Action games seem to be increasing in popularity, but the Devil May Cry franchise is still the cream of the crop. Although it's been a long six years since the series' last entry, Devil May Cry 5, Capcom's character-action extravaganza is still beyond iconic, and it's worth delving back into Dante and Nero's latest adventure once again, even if no major DMC news appears to be on the horizon.
Set roughly five years after the events of 2008's Devil May Cry 4, Devil May Cry 5 is something of a course-correction from DMC: Devil May Cry, a Dante-focused prequel that received a mixed reception. With DMC 5, Capcom went back to the series' roots, honing in on hard-hitting, unforgettable combat above all else, and while it's not a perfect product, one could easily make the argument that its combat sandbox is the best in franchise history. Indeed, for anyone with a penchant for high-octane action games, or games that are easy to learn and hard to master, Devil May Cry 5 is well worth jumping into, even in 2025.
Lost Soul Aside Gameplay Has Serious Devil May Cry Vibes
A new look at the gameplay for Lost Soul Aside shows off what seems like some serious Devil May Cry vibes, which may excite fans.
Why You Should Replay Devil May Cry 5, or Play It For the First Time
You Probably Haven't Seen Everything Devil May Cry 5 Has To Offer
With three playable characters (four, including the Virgil DLC), each boasting their own unique, deep skill set, there's plenty of mechanical meat on Devil May Cry 5's bones. Anyone familiar with DMC 5 knows that these distinct playable characters are anything but reskins of each other: they all have complex movesets, weapons, and special abilities begging to be mastered. Each character feels like they could helm an entire game on their own, so in theory, Devil May Cry 5 has at least three games' worth of mechanical depth to spelunk.
Replaying Devil May Cry 5, especially on harder difficulties, is an exercise in intense brutality and precision. During an initial playthrough, most players will probably be doing everything and anything possible to simply get to the end of each level, picking up new abilities and upgrades as they go and learning on the fly. This is fine, but it's very different from a subsequent playthrough, one wherein a player is already familiar with most of the game's basics, having already completed the campaign. In this scenario, players are free to experiment with DMC 5's robust and expressive combat tools, exploring new and creative methods of dispatching enemies. Of course, one could make this argument for most action-centric games, but DMC 5 specifically facilitates this sort of gameplay, allowing numerous avenues for experimentation, which is thoroughly rewarding.
This is to say nothing of Devil May Cry's iconic style score system, which encourages perfection in subsequent runs.
If You've Never Played Devil May Cry 5, Now Is the Time
While action games have always been popular, they seem to have enjoyed something of a renaissance in mainstream gaming over the past several years. Games like Stellar Blade and Black Myth Wukong, which may have normally been relegated to cult status, achieved levels of popularity normally reserved for open-world games or competitive shooters. It's certainly conceivable that some players have only recently been introduced to the beauty of highly technical action titles, and for this demographic, Devil May Cry 5 is an ideal next step.
Capcom has been silent about Devil May Cry since DMC 5 released, which is understandable: the company has a number of other popular franchises under its belt, including Resident Evil and Monster Hunter, so DMC might be taking a backseat for now. But this isn't so bad, since Devil May Cry 5 has enough going on under the hood to keep both new and returning players engaged for a while yet.
Devil May Cry 5
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 88 /100 Critics Rec: 88%
- Released
- March 8, 2019
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood, Partial Nudity, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Publisher(s)
- Capcom
- Engine
- RE Engine
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Local Multiplayer
- Franchise
- Devil May Cry
WHERE TO PLAY
Prepare to get downright demonic with this signature blend of high-octane stylized action and otherworldly & original characters the series is known for. Director Hideaki Itsuno and the core team have returned to create the most insane, technically advanced and utterly unmissable action experience of this generation!
The threat of demonic power has returned to menace the world once again in Devil May Cry 5. The invasion begins when the seeds of a “demon tree” take root in Red Grave City. As this hellish incursion starts to take over the city, a young demon hunter Nero, arrives with his partner Nico in their “Devil May Cry” motorhome. Finding himself without the use of his right arm, Nero enlists Nico, a self-professed weapons artist, to design a variety of unique mechanical Devil Breaker arms to give him extra powers to take on evil demons such as the blood sucking flying Empusa and giant colossus enemy Goliath.
- Genre(s)
- Action
- Platform(s)
- PS4, Xbox One, PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
- How Long To Beat
- 11 Hours
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
