DMC V-Variety is the Spice of Life
Devil May Cry 3 (DMC3) is the game that started my love for character action games. Dante’s origin story and the amazing versatility of moves he has in combat played like a deadly dance of destruction and chaos. Sadly a lot of that was lost in the sequel and reboot. Luckily Capcom stepped back up to the plate and didn’t give up on the franchise after the last 2 games failed to live up to expectations. Devil May Cry 5 (DMC5) hits all the right spots for me and was a great surprise. I got to play it a bit early at PAX South, and it left me a little worried but still optimistic. Luckily, when I finally got the full game in my hands and was able to explore more of the combat, I was overwhelmed with joy.
Each of our main protagonists play so different from each other and have their own amazing style. Nero, the main protag from DMC4, has his arm abilities, but depending on which devilbreaker is equipped he gets different moves. Dante, the main hero of the series so far, felt like riding a bike. He has all his old styles, but adding those to these new weapons and mechanics had the sing a symphony of death that never gets old. V, our mysterious new hero, plays like no other action game character I had ever witnessed. He summons a raven, a panther, and giant golem that all have their own strengths and weaknesses. What’s really cool about V though is that he himself has to deliver the finishing blow, and he always kills enemies in style.
One of the best things about Devil May Cry is the way they play around with music and grade system. As you rank up your style points by comboing enemies differently the music ramps up to hyper parts of the song and gets louder. Hearing the music ramp and then telling me I’ve got smoking sexy style with my combat moves really got the adrenaline going. But if you want to get the music revving and the announcer going wild like this, you have to spend the time with each character and learn how to vary up your attacks. You’re rewarded for exploring the characters by getting to look like an anime character at their max form.
The key to this game being so good was the variety each character gave; all three provide a unique story arc and distinctive move set. They all feel exactly as they should and look wild as hell during combat. The game made me feel like how I felt when I booted up DMC3 for the first time, though it surpasses DMC3 in so many ways like story, variety in gameplay, and visuals. DMC5 is the new standard to hold other action games to.
Devil May Cry V sent me on an adventure that far surpassed my expectations. I did not ever want it to end. Each area was gorgeously detailed, and every room contained new demons that offered up new ways to use all the tools that were at my disposal. Each character added a variety that I don’t think any action game has provided me before. I loved my time with it and consider it the best in the series. From start to finish, it felt like I was on this bonkers anime action roller coaster and I didn’t want to get off. I implore anyone after reading this if you’re interested in the game, please go and pick it up. And don’t forget this simple rule: always pull that Devil Trigger.
