Devil May Cry has always been something of an icon in gaming. The popularity of this series reaches around worldwide. With its lovable cast, fresh gameplay, and memorable moments it’s hard not to love it. That being said, not all entries are as beloved as the others. And the game has seen its fair share of ups and downs. Here’s our list of the best Devil May Cry games from the worst to the very best.
Devil May Cry 2
There’s a reason why the 2nd installment of the franchise is regarded as the worst Devil May Cry of all time. Gameplay was stale, enemies were boring, and the story wasn’t all too interesting. There’s not really much to say about this entry other than it was rather bland. It was also rather unengaging, with its combat being too easy to the point that it didn’t really offer any challenge.
The worst part is: Devil May Cry 2 had the potential to be something better. Unfortunately, much of its own mediocrity can be blamed on executive meddling. With Hideaki Mitsuno only coming in after halfway the game’s development period, he only had a mere six months to finish everything. With no cutscenes filmed, no Devil Trigger for Dante, and with the environments in an unfinished state it isn’t hard to guess why this game flopped. One can only guess where Devil May Cry 2 would be on this list had Hideaki been given more time.
DmC: Devil May Cry
It’s not that DmC: Devil May Cry wasn’t fun. Gameplay was fluid and it had its moments. But there was a reason why it wasn’t received too well by the fans. Devil May Cry was always aware that it was trying to be cool. But it never crossed that line of trying too hard. Unfortunately, DmC: Devil May Cry felt like what a 14 year old edgy teenager would think is cool.
Characters no longer felt like their original selves. Instead, their very being has been re-imagined to fit to a more “realistic” setting far from its origins. While it doesn’t sound too bad in itself. Unfortunately, Ninja Theory’s execution left much to be desired. Much of Devil May Cry’s core has been changed to the point of being unrecognizable. And fans don’t really appreciate that. Dialogue in itself was just cringey at times, characters felt annoying and trying too hard to be cool, and the story barely resonated with anybody. The whole game felt like a desperate appeal to what the younger audiences thought was cool during the time.
That being said, it does have its few saving graces that make it worth playing through at least once. Its gameplay is very fluid. It’s fun to kill demons with both angelic and demonic abilities. And the music certainly popped adrenaline into our veins.
Devil May Cry
The first installment was a gateway drug. No other way to say it. With what introduced us to one of the most iconic characters of the game industry, Devil May Cry was a classic for its time. Admittedly, for people who play it today they may find it a bit clunky and slow for their liking. But for its time, it was lauded as one of the hack-and-slash games. So it deserves its place on the list.
Did you know that Dante was originally supposed to be a Resident Evil character? Before Capcom decided he was too powerful, and that idea gave birth to Devil May Cry in the first place. In fact, the atmosphere of this game was a holdover from one of the prototypes of Resident Evil 4. Amazing how one thought could make something totally awesome.
Devil May Cry 4
The 4th installment offered something fresh to the franchise: a new protagonist. As fun Dante is, we’ve already played as him–been told his story. Putting us in the shoes of Nero was a refreshing experience. And he wasn’t a cardboard cutout of Dante either, he had his own set of moves and his own interesting story to tell.
Devil May Cry 4 refines the combat of its predecessors. Its gameplay is more fun and vastly improved from Devil May Cry 3. It’s a game that holds up even on today’s standards.
If there can be one thing that can be remembered from this game, it’s the music. Not only does it pump adrenaline into our veins, but quite sets up the mood and atmosphere for the characters.
Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening
Third time’s the charm. And to many fans out there, myself included, believe that this entry is the pinnacle of the franchise. With its excellent gameplay, engaging story, and awesome music it isn’t hard to see why. Devil May Cry 3 is what most likely pops up first thing in our minds when we hear Devil May Cry. In fact, it’s quite probable that Devil May Cry 3 is what popped our cherries. Much like Yakuza 0, this is the game that introduced fans to Devil May Cry.
It was interesting seeing Dante in his youth trying to awaken his more demonic side. This entry also introduced one of the most memorable characters of the franchise, if not just as much of an icon as Dante, his own twin brother and polar opposite, Vergil.
To describe what makes this game amazing would take all day. But this game was Capcom at its peak. With so much content provided and so much fun to be had, this game earns its spot as #1 on the list.
I haven’t really played Devil May Cry 5 yet. Although I have tested the demo (and loving it) I can’t exactly put it on this list without knowing the full content. But we will soon get a feel for the game ourselves. With all the positives views online, I’m quite sure that it will be quite high on this list.
