Judging by early reviews, Capcom’s Devil May Cry 5 has handily reclaimed its action-adventure crown. As the first entry in the long-standing series after over six years, Devil May Cry 5 sees established demon slayers Dante and Nero joined by a new playable protagonist, a mysterious summoner known only as V, on a bloody, out-of-sequence journey to take down a powerful demon.
The over-the-top hack-and-slash franchise’s last outing was back in 2013 with DmC: Devil May Cry, a somewhat flawed reboot that deeply upset some fans due to its attempt to replace the Dante fans know and love with a younger, updated version of the character. Though many now look back at DmC: Devil May Cry with fondness, Capcom showed players that they had been heard when announcing Devil May Cry 5 at last year’s E3, bringing back not only the original Dante, but Devil May Cry 4’s Nero as well.
While series fans will likely relish stepping back into the familiar leather of Dante and Nero, reviewers of Devil May Cry 5 all agree that the true star of the show is the game’s combat, which may be the best the franchise has offered so far. Whether players are juggling fighting styles and enemies as Dante, pushing for higher and flashier combos using Devil Breakers as Nero, or delivering satisfying finishers while allowing familiars do the brunt of the work as newcomer V, praise is being heaped onto Devil May Cry 5’s revamped combat mechanics. MetaCritic currently has Devil May Cry 5 at about an 88% average, while OpenCritic has the exact same average, an impressive feat indicative of the game’s high quality. Read on to learn more about why Devil May Cry 5 has outlets raving.
IGN: 9.5/10 - Mitchell Saltzman
Gamespot: 9/10 - Matt Espineli
The question of which Devil May Cry game is the best has gotten much easier with Devil May Cry 5. The combat is the strongest the series has seen to date, the story does a great job of balancing all three of its main characters and doling out rewarding bits of its mysterious story at an enticing pace, and the unlockable difficulties, sheer number of techniques to earn, and the upcoming free Bloody Palace DLC will provide a ton of incentive for replayability. It’s good to have you back, Dante and Nero.
PC Gamer: 90/100 - Tom Senior
DMC5 thrives on the stylistic and mechanical prowess of its predecessors. It sticks to tradition above all else, pursuing a few ambitious new ideas along the way, but mostly maintaining the series’ focus on intricate fighting systems and campy bravado. Rarely does the game stumble, consistently leveraging its spectacle and mechanical depth to push aside any small frustrations. All the while, the story exudes a charismatic charm that keeps you constantly intrigued as you’re refining your skills. DMC5 proves the series can still be brilliant and imaginative without compromising its longest-held traditions.
The Guardian: 5/5 - Patrick Lum
I’ve been hitting demons in this game for 19 hours so far, and I can easily see myself putting in 19 more. The setting lacks the flair and imagination of the genre behemoth Bayonetta, and those boss fights make it a slightly more uneven experience, but there’s a greater variety of combat styles and a higher degree of challenge that will will keep me playing until Capcom hopefully releases another one. If you enjoy third-person brawlers DMC5 is a must, and if you’ve never tried one before, this is a great place to start. What a treat.
VG247 - Kirk Mckeand
DMC5 is a lot like Dante himself: older, grizzled, more experienced, yet still unapologetically juvenile in the best possible way. It’s bloody, spectacular and irresistible, all cheesy one-liners, guns, swords and explosions while guitars scream in the background, and it plays like a dream. Director Hideaki Itsuno and his team have delivered: Devil May Cry is back.
After a particularly bad February for gaming in the AAA space, Capcom’s latest effort signals an end to last month’s quality drought. From its charming callbacks to the series’ past to its thoughtfully well-crafted pacing, Devil May Cry 5 is a solid franchise entry that many are calling Capcom’s best yet. Of course, Devil May Cry 5 isn’t a perfect experience, with a number of reviewers noting that (while it’s never exactly been the series’ focus) the game could use some greater depth in its story and character development. Another nitpick is to be found in its shoehorned microtransactions, which - in addition to additional Devil Breakers for Nero - come in the form of Red Orbs used to purchase character upgrades. However, the gameplay doesn’t seem to be balanced in a way that necessitates their purchase with real money, as players can easily earn all the Red Orbs they need from playing the game normally.
Though it’s not without its flaws, DMC 5 is a game where action is king. A layperson might think God of War and DMC 5 exist in the same genre, but they don’t. DMC 5 isn’t about going on an epic journey, meeting characters, and uncovering the mysteries of a world. It’s about riding a fucking rocket, flying it between enemies, flipping over a demon and shooting it in the head. It’s about pulling up your hood, taunting the hordes of Hell, and somersaulting sideways at the last second before launching into a flurry of sword strikes. It’s about murdering ten demons without your feet ever touching the ground. It’s about fighting and looking cool while you do it. In that, it’s an unparalleled success.
Overall, Devil May Cry 5 seems to be an exhilarating, action-packed romp that takes itself only as seriously as is required. Ultimately, it will be up to players if this latest Devil May Cry entry is truly worthy of its praise, but it’s likely that hardcore fans of the genre and newcomers alike will be able to find plenty to enjoy in the game while inventively dispatching its crowds of bloodthirsty demons this week.
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Devil May Cry 5 is currently available on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
