There is no love about a game that marries music and humor with some flashy fighting off a motorcycle. For me, it was love at first sight for the Devil May Cry franchise. Finally, after the protracted wait, Capcom released the fifth installment to the DMC series, which is playable on Microsoft Windows, PS 4, and Xbox One. 

According to the developers, the game is designed to balance newcomers’ balance to the franchise and old-timers. DMC 5 isn’t just about killing every enemy in the room but centers more around how you kill them. The game’s stylish combat style allows the players to express themselves through the lens of three playable characters – Dante, Nero, and newcomer V – each of which possesses its depth, playstyle, and skillsets. Apart from a few drawbacks, DMC promises to be one of the most rewarding combat mechanisms in its genre. 

Story

The plot of Devil May Cry 5 starts in media res; the game immediately throws you into a losing fight. This unconventional approach to the story makes it more captivating and intriguing. The game is set in the fictional American town of Red Grave City, which has become a demon tree that depends on human blood for nutrients in producing its fruit. This fruit is expected to give the demon that eats it the power to rule over hell. The game begins in the heart of the tree, where the self-acclaimed king of hell, King Urizen, has made home while he awaits the tree’s fruit. Dante sacrifices himself to allow his colleague Nero and newcomer V to escape after they got whopped.

The game then takes on a trajectory through time into what feels like the future but tells the tale in present tense while also taking us into the past to explain the Demon King’s rise. Being a new character, there is a thick cloud of unknowns around V and his relationship with the Demon King. With the aid of cutscenes and dialogue, we begin to unfold the mystery surrounding V. The backstory behind V acts as a major driving force to engage in more combat in a bid to uncover more about this “new guy.”

Character-Centered Combat

Like in many action-adventure games, the story is quite average, but it comes alive as the game progresses. The entire plot gives the combat a sense of purpose, making it feel less of a senseless swinging of swords at enemies. Even when the fatigue had set in, I still wouldn’t drop the game because I wanted to learn more about the characters.

When you think about it, the gameplay and combat mechanics revolve around the characters. The first controllable character is Nero, who was the protagonist in DMC 4. He comes with a larger arsenal, adding to the arsenal Devil breaker (mechanical prosthetic hands and weapons). Each arm gives him a unique ability; for instance, the Overturn allows him to shoot electric waves at enemies. The Gerbera allows him to do a triple jump while also firing a shockwave at the enemies. There are various arms to select from depending on the circumstance at hand, and the game allows you to manage them manually at the cost of orbs. Nero is my least favorite character to play, but he can be fun to play with, especially if you don’t mind the expenses of getting new weaponized robotic arms.

The second character you get to control is the newcomer V – who I believe should have been introduced in earlier installments of DMC due to his deeply rooted connection to the game’s antagonist. V doesn’t play like the conventional characters in the game. He is much too weak, so he takes a defensive position and allows his demonic minions to do the fighting on his behalf. I enjoyed using V to garner SSS rank as his fight style can adapt to both close and long-ranged combats. In close combat, he summons Shadow, a demon that can take on various forms when battling. When facing long-ranged enemies, you can summon the Griffin bird. I especially love when he summons the ogre, Nightmare, which can deal great damage in a short time. However, the downside to V is that his fighting style isn’t targeted specifically enough.

Finally, we have Dante, who used to be the lone ranger in previous seasons but now has more companions. He has been updated with loads of new and exciting weapons, ranging from swords to a motorcycle that can transform into chainsaws depending on the fighting style he’s using. Dante’s four different fighting styles and weapons make him the most suitable player for building up your combo meter.

In the Special Edition released in November, the gamers introduced Vergil as a playable character. However, Vergil is not a new character, as he made his debut in DMC3’s Special Edition. Vergil, Dante’s twin, practically marries the old incarnations with new mechanics. He can activate the Sin Devil earlier in the game as against much later in other seasons. Apart from a few changes, Vergil still brings the best combat in the game. He finds a balance between the insufficiencies of Dante, V, and Nero.

Pitfalls

The game only allows you to select what hero to play in two out of 21 missions. In all the remaining 19 levels, you alternate between Nero, V, and Dante. This comes with its difficulties because you may need to start building such a character from the start for every new character you unlock. So, expect to buy for V what you had already gotten for Nero, and the same thing goes for when you finally gain access to Dante. The inter-character switching also affects the game’s pacing, which was already slightly off even without the switch.

Also, during combat, the dialogue in the game is quite mediocre; it is inaudible and sometimes feels like a mumble. The characters often make jokes and funny remarks, only that they aren’t so funny and sometimes border around being obnoxious. 

In conclusion, DMC 5 finds a way to offer fans what we’ve always loved about the DMC franchise without compromising the need to meet present-day gameplay demands. It is by far one of the best games in its genre for 2020. The story and graphics are more of a berry upon a beautifully baked style-combat pie. You would certainly have Fun digging in.