Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition is yet more proof that Capcom can remaster a classic, even one as young as Devil May Cry 5. Visually it’s stunning, the mix of characters and abilities will keep gamers engaged, and that music is certainly going to let you know that you’re playing an over-the-top angsty demon hunting game.
The PlayStation 5 has been out a week and we’ve been working hard to bring you reviews for it. Some of the launch titles we are still working on and this might be the final title of the bunch in 2020 — Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition. And boy…is it a way to end a slew of launch reviews.
Let’s get swinging.
Story — or wow, I really need to catch up on the series
It has been a long while since these reviewing hands have touched a Devil May Cry game. I think maybe its first entrance onto the PC platform is the last time I traversed the DMC landscape. I had some catching up to do. Anyway, the story for DMC5SE is that a trio of heroes (Dante, Nero, and V) have to stop the Demon King Urizen before he takes control of the world and destroys everything, and everyone. It’s just that simple.
The game crosses between three different tragic storylines, mainly focusing on Nero and V at the beginning, but quickly balancing out the trio as the game progresses. The story is a bit wild and over-the-top, which isn’t necessarily bad, as it at least matches the death metal music playing in the background. The story brings in a lot of elements including the possible death of Dante, the lost arm of Nero, and the question of who the hell V truly is in the scheme of things. With that MOBA-like story split, it plays off the horrific nightmares of director Hideaki Itsuno, who seems hellbent on bringing hell to earth in the worst of ways, but in a good narrative structure. Together, our heroes and villains, the DMC5SE story might actually be complicated and profound with its details and its delivery.
In short, wow, that’s a horror show of epic proportions, but an intentional one, and an entertaining one.
Gameplay playing off the game’s play
As mentioned in the story section, the horrors of the game come from the story and over-the-top balance between humor and terror. The story dictates the action, which is dictated by the gameplay design of the three characters. You get three very different hero arcs and designs from each protagonist. Dante is the all-in-one specialist with a sword, gun, and at least two arms. How he is controlled is more familiar with series expectations and less complicated than the other two characters. The story controls who you control, so enjoy Dante while you have him.
Nero starts the complication of character arcs by having a removable arm in the game. Having had his arm taken by the demon king, Nero has to substitute his arm with arms built by the game’s van driver, Nico (sassy, but entertaining). Each arm serves a purpose with its outlandish usage. One is a straight-up Mega Man rip that shoots laser beams from it, while another is a red fist that will detach and continually punch its locked-on enemy. The latter of the bunch is amusing to watch. Nero’s arms make for an interesting strategic choice when it comes to approaching enemies and taking them down. Depending on the location on the screen and how much you can get the arm to damage the enemy, picking the right arm for the right fight can be tricky. Luckily, you can carry more than one arm at a time. The ability to switch between them and choose your arm strength makes for a complicated, yet cool time when using Nero.
As for V…this is different. V essentially controls beings and animals to do his damage for him. Armed only with a cane that comes into play when V is ready to finish off an enemy, his gameplay mechanic design is incredibly different from the rest. You have to focus on giving the animals orders to attack while waiting for the right moment to pull off powerful moves and finishers. I found his design to be the most unique of the bunch and quite frankly the most successful. He does more damage far away from the enemies. He would be comparable to a Mage in a DnD game, where you can cast spells from far away, but give yourself enough space not to be in harm’s way. That’s a winning combination in my gamer book.
The intriguing mix of different styles and different attacks makes for a fresh time when playing DMC5SE. It certainly breaks up the constant enemy barrage and action, which the early part of the series seemed to get long in the tooth with, much like Dynasty Warriors games.
To help break up any potential monotony created, the game features some very cool and horrifying bosses. They are something to behold, yet not too demanding when playing against. For example, the first boss is a giant demon that has a huge mouth for an abdomen. Gutting that sucker open while avoiding attacks was a challenge, but one that was patterned enough to get by the first time around. Almost all the bosses, after about 120 seconds into them, show their cards when playing against. Their girth and ferociousness might seem intimidating, but their patterns keep the game fun and grounded. No one wants this to be another Dark Souls series.
Beyond bosses, the game features a backend that is good and bad. The good part is that you gather red blood as you progress through levels, which equals out to essentially XP. That XP can be used on different skills that, depending on the character, can make your life easier. The gathering of the red blood is a no-brainer, as you will find it everywhere. This is a fair exchange of effort versus reward without much effort.
The blemish on the gameplay? A tiny little microtransaction option. Should you perish in the game, you have the option to give up red blood cells, turn over these gold globes, or restart. The GGs are somewhat accessible in the game, so you can save them for a rainy day, and you will need them for some boss fights (they bring you back fully). Should you have no GG or red blood, the game will send you mid-game to the PlayStation Store to pick some red blood up for $1.99. I’m not a huge fan of this happening, as I think it cheapens the experience just a bit. It certainly doesn’t ruin it and it will probably make you a better player in the long run, but I don’t like it as a concept that was instituted in the gameplay. This isn’t a free-to-play game, so just include ‘continues’ in limited quantities and get on with it. Don’t break things up by sending gamers to the PlayStation Store.
Microtransaction aside, the gameplay variety you get with DMC5SE is well-crafted with its intentions. It’s clever, there is a variety of gameplay and characters to go around, and it’s just plain over-the-top fun.
PlayStation 5’s efforts
MMMMMMM. That ray tracing. MMMMM. It’s so good. The ray tracing mixed with the complete reconstruction of the game’s visuals from Capcom equal out to a great reason to see what the future of the console has in store for you. The loading time is about 10 seconds, but once loaded, the visuals do NOT pop in and the rendering is rendered. The game’s environments and character models are absolutely outstanding. This game, as well as the remastered Resident Evil titles, make me feel confident that Capcom knows what it is doing when it comes to bringing actual remastering jobs to gamers. This is really quite impressive.
Okay, enough said. Let’s get this thing wrapped.
Conclusion
Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition is yet more proof that Capcom can remaster a classic, even one as young as Devil May Cry 5. Visually it’s stunning, the mix of characters and abilities will keep gamers engaged, and that music is certainly going to let you know that you’re playing an over-the-top angsty demon hunting game.
