Playing Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition for the Nintendo Switch transports players back to a different time in gaming history. The legendary hack and slash video game holds up incredibly well combat wise, and its anime-like story is engaging all the way to the end. The additional features players have access to help keep the game intriguing and will give experienced players a reason to come back. The biggest issue is that Devil May Cry 3 still feels like a PlayStation 2 game, and that makes it difficult to not compare it with better hack and slash video games like God of War.

There are several features that Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition sports that separate it from the original title. Players have the ability to choose between Gold and Yellow modes that determine where they respawn at after death. Gold lets players return to the room they were already in, whereas Yellow will start players over at the beginning of the level. Another addition is the option of picking FreeStyle mode, which will give players the ability to quickly switch between combat styles on the fly by using the D-Pad. One of the most interesting additions though is the Co-op mode. Players can grab a friend and play cooperatively through missions as Dante and Vergil.

For a game that is 15 years old, it is amazing how fluid and effective Devil May Cry 3’s combat feels. Switching between melee weapons and guns is incredibly fast and prioritizes boosting combos. As weapons are leveled up and players become better at the game, they will find themselves easily taking down enemies that they struggled with a few hours before. This combat is a lot of reason why Devil May Cry has remained popular for so long.

There are several aspects to the game that show their age. It was disappointing to realize that the camera was not improved at all. Players of the original version of the game will remember the nightmare of getting the camera to stay pointed in the direction needed, particularly during boss battles. When the game first realized this may have been a minor inconvenience, but this mechanic is too clunky compared to modern video games. It will most certainly lead to several unfair player deaths.

Graphically the game has not been improved either. It still looks like a PlayStation 2 era title even though we are 15 years removed from the original. During gameplay this isn’t very noticeable, but cutscenes are rough to look at especially when it comes to character hair and faces. This is a shame considering Devil May Cry 3 features some of the most interesting and stylistic scenes in the series’ history, and would have been impressive to see with reworked graphics. Then again, updated graphics would have done nothing to improve the worst outfit Dante has ever worn…

Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition still suffers from its forcing of players to attempt platforming. In particular there is a room towards the end of the game that is full of moving cubes that players must jump on to navigate the environment. This room has been a frequent critique from players since its release because DMC 3’s movement is built for combat rather than platforming. This area is still just as frustrating now as when the game first came out.

Ultimately Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition is a rewarding experience that should give players enough content for several playthroughs. While it was disappointing to see some of the game’s old issues still present, the combat is still impressive enough to make up for it. Those who’ve played Devil May Cry 3 before should have a good time playing around with the FreeStyle and Co-op modes, but everyone else may find it difficult to get past gameplay issues that should have been fixed years ago.

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Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition releases on the Nintendo Switch on February 20, 2020. A Nintendo Switch Code was provided for the purposes of this review.