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| A Smokin' Sexy Return. |
The game starts off with a demon invasion that has decimated the city of Red Grave and left our favorite devil hunters Dante, Lady, and Trish defeated. All hope seems lost until Devil May Cry 4 protagonist Nero joins the action, this time accompanied by his engineer partner, Nico, and the mysterious figure named "V". With the three in tow, it's up to them to save the Devil May Cry gang and ultimately save the city from the demon invasion. Right off the bat, the story was awesome as it's a pleasure seeing Dante and company back in action. It takes a step back and sheds some light into Dante's younger times while also acknowledging the events of anime series, both of which were cool to see. The new characters Nico and V, were charming in their own rights and both play majors parts in the narrative as well. Even Nero gets his background fleshed out more this time around and without delving much into spoiler territory, it's full of twists that'll surely please fans and newcomers to the DMC world too.
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There's a good chuck of twists and lore
for fans to enjoy.
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Like the games that succeeded it, Devil May Cry 5 is a faced-paced hack-and-slasher with heavy emphasis on stylish combat. There's three playable characters: Dante, Nero, and newcomer V. Nero retains his DMC4 playset with him using a sword and gun for attacks though he's the slower of the three. Unique to him are "Devil Breakers", prosthetic arms that offer him a multitude of abilities in combat such as being able to charge up attacks, shock enemies, and pulling them closer to him. They're fragile as they get destroyed after several uses though by exploring the environment, you can find a couple laying around. My only gripe with this feature is that you can't cycle through devil triggers when battling, which I found to be annoying.
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The gameplay's fast, over-the-top, and fun,
just like it should be.
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Up next is V, who can summon his pet demons, one being a panther that slices enemies up close and another being a wisecracking crow that fires at enemies from a distance. However, they can only down an enemy enough for V to actually finish them off using his cane. When a special meter known as the Devil Trigger fills, V can summon a giant mass called Nightmare that destroys anything in sight. It's easily his most destructive weapon though it depletes the devil trigger pretty quick. Much of V's playstyle has you mashing the triangle and square buttons with his pet demons and finishing enemies off with circle button. He's the easiest of three to play though personally not the most exciting.
Lastly, and definitely not least, is the main man himself, Dante. He packs his signature handguns, Ebony and Ivory, and sword, Rebellion to slash through enemies. Dante's playstyle is similar to Nero's but faster as he packs more advanced moves and abilities, one being the style system first seen in DMC3. He's also the most fun of the trio as the sheer weapons and smug personality makes the gameplay all the more exciting. It's a shame that you only unlock him halfway through the story.
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| Let's rock, baby! |
Your battle performance is graded based on rankings ranging from "D" to the ultra-rewarding "Smokin' Sexy Style" grade. Your style depends on how well you chain attacks and stack up combos while also taking into consideration the damage taken. Getting high ranks in battles will reward you with extra Red Orbs (the game's currency) at the end of each level, thus encouraging you to fight with some style. Orbs can be found all over the environments, sometimes in more secluded areas, encouraging you to go out of your way and track them down. You can buy new abilities and Devil Breakers from Nico using orbs. Some of the likes include extra attacks that pack more combos, more health bars, and basically all the stuff that'll help come a long way during the ride. Also hidden in areas are secret missions that provide an added layer of challenge as they have you beating tasks like killing a specific number of enemies within a certain timeframe. They are completely optional, but for those looking for more action, they're sure to give you a workout.
Series veterans may be disappointed with lenient difficulty, as the game caters to a more wider audience. If you die midway through a level, you'll have the option of either using red orbs or the special Gold Orbs, which revive and restores your health to the max. The game throws a bunch of these at you early on and while it may seem a tad annoying, it's not a deal breaker by any means. As a matter of fact, the game is just as brutal as the classic titles on harder difficulties such as Heaven or Hell and Dante Must Die. On the lesser side of things, the game features an online component where you're often accompanied by other players who are playing the same mission as either one of the playable leads. It's a cool feature though one that I feel could have been fleshed out more since it feels pretty bare-bones.
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DMC5 is welcoming enough for newcomers
yet still offers a challenge for veterans.
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A quick glimpse at Devil May Cry 5 will let you know that Capcom went all out in terms of production values. DMC5 is another game that utilizes Capcom's gorgeous RE Engine, which features some of most photorealistic character models out there. Along with the detailed environments and stunning lighting effects, the RE engine earns its reputation as one of the best in the industry. Oh, and did I mention that the game runs at a stable 60 frames-per second, making the action all the more smooth. Moreover, the voicework is as great and over-the-top as it's ever been. Reuben Langdon and Johnny Young Bosch deliver standout performances as Dante and Nero, respectively. The rest of the performances are also worth commending as well. The soundtrack is neat, with some catchy electronic tracks. "Devil Trigger" and "Subhuman" are two of my favorite tracks that come to mind. That being said, I didn't find the music as heavy and atmospheric as previous soundtracks of the series, but DMC5 does a fine job nonetheless.
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The production values are outstanding, with
great attention to detail.
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Devil May Cry 5 marks a glorious return for the legendry series. If you can't already tell, I'm absolutely in love with the game! The story was engaging, gameplay was sweet as ever, and the presentation rivals some of the year's biggest releases. In terms of longevity, there's high replay-value in finding the secret missions and "S" ranking all of the levels. Capcom sure hit the jackpot in their recent games and here's hoping there's more in store for the future. Veterans will surely have the most fun no doubt yet prospective newcomers will also find a good deal of fun in store. Without a doubt Devil May Cry 5 is a smash hit.
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