so much weight to it and the fact he uses different weapons each time helps keep it fresh. The story also has some interesting things to say about family responsibility that I spent some time pondering over.
The biggest letdown for me was the environmental design. I appreciate that we're back to spending nearly the entire game in one location, like in the first game, but DMC3 really fails to capture the atmosphere of the first game's design. The best way I know how to explain the environments in DMC3 is "try hard." It comes off as the development team really wanting to envoke that gothic style of the first game, but BIGGER and it comes off as cheesy. There isn't nearly as much detail in each rooms' design and it just gives the whole game a dated feel I didn't get from the first game (despite it being older).
Issues aside, DMC3 is still fantastic. I give it a 9/10.
Devil May Cry 4
What a weird game this is. The first on what was at the time "next gen" consoles. On the one hand, we have fantastic ideas like the Devil Bringer and style switching. We also have great bosses, multiple playable characters, bright, colorful graphics, and excellent enemy variety.
But on the other hand we have a dumb story that takes itself too seriously and the minor problem of having to replay the first half of the game but now in reverse.
Let's start with Nero.
He's not Dante, despite Capcom's efforts to make him just like Dante, but I don't mind him. Gameplay wise he's fun to play. Yeah there's less to him, but his DB is so much fun it makes up for it. It's all the flash of a QTE but without the emptiness of a QTE. His sword's exceed function is also fun and satisfying to use. In terms of personality, Nero's a little annoying but I also get it. His girlfriend did get kidnapped by a statue or something.
(I may or may not have paid attention during some of the scenes.)
As for Dante, yes he's a giant goof that doesn't seem to care much about what's happening, but at this point I don't mind. Because I've played this game so many times over the years, I appreciate Dante's cheese in sharp contrast to Nero's drama. My one huge gripe with Dante's gameplay is the fact you have to have all weapons equipped. I really wish I had the option to only keep two guns and two devil arms with me at a time. Weapon switching is annoying; I lost count of the number of times I messed up a combo because I forgot I needed to hit R2/L2 twice instead of once.
This game also has some of the best and worst boss fights. Best is Credo; not only is it a fun, intense fight but it also feels like the Nero version of Dante fighting Nelo Angelo/Vergil. Weird then that you only fight him once but you fight other bosses three freakin' times. Yes I know every game makes you fight the same boss multiple times, but it feels extra obnoxious in DMC4.
As for the worst boss fight, that goes to the statue that may or may not have kidnapped Kyrie because I wasn't paying attention. What a slog of a fight. It's not just the fact it boils down to the lazy "hit the enemy in the obvious, glowing weak spot" that is, frankly, beneath this series, but it also takes forever. I hate it.
Level design is also pretty whatever in this game. Sure it's colorful and bright, which is nice, but it's also not very interesting. Given that the PS3/Xbox 360 era was the time of browns and grays, DMC4 being colorful is a god send. Quite a few games from that era now look awful and downright depressing because of the obsession with drab colors.
Devil May Cry 4 held up well and is still a blast to play. Yes it recycles a lot of content, but the combat is so good I didn't mind. I give DMC4 an 8/10.
DmC: Devil May Cry
Wooooow I should not have played this immediately after DMC3 and 4. Holy hell this game did not age well. Controls are clunky, most weapons feel flimsy and weak, and the framerate chugs. Damn.
I will say, that once I was able to adjust, I had more fun. I appreciate a hard lock on button getting added in, but it does wreck the controls. There is no comfortable way to perform the angel dodge move while also using lock on. Launch getting it's own dedicated button feels insane even without a hard lock on option. With said option it's even worse. The controls just don't feel very good at all. With one exception: weapon switching feels great.
As for the weapons, I didn't care for most of them. I still like Aquila the most; yes I know it's cheese, but I like it. In fact, I liked the other angel weapon a lot too (Osiris?). Fast, flashy weapons feel great in this kind of game and I want more of them.
The story had some interesting, but poorly executed ideas at the time and that remains the case now. In fact, the story feels even more stupid now that we're a decade past the Occupy Wall Street movement. Also the writing is terrible.
And I need to rant about Dante for a second. Everything about him is gross. Our introduction to him is drinking in the club, then we see he's literal trailer trash who just got done with some hookers. Then we have the super lame scene of him getting dressed. I will give the voice actor credit for doing a good job, but god I hate this Dante. He's not funny, just obnoxious. And gross.
Ok anyway.
Level and environmental design is still pretty good but my god have the graphics aged poorly. The only ways I can come up with to describe the graphics are "grainy, grimy, and dirty." I know that doesn't make sense, but I really don't know how else to say. It's just an ugly game to look at, and that's a serious shame because the art team is clearly very talented. A lot of the environments look cool, but the graphical style just bothers me.
The nightclub level still threatens to give me a migraine. Way too much orange. What were they thinking?
The boss fights are still bad with the exception of the Hunter. That one is decent, but the rest are a slog. And cutscenes during boss fights are a crime against humanity.
Speaking of cutscenes, there are way too many. This game is way too in love with its own story. And Dante. Why is it every time new enemies appear, we need a close up on Dante? Why? Platforming sections (which I liked) also have so many weird, quick cutscenes of Dante landing on a platform. Why?
Everything said, I did overall enjoy the game. Yes the combat is too easy and staying in the air is a joke instead of a challenege, but I actually liked that. It's fun zipping around in the air. I liked it. It does also serve as an accessible entry point into the series. It's easier, so players unfamilar with hack 'n slash action games will have an easier time with it while still getting to look and feel cool.
I give this game a 6/10. For clarity, I consider 1-5 to be bad scores and 6-10 to be good scores.
But also where is gunstinger???
Devil May Cry 5
And here we are. The long awaited fifth (I guess technically sixth) game in the legendary Devil May Cry series. Since the original game isn't that old, I wasn't expecting my thoughts to change much. And they didn't. At all.
I still really like the story. Very fan service-y, but done so well I don't care. It's a beautiful game, but honestly I didn't care for most of the environments. Also most of the characters look a bit off. I just don't like the RE7 style of character models. Nero is the exception. He looks good somehow.
I also enjoy Nero a lot more in this game. Now that he's had two passing the torch games in a row, I hope we get a DMC6 that actually lets Nero carry the game himself. Maybe he won't be able to do it, but let the poor man try. I want to spend more time with Nero and give him a chance to be fleshed out more.
His gameplay is also excellent. The cynical part of me is still annoyed that these are the same combos from the now over ten years old DMC4. But combat is so much fun that who really cares? The Devil Breaker is a mechanic that sounds insane on paper but works beautifully in practice. I just wish I could switch which one I was using on the fly like a style. I like some way more than others, after all.
Also give the man more weapons please. Thank you.
Dante is also a ton of fun, as always. I'm glad that my prayers from DMC4 were answered and you can now choose how many weapons to have equiped at a time. I do wonder about the style system though. Devil Sword Dante makes some classic Swordmaster moves regular attacks. I'd like to see Dante's combat move past the style system. It was a great idea in DMC3, and while switching is clunky, it was still fun in DMC4. But the fact it's back again and will probably never go away is disappointing.
That's something that really hit me. Now that it's been a bit since the game came out, DMC5 isn't "as" big of a step up as I would have liked given how long of a wait we went through. Don't get me wrong, it's an incredible game, but so much of what's here was in previous games.
All the way on the other end of the spectrum, we have V. Who was terrible a few years ago and he is terrible now. Everything about him: his design, his voice and dialogue, his gameplay. Please, Capcom, don't force me to play as V. Why must you ruin the momentum with this emo dude? AGH! The plot twist with him is great though. It's one of those things I didn't see coming but in hindsight makes a lot of sense. Since this was a replay, the hints stood out to me like a sore thumb, which were fun to spot.
I haven't played through as Vergil yet, so I can't comment on that. On a side note, how many more times are we going to have to fight Vergil? I hope never again because I'm sick of it. Yeah I get that the games weren't designed with the intention of playing them all one right after the other, and that each Vergil fight serves an important purpose, but I'm tired of it all the same. I fought the man six times. Nine if you count Nelo Angelo and 50 times if you count Urizen. Enough please.
Overall, DMC5 is fantastic. When I first played it, DMC3 was still my favorite in the series. I think that is still the case, but it's a lot harder to choose now. I think I need to play DMC5 more before I can really decide. In the meantime, I give it a 9/10.
Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed.
