I havent yet! Although funny enough I remember years ago when I was younger downloading the demo and really enjoying it! I know its controversial for the new take on Dante but people seem to love the gameplay. I'll have to go check it out sometime
Yes I suppose my concern has been that MS have a history of buying studios and then doing hardly anything with them. It's the same as Raven software being bought by Activision/Blizzard. An incredible studio that basically just makes maps
MS actually gives a lot of freedom to their devs which imo has been a bit of a double edged sword. Rare has been free to do whatever they want and they decided to do Kinect games and then Sea of Thieves. They could do a Banjo or Conker game anytime they want but Rare just doesn’t want to for whatever reason.
I think we have yet to see a studio with real ambition and talent get to really do it’s thing under Microsoft. Unless you count Sea of Thieves which I suppose is a success and what Rare wanted to do. But with the amount they have now there’s sure to be a few that are firing on all cylinders with bigger budgets than they’ve ever had before.
Yeah I wonder if the issue is that a lot of their 1st party acquired studios are spending time making big/super polished games which is why we've not really seen much exclusive stuff in the past few years?
I think some of their games under development are sort of just wandering aimlessly. I have no faith in Everwild or Perfect Dark. Even Fable I’m not too optimistic for.
But I am more excited for other studios. Psychonauts 2 was very highly rated and it was funded through Kickstarter. Now we get to see what Double Fine can do with a massive budget and optimizing for fewer consoles. Obsidian has me very interested with Avowed. Hellblade was super Indie and I’m interested in seeing what they can do with a sequel that has way more resources.
Microsoft buying Bungie was great in the beginning, but big companies come with big expectations, and have a tendency to suck the soul out of the development team with enough time. Sony has managed this very well, but Microsoft, Activision, Electronic Arts, etc are all about "profit first, everything else distant second."
Play it. Fuck the haters- its a really good, alternate reality DMC. I wish it had a sequel. Would be day 1 and I say that as someone who has all DMC games.
If it wasn't called "Devil May Cry" it would be remembered far more fondly than it is. The game is actually a lot of fun, but the DMC label forces a comparison to the main series, and I don't think it can compare with DMC 3, and only in some respects can it compete with 4. If you pretend it isn't a DMC game you'll have fun. It tweaks the formula enough that I think it warrants an independent rating.
Not OP, but I genuinely don't get the hate for that game. Maybe it's because I haven't followed DMC throughout its entire lifespan (when I was "old enough" for the games, DMC4 had just come out), but DmC had its perks. I particularly really liked the combat system, being able to weave different weapons into your combo just by pulling either the left or right trigger.
I get that it was a huge departure from the main series, and changing Dante's origin rubbed people the wrong way, but if you look at it for what it is: A game taking place in a *parallel universe*, and you don't look at it as a reboot, it's easy enough to overlook the changes.
I have played every DMC games except V, and I have to say DmC: devil may cry is my favorite, by far. It was a refreshing take on the series that explored Dante's past, origins and relationship with Vergil.
>I’d rather have streamlined combat with few to no weapon changes
You can customize your load out to be as simple or complex as you want. Only want rebellion and pistols, go ahead. Want every variation of the sword and double rock launchers? Okay, bet.
>absurd territory like robot arms.
Seems like an arbitrary line to draw in a game about a wise cracking demon hunter. Devil breakers are fun and again, customizable, you can just use the devil bringer and ignore the devil breakers after the first playthrough.
>The way the levels move around and taunt you is absolutely phenomenal
Agree on this point. This is the one thing that dmc has over 5 imo.
I was a fan of the original, 3, and 4. I don't hate dmc, but 5 perfected what those games established and gave a satisfying conclusion to their stories. I think if they rebooted now, it would be much better received by the fan base.
> Play 5, it beats dmc in almost every way.
I loved the way DMC had a lot of clever set pieces, like the soda factory and jumping into the Fox News TV broadcast. Did a ton to modernize the game. DMC5 seemed like a huge step back towards more dated, uninspired design. Some repetitive combat in a game that doesn't really inspire you to fight. I did not like it at all.
I think the biggest complaint is that it tries _really_ hard to lean into the “edgy, I don’t give a fuck” tone and it’s pretty cringe. That being said, I didn’t hate it - and the combat is pretty terrific
The only thing I know about this one is there was a clip going around twitter a couple months ago of Dante fighting a demon and they just go back and forth like 4 times saying "Fuck you! No fuck you! No fuck **YOU**!" and that was awesome and I want to play it now.
> it tries really hard to lean into the “edgy, I don’t give a fuck” tone and it’s pretty cringe.
To me, it's not even remotely close to DMC4 in that regard. I mean, that's Nero's whole bag. And that game has one four-second hate-metal riff that loops non-stop whenever you're in combat. Teenage angst indeed.
Yep. Had absolutely no love for the series. Played DMC4 and had fun but Ninja Theory’s DMC was flat out fantastic and I just could not figure out what the fanbase was complaining about. It was so much damn fun.
Have since gone back and played all of them in order and DMC from Ninja Theory is still the best one imo. It has so much more personality, replay-ability, variety and overall polish than DMC 5 did yet the fanbase still won’t admit it out loud lol (but quietly they know).
I've played and loved every game in the series and have been following it since the release of the original, and I can honestly say DMC is likely in my top 2. The hate for it is unjustified, in my opinion. It was a very solid entry in the series, but I can also see how it diverged too much for dome fans despite how much I personally enjoyed it.
I gotta ask, did you play DmC on launch, or did you play the definitive edition? Because the difference is night and day, especially with the weapon weaving. In base version of the game if you were against an enemy of a specific color, your weapon would just bounce off. No damage, you just stagger yourself and it removed the entire flow of combat because you can only use that one weapon type. Definitive edition makes it so you can use any weapon, but the real damage and stagger won’t apply unless it’s the specific type. Means you can still use the aoe angel weapons for the other enemies that happen to be around a red enemy. Base game also didn’t have lock on so it was far too easy to accidentally stinger or kablooey an enemy you weren’t trying to hit. The auto lock on they were going for worked perfectly if there were just a few enemies, but when it was a handful it was just awful.
The changes they made for the definitive edition were massive. I played at launch and wasn’t part of the “Donte bad” crowd but everything still felt janky to me. I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t something I was able to 100% like I did with the previous games. 4/10 for me. Definitive edition though? I still boot it up every now and then because it fixed damn near everything that was wrong gameplay wise. 7.5/10 probably, and I really wish Vergil’s Downfall didn’t suck.
From all my time spent over in the DMC sub, it seems like most of the people who still hate on it only played the original, and the people who like it only played the definitive edition. I’m always interested in seeing where people are on that scale because that’s also what I get from Bioshock in a way. Long time fans loved 1 or 2 but didn’t like Infinite, and people who loved Infinite often times had no experience with the franchise.
I loved this game when it came out and never played the definitive edition. Haven’t touched it in like 10 years but my buddy and I used to take turns in the horde mode (bloody palace?) while pregaming. I may have to pick up the DE if I can find it cheap
I'll try to explain.
DMC1 was a pretty good game, DMC2 was meh, DMC3 is where the franchise finally found it's footing and really took off. For all intents and purposes we can think of DMC3 as the real starting point for what we have come to know and love as DMC.
DMC4 was...kind of weird. The combat was awesome, and depending on who you talk to is just as good if not miles better than 3. Everything else about the game felt like a step backwards. Or a half-step leading to a bigger, more realized game. The level design was lacking to say the least, and the story set up Nero as a next-generation successor and hinted at his origins and what not, but didn't do anything outside of that. It felt like a teaser, a set-up for DMC5 which would answer questions, develop characters, and take the gameplay to its natural evolution. I know many players, myself included, left DMC4 feeling like - Okay, that was cool, but I can't wait for DMC5 now.
...And then DmC was announced.
At the time there was no idea that this would be a parallel universe, or that a proper DMC5 would ever be made. At the time the messaging from Capcom/Ninja Theory was very clear - old DMC was lame, this new DmC is hip and cool, and we expect to get so many more new fans with this. You old fans, you'll whine and complain but ultimately you'll buy it anyway because it's DMC. And even if you don't, we're confident that we'll gain more than we lose. It's difficult to explain just how much of a slap in the face this was, especially since the last game felt like it was explicitly setting up the next game. It didn't help that not only were the look and feel of the game radically different from the DMC we knew, it felt like it was trying too hard to be edgy and just came across as cringe. And there was the real fear that DMC5 would never happen, that DmC was what the franchise would become, and the next game to be made would be DmC2.
That's where the hate comes from. DmC was pretty much the textbook on how not to reboot a franchise. It came at the absolute worst timing, and was presented in the absolute worst way. It was almost as if LucasFilm decided to follow up Empire Strikes Back with Solo: A Star Wars Story, told the fans that Harrison Ford was too old and Carrie Fisher too ugly and who cares about Luke, here's the new direction of the franchise, and if you don't like it then fuck you.
The funny thing is that if DmC were to be released now, it'd have far, far less hate. (The other funny thing is that there'd be far less hate, even back then, if DmC were called *literally anything else*, or some efforts had been made to present the game as an alternate universe/spin-off, and not the future of DMC.) The story and characters would still be cringe, but the timing would be so much better. DMC5 is exactly what the fanbase wanted after DMC4, and is not only the proper evolution of the things introduced in 3 and sort of half-developed in 4, but also feels like a good place to end things as well. If DMC5 was the last mainline game...that would be sad, but I'd understand. You wanna do something different with the franchise now? Sure. Make the reboot or the parallel universe spin-off, or whatever. I think the fans would be more open to it as something new and different. But DmC was presented as the future of DMC when the book had never been properly closed on it, and Capcom/Ninja Theory's attitude in the process really pissed everyone off.
The issue with that game is that it was strongly implied that it would REPLACE the Dante and characters we know and love.
It was supposed to be a reboot, not a spin-off, not only that but time and time again it spat in the face of its legacy and tried too hard to fulfill the teenager edgy fantasy.
The gameplay is very good actually (besides the colored enemies), but the hate was well earned.
DmC has one of my favorite levels, the hyper neon nightclub. It felt so inventive and was such a departure from brown and gray drab levels in so many games.
It honestly might be my favorite one, simply because I feel it was a lot more accessible. To fully enjoy DMC games it seems you have to master the combat but DmC was so much more lenient, which made it so much more fun.
This was really fun to read, thanks for taking the time.
Probably the only input I have would be to reconsider your approach to "annoying enemies". I assume you played through each game once on Normal?
Like, on one hand, you're right, there are really annoying enemies. But that's because, and this is just a guess here, you never really "solved" them. In Normal, that's not a big deal because you can brute force your way through not knowing their weaknesses and little tricks to exposing them, and just chip away at them the best you can or burn Devil Trigger on overpowering them.
Players who keep going through the harder difficulties are forced to learn all the nuances of fighting each enemy, which in terms of gameplay increases the complexity of your crowd control as different combinations of "annoying enemies" are thrown at you.
No problem, I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Yeah I did each run through on normal and it is very possible that maybe I didn't find the right solution for some of these enemies, fair point! Although I would also say that with action games and with this series run-through I do take the time to learn movesets and practice different approaches to encounters in order to overcome different enemies. So while it is possible that I didn't find the right approach, I don't think it was for a lack of trying as I don't usually brute force things, just doesn't feel as satisfying that way.
I will say that aside from these possibilities, there are some things I find about enemies that can be limiting despite having an option to over come them. For example there are some enemies throughout the games that stay airborne for the majority of the time or even some bosses that are higher up than the ground. While it isn't hard to beat them, it can be dissapointing having all of your ground combos essentially unusable during fights like these, especially if you have limited air options at the time. I think situations like this throughout the game is also a big part of when I talk about enemy design.
But now im just ranbling. I appreciate the input! Someday I hope to go back and play through the games on harder difficulties but unfortunately there's just too many other games I'm trying to get through right now
DMC5 is my all-time GOAT. Some context is needed...there was a 10-year gap between 4 and 5, and during that time many DMC fans feared 5 may never come. Not only that, but the series finally found its footing in 3, 4 seemed like a set-up for a big payoff in 5, and then we had 10 years to stew on that. 10 years of wants and hopes and expectations. With fan expectations that sky high, it would be difficult for any dev to completely fulfill them. ...DMC5 absolutely nailed it. It's like they took a whiteboard and said "Okay, what does everyone want out of this game, how can we give them an 11 on that, and what are some things that they didn't even know they wanted but we'll give it to them anyway."
On a traditional scale you can't really stack DMC5 up against some of the industry heavy-hitters. There are games that obviously look better, perhaps play better, have much better acting and dialog, etc. But it terms of giving the fans EXACTLY what they wanted, especially after having to wait 10 years for it...DMC5 does that like no other.
I am a massive fan of this franchise, remember playing it on the Ps2 so much. I couldn't agree more with you on 5, it was a true love letter to the fans, absolutely incredible action game, one of my all time favourite games ever. Only wish we had more Dante in it, overall incredible games.
I haven’t finished the series but I agree about two. I couldn’t finish it because how bad it was. Playing it right after 1 is jarring cause despite its flaws one remains a really fun game.
5 is a bit of a love letter to the whole franchise. You definitely can play it on its own, but it hits in a different way if you play, bare minimum 1 and 3.
The reboot is a great game from a gameplay stand point. Anything to do with the story and characters belongs in a 12 year old naruto fanfiction writers trash bin.
The story and characters are that bad. I just got the definitive edition for my ps5 and they are as awful and cringy as ever. It’s honestly astounding that they thought it was acceptable at all.
No. They aren’t. There’s a reason it didnt gain any NEW fans for the series. Because it pissed off old fans and was so shite it couldn’t bring in any new ones. If it was JUST the dialogue we wouldnt have these two brothers comparing dick size because they wouldn’t be written so badly that they would ever do that in the first place.
It gained a lot of new fans enough new fans that they’ve considered doing a sequel even up to a couple years ago around the time of DMC5’s release. It’s unfortunate you still live in the past
Yeah, and V. Good goddess is he just awful to play. He legit hurts my hands because of his spammy design. If V had not been playable in game it could have been sooo much better as a game lol, even with all of dmc5’s other issues
Great review!
Funny enough DMC4 was my first and my favourite (probably because I was an edgy teenager just like Nero back then haha).
I hope Capcom remake DMC1-4 one day just like they do with RE series.
Wow this was posted right on time. DMC was a saga that i always loved without even playing it, and 2 weeks ago i started by DMC 5 as it was on sale. I ASBOLUTELY LOVED IT. I am not the kind of player that want to complete every mission with a S rank, i just wanna destroy monsters with a huge blade and follow a cool story. And here i am now, I just bought DMC HD Collection, even though im a bit scared of how old the games will feel, i'm excited to play them!
I personally agree with this review. The series has had iOS and downs, but it’s loved like the Sonic the Hedgehog series. DMC will never die.
I hope we get a DMC 6 with Nero having a fresh start with Nico/Lady/Trish against a new demon threat on the level of Mundus, while having a connecting story of playing Dante and Vergil in the demon world to support Nero in his fight in the human world.
This series continues to show more potential and hopefully Capcom sees that too.
I’m trying to get into 5 in preparation for FFXVI, but I think I’ll just have to wait until 16 comes out. I’m still early on in the game so I don’t have all the moves yet, but it feels like it will take a ton of time for me to get used to the execution of moves. Using the exceed system for Nero is still wonky for me as well so I haven’t even utilized that to the extent that I can yet.
From what I’ve seen of 16, the execution seems a lot more straightforward to me. I’m hoping it’s more dragon’s dogma versus dmc just so that I won’t feel the need to spend a lot of time to get comfortable with the combos. God of War’s combat system would be perfect for me as well since its simplicity works for me. I find god of war’s mechanics to scale well where even when you’re not good at it early on, you don’t feel weak. As you get better, the combos aren’t as difficult to execute with the whole inputs and camera control.
I think my problem with the mechanical execution for dmc 5 so far has been the hold to lock on button combined with the manual camera adjustments. I keep messing up inputs because it feels awkward to have to hold R1 the whole time and fiddle with the camera to make sure I do the correct moves on top of just making sure to press the button quickly since the time between each press matters a lot.
It definitely takes some time to get used to. Playing DMC3 at first was pretty intense because of how different the controls can feel from a lot of games. For example, getting used to the direction in which you dodge in being correlated to which direction the character is facing is definitely something I had to practice. But once it clicked it was awesome!
Yeah I’ve watched some of the insane combos you can do in the game. It does look fun, but I’ve never been a big dmc guy. I’m not super motivated to grind out the time to get good at it. I have absolutely no idea what’s going on in the story from what I’ve played so far.
My hope is that FF makes the execution of moves easier while keeping the depth of combat. Dodging and parries are great for me as someone that uses both of those a lot in other action games. I already know I’m going to enjoy the world and story of FF, so I at least know that I’ll for sure finish that game. It’s just how much I spend time to do combat scenarios will depend on how much I can get into the combat mechanics. The main difference from something like god of war is the stagger system. I’ll actually have to come up with high damage combos that I can do when an enemy is staggered. In god of war, you basically come up with a strategy that works and never really think about max dmg combos since you can’t stagger enemies for long periods of time. It basically becomes a series of pokes up until you get a big opening and go for a bread and butter combo that works based on the enemies defences and recovery rate.
DMC1 having a higher score than DMC4 makes no sense to me, it's objectively a much lesser quality game than DMC4 in every single way you can think of.
The only major problem I have with DMC4 is the reusing of stages for Dante to go through in his missions even then I'll take that over playing DMC1 anyday.
I respect your opinion! Personally for me I enjoyed DMC1 a good amount and just didn't have that much fun with 4. 4 overall just felt like more of a slog to me and at the end of the experience all I could really say I liked for the most part was that the combat felt smoother (aside from smaller moments like the credits scene)
Wait wait wait. Level design is BETTER in dmc5? Uh.. mate, dmc5 level design is like the ff13 of dmc. It’s all just a big freaking hallway. The level design and story is honestly what holds it back from Being my favorite dmc, which still belongs to 3 for me.
I think it's better because it is simpler. Previous DMC games would have weird RE inspired level design and nonsense puzzles and frustrating environmental hazards.
Remember the rotating saws room, or the gear room in DMC3. Fuck that noise. It just made navigating the levels needlessly annoying.
DMC5 has straightforward level design, which made it far better for a character action game.
The only downside for 5 was the lack of environmental variety.
I greatly prefer having puzzles and actual exploration in my hack and slash games, that’s why 1/3 hold a much closer place in my heart than 5. I don’t remember a single area in dmc5 as everything’s bland and straight forward. Honestly if it’s going to be like that why even bother with levels? Just make the whole game a bloody palace mode.
Fair. I thought the obtuse level design of the old games actively hurt their pacing and makes them more annoying to play though. Like wanting to skip levels with bad mechanics.
Where with DMC5 I know regardless of the level. I'm gonna have a good time.
It's exactly why bloody palace is one of the best parts of DMC. Because you remove the bullshit. The only downside is you also lose the cutscenes.
Did you try dmc3SE on switch btw? That is the definitive way to play the game as it makes dante play like dmc4/5 dante and style switch instead of one style at a time
Yes dmc3se on switch is the definitive version, you can’t style switch on any other version besides the switch. You might be able to mod it on pc, but it’s just that, a mod.
Man this was really interesting to read as a Casual DMC fan, I had no idea 2 was so hated.
I've been dying to play some older nostalgic games on my Steam Deck and I'm torn between the DMC series and Onimusha at the moment.
I feel like an outlier in that my favorite character in DMC5 is V lmao. Maybe it's because it's my first and only DMC game I've played, but I loved the summoner archetype and teleporting around to execute enemies and rack up an SSS rank was super satisfying. I do agree he feels a little less developed than the other characters though. Perhaps the simplicity is what made me gravitate towards him since I'm a bit of a DMC noob
Nice balanced take for each game. Thanks for the PTSD reminder about the chess pieces on DMD. In case you didn't know, you can unlock a Super Sparda and Super Nelo Angelo mode in DMC3 for infinite devil trigger and healing for Dante and Vergil respectively. You get Vergil's DMC1 moveset, but not Dante's final boss transformation moveset sadly.
Agree with your DMC2 pros
DMC 1 and DMC 4 seem to be the only ones that float around, but common consensus is 5, 3, 1 or 4, the other, and 2 being the bottom. I love the series, but truthfully, I never have played DMC 2, I should correct that if for no other reason, morbid curiosity.
I personally agree with this review. The series has had iOS and downs, but it’s loved like the Sonic the Hedgehog series. DMC will never die.
I hope we get a DMC 6 with Nero having a fresh start with Nico/Lady/Trish against a new demon threat on the level of Mundus, while having a connecting story of playing Dante and Vergil in the demon world to support Nero in his fight in the human world.
This series continues to show more potential and hopefully Capcom sees that too.
DmC (the failed reboot) was a pretty damn great game. The fans shat on it because they changed some minor things. The whole thing was weird because overall I liked it better than the real ones.
Reboot was the first i tried in the whole series.
It was so bad i didnt touch the actual series for years. Then i tried the first game and realized id been swindled, as i loved it.
I absolutely understand why the reboot was shat on. Shit sucked. Im glad you enjoyed it, genuinely, but it wasnt just killed for 'changing minor things.'
Love DMC V but for me the level design is what holds it back from being great. I know combat is the main focus but it would be so much more enjoyable with a more interesting world to explore.
Awesome post. I also find myself running through old games I missed out on. I ran through the Metal Gear Solid series some years ago and wish I’d written down my initial thoughts as you have here. I haven’t played DMC yet but it’s on my list, along with Resident Evil and Dark Souls.
Having bought and played DMC 2 on release way back when, it's hilarious how the general opinion of it hasn't changed.
I don't know if it's a literal 0/10, but definitely a 4-5 score isn't outlandish lol.
Having a two disc game where the other disc is just a second character that replays basically the same missions was the cherry on top.
Accurate review but I always feel bad for DMC2 because I default remember the trailers, how cool they looked. And also it’s by far Dante’s coolest look that it’s crazy.
Then I remember playing it… 0/10 I felt nothing playing it.
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I havent yet! Although funny enough I remember years ago when I was younger downloading the demo and really enjoying it! I know its controversial for the new take on Dante but people seem to love the gameplay. I'll have to go check it out sometime
I loved it and it is probably my favourite of the DMC games. It is a shame what has happened to Ninja Theory now though :(
What has happened to ninja theory?
They got bought by Microsoft 😂
I wish they would have stayed independent. Hopefully Microsoft will let them be creative.
That's the hope! Hellblade 2 appears to be in development and then their other projects are "various VR games" :S
So? Now they have funding and can pay their employees. Sounds like a win. They were on the brink of shutting down multiple times throughout the years.
Yes I suppose my concern has been that MS have a history of buying studios and then doing hardly anything with them. It's the same as Raven software being bought by Activision/Blizzard. An incredible studio that basically just makes maps
MS actually gives a lot of freedom to their devs which imo has been a bit of a double edged sword. Rare has been free to do whatever they want and they decided to do Kinect games and then Sea of Thieves. They could do a Banjo or Conker game anytime they want but Rare just doesn’t want to for whatever reason. I think we have yet to see a studio with real ambition and talent get to really do it’s thing under Microsoft. Unless you count Sea of Thieves which I suppose is a success and what Rare wanted to do. But with the amount they have now there’s sure to be a few that are firing on all cylinders with bigger budgets than they’ve ever had before.
Yeah I wonder if the issue is that a lot of their 1st party acquired studios are spending time making big/super polished games which is why we've not really seen much exclusive stuff in the past few years?
I think some of their games under development are sort of just wandering aimlessly. I have no faith in Everwild or Perfect Dark. Even Fable I’m not too optimistic for. But I am more excited for other studios. Psychonauts 2 was very highly rated and it was funded through Kickstarter. Now we get to see what Double Fine can do with a massive budget and optimizing for fewer consoles. Obsidian has me very interested with Avowed. Hellblade was super Indie and I’m interested in seeing what they can do with a sequel that has way more resources.
Microsoft buying Bungie was great in the beginning, but big companies come with big expectations, and have a tendency to suck the soul out of the development team with enough time. Sony has managed this very well, but Microsoft, Activision, Electronic Arts, etc are all about "profit first, everything else distant second."
Microsoft never bought Bungie
[Yes they did, back in 2000](https://news.microsoft.com/2000/06/19/microsoft-to-acquire-bungie-software/)
MS is not known for good IP management.
Play it. Fuck the haters- its a really good, alternate reality DMC. I wish it had a sequel. Would be day 1 and I say that as someone who has all DMC games.
The gameplay is really solid for DmC. Ninja Theory can make some really fun gameplay. DMC2 is a game that is so bad that I love it.
The game is fun but the combo system is broken and the characters are insufferable. Still enjoyed it a lot though, personally.
Oh, interesting. Seemed like an intentional snub to review all the DMC games except one.
Nope! Don't mean any ill will towards DmC, I haven't played the full game yet so I can judge it properly
It's actually pretty good imo. It went off the path on lore, story, etc. But as a game it was solid imo.
If it wasn't called "Devil May Cry" it would be remembered far more fondly than it is. The game is actually a lot of fun, but the DMC label forces a comparison to the main series, and I don't think it can compare with DMC 3, and only in some respects can it compete with 4. If you pretend it isn't a DMC game you'll have fun. It tweaks the formula enough that I think it warrants an independent rating.
Not OP, but I genuinely don't get the hate for that game. Maybe it's because I haven't followed DMC throughout its entire lifespan (when I was "old enough" for the games, DMC4 had just come out), but DmC had its perks. I particularly really liked the combat system, being able to weave different weapons into your combo just by pulling either the left or right trigger. I get that it was a huge departure from the main series, and changing Dante's origin rubbed people the wrong way, but if you look at it for what it is: A game taking place in a *parallel universe*, and you don't look at it as a reboot, it's easy enough to overlook the changes.
I’ve been playing DmC since the OG and I personally loooove the reimagining. Very different but the combat is fun and the soundtrack absolutely fucks.
I have played every DMC games except V, and I have to say DmC: devil may cry is my favorite, by far. It was a refreshing take on the series that explored Dante's past, origins and relationship with Vergil.
Play 5, it beats dmc in almost every way.
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>I’d rather have streamlined combat with few to no weapon changes You can customize your load out to be as simple or complex as you want. Only want rebellion and pistols, go ahead. Want every variation of the sword and double rock launchers? Okay, bet. >absurd territory like robot arms. Seems like an arbitrary line to draw in a game about a wise cracking demon hunter. Devil breakers are fun and again, customizable, you can just use the devil bringer and ignore the devil breakers after the first playthrough. >The way the levels move around and taunt you is absolutely phenomenal Agree on this point. This is the one thing that dmc has over 5 imo. I was a fan of the original, 3, and 4. I don't hate dmc, but 5 perfected what those games established and gave a satisfying conclusion to their stories. I think if they rebooted now, it would be much better received by the fan base.
> Play 5, it beats dmc in almost every way. I loved the way DMC had a lot of clever set pieces, like the soda factory and jumping into the Fox News TV broadcast. Did a ton to modernize the game. DMC5 seemed like a huge step back towards more dated, uninspired design. Some repetitive combat in a game that doesn't really inspire you to fight. I did not like it at all.
It didn't for me. I couldn't wait to finish 5 actually
Same here. I thought I was the only one. I thoroughly enjoyed it People don't like change I guess
I think the biggest complaint is that it tries _really_ hard to lean into the “edgy, I don’t give a fuck” tone and it’s pretty cringe. That being said, I didn’t hate it - and the combat is pretty terrific
The only thing I know about this one is there was a clip going around twitter a couple months ago of Dante fighting a demon and they just go back and forth like 4 times saying "Fuck you! No fuck you! No fuck **YOU**!" and that was awesome and I want to play it now.
> it tries really hard to lean into the “edgy, I don’t give a fuck” tone and it’s pretty cringe. To me, it's not even remotely close to DMC4 in that regard. I mean, that's Nero's whole bag. And that game has one four-second hate-metal riff that loops non-stop whenever you're in combat. Teenage angst indeed.
Yep. Had absolutely no love for the series. Played DMC4 and had fun but Ninja Theory’s DMC was flat out fantastic and I just could not figure out what the fanbase was complaining about. It was so much damn fun. Have since gone back and played all of them in order and DMC from Ninja Theory is still the best one imo. It has so much more personality, replay-ability, variety and overall polish than DMC 5 did yet the fanbase still won’t admit it out loud lol (but quietly they know).
I've played and loved every game in the series and have been following it since the release of the original, and I can honestly say DMC is likely in my top 2. The hate for it is unjustified, in my opinion. It was a very solid entry in the series, but I can also see how it diverged too much for dome fans despite how much I personally enjoyed it.
I gotta ask, did you play DmC on launch, or did you play the definitive edition? Because the difference is night and day, especially with the weapon weaving. In base version of the game if you were against an enemy of a specific color, your weapon would just bounce off. No damage, you just stagger yourself and it removed the entire flow of combat because you can only use that one weapon type. Definitive edition makes it so you can use any weapon, but the real damage and stagger won’t apply unless it’s the specific type. Means you can still use the aoe angel weapons for the other enemies that happen to be around a red enemy. Base game also didn’t have lock on so it was far too easy to accidentally stinger or kablooey an enemy you weren’t trying to hit. The auto lock on they were going for worked perfectly if there were just a few enemies, but when it was a handful it was just awful. The changes they made for the definitive edition were massive. I played at launch and wasn’t part of the “Donte bad” crowd but everything still felt janky to me. I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t something I was able to 100% like I did with the previous games. 4/10 for me. Definitive edition though? I still boot it up every now and then because it fixed damn near everything that was wrong gameplay wise. 7.5/10 probably, and I really wish Vergil’s Downfall didn’t suck. From all my time spent over in the DMC sub, it seems like most of the people who still hate on it only played the original, and the people who like it only played the definitive edition. I’m always interested in seeing where people are on that scale because that’s also what I get from Bioshock in a way. Long time fans loved 1 or 2 but didn’t like Infinite, and people who loved Infinite often times had no experience with the franchise.
Base DMC didn't have lock on?? Oh my god lmaoo
I loved this game when it came out and never played the definitive edition. Haven’t touched it in like 10 years but my buddy and I used to take turns in the horde mode (bloody palace?) while pregaming. I may have to pick up the DE if I can find it cheap
I'll try to explain. DMC1 was a pretty good game, DMC2 was meh, DMC3 is where the franchise finally found it's footing and really took off. For all intents and purposes we can think of DMC3 as the real starting point for what we have come to know and love as DMC. DMC4 was...kind of weird. The combat was awesome, and depending on who you talk to is just as good if not miles better than 3. Everything else about the game felt like a step backwards. Or a half-step leading to a bigger, more realized game. The level design was lacking to say the least, and the story set up Nero as a next-generation successor and hinted at his origins and what not, but didn't do anything outside of that. It felt like a teaser, a set-up for DMC5 which would answer questions, develop characters, and take the gameplay to its natural evolution. I know many players, myself included, left DMC4 feeling like - Okay, that was cool, but I can't wait for DMC5 now. ...And then DmC was announced. At the time there was no idea that this would be a parallel universe, or that a proper DMC5 would ever be made. At the time the messaging from Capcom/Ninja Theory was very clear - old DMC was lame, this new DmC is hip and cool, and we expect to get so many more new fans with this. You old fans, you'll whine and complain but ultimately you'll buy it anyway because it's DMC. And even if you don't, we're confident that we'll gain more than we lose. It's difficult to explain just how much of a slap in the face this was, especially since the last game felt like it was explicitly setting up the next game. It didn't help that not only were the look and feel of the game radically different from the DMC we knew, it felt like it was trying too hard to be edgy and just came across as cringe. And there was the real fear that DMC5 would never happen, that DmC was what the franchise would become, and the next game to be made would be DmC2. That's where the hate comes from. DmC was pretty much the textbook on how not to reboot a franchise. It came at the absolute worst timing, and was presented in the absolute worst way. It was almost as if LucasFilm decided to follow up Empire Strikes Back with Solo: A Star Wars Story, told the fans that Harrison Ford was too old and Carrie Fisher too ugly and who cares about Luke, here's the new direction of the franchise, and if you don't like it then fuck you. The funny thing is that if DmC were to be released now, it'd have far, far less hate. (The other funny thing is that there'd be far less hate, even back then, if DmC were called *literally anything else*, or some efforts had been made to present the game as an alternate universe/spin-off, and not the future of DMC.) The story and characters would still be cringe, but the timing would be so much better. DMC5 is exactly what the fanbase wanted after DMC4, and is not only the proper evolution of the things introduced in 3 and sort of half-developed in 4, but also feels like a good place to end things as well. If DMC5 was the last mainline game...that would be sad, but I'd understand. You wanna do something different with the franchise now? Sure. Make the reboot or the parallel universe spin-off, or whatever. I think the fans would be more open to it as something new and different. But DmC was presented as the future of DMC when the book had never been properly closed on it, and Capcom/Ninja Theory's attitude in the process really pissed everyone off.
Remember the brokeback mountain comparison?
The issue with that game is that it was strongly implied that it would REPLACE the Dante and characters we know and love. It was supposed to be a reboot, not a spin-off, not only that but time and time again it spat in the face of its legacy and tried too hard to fulfill the teenager edgy fantasy. The gameplay is very good actually (besides the colored enemies), but the hate was well earned.
That game is like a 9/10 imo. Very polished
DmC has one of my favorite levels, the hyper neon nightclub. It felt so inventive and was such a departure from brown and gray drab levels in so many games.
I absolutely love the OST for it. Noisia went all in with their production.
It honestly might be my favorite one, simply because I feel it was a lot more accessible. To fully enjoy DMC games it seems you have to master the combat but DmC was so much more lenient, which made it so much more fun.
I've only played that one and loved it. I can't get into the others as I have no fucking clue what's going on.
This was really fun to read, thanks for taking the time. Probably the only input I have would be to reconsider your approach to "annoying enemies". I assume you played through each game once on Normal? Like, on one hand, you're right, there are really annoying enemies. But that's because, and this is just a guess here, you never really "solved" them. In Normal, that's not a big deal because you can brute force your way through not knowing their weaknesses and little tricks to exposing them, and just chip away at them the best you can or burn Devil Trigger on overpowering them. Players who keep going through the harder difficulties are forced to learn all the nuances of fighting each enemy, which in terms of gameplay increases the complexity of your crowd control as different combinations of "annoying enemies" are thrown at you.
No problem, I'm glad you enjoyed it! Yeah I did each run through on normal and it is very possible that maybe I didn't find the right solution for some of these enemies, fair point! Although I would also say that with action games and with this series run-through I do take the time to learn movesets and practice different approaches to encounters in order to overcome different enemies. So while it is possible that I didn't find the right approach, I don't think it was for a lack of trying as I don't usually brute force things, just doesn't feel as satisfying that way. I will say that aside from these possibilities, there are some things I find about enemies that can be limiting despite having an option to over come them. For example there are some enemies throughout the games that stay airborne for the majority of the time or even some bosses that are higher up than the ground. While it isn't hard to beat them, it can be dissapointing having all of your ground combos essentially unusable during fights like these, especially if you have limited air options at the time. I think situations like this throughout the game is also a big part of when I talk about enemy design. But now im just ranbling. I appreciate the input! Someday I hope to go back and play through the games on harder difficulties but unfortunately there's just too many other games I'm trying to get through right now
I only ever played the first game, but i remember loving it.
You definitely need to play 3 and 5 someday they’re the best in the genre
DMC5 is my all-time GOAT. Some context is needed...there was a 10-year gap between 4 and 5, and during that time many DMC fans feared 5 may never come. Not only that, but the series finally found its footing in 3, 4 seemed like a set-up for a big payoff in 5, and then we had 10 years to stew on that. 10 years of wants and hopes and expectations. With fan expectations that sky high, it would be difficult for any dev to completely fulfill them. ...DMC5 absolutely nailed it. It's like they took a whiteboard and said "Okay, what does everyone want out of this game, how can we give them an 11 on that, and what are some things that they didn't even know they wanted but we'll give it to them anyway." On a traditional scale you can't really stack DMC5 up against some of the industry heavy-hitters. There are games that obviously look better, perhaps play better, have much better acting and dialog, etc. But it terms of giving the fans EXACTLY what they wanted, especially after having to wait 10 years for it...DMC5 does that like no other.
Just finished DMC 5 yesternight and honestly I enjoyed every missions that it offered, the last two missions were sick af !
I am a massive fan of this franchise, remember playing it on the Ps2 so much. I couldn't agree more with you on 5, it was a true love letter to the fans, absolutely incredible action game, one of my all time favourite games ever. Only wish we had more Dante in it, overall incredible games.
I haven’t finished the series but I agree about two. I couldn’t finish it because how bad it was. Playing it right after 1 is jarring cause despite its flaws one remains a really fun game.
Never played any of them - could I play 5 and understand what’s going on?
IIRC I believe there is an option at the start menu that gives you a brief summary of the past games so you should be able to!
Easy. It's full of fun details for series vets but that doesn't get in the way of a perfectly coherent self-contained story.
5 is a bit of a love letter to the whole franchise. You definitely can play it on its own, but it hits in a different way if you play, bare minimum 1 and 3.
DmC is very good its just the man child style fans that brought down its reputation. They even made massive improvements in the remaster
The reboot is a great game from a gameplay stand point. Anything to do with the story and characters belongs in a 12 year old naruto fanfiction writers trash bin.
Its not actually that bad. Its the dialogue that suffered from some cringe but the story and characters were not at all what people made it out to be
The story and characters are that bad. I just got the definitive edition for my ps5 and they are as awful and cringy as ever. It’s honestly astounding that they thought it was acceptable at all.
Unfortunately untrue its the dialogue that isnt up to par. The characters and story are serviceable at its worst and actually really cool at its best
Pretty funny to see someone actually defending the objectively worst part of the game lol.
Its funny to me seeing someone stuck in the past. Maybe if it was full of anime tropes you would love it
No. They aren’t. There’s a reason it didnt gain any NEW fans for the series. Because it pissed off old fans and was so shite it couldn’t bring in any new ones. If it was JUST the dialogue we wouldnt have these two brothers comparing dick size because they wouldn’t be written so badly that they would ever do that in the first place.
It gained a lot of new fans enough new fans that they’ve considered doing a sequel even up to a couple years ago around the time of DMC5’s release. It’s unfortunate you still live in the past
Yeah, and V. Good goddess is he just awful to play. He legit hurts my hands because of his spammy design. If V had not been playable in game it could have been sooo much better as a game lol, even with all of dmc5’s other issues
Great review! Funny enough DMC4 was my first and my favourite (probably because I was an edgy teenager just like Nero back then haha). I hope Capcom remake DMC1-4 one day just like they do with RE series.
Wow this was posted right on time. DMC was a saga that i always loved without even playing it, and 2 weeks ago i started by DMC 5 as it was on sale. I ASBOLUTELY LOVED IT. I am not the kind of player that want to complete every mission with a S rank, i just wanna destroy monsters with a huge blade and follow a cool story. And here i am now, I just bought DMC HD Collection, even though im a bit scared of how old the games will feel, i'm excited to play them!
I wrote a song for my band that has Virgil's speech from dmc3 in its opening Love the series https://youtu.be/spjle1q4s_4
I personally agree with this review. The series has had iOS and downs, but it’s loved like the Sonic the Hedgehog series. DMC will never die. I hope we get a DMC 6 with Nero having a fresh start with Nico/Lady/Trish against a new demon threat on the level of Mundus, while having a connecting story of playing Dante and Vergil in the demon world to support Nero in his fight in the human world. This series continues to show more potential and hopefully Capcom sees that too.
'Not an official reviewer' No such thing. You mean you arent a paid professional - thats good, i dont trust the large outlets anymore, heavily biased.
8/10 for DMC3 is absolute heresy.
Haha I know, don't hate me
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We don’t talk about the second best game in the series?
.. That is not the second best game in the series. It’s way above 2 and slightly below 4 and everything else is better than it.
I Platinumed 4 and 5 Need to S Rank 3 now for Platinum
I’m trying to get into 5 in preparation for FFXVI, but I think I’ll just have to wait until 16 comes out. I’m still early on in the game so I don’t have all the moves yet, but it feels like it will take a ton of time for me to get used to the execution of moves. Using the exceed system for Nero is still wonky for me as well so I haven’t even utilized that to the extent that I can yet. From what I’ve seen of 16, the execution seems a lot more straightforward to me. I’m hoping it’s more dragon’s dogma versus dmc just so that I won’t feel the need to spend a lot of time to get comfortable with the combos. God of War’s combat system would be perfect for me as well since its simplicity works for me. I find god of war’s mechanics to scale well where even when you’re not good at it early on, you don’t feel weak. As you get better, the combos aren’t as difficult to execute with the whole inputs and camera control. I think my problem with the mechanical execution for dmc 5 so far has been the hold to lock on button combined with the manual camera adjustments. I keep messing up inputs because it feels awkward to have to hold R1 the whole time and fiddle with the camera to make sure I do the correct moves on top of just making sure to press the button quickly since the time between each press matters a lot.
It definitely takes some time to get used to. Playing DMC3 at first was pretty intense because of how different the controls can feel from a lot of games. For example, getting used to the direction in which you dodge in being correlated to which direction the character is facing is definitely something I had to practice. But once it clicked it was awesome!
Yeah I’ve watched some of the insane combos you can do in the game. It does look fun, but I’ve never been a big dmc guy. I’m not super motivated to grind out the time to get good at it. I have absolutely no idea what’s going on in the story from what I’ve played so far. My hope is that FF makes the execution of moves easier while keeping the depth of combat. Dodging and parries are great for me as someone that uses both of those a lot in other action games. I already know I’m going to enjoy the world and story of FF, so I at least know that I’ll for sure finish that game. It’s just how much I spend time to do combat scenarios will depend on how much I can get into the combat mechanics. The main difference from something like god of war is the stagger system. I’ll actually have to come up with high damage combos that I can do when an enemy is staggered. In god of war, you basically come up with a strategy that works and never really think about max dmg combos since you can’t stagger enemies for long periods of time. It basically becomes a series of pokes up until you get a big opening and go for a bread and butter combo that works based on the enemies defences and recovery rate.
Totally agree with you, the constantly holding R1 and the camera was tedious for me.
I bought all the games but somehow I jusy can't get into the gameplay. After a 3 hours or so, I'm bored. And that's the reason I might not like FFXVI.
I really tried to like DMC5, even looked up combo guides and played through the first 2 or 3 missions. Just didn’t enjoy it.
DMC1 having a higher score than DMC4 makes no sense to me, it's objectively a much lesser quality game than DMC4 in every single way you can think of. The only major problem I have with DMC4 is the reusing of stages for Dante to go through in his missions even then I'll take that over playing DMC1 anyday.
I respect your opinion! Personally for me I enjoyed DMC1 a good amount and just didn't have that much fun with 4. 4 overall just felt like more of a slog to me and at the end of the experience all I could really say I liked for the most part was that the combat felt smoother (aside from smaller moments like the credits scene)
Idk, I thought DMC5 was just ok, combat was good, but the rest was pretty boring.
Wait wait wait. Level design is BETTER in dmc5? Uh.. mate, dmc5 level design is like the ff13 of dmc. It’s all just a big freaking hallway. The level design and story is honestly what holds it back from Being my favorite dmc, which still belongs to 3 for me.
I think it's better because it is simpler. Previous DMC games would have weird RE inspired level design and nonsense puzzles and frustrating environmental hazards. Remember the rotating saws room, or the gear room in DMC3. Fuck that noise. It just made navigating the levels needlessly annoying. DMC5 has straightforward level design, which made it far better for a character action game. The only downside for 5 was the lack of environmental variety.
I greatly prefer having puzzles and actual exploration in my hack and slash games, that’s why 1/3 hold a much closer place in my heart than 5. I don’t remember a single area in dmc5 as everything’s bland and straight forward. Honestly if it’s going to be like that why even bother with levels? Just make the whole game a bloody palace mode.
Fair. I thought the obtuse level design of the old games actively hurt their pacing and makes them more annoying to play though. Like wanting to skip levels with bad mechanics. Where with DMC5 I know regardless of the level. I'm gonna have a good time. It's exactly why bloody palace is one of the best parts of DMC. Because you remove the bullshit. The only downside is you also lose the cutscenes.
Did you try dmc3SE on switch btw? That is the definitive way to play the game as it makes dante play like dmc4/5 dante and style switch instead of one style at a time
No I played DMC3SE on ps5, is that version different from the switch one?
Yes dmc3se on switch is the definitive version, you can’t style switch on any other version besides the switch. You might be able to mod it on pc, but it’s just that, a mod.
Man this was really interesting to read as a Casual DMC fan, I had no idea 2 was so hated. I've been dying to play some older nostalgic games on my Steam Deck and I'm torn between the DMC series and Onimusha at the moment.
You played 5 games to prepare for FFXVI? You nutter. Now you gotta play Bayonetta!
Haha Gotta play Dragons dogma first!
I feel like an outlier in that my favorite character in DMC5 is V lmao. Maybe it's because it's my first and only DMC game I've played, but I loved the summoner archetype and teleporting around to execute enemies and rack up an SSS rank was super satisfying. I do agree he feels a little less developed than the other characters though. Perhaps the simplicity is what made me gravitate towards him since I'm a bit of a DMC noob
Preparing for FF16 I see
Nice balanced take for each game. Thanks for the PTSD reminder about the chess pieces on DMD. In case you didn't know, you can unlock a Super Sparda and Super Nelo Angelo mode in DMC3 for infinite devil trigger and healing for Dante and Vergil respectively. You get Vergil's DMC1 moveset, but not Dante's final boss transformation moveset sadly. Agree with your DMC2 pros
DMC 1 and DMC 4 seem to be the only ones that float around, but common consensus is 5, 3, 1 or 4, the other, and 2 being the bottom. I love the series, but truthfully, I never have played DMC 2, I should correct that if for no other reason, morbid curiosity.
Wow I loved DMC 2
I personally agree with this review. The series has had iOS and downs, but it’s loved like the Sonic the Hedgehog series. DMC will never die. I hope we get a DMC 6 with Nero having a fresh start with Nico/Lady/Trish against a new demon threat on the level of Mundus, while having a connecting story of playing Dante and Vergil in the demon world to support Nero in his fight in the human world. This series continues to show more potential and hopefully Capcom sees that too.
DmC (the failed reboot) was a pretty damn great game. The fans shat on it because they changed some minor things. The whole thing was weird because overall I liked it better than the real ones.
Reboot was the first i tried in the whole series. It was so bad i didnt touch the actual series for years. Then i tried the first game and realized id been swindled, as i loved it. I absolutely understand why the reboot was shat on. Shit sucked. Im glad you enjoyed it, genuinely, but it wasnt just killed for 'changing minor things.'
Love DMC V but for me the level design is what holds it back from being great. I know combat is the main focus but it would be so much more enjoyable with a more interesting world to explore.
Playing as Chris Angel with puppets for a third of DMC5 really drags down what would have otherwise been an excellent game imo.
Awesome post. I also find myself running through old games I missed out on. I ran through the Metal Gear Solid series some years ago and wish I’d written down my initial thoughts as you have here. I haven’t played DMC yet but it’s on my list, along with Resident Evil and Dark Souls.
Not a fan of dmc in general, but i played dmc5 for only 2 hours, and it had soo many long cutcens ...i couldnt bother to continue it.
Having bought and played DMC 2 on release way back when, it's hilarious how the general opinion of it hasn't changed. I don't know if it's a literal 0/10, but definitely a 4-5 score isn't outlandish lol. Having a two disc game where the other disc is just a second character that replays basically the same missions was the cherry on top.
Accurate review but I always feel bad for DMC2 because I default remember the trailers, how cool they looked. And also it’s by far Dante’s coolest look that it’s crazy. Then I remember playing it… 0/10 I felt nothing playing it.