Hey now everybody, hope you're all doing well and welcome to my review of Devil May Cry 5! Over the years this series has definitely hit some high notes and earned itself a loyal fan base, but it's also had some missteps. For me personally, the first and third games were excellent and the second and fourth games were let downs. I love the characters, gameplay and the over the top nature of the franchise as a whole, it's just been very hit or miss for some reason with each individual title. Even though I've been excited to play this latest entry I've also been trying to keep my expectations in check due to this poor track record. I don't know what took me so long, but I've finally had a chance to play through this and if you'll join me I'd love to tell you all about it.
Devil May Cry 5 is an action adventure hack and slash game developed by Capcom. It features the usual cast of characters that we're all familiar with, Dante, Nero, Trish and Lady, but a slightly older version of them since this takes place five years after the events of DMC 4. There's also a couple brand new characters this time around that fit in nicely with the old crew. First you have Nico, a sassy southern girl who drives the company van around and who's also a very skilled craftswomen that provides you with an arsenal of weapons. You can visit her shop in between missions to purchase upgrades, or to restock your supplies. She's only a supporting character though, just like Trish and Lady, so you don't get to play as her, but she adds a lot of personality to the game.
The other new character is the mysterious V, who plays a big part in the game's plot, but you're not really sure how he fits into everything until the final act. V is a playable character with his own unique fighting style that adds a whole new layer to the combat. The game is broken down into separate missions where you get to play as one of these three main protagonists and sometimes you even get to choose who you want to play as. Since all three characters have completely different combat mechanics it really helps to keep things from getting stale, or repetitive. I though V was a great addition to the core lineup and he provided something entirely new, even for longtime fans of the series.
The story begins with V soliciting the help of the Devil May Cry group to take down a powerful demon named Urizen. This demon has planted a giant tree that towers over the city and kills people to harvest their blood, turning them into various creatures. Once Urizen acquires enough blood he will become king of the underworld and will unleash his true power. Dante confronts him, with the help of Trish and Lady, but they underestimated how strong this demon is and end up getting defeated. Nero steps up to try and rescue everyone, but he's also no match for Urizen. Throughout the course of the game you switch between the three main characters on their journey to this point, jumping back and forth through the timeline of events.
Just like every Devil May Cry game the story here is a bit convoluted, but it really doesn't matter because that's not why people play these. By far, the best aspects of the DMC series is definitely the over the top characters who are bursting with attitude. The tight, fluid combat mechanics that have you taking out hoards of enemies with crazy weapons and creative attacks that can make you feel unstoppable, and of course, the incredible style. Everything is just dripping with the unique style that this series is known for and this time the developers absolutely nailed all these important aspects. Capcom already gave me my favorite game of the year with Resident Evil 2 Remake and now they've hit another home run with Devil May Cry 5.
One thing you'll notice right off the bat is how incredible everything looks. The RE Engine that Capcom is using can make some amazing looking games and that's very evident here. All the environments, character models, enemies and various combat animations are stunning and it's taking this series to a whole new level. On top of that the combat feels more smooth and responsive than ever, with all three playable characters feeling completely different from each other. As someone who's had trouble with the combat in previous games, this time around I felt more in control and was actually getting S ranks quite often. It seemed like all of the components were working as they should and the game was firing on all cylinders.
Playing as Nero you have your sword and gun combo as usual, but you also get the new Devil Breaker ability. Nero no longer has his demonic arm, instead he has a wide assortment of robotic arms, called Devil Breakers, that you can switch between. Each arm has a variety of different functions that provide endless possibilities in combat, but they can break fairly easily so you'll need to buy more from Nico, or find them hidden throughout levels.
V is a frail character who isn't physically strong, so he summons a group of creatures to fight for him. You stand back, away from the action, and let your friends do all the dirty work. Then, when enemies are weakened enough, V moves in for the final blow. For ranged attacks you have Griffon, a bird that shoots lightning. For melee attacks you have Shadow, a shapeshifting panther and instead of a Devil Trigger you get Nightmare, a hulking beast that shoots lasers and smashes everything in sight. It's a creative new take on the combat that's very easy to use and it does a great job of breaking up the Nero and Dante sections.
Dante was probably my favorite character to play as, especially once you unlock all his weapons and abilities. You can switch between his four styles on the fly, Trickster, Swordmaster, Gunslinger and Royal Guard. He has multiple big blade weapons, the fiery Balrog gauntlets and boots, two big buzzsaws that turn into a motorcycle and an upgraded version of the Cerberus nunchaku. For ranged attacks you get the duel pistols, shotgun, rocket launchers and a new enchanted hat. Plus, there's an upgraded version of the Devil Trigger that looks amazing. Playing as Dante was the most challenging, but also the most rewarding and you have so many options it never gets boring or repetitive.
I'm happy to say that this game surpassed all my expectations, refining the old mechanics, while also introducing new ones that blended in perfectly. The new characters were actually interesting, fitting in nicely with the old crew and adding a lot of personality. Everything looked incredible, the environments, enemies, characters and animations were the best they've ever been. But most importantly, everything felt buttery smooth and responsive, which made this a joy to play through. I was enjoying this so much it felt like the game flew by way too fast and I didn't want it to stop. The developers did a fantastic job of getting just about everything right this time and I would highly recommend this game to any fan of the series, or genre. I'm going to give Devil May Cry 5 a grade of.................................
A
Thank you for reading my review of Devil May Cry 5, I hope you enjoyed it!
