The Devil May Cry series is known for its unique brand of stylish combat, snarky heroes, and challenging nature. Devil May Cry 5 brings back Nero from 2008’s DMC4. It resumes the storyline set up in that game, rather than the continuity introduced with the reboot DmC: Devil May Cry in 2013. This means Nero brings a few friends along for the ride. The result is an absolutely explosive and exciting time that fans of the genre will no doubt appreciate.
Story
Devil May Cry 5’s story kicks off shortly after Devil May Cry 4 ended. A young man named “V” shows up at the Devil May Cry office. He asks demon hunter Dante for help ending various demon attacks around the world. Dante isn’t too thrilled with the assignment, but takes him up on the presumably well-paying job anyway.
He’s in for a rude awakening, as there’s more than just a demon problem to combat. A massively powerful demon named Urizen has got his eyes on claiming the world for his own. Demon hunters Nero and Dante must work together along with V to figure out a way to stop Urizen.
Of course, there are more than a few surprises along the way to thrill fans (especially one that has to do with V’s mysterious origins). The narrative wraps up the many open-ended questions of the Devil May Cry saga in some very interesting ways.
Gameplay
But there’s more to Devil May Cry 5 than an excellent story. Combat is the name of the game here, just as it always has been. Nero is back again for his cut of the demon carnage, but he’s lost his iconic demon arm, Devil Bringer. Luckily, he now has a special prosthetic arm called a Devil Breaker, which he can use with various attachments. Using the Devil Breaker and its attachments (which include the hilarious Mega Buster from Mega Man), Nero can make short work of demon squads. He’s also got plenty of other weapons at his disposal.
Combat feels fluid, satisfying, and over-the-top, just like we’ve come to expect from the DMC series over the years. DMC5 is impressively stylish, and cut with collecting red orbs, completing simple puzzles, and fighting colossal boss battles that will challenge you every step of the way. But here’s the intriguing part – you don’t just play as Nero. You get to try out newcomer V and see what he has up his sleeve, too. Unlike Nero, V doesn’t actually use a weapon, but summons demons Griffon and Shadow to fight for him instead. This keeps him at arm’s length away from the action, and forces you to try a different style of combat.
You get to play as Dante too, of course, because what would a Devil May Cry game be without the infamous demon hunter himself? Dante steals the show in nearly every way. He has massive swords, a weapon that transforms into an actual motorcycle, and a host of other ridiculous arms. Fighting as the iconic son of Sparda is a sight to see. You don’t get to choose which character you want to play as most of the time. But when you do, Dante is the simple choice.
Missions
The game is comprised of several satisfying missions that swap in each of the different characters. It can take around 8-10 hours to complete — but much sooner if you’re a proficient demon hunter. When you finish the game, however, that’s only the start of what there is to do. You can seek out secret missions only spotted by eagle-eyed players, take photos of various enemies in-game for cool rewards, and play through an ultra-hard difficulty mode for some of the best spoils in the entire game.
Final Verdict
Devil May Cry 5 is one of the best entries in the venerable action series. It’s aesthetically pleasing, challenging in all the right ways, and chock-full of narrative moments that will no doubt make fans stand up and cheer. From its varied combat to the style it positively drips out of every pore to the throwback goodies packed in for longtime players, this dazzling entry is an amalgam of excellent game design, visual fidelity, and demon hunting that heralds a new era for the franchise. It’ll be a real treat to see where DMC manages to go next from here.
