All Difficulty Levels in Devil May Cry 5 Explained

Devil May Cry 5 features multiple difficulty modes that are only unlocked after beating the game for the first time, so dedicated players can challenge themselves with new modes on repeat playthroughs. These modes change more than just enemy health and damage, so there are new experiences waiting for Devil May Cry 5 players who want to keep slashing demons after the credits roll.

Only two of Devil May Cry 5's difficulty modes are available from the start, so players need to work their way up to the hardest difficulty settings the game has to offer. Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition owners also get access to a separate bonus difficulty mode, but that isn't available on every platform. Still, there are quite a few different difficulties to master in Devil May Cry 5 if players are willing to put in the time to unlock them.

Official artwork of Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition with Nero, Dante, V and Vergil.

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By Diego Perez

Every Difficulty Mode in Devil May Cry 5

There are seven unique difficulty modes in Devil May Cry 5.

Human
Devil Hunter
Son of Sparda
Dante Must Die
Heaven or Hell
Hell or Hell
Legendary Dark Knight

Human and Devil Hunter

Only Human and Devil Hunter, the game's equivalent of easy and normal difficulty, are available for first-time players. On Human difficulty, enemies take 150% more damage from the player and the player in turn receives only 50% of incoming damage. On Devil Hunter mode, the damage values are set to 100% both ways.

Son of Sparda

After completing the main story of Devil May Cry 5 for the first time on Devil Hunter difficulty, players will unlock the Son of Sparda setting. This is the game's hard mode, reducing the player's outgoing damage to 85% and increasing incoming damage from enemies to 175% of the usual numbers. In addition, stronger enemies from later stages will appear much earlier in the story. It's the first real challenge for Devil May Cry 5 players, and clearing it will unlock even harder settings to master.

Dante Must Die

Beating Devil May Cry 5 on Son of Sparda difficulty will unlock Dante Must Die, a series staple that makes the game much, much harder. The player only deals 70% of their normal damage to enemies while taking 300% damage from incoming attacks. Enemies also have their own Devil Triggers on Son of Sparda difficulty, and they appear in larger numbers with more aggressive AI to boot.

Heaven or Hell

Managing to beat the game on Son of Sparda difficulty unlocks Heaven or Hell mode. This difficulty level leaves no room for error as everything in the game dies in one hit, including the player. As a safety net, the player is given a few bonus lives to continue with in case they get hit. Still, Heaven or Hell mode includes the stronger and more numerous enemies from Dante Must Die, so it's a serious test of skill. Players have to use every ability and upgrade and their disposal to survive.

Hell or Hell

If players survive Heaven or Hell difficulty in Devil May Cry 5, they'll unlock the even harder Hell or Hell mode. On this difficulty level, the player dies in one hit, but enemies do not. Enemies are set to their difficulty from Son of Sparda (hard) mode. Essentially, players have to beat the whole game without getting hit once to conquer Hell or Hell. It's the hardest difficulty level in Devil May Cry 5, and the ultimate challenge for devil hunters.

Legendary Dark Knight

If players own Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition on PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X|S, then they also have access to a seventh difficulty setting called Legendary Dark Knight. This isn't a hard mode, but instead a hyper mode that spawns huge crowds of enemies for players to decimate. Enemy difficulty is similar to Son of Sparda mode, but there are way more enemies on screen at a single time. It's one of the best aspects of Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition, especially for Vergil fans who want to pull off awesome combos.

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