Devil May Cry is a long-running series that can be a bit intimidating for newcomers to jump into. With the release of the Devil May Cry anime on Netflix and the steep sales that the Devil May Cry HD Collection and other entries frequently see, however, many people are experiencing the joys of Devil May Cry for the first time.
The HD Collection can feel a little archaic for new players, though, and then there's Devil May Cry 4, Devil May Cry 5, and the controversial 2013 reboot DmC: Devil May Cry to choose from as well. Each game has its strengths and weaknesses, so what is the best overall playing order for the Devil May Cry series?
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Devil May Cry Playing Order
The Devil May Cry games can mostly stand on their own as independent entries (not counting a few overarching plot threads), but the best way to experience the series is by playing the games in release order.
- Devil May Cry
- Devil May Cry 2
- Devil May Cry 3
- Devil May Cry 4
- Devil May Cry 5
Devil May Cry HD Collection offers access to the original trilogy of games on all major platforms, and it's the best place to start. The original Devil May Cry takes some getting used to for players unfamiliar with the genre, however, so jumping ahead to Devil May Cry 3 as a starting point works as well. The third game is a prequel, so no prior knowledge is necessary.
Also, some players say that Devil May Cry 2 is completely skippable. It's the black sheep of the franchise and has very little in the way of meaningful story and character development. The first and third games are miles better by comparison, so newcomers to the series shouldn't let Devil May Cry 2 put them off from finishing the rest of the franchise.
It is recommended to play Devil May Cry 4 before Devil May Cry 5, however, and that's primarily because the fourth game introduces Nero. Nero is also the main protagonist of the fifth game and his character development in Devil May Cry 5 is significantly more impactful with knowledge of the fourth game's plot.
As for the reboot, players can enjoy DmC: Devil May Cry at any time. It's a fully standalone entry that rewrites the origin stories of Dante, Vergil, and other series staples. Handled by a different developer, DmC plays differently than the mainline games, but it still has that Devil May Cry DNA at the end of the day.
Devil May Cry Games in Chronological Order
Chronological order offers another perspective on the Devil May Cry series. It also allows players to familiarize themselves with the franchise at a more modern starting point, making returning to the earlier games a bit easier.
- Devil May Cry 3
- Devil May Cry
- Devil May Cry 2
- Devil May Cry 4
- Devil May Cry 5
Most of the advice from above still applies even if players choose to experience the Devil May Cry series in chronological order. The third game is a prequel, so it can be enjoyed first, even if it can be a little jarring moving from the third game to the original Devil May Cry back to back. Devil May Cry 2 can also be safely ignored for the most part. The most important parts of it are covered in the story recap in Devil May Cry 5, anyway, and even then, it only gets a few short seconds that basically amount to an honorable mention.
Since the Devil May Cry timeline doesn't jump around too often, the only change needed for a chronological playthrough is to put Devil May Cry 3 at the top of the list. After that, players can enjoy the other games in the order that they were released. They can also check out the 2013 reboot whenever they have time.
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
- 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
