When I finished Devil May Cry V, I was frustrated.
Not because I didn’t like the game, oh no. Of course not; as a wise man once said, I’m absolutely crazy about it. My issue is that, despite doing relatively well throughout my first playthrough (and thus on the standard difficulty), I ended up botching the series-standard mid-credits fights. Did that lock me out of content? It doesn’t seem like it. But those are bragging rights -- no, a sense of accomplishment I wanted, in case I never got the chance to play the game again.
Even though I’ve long since cleared DMCV, I want to play it again. On a harder difficulty, especially. Why? As another wise man once said, I need more power. I want to improve -- sharpen my skills and steel my will, so I have the talent and courage needed to truly pull off my own unique combos. The stuff truly worthy of the announcer bellowing “SMOKIN’ SEXY STYLE!” My pride is on the line here -- and I have some of the finest gameplay I’ll likely see all year to thank for that.
Now I guess it’s up to me to explain why.
YOU CANNOT KILL ME
I AM OMEGA (spoilers)
YOU CANNOT KILL ME
I AM SUBHUMAN (also spoilers)
(Oh God. Maybe I’m not so subhuman.)
If this is your first time with a DMC game…WTF are you doing, mate? Play this one. But for the new blood’s sake, here’s a general rundown. You’ll progress through a little under two dozen missions, traversing the ruins left by an accursed tree’s spread and essentially going from a cityscape to an extremely unhygienic version of (what might as well be) the underworld. You’re not just sightseeing, though. It’s up to you to take down the scores of demons in your way, armed with guns, melee weapons, and that old devil magic.
The core change this time around is that, true to the prophetic box art, you’ll be able to play as three characters throughout the story. Nero returns from DMC4, newly equipped with his Devil Breakers to give demons a (lethal) hand. Dante’s in top form with a spread of weapons, and style-switching that lets you change his tool kit on the fly. Meanwhile, newcomer V prefers to let his demon trio do the fighting on his behalf, letting him play strategist and going in for the kill as needed.
For the most part, the game decides who you’ll control and when -- which makes the Bloody Palace update all the more essential -- but regardless, my bet is that you’ll have a favorite among the trio well before the credits roll. I know I do…to an extent.
I mean, sure. I’m still a Dante boy; I refuse to turn my back on a man who swings two halves of a motorcycle like twin zweihanders. But here’s the very first thing you need to understand about DMCV: all three characters are intensely fun. They handle differently and have unique learning curves, but they’re all winners. We’ll see if Capcom can keep up the streak if and when DLC characters get released (Trish pls). Still, this is one hell of a start.
Given that Dante is the last of the trio you get to touch -- and for a good while -- I spent a big chunk of my first playthrough asking “Where’s Dante?” and “When’s Dante?” Turns out the answer was “in a coma for like a month”, but whatever. Even if the OG devil hunter is near and dear to my heart, the game didn’t care and had me play as Nero and V. “YOU WILL SIT THERE AND ENJOY IT,” DMCV said as it pressed its blade to my neck. And you know what? I did. I absolutely did.
I’m a Dante boy. But DAMN! Nero is so much fun to use.
I’m by no means an authority on the franchise, but I’m inclined to say that Nero’s the easiest of the three to use. Maybe too easy. His Wire Snatch reels enemies back in (or brings you closer to them), so there’s less consideration needed for spacing and positioning. On the other hand, every single element of his tool kit is immensely satisfying. Varied, too; you’ll always have access to his sword and gun, but you can power up the former with the Exceed system (rev up your sword’s engine for extra damage/hits), and the latter lets you stock charges for bullets that do big damage.
The real draw here is the Devil Breaker system. Nero’s right arm may have gotten spirited away, but he’s got replacements that give you a few extra moves -- sort of a faux style-switch mechanic that you can lose if you’re not careful. Take a hit while you’re using a Devil Breaker, and it’s gone. Hold on to it, and you’ll get all sorts of moves without having to futz with split-second D-pad taps. Gerbera is my favorite of the bunch, but I have a soft spot for Rawhide and Tomboy.
(So that’s what Japanese Nero sounds like. Huh.)
I can’t say no to Nero, partly because he’s not afraid to power bomb a demon. With that said, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t extremely interested in playing as V prior to release. Having finally put in some time with him (such as it is), I’m more than sated. V is a bizarre character to use, partially because his summoning/puppet fighter mechanics make him vastly different from any other DMC game, let alone character. After a certain point in the story, the man can barely even walk properly -- which, if only at a couple of points, manifests in his gameplay. Ouchie ouch.
In my experience and opinion, V doesn’t just play differently. He controls differently. Sure, he’s still got a sword button and a gun button, but I found myself shifting my thumb in such a way that allowed me to hit the two simultaneously -- or even hold one while tapping the other -- in order to get the highest damage output possible. Remarkably, I managed to use “the mysterious one” without any broken fingers. I owe my continued survival to Tekken and its myriad inputs.
Regardless, playing V -- for me -- is the definition of “living on the edge”. Until you prep a demon for the kill, V’s offense is limited to a dinky little swipe of his cane. Without his peons, he’s got very little in the way of defense or mobility, meaning you A) have to have complete control of the battlefield, or B) have to cower in fear, running and dreading the next enemy attack to come your way. On one hand, it creates a sense of vulnerability that gets your blood pumping. On the other hand? If you can successfully wield his power, then right now there’s no other character out there that provides the catharsis of the 2000-IQ, galaxy brain plays you can pull off.
Dante continues to be my favorite of the three, even though he’s (superficially) the same has he was in DMC4: melee weapons, guns, style button, style switches, Devil Trigger. Some quality-of-life changes are more than welcome, though; Gunslinger automatically charges shots, for example, and Royal Guard lets you walk and block simultaneously to auto-defend yourself at the cost of DT meter -- though parries are still in, just in case you’re a madman who spits in Death’s face. Shockingly, Dante’s kit changes over the course of the game, and not just because he gets new weapons. Going through three different swords leaves him in a place where his basic combos get remixed, and well before the endgame you’ve got access to a super version of his Devil Trigger…which I barely used, admittedly, because I wanted to prove how much of a STRONG MANLY MAN I was. Or something.
I think I read at one point that Capcom boasted about this version of Dante having the most weapons he’s ever had. That’s technically true, albeit with some caveats. In terms of melee weapons, you get three different versions of his default sword, and his motorcycle as well. He comes pre-equipped with Balrog, a gauntlet and boot combo that switches between a punching stance/move set and a kicking one. Near the finish line you get a new version of DMC3’s Cerberus, one that -- combined with Swordmaster -- briefly changes the nunchaku into one of two alternate forms for specific attacks. All of those weapons, forms and all, only take up four slots. So if you’re like me and got hyped up at the possibility of getting an HD Nevan because of the game reviving previous foes…don’t.
I mean, I’m still happy with the end result.
But still…what could have been…
You’ll have to be quick and clever to get the most out of Dante. With that said, you don’t have to have the hands of the Robot Devil to even touch the character. If anything, it’s the opposite. You can either commit to one style -- whichever one suits you best -- and use it to see you through fight after fight, or you can switch as needed. Go for offense with Swordmaster or Gunslinger, and defend when you need to with Trickster or Royal Guard. Boom. Easy.
Part of the reason why Dante is my favorite of the bunch is because (setting aside skill/execution barriers, which to be fair aren’t insurmountable) in my eyes, he helps embody the core design philosophy of the game, if not the whole franchise. It’s about style -- earning those SSS ranks whenever and however you can. But the real ticket is the road to those ranks. Surviving this fight or that battle is one thing, but that’s not enough. If you’re only playing DMCV to clear room after room, you might want to reconsider your approach…which is a nice way of saying “you’re doing it wrong”.
Your mission is to look as cool as possible -- to feel as cool as possible. The devs welcome the chance, but expect it of you. They want you to be your best (which is likely why you’re penalized at the end-of-level score tally for using items and continues) and do your best. Go beyond par. Why? For fun, inevitably. But that fun is there, and possible, because of all the options provided to you. I’m hard-pressed to think of many other franchises that are so keen to let you play your way -- which makes DMC, both V and its canon predecessors, both a rarity and a treasure.
There’s no denying that this is an absurd game. I can’t think of any other titles that let you air juggle foes with a chainsaw motorcycle, batter them back to the earth with ice nunchaku, then proceed to jab them into oblivion like Steve Fox fused with The Flash. The breadth of options makes for some insane, awe-inspiring moments, some of which may or may not come out by accident if you’ve got lead fingers like me. Still, outside of instances where some attacks/strategies work better than others against specific enemies, you’re free to play as you wish, in a way that’s audiovisually incredible with the cathartic satisfaction to match.
It’s gotten me thinking: is there anything quite like DMC out there? The closest competition that comes to mind is the work of Platinum Games, especially with Bayonetta 3 and Astral Chain on the way. And I’d bet that in the years between the last major DMC release, there have been plenty of other action games that I’ve likely forgotten. Well, I’m betting. Hoping, too. Shout-outs to God of War and Spider-Man (the PS4 entries) for holding it down.
To me, though? What DMCV represents is mechanical complexity. You have many systems to manage and implement in each fight -- with some that crop up during Nero’s mid-credits battle, to my utter bewilderment -- so I wouldn’t blame anyone truly new to the franchise for getting overwhelmed. But with enough time, those mechanics aren’t impenetrable. They can be learned, if not mastered, with time and experience. With experimentation.
Nero, V, and Dante are all different characters. This is true. They’re avatars that can change in the middle of battle (sometimes literally), locking away some tools and options in exchange for others. I wouldn’t dare knock points for that, though -- the reason being that there’s a level of synergy between mechanics, both character-specific and universal. With the possible exception of Dante’s Sin Devil Trigger, every tool, move, weapon, ability, and mechanic has a purpose. The combination of them flows smoothly, meaning that once you have your bread-and-butter combos ready, you can either apply them at your leisure or adapt to try and garner more style. You’re welcome to experiment, because there’s a good chance what you’re planning will work. Because the tool exists in the first place.
And pardon me for getting cynical, but let’s face it: you just don’t get that level of synergistic mechanical complexity in a lot of games these days. In fighting games, sure, but they are (and always will be) part of a niche genre. Probably in some indie darlings, too. But you look at the AAA space, and what do you see? Another open-world game. Another shooter. Another battle royale usurper of the throne. Another loot grind. Another clone of whatever might be the flavor of the month. There’s a big chunk of the industry that’s willing to drag us to Hell if it means profit -- a gamble that may or may not work -- and they’ll sacrifice the actual quality of a game if it means a few more pennies in the piggy bank.
I would say that Capcom is trying to swing the pendulum back in the right direction, but given the struggles of their fighting game division, I’m not quite ready to call them Capgod just yet. THAT SAID, I’ll give all the deserved credit to individual games -- and among them, DMCV deserves high praise. It’s here to break molds and shake up our lives with its powerful, smooth, intense systems, breaking us out -- however briefly -- from the prison of mediocrity. And I for one, couldn’t be happier.
But I have more ways to explain why this is a good game. And in order to prove my point, I have to pit it against a…contemporary.
See you next time.
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