Devil May Cry 5 Review

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Not but a month ago, Capcom released the now critically acclaimed Resident Evil 2: Remake and the title in question was so good, that it had people speculate whether Capcom could ever top it with any other game., as to some, if not most, Resident Evil 2: Remake was borderline perfect. While many, including me, knew full well that sooner, rather than later a title will come, which will wipe the floor with the Resident Evil 2: Remake, then even I didn’t expect it to come so soon, as the just released Devil May Cry 5, might just be Capcom’s best games of this generation.

Devil May Cry 5, just like all its direct and indirect predecessors is a flashy, hack-and-slash, action adventure epic, which predominantly tells the story of the Devil Hunter Dante and his band of merry sidekicks. While Dante may be the quote-on-quote main protagonist of the game in question, he is not the only playable hero/anti-hero of Capcom’s release.

In-game you are given a chance to control the aforementioned Dante, Nero who was featured previously in Devil May Cry 4, and last but certainly not least, a newly introduced character simply called ‘V’. And by given a chance I don’t mean that you get to touch them once, and then are forced to return to Dante – No, by this I mean that you are able to complete numerous chapters with each and every character. Always in a very particular and unique way, all three ‘protagonists’ feature unique playstyles, skillsets, and most importantly personalities.

Dante, out of all the characters, has the largest arsenal of weapons and abilities, as he possesses numerous swords, firearms, and skill pre-sets, which even further expand his pool of active abilities. V on the other hand, is the most limited when it comes to weapons, as his only physical form of attack, or defense, is a steel, sharp walking stick. However, he compensates for his lack of arms, with three demonic, shadow entities who do the fighting for him. And lastly we have Nero, who approaches combat in a similar vain to Dante, but instead of an arsenal of blades and guns, he refers to one trusty blade, and double-fired revolver – which both possess alternate attack patterns – and an array of prosthetic arms which feature seemingly countless possibilities.

The variety in playable characters, and the possibilities which they offer turns the otherwise straight forward affair, into a complex and most importantly entertaining journey which elevates the series to heights never seen by it before. And that’s simply because Devil May Cry 5 is simply never letting you get bored. As throughout the ten hour or so journey, it is constantly throwing something new at you. Whether it is a new weapon, ability, enemy archetype, or a plot-twist, you are constantly having something brand-spanking-new to deal with, and never find yourself in a situation where you are forced to repeat something you’ve just done.

The amount of variety within Devil May Cry 5 is simply astonishing, and unmatched by most modern games. However, in the pursuit of it, it appears that Capcom had to make some sacrifices, as when it comes to in-game locales, they are not as slick and unique as the other portions of the title. And this is especially apparent during the latter stages of the game, roughly from chapter 13 onward, when you are traversing through the plains of hell, which are neither especially interesting, nor awe inspiring. As in truth, they are all rather samey, and can get dull by the time you reach chapter 18.

Some of Devil May Cry 5’s environments, may not be all that. But ultimately, Devil May Cry is not a walking-sim series, but a beat-down-sim series. And in that regard it is simply superb as the in-game combat, for all three characters, is sleeker than glass. And while it may come across as overly simple at first, then don’t worry, as it rapidly increases in difficulty and its flashiness as you progress through the story. And by the time you reach chapter 10, you’ll be ripping demons in half, while kick-flipping on a rocket powered prosthetic arm.

The blood filled, glitter smothered combat, is at least to me, the most impressive portion of the title as a whole. As unlike its other components it is simply iron clad, and cannot be criticized in any way. And its positives do not stop on the sense of gratification which it creates, or the visual spectacle which it forms, as in the grand scheme of things, it does much, much more than that.

The core combat of Devil May Cry 5, for all three protagonists, features a lot of auxiliary special effects, which accompany each and every slash, shot, explosion, and demonic presence. And while the special effects may be mighty impressive on their own, then they do serve another purpose; a purpose of masking the title’s rather inconsistent visuals. And sure, Devil May Cry 5 is by no means an ugly game, in-fact, it is one of the more impressive titles I’ve seen in a while. But its graphical facade is not particularly consistent – at least not on PlayStation 4 Slim. As some sub-par textures, do exist within the game, and they are often accompanied by an array of jagged edges, which can be a little distracting. But thankfully to the title’s chaotic nature, those are mostly masked by the spectacle created by the combat and the fanfare which accompanies it.

As you’ve already had a chance to read, there are many things which make Devil May Cry 5. But one which ensures that it remains great throughout, is the titles unbiased simplicity. As throughout the ten hours or so which you’ll spend with the title, it never tries to over-complicate things. Not when it comes combat, not when it comes to exploration, not when it comes to upgrades, and certainly not when it comes to the core narrative. And for the latter we can all be eternally grateful to Capcom, as Devil May Cry 5, is incredibly easy to follow – unlike other Japanese games. And despite all of its simplicity, it still manages to explore, and present all the characters and plot points, in enough light that you, the player are aware of what’s what, but are never overburdened with unnecessary information.

Before we conclude, it is important to underline that there are some portions of the title which many individuals may perceive as negative, especially the one considering the fact that Dante, despite of his role in the story, often plays the part of the comic-relief character. But in the grand scheme of thing this makes more sense for him to crack jokes, and use a cowboy hat as a weapon, as for him this is nothing new, and he has experienced all of this time and time again. So the demon hunting business, for him, is no longer anything, but a joke. And for that reason I, unlike some reviewers, will not hold this against the title, in-fact I will use it to praise it even further, because ultimately, this Dante makes more sense, than any other which we’ve seen before.

To summarize, all that really has to be said, is that Devil May Cry 5 is not just Capcom’s best title in quite some time, it is also the best Devil May Cry mainline title which the Japanese developer/publisher, has ever produced. And that fact that it is self aware, unlike some of the other titles in Capcom’s catalog, only further propels it towards greatness. Because it shows that the team behind the title only cared about making a great game, and not one to appease a very certain, and insignificant portion of the potential consumer base. And in doing so, it has made Devil May Cry ‘Great Again’, and returned it to the spot where it belongs – on the top of the proverbial mountain.

REVIEW CODE: A complimentary Sony Playstation 4 code was provided to Bonus Stage for this review. Please send all review code enquiries to press@4gn.co.uk.

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Devil May Cry 5 Review
  • Gameplay - 9/10
    9/10
  • Graphics - 9/10
    9/10
  • Sound - 9/10
    9/10
  • Replay Value - 9/10
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User Review
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Comments Rating 0/10 (0 reviews)
Overall
9/10

Summary

Devil May Cry 5 is not just Capcom’s best title in quite some time, it is also the best Devil May Cry mainline title which the Japanese developer/publisher, has ever produced.


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