| Platform | OVERALL |
|---|---|
| PC | 9.40 |
| Overall | 9.40 |
|
Being the huge DMC fan that I am Devil May Cry 5 had a lot to live up to after an over 10 year break. DMC4 had great mechanics but the repetitive nature of the game hurt it. DMC5 had to live up to expectations and rectify the sins of DMC4 and for the most part DMCV succeedes. The emphasis is completely on the combat, at the expense of level design, to create the ultimate experience in action games. The three characters each provide enough of a different experience to be worth playing. Nero is your basic powerhouse, kind of like the training wheels to ease you into the complexities of DMC. One sword, one gun but the new devil arm system gives Nero depth he never dreamed of in 4. I know some wish these arms would never break but in a way it forces the player to keep adapting and make strategic choices in the heat of battle. The best part of just how varied these arm attacks are with some allowing Nero to blast into the air, freeze time or my favorite shoot a rocket arm which he can ride. Nero’s combat is about maximizing the tools available to you, he can always bring an enemy too him with the grapple hook ensuring that covering distance is not an issue. In essence he is your average action game character, well balanced and easy to learn, perfect for new players and experts alike. V is the wild card, I am not exactly sure what Capcom was going for as there isn’t any character that plays like him in any game. You do need to get aquanted with using most of the buttons of the controller all at once to control V, griffon and shadow and nightmare all at once. There are moments of action game bliss when eveything is going as planned and enemies are dying all over the screen but it takes away the precision of the other two characters. Hell their devil trigger is auto attack mode, thats the opposite of what this series is about. Still there is hidden depth with V as his cane can counter most any attack and quickly fill his devil gauge, expert play will be interesting to watch here. I will admit when I reach a V level I am a bit bummed out. At the halfway point of the game they finally let the player loose with Dante who has the most complex, deepest moveset ever put in an action game. It begins with two melee weapons and two guns, four styles all at the base levels and you grow from there. Already the gauntlet weapon has two stances with different moves, a power up mode that does constant damage for max combos. Then after every level and boss defeated Dante gets a new weapon or powerup, all avalialble with real time switching and evey weapon is a gem unlike DMC4. As you powerup the weapons an styles the breadth of the moveset starts to become aparrant, over a hundred moves at your disposal, all can be comboed into each other. Stances that can drastically change your tactics from offense to defense at the push of a button. Multiple swords flying through the air, nunchucks embued with lighting blasting the area, driving your bike launching an enemy into the air, throwing a magic hat that snares enemies and launches them back at you where you can punish them with any multitude of attacks. Its a symphony of destruction, you are the conductor and Capcom has given you every instrument you could ever want. What makes Devil May Cry stand out from other fighting games is how it's got the extra layer of improving your attacks while dealing with enemies. Someone posted its like being a gymnast going for a perfect score while all other gymnasts are trying to kill you. The enemies can still provide that reaction based split second timing and dodging, learning enemy patterns is still a must, finding out the best way to damage each type is still a staple. All action games have that, but thats the basic layer, the second layer is do that but never stop attacking, never get hit and keep changing your attacks. Going for the SSS combos is where the beauty of DMC comes out and DMCV has made getting SSS combos an absolute joy. The enemies are a collection of the best enemies throughout series history with some new crazy types that sort of attack from afar. There might be one enemy thats sort of a pain to fight cause he is invisibile most of the time, but for the most part fighting every mob is a joy and a test to see how complex your combos can get. I just unlocked Dante Must Die mode which makes SSS combos a necessity, the enemies are rentless and will not die unless they are constantly being attacked; the rush I feel when I demolish a whole room of enemies without being touched, its bliss. The bosses are varied and are sometimes great spectacles. I don't think they have the personality of the DMC3 boss battles and like everything in this game most are on the easy side. In past games I would have to replay bosses many times, here only two ever gave me any trouble. The final boss though is the biggest difficulty spike I have seen in a game like this, phew it is everything I could have dreamed up. The culmination of everything you learned in one battle that tests every once of your reflexes and creativity. Plus its the hypest shit possible for this storyline, the best final boss in the series. The final few chapters are like a love letter to fans giving you so much fan service, enemies from games past, music cues that bring back great memories and series moments that are megatons. Capcom decided to focus all on the action so the level design and art design seems to have been pushed aside. This is the most linear boring level design the series has ever had. That is compounded by the bland delapitated city scapes and inner hell root asthetic that makes all levels blend together. We are one step removed from this just being bloody palace the game. Some purists may love it, I admit it makes replaying levels more enjoyable as all the fluff isn't that great on multiple playthroughs but it does hurt the first go around. Also most people will just play this game once, past games were more memorable with some variety to the levels. I am a fan of crazy variety and weirdness, I miss the dice game, I love a good maze like location, it's a shame this aspect is such a step back from DMC3 and even 4. I touched on it before but the difficulty is also concerning, it's almost a cake walk. Even in the harder mode only a few battles actually caused me to die. This is the easiest DMC game but because of its depth the true test is getting S ranks not finishing a level. The RE engine is working it's magic again as this game is STUNNING. The particle effects and lighting is a sight to behold when all these elemental attacks are going off at once. Everything is so smooth, perfect frame rate, incredible animations and the most responsive controls I have ever had the joy of playing. When the Devil Trigger song kicks in with Nero I cannot help but just get hyped up, it's a fantastic song. Some of the other songs are not the best but I had the collectors ediition which let me switch battle music to classic songs from games past. The boss tracks though, ohh so good and that final boss battle PURE BLISS. They even made the story have some depth and character development all while retaining the insane over the top action the series is known for. They strattle the line between absurd and drama so well, it makes this the best story of the series in terms of content and presentation. Once bloody palace hits the game will be complete but even before then I cannot put this down. I am still looking for some secrets, I am still trying to s rank difficult missions and am making my way throught the usual difficulty modes. I am well over 30 hours in and every fight still compels me in a way most games don't dream. The experts will be dissecting this for years to come and there will be some feats that will look like they are magicians. I will never reach that level and thats ok, I am happy where I am, I can still complete the game with the highest ranks. Capcom has made this the most accessable DMC and the most complex and deep DMC game at the same time. It's quite a remarkable feat when you think about it. The wait was worth it, action games feel like they reached their peak mechanically. If only the actual quest was as interesting this would be the best hack and slash action game ever made but it will have to settle for the best playing action game. |
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Posted by Dvader Mon, 18 Mar 2019 05:41:34
Mon, 18 Nov 2019 01:56:42
While this game was great the color pallet was horrendous. Everything is so muted. The game should have been colorful like Devil May Cry 4.
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