Devil May Cry 5 Review (PC)

excellent
key review info
  • Game: Devil May Cry 5
  • Platform: PC
  • Show system requirements
  • Gamepad support: Yes  
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Devil May Cry 5 art

For reasons unknown, Devil May Cry fans had to wait 11 years for a proper sequel to Dante's saga. CAPCOM's fifth game in the series, not counting the reboot, tells the story of three characters that we all know and love – Dante, Nero and Vergil. Well, maybe that doesn't apply to Vergil due to his role in the previous games, but I'm absolutely sure that without a strong antihero, we wouldn't have heroes like Dante and Nero.

Devil May Cry 5 is set several years after the events of DMC 4 and starts quite abruptly with a demon infestation. In the first hour, the game introduces you a few characters that will play an important role throughout the adventure: Nero, now the owner of a mobile Devil May Cry business, and Nico, a very skilled weaponsmith who's also the daughter of the gunsmith who crafted Dante's Ebony & Ivory revolvers.

Nero is looking for Dante and his “partners in crime” - Trish and Lady, who've been been hired by the mysterious Mr. V to kill a powerful demon. Armed with his evolved prosthetic arm, Nero is hacking and slashing his way through an army of demons just to see how his friends are seemingly obliterated by the demon they were hunting.

From here on, events are unfolding at a blazing fast pace, and in a very condensed manner, I might add. The chronology set up by developers will have you watch events that happened in the past to understand why and how you reach to a certain moment in the game. The transposition between fights and cutscenes feel perfectly natural and add to the immersion.

Devil May Cry 5
Devil May Cry 5
Devil May Cry 5
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Even John Woo would be jealous

Most of the time, playing DMC 5 feels like starring in a John Woo action movie. Luckily, the game is dotted with hilarious moments to get your adrenaline levels lower, if not for your heart's sake, at least to make it easier to focus on boss fights. DMC 5 excels at making action cutscenes exhilarating, more likely a trait inherited from the previous titles.

But that's not the only reason the Devil May Cry franchise has so many fans. The fifth installment in the series (again, not counting the DmC reboot) has all the tricks that have been progressively added in the previous games, but also some of its own. More importantly, everything has been improved and made to look much, much better.

Dante remains the most versatile playing character, not just because of the four techniques (swordsmaster, trickster, gunslinger, royalguard) he can employ when fighting demons, but also thanks to the many weapons he can use. Each of these weapon comes with its own abilities (combos) that you can unlock using Red Orbs, drastically changing gameplay style.

There are three aspects that can affect how you play: weapons, techniques and combos. Also, Dante can switch melee and ranged weapons on the fly to better match a certain technique or to execute a devastating combo. Unlike Nero and Mr. V, Dante can also switch between four techniques, depending on what the encounter. Obviously, Dante benefits from the most impressive arsenal in the game, but that doesn't mean that you'll be using all the weapons he finds or all four techniques. First off, you won't have enough Red Orbs to unlock all combos for all weapons and techniques, so it's better to focus on those who fit your playstyle.

If Dante is the most versatile playing character in the game, Nero has the most versatile weapon in the game – the Devil Breaker, a multipurpose prosthetic arm manufactured by Nico. These come in different sizes and shapes, and are meant to do different things. Some are good for attacking aerial enemies, while others can make short work of heavily armored demons. Nico will come up with a myriad of “devil breakers” throughout the game, and will even recommend you the right loadout before you start a new mission. Of course, you are free to choose your own, but it's always good to know what to expect and prepare accordingly.

Nero doesn't employ any techniques, but some of his weapon/Devil Breaker combos are quite devastating, it's just a matter of guessing which moves work great together and focus on unlocking those first. For evident reasons, I'm not going to recommend anything and let you explore and experiment with Nero's abilities since the whole experience is quite fun.

Now, Mr. V is quite different in the fact that he won't actually damage enemies he fights. Well, when you have three powerful demons bound to you, you don't have to lift a finger. The best word to describe Mr. V is “wizardly”and that's all I'll say about him.

Demons may cry

Before before being a state-of-the-art hack-n-slash game, Devil May Cry 5 is a story-driven saga. Dante's journey to revenge his mother's murder by exterminating demons started 18 years ago, and while much has happened during this time, the series' main protagonist remains the same misfit who who doesn't seems to take anything seriously.

Devil May Cry 5 doesn't change the tone when shaping up Dante's personality. He's the same goofy, yet awfully powerful, hero that beats the bad guy just because he can. Although he cares deeply for his friends, he prefers loneliness, much like his twin brother, Vergil. Trish and Lady are just there with help with demon hunting from time time, but at the end of the day, Dante remains a solo-affair.

Devil May Cry 5
Devil May Cry 5
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At the opposite end of the spectrum, Nero is not afraid to show his feelings. It may not be that obvious in the beginning of the game, but as the story unfolds, Nero gradually lets his guard down. It's an interesting process that may go unnoticed, but if you think of it after finishing the game, it makes perfects sense.

Mr. V on the other hand is somewhere in the middle. Playing the mysterious guy doesn't mean that you should remain an enigma. He's by far the most interesting character in the game, but revealing the reason behind would spoil the story, so just take my word for it for now.

Based on their personalities, I'd say Dante plays the indifferent buffoon, Nero is the sentimentalist, while Mr. V is the enigmatic one. Narratively, Devil May Cry 5 does a great job keeping the story together, even though you'll be switching between the three characters quite often throughout the game.


The Good

  • Exhilarating story
  • Refined, incredibly varied combat mechanics
  • Preserves all the great things done by its predecessors and improves on them
  • Characters remain faithful to the series
  • Gorgeous graphics, amazing soundtrack

The Bad

  • Too short
  • Needs deeper characterization

Conclusion

Devil May Cry 5 offers the complete package – compelling story, exceptional combat mechanics, amazing graphics, and great characterization, without any compromises. I'm going to refrain myself from saying that this is the best DMC game so far, but I admit that I haven't had so much fun playing a game in a long time.

Gone are the puzzles that made the previous DMC games frustrating at times, and so are the awkward camera angles and not so fluid combat moves. Devil May Cry 5 interbreeds pure action and exceptional storytelling with a commendable ease, which makes me believe that the team behind the franchise has many more stories to share with its fans.

Even though this is certainly one of the games that won't let you leave the station until you finish it, what really makes Devil May Cry 5 great is how it captures all the elements that fans enjoyed in the previous games, makes them better, and removes the rest.

As for those who haven't played any of the other titles, Devil May Cry 5 should be the reason to rectify the error. It took CAPCOM quite a long time, but at least they got it right, Devil May Cry 5 is a masterpiece.

story 9
gameplay 10
concept 9
graphics 9
audio 9
multiplayer 0
final rating 9
Editor's review
excellent
 

Devil May Cry 5 screenshots (42 Images)

Devil May Cry 5 art
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