It’s been ten years since we got a true entry in the Devil May Cry franchise but this time, Dante and Nero are back to kick some ass. Fans have been asking for a sequel for years and Capcom heard them. With Devil May Cry 5, they tried to please those fans and it’s clear to see that they didn’t cut on the budget. Devil May Cry 5 is the real deal, serving the most impressive looking Devil May Cry experience to date. But was it worth waiting for? Let’s find out!
The holiday is over
After years of peace in Red Grave City, the demons return to take over the world. Out of nowhere, the ground underneath the city broke open, releasing a gigantic demonic tree into the world. If you’re touched by its roots, the tree will suck all the blood out of your body, transforming you into a rotting corpse on the streets. Although not everybody was affected by the tree, the newly released demons hunt down the remaining humans, there’s literally no escape! Needless to say, it’s up to our heroes Dante and Nero to save the day once more.
Nero starts off his adventure in search for the one who stole his arm years ago while he’s also searching for Dante, who’s currently fighting in the devil’s den, he got those orders from a mysterious new character called V. The story of Devil May Cry 5 is an interesting one where you’ll switch between the characters to learn the truth behind this new demonic attack. It’s a typical Devil May Cry-esque story where epic scenes and drum and bass music go hand in hand. If you’ve played a title in the franchise before, you know what to expect. If not, you better prepare for some intense action!
Hack & Slash extravaganza
If you’ve played a Devil May Cry game before, you know what to expect. The franchise is known for its over the top hack & slash action and this new entry isn’t anything different. Both Dante and Nero are returning characters and they still offer the same intense combos as they did in earlier entries. Dante and Nero are close to each other when it comes to combat since they both are extremely fast and switch between weapons at an incredible rate. Just like before, you gain points for your combos and style, eventually leading up to Red Orbs, which you can then use to buy new weapons.
Talking about weapons, both characters have a rather impressive arsenal. Let’s start with Nero who fights with his prosthetic arm to grab enemies and finish them with his revolver (Blue Rose) or sword (Red Queen). During the first missions, there’s nothing new about Nero, he still fights and feels like before. This changes when his new partner Nico creates new prosthetic arms for him. At first, those don’t really make a difference but the more you advance, the crazier it all gets. From arms that release mountable rockets to arms that fire enormous laser beams at the demons, it’s all possible. These new arms are a great addition to Nero’s arsenal and controlling them really delivers that needed innovation to the formula. The only downside about the new arms is the fact that they are extremely vulnerable, once they break, you’re fighting without your arm again until you find a replacement.
Moving over to Dante, you’ll immediately notice he has access to a couple of more weapons. Just like before, you fight with his pistols Ebony & Ivory, his sword Rebellion, and his shotgun. Dante is a master in combining attacks into devastating combos. Dante feels very familiar for those who played with him in the past but the more you advance, the more innovative weapons you’ll eventually unlock. Without spoiling too much, it’s safe to say you’ll have a blast with those new weapons!
V enters the battle
Where both Nero and Dante might feel a bit too familiar, Capcom made sure veteran players could still discover something new in the franchise. Enter V, a new playable character. We don’t know a lot about this mysterious new character but we do know he has a lot of power. In combat, he summons his pet bird and panther to deal damage to his enemies. While waiting for his little pets to deal enough damage, he’s casually reading some poetry. Since both creatures can’t kill the enemies, V has to kill them himself, using his walking cane to deliver the final blow. As you can see, V offers a completely new style of playing and it’s interesting to combine his unique combos into powerful attacks. If you manage to fill your meter, V can summon Nightmare, an enormous monster that can kill a lot of enemies at once. Nightmare is comparable to Dante’s Devil Trigger where Dante can transform into a demonic version of himself to deal with a sickening amount of damage.
The addition of V is an important one, without him, the game would have felt a bit too familiar. It’s a shame not all missions are playable with V since he truly offers a new way of playing. Compared to our other heroes, V could have used some additional playtime. He really is an interesting and powerful new character, you’ll simply want to play a lot more with him. That being said, V offers the innovation we needed in this game and I’m sure everybody will enjoy controlling him.
No true co-op
Talking about innovations, Capcom also included a new co-op mode that isn’t really a co-op mode at all. While connected to the internet, other players can enter your game as a cameo, comparable to the ghosts in Dark Souls. These cameo players can defeat enemies in the background or actively fight along your side, based on the player you’ll connect with. It’s a neat little feature to have but it makes you long for a true co-op experience. A lot of love went into the creation of the characters and the environment, it’s really something you would like to share with your friends while playing in co-op. Sadly, this isn’t possible. If you switch on the internet connection and allow cameos to appear in your game and vice versa, you’ll get a free Golden Orb from time to time, if other players rate you as Stylish. It’s a fun little bonus for those who play online but in reality, this mode could have been a lot better.
Conclusion:
Devil May Cry 5 is everything fans were hoping for and more. It uses the same formula as the games that came before but adds some impressive new weapons and a powerful new character to the mix. The game looks impressive from start to finish and the high-paced action will keep you hooked to your television from the very first second. It’s a shame that there’s no true co-op experience since this would only elevate the game even more. That being said, this is without a doubt the best hack & slash game currently on the market.
