Moosey May Cry Part 6 (Part 2).

For those who found themselves here without reading the previous installments, this is the back half of the final installment of my DMC retrospective! Covering the (currently) final game in the series, Devil May Cry 5. As one might guess, it was a bit too long for the (perfectly reasonable) new limits on user written stuff on Giant Bomb, so it was split in twain. Sorry for the inconvenience!

For anyone who might want to download the entire retrospective in everyone's favorite file format, PDF, here's a link to my itch! It's free! And literally just a PDF. But what do you expect for free?

https://mooseymcman.itch.io/moosey-may-cry

And of course, here's links to the previous articles on GB. Unfortunately the images seem to have been eaten or broken on the older ones, but there's nothing I can really do about that now.

Part 1.

Part 2.

Part 3.

Part 4.

Part 5 (the reboot).

Part 6 (Part 1).

Now, without further ado, here's the end of the retrospective!

Gosh, there's still so much more I want to say about this game, too. I mentioned the boss fights earlier, and I really should say just how good they are. A great mix of having different things happen throughout them, but without relying on taking control away from the player, like DmC did between all its boss' phases. The Goliath fight even has a really cool amount of “levelution” as it goes on. It starts on top of a church, but then you smash down through the ceiling, then barrel through a wall out into the courtyard. Even there, there's buildings that can be smashed, either by the boss, or Nero throwing the boss into them! I forget sometimes about those early parts of the fight, since the Bloody Palace version starts in the courtyard.

Plus, it features one of the best “duel against a boss the same size as you” in any of these games. Of course, who else could be waiting at the end of this game than the Alpha and the Omega himself, Vergil. A duel so nice you fight him twice, first as Dante, and then as Nero. A bit odd, I'll be honest, but it works. Especially in the first playthrough, where Nero's DT gauge constantly refills, making it more of a moment to show just how strong Nero's true inner strength was all along. Especially considering that this is the first and only boss in the game where not only does the protagonist's theme play instead of the boss', it's a remix that grows and changes with each phase of the fight. I love it!

On subsequent playthroughs however, you don't get that DT bonus, so you gotta beat him the old fashioned way. But by the time you're at him on SoS, you should know what you're doing well enough to get the job done. One of the tips after dying basically says as much too. I also feel like they tone down some of Vergil's moves in the Nero fight, or maybe he has less health or something, because the fight doesn't feel quite as brutal. I definitely never got him to take a knee as Dante, which he does at set points with Nero, so you can grab him.

And, I gotta say, when you get there as Vergil...instead you fight Dante. They finally did the thing, and made a different boss for his campaign. It's good! They did a great job making an equivalent fight that uses Dante's moves, weapons, and even Styles. Maybe don't hit him while he's in Royal Guard! It's tough in all the ways that a fight against the Legendary Devil Hunter should be, and good fun too. I would say better than when you fight him in DMC 4, but he's a final boss here, so of course they had to have him go all out. And you gotta fight him twice, but at least he has a few extra moves the second time. Think of it more as a hard checkpoint between phases than a second fight, I guess.

There's still two more characters from the base game I need to get to! V next, since he was the entirely new one, and has the most unique playstyle. Featuring a scanned likeness of some random guy who bears a really uncanny resemblance to Adam Driver, he's a mysterious one whose exact role in the story, and his connection to the others I won't spoil. I will, however, say rest in peace to Brad Venable, the voice of Griffon, one of V's summons. He passed away a few years ago, so I just want to say he had a very good performance as a very (intentionally) annoying bird.

V and the feather-face Griffon. Flock off!

So, how does V play? Well, V is physically weak, and he uses a cane to walk around despite his appearance at least being that of a relatively young man. Goes to show you can't judge a book by its cover, eh? He's in no shape to be fighting demons himself, which is what his summons are for. Griffon the loudmouth bird blasts energy and lightning at range, Shadow the majestic shapeshifting panther strikes in close with powerful melee, and finally there's Nightmare. A hulking monstrosity that will literally crash from the sky like a meteor, or smash through walls when summoned. In a few places, opening up secret paths in the process!

It's funny that as I am writing this (late October), Pokémon Legends Z-A just released. A game that has a real time (but cool-down heavy) combat system where in some cases the opposing Pokémon will attack your human character as well. Because, in a weird way, V has always felt kind of like playing an action Pokémon game to me. Very action oriented, because he still plays like Devil May Cry. The directional moves all follow the same logic as the other characters; charge forward, pull back for uppercut type moves, etc. The difference is that instead of only controlling the one character, you're managing three. Technically four when Nightmare is out, but that's V's Devil Trigger, and you don't control Nightmare directly unless V hops onto his back. At which point you're only controlling Nightmare, the others act on their own (I think, I mostly let Nightmare do its own thing).

Griffon and Shadow have separate health bars, and need to be revived if they're taken down. That's not good for all the obvious reasons, but also because V's evasive moves rely on them. Shadow for dodging left and right, and Griffon for a backwards flutter. V's health bar is as long as the other characters, but if his animal companions are down, he's basically defenseless. So, it becomes a matter of managing all three, dodging when needed to keep V safe (gotta keep that Style meter high too), but also to pull the summons out of danger when their health gets low. Better to dodge to save that cat's life than to have to run over into the fray to revive him.

Also, the thing I forgot to mention, V doesn't have any way to damage enemies himself, but Griffon and Shadow can't kill them. Instead they're left in a weakened stun state, and V has to finish them off with his cane. It's a great push/pull, and while I'd say V is my least favorite of the playable characters in DMC 5, he's still a lot of fun. I feel the need to say this because some people don't like him, and I think they have a bad opinion on the matter.

On top of being fun, he's just really interesting to play. There's not much else out there that combines all these disparate things together, or makes you manage multiple characters at once in this sort of action game. Even Legends Z-A, as much fun and tactical as that combat can be, you're still not doing DMC combos. Never mind that battles against other trainers don't have your human dodge rolling attacks, even if Pokémon positioning is still vital.

Nightmare, use Hyper Beam!

Also, I have to mention that since V uses his summons to attack, that leaves him open to do things like taunt, or read from his poetry book while they keep the enemies busy. Yes, those are different functions, because reading poetry fills his DT gauge faster. Nothing says stylish action like a poetry slam while the enemies get slammed. I just wish they had recorded more for it, because he only has a few different lines. Also, his super taunt, which I only unlocked in the time after I wrote the initial draft for this... He does a whole dance routine like he's singin' in the rain, or something. Incredible stuff, I don't understand why people wouldn't like him!

Of the main trio, there's only one left. Last, but surely not least is the Legend himself, Dante. There is so much going on with him in this game that I can't possibly cover it all, so I'll try to tackle this as a look at how he's evolved relative to the previous games. Of course his four main styles from 3 and 4 return, and fill the same roles, even if the specifics aren't all one to one. Trickster is for mobility and dodging, Swordmaster gives an extra melee button, Gunslinger an extra ranged button, and Royal Guard allows for blocking and parrying. Well, a different parrying from the “time your attack to the enemy's” parry than everyone can do. For better or worse, he only has the four, so no Dark Slayer, Doppelganger, or Quicksilver. I think the four are enough, though.

But unlike DMC 4 where he “only” had three melee weapons, and three ranged, here he has four of each. Or...technically...seven?? I'm not sure if this is new to the Special Edition or not, but there's a skill that expands his in mission inventory from four to seven, and the game even warns that it can get cumbersome, so it's really only recommended for experts.

Frankly, I don't know why you would want to bring seven of either in, because some of these are duplicates. Yes, Dante has three different swords, but as far as I can tell two of them have the same move-set. Rebellion and Sparda feel the same to me, just that Sparda has a different animation for one or two moves. Maybe it does more damage? Anyway, they feel basically the same as the Rebellion did in 3 and 4, so it's there for anyone who wants those old moves, and that old feel. I prefer the Devil Sword Dante, both because in the story it's presented as his ultimate, true sword, but also I like the moves better. It can do air combos without Swordmaster, and I like all the energy sword attacks it has that the others don't.

There's also a different paint job for the Cavaliere? Red to match Dante's coat, it was apparently DLC for the original game, but included in the Special Edition. The description on that DLC makes it sound like it's faster, but I don't know that I noticed a difference. You can't bring it into the Bloody Palace though, so I guess there must be? I think you can equip his other swords in there, but I dunno. Again, I don't see any logical reason why you'd want dupes, and it's the same with the ranged weapons. Yes, you can technically bring either of the dual rocket launchers as a solo, but...I would rather dual-wield them. They've got cool laser moves when their powers combine!

Anyway, as I said, Dante's got a new sword here, with new moves around these energy swords. They're his equivalent of Vergil's, because as I keep saying, these two are more alike than they'll ever admit. Orange instead of blue, and more melee focused than projectile, even if their range is greater than that of the main sword itself. This sword also opens up Dante's secondary DT mode, the Sin Devil Trigger. You use the regular meter to fill this one up, and hold the button to fully transform. It's neat, and extremely powerful, but takes enough to fill that you won't be using it every fight, or even every other fight. I'm probably a little too cautious with how I use it, but better than wasting it, I think. Really the best strategy is probably to use the “Quadruple-S” move to incorporate the Sin DT into combos without draining meter, but only those with true Smokin' Sexy Style can master such a technique.

And of course, you know me, I love the gauntlet weapons in all these games, so naturally Balrog is my go to after the sword. What struck me, coming back to this after replaying all the other games, is how different it feels from them. Those are all slow, and focused on charge moves. Balrog has some slower charge moves too, but the basic attack jabs those fists out liked greased lightning! Also they literally are jabs, as the punches are very explicitly based on boxing moves. After watching Hajime no Ippo in the last year or so, I kinda wish this had a Dempsey Roll, but I guess there's always next time, right?

Also, unlike all the other games' gauntlets, Balrog has two separate modes. The default punches, and the alternate kicks. Both have a charge up mechanic, with a demonic voice counting up after every punch, or yelling “ignite the flame” while Dante does a little break-dance in kick mode. There's enough going on with this weapon that it could be the main weapon in just about any action game, and I think it's tremendous fun. It's got everything from quick hits, to long combos (I love every time these games bring back “Kick-13”), to some absurdly powerful hits. One uppercut in particular that is one of the best feeling moves in any game to pull off. It sends Dante flying up like a rocket! On the other hand, when you miss, it whiffs hard, but that's these games! Also worth noting that unlike the other games, this is a default starting weapon for Dante alongside Rebellion. The devs knew what they were doing, and I appreciate them!

I mentioned Cavaliere earlier without saying what it actually is. Remember back in DMC 3, when I lamented that Dante doesn't actually use that motorcycle to fight? Well, great news! Finally making good on that (which Itsuno has said was the inspiration), Cavaliere is a demonically empowered motorcycle. Dante can both drive it through groups of enemies, and also split it in twain to grind up enemies between the wheels. It's a bit of a slower, heavier weapon, so not great in every situation against every enemy, but again, just so much fun.

Yeehaw!

And the last melee weapon, in another callback to DMC 3 is King Cerberus. There it was just an ice nunchuck, but here it's also a fire pole, and holding either attack button charges it to do electricity after the initial attack. The only thing is, I'm not sure how much the different elements actually play into the game. I know there's times where I've used ice attacks to extinguish an enemy cloaked in fire, but I'm not sure if that's a coincidence or not. Or if the other elements are strong or weak against other enemies. Anyway, this one's fun too, and the wide sweeping attacks are particularly effective against big groups of smaller enemies.

Then there's the ranged weapons! The iconic Ebony & Ivory are here as always, they're stylish but don't do a ton of damage. Coyote-A is still a shotgun, but its dodge and shoot moves in Gunslinger are fun, and good for crowd control. Dual Kalina Arms are the double rocket launchers I mentioned, and my go-to. Good damage at range, even if the rockets are a little slow.

Finally...there's Dr. Faust. A cowboy hat. How do you fight with a cowboy hat?? Well, for one thing it uses the same Red Orbs you unlock new skills with as ammo. Gives you something to use those Orbs on after you've unlocked everything! So, if you throw the hat at enemies, it duplicates itself, leaving a hat on them. Yes, this works on bosses. Even Vergil. Hit that be-yeehawed enemy with other weapons, and they drop more Red Orbs, also making this the ideal weapon for Orb farming. Conversely, get hit by one of them and you lose orbs, so it's a classic high risk high reward situation. Its other moves range from surrounding Dante with orbiting...orbs that damage enemies, to making the hat a floating turret, to even summoning giant orbs from the heavens to crash down like meteors.

For whatever reason, Dr. Faust was one I didn't use much in most of my past playthroughs, but honestly that feels like a mistake because it certainly feels like it has the most depth to its moves, at least of the ranged weapons. Maybe I was put off by that high risk, or just didn't like the Michael Jacksonian song and dance Dante does when he gets the weapon. Probably didn't help that he doesn't get this one until pretty late in the story, and I already had the rocket launcher, so I was kind of set on sticking with that.

You can't pet the dog, but you can put a hat on it!

Anyway, there is so much depth to Dante that the sky isn't even the limit. The limit is somewhere up in orbit, maybe even at the moon for all I know. Like it has taken me genuine years of playing, replaying, and revisiting this game, and I'm still discovering new things about him. Back in 2019, I didn't even know how Royal Guard worked! I can't say I'm great at it now, but at least I understand the fundamentals.

Not that complicated, actually. Time blocks to charge up the meter, then push forward while blocking an attack to counter with a huge burst of damage. I'm sure there's other functionality it has that I'm blanking on in the moment, but I can at least do that much when the mood strikes me. Or I'm fighting those teleporting lizards you're supposed to dodge and counter attack. I mean, that's the regular tactic, it feels rad when I manage to Royal Guard them instead. You can regular parry their attacks too, but I can't get that timing down with Nero. Vergil I can often enough, but yeah. Those lizards are tough!

I can parry those scissor reapers with everyone, at least. Good tip for anyone starting the game, try that instead of just wearing them down and breaking the scissors. Just follow up with a bullet to the skull for an instant kill!

That's the three main characters, which just leaves Vergil. I'll be quick here, because he's mostly an evolution of how he played in the Special Editions of 3 and 4. The biggest change is that instead of his Devil Trigger simply transforming him like it does with Dante and Nero, here it summons his doppelganger, much like in DmC. Except it feels more like a JoJo's Stand because it doesn't look like him. Well, it looks like his Sin Devil Trigger form, because just like his twin, he has that mechanic too. Like DmC you can control how the Stand attacks with the d-pad, but now accelerate it instead of just delaying. The UI for this isn't quite so clear, because it just changes the color/adds a new effect to the DT gauge while active.

Beyond that, he's got the special V meter like in 4 (which I know I didn't explain before, and I won't here either), the same three weapons (Yamato, Gilgamesh gauntlets, and a glowier, blue Force Edge), and one more new feature. He can spend the V meter to retreat from battle, heal a little, and let V (the character) fight for a little bit. Or, rather, his summons fight, just controlled by the game instead of the player. It's a neat emergency option since unlike the others' Devil Triggers, Vergil's Stand doesn't heal him while active.

The thing with Vergil in this especially is that it kind of feels like the game is letting you play it as the final boss. Obviously all of the characters are very powerful in the right hands, but Vergil has some truly outlandish moves. He can cover whole rooms in slash marks, then slice through everything in the blink of an eye. They're not the easiest to pull off, some require being in Sin Devil Trigger and having the V gauge filled, but they sure feel good when you manage to wipe out a whole group of enemies, or even a boss with one.

Okay, now I'm done with the characters...so, what else? There's other aspects of the game I should probably at least mention. The levels are all linear, with nothing left of the open ended more exploratory stuff from the earlier games, for better or worse. There's still hidden stuff in side paths, like Secret Missions of course. Here you have to line up something in the environment to open them, as opposed to interacting with a hidden object, or finding a key for a door in DmC. Yes, it's a very straightforward, “pure action” game, but on the other hand, as I said, at least there's no filler. By being so focused on “pure action,” it kind of ends up feeling like a throwback to the PS2 era. In a good way! And it jumps between the characters at just the right times to keep things fresh. There's even a few missions where you can pick what character to play, and they have different routes. Bit of replay value there.

Also ties into one of the odder features, the co-op. Certain missions will have one of the other characters off in the distance, also kicking demon ass, and in the game says it's starring another player. Meaning that's another human being somewhere else in the world controlling them. At least...I think so? If it doesn't connect to anyone, it just says “DMC Staff,” which are supposed to be recordings of the developers playing. But one time, during that big boss of Nero's where V occasionally pops up underground it said it was starring...me?? It was my username, so I'm really baffled by that one.

Thank you for your service, femboy-prettyboy!

Anyway, it displays the other player(s) style rank as they play, and after the mission if you rate them as “Stylish,” they get a Gold Orb the next time they log in. And you get one if they rated you as such. It's a neat system, but there's really only a couple spots in the whole game where you can actually get into the same physical space as the other player, or players in one case (I think?). I didn't have any of that line up this time, but I did at least see a few other players, so there's still people out there playing!

I just wish there was more to it. Co-op Bloody Palace would be so much fun! A more co-op focused experience would be rad too. The game's ending sets up Dante and Vergil in a place where they could easily be the focus of a two player game, let alone having Nero, Trish, and Lady be a co-op trio.

Finally, I need to mention the music. Each of the playable characters has his own battle theme, and they all fit each perfectly. Nero's as I said is an all timer, but Vergil's is also excellent. V's feels very different from the rest, but that fits because he feels so different to play. And Dante's...well, I don't know if I would call it “good,” but I definitely laughed the first time I heard the death metal growl. But, I think when it hits the chorus with, “YOU CANNOT KILL ME” at higher ranks in an actual fight, it absolutely works. Especially for Dante, who is just so powerful that the only limitation really feels like my own skill.

Anecdotally I think DMC 5 also has more instances where music other than the battle themes plays during fights (not counting bosses, which have unique themes). More missions where the ambient music keeps playing throughout. That, and most importantly the new dynamic music system really go a long way to make this game's music a lot less repetitive than 3 or 4. Here even when it is the battle themes, they rise and fall along with the combo meter, hitting those great choruses at high combos, but dropping back down if you get hit, and the combo fails. It's not quite as dynamic as some of the stuff in like, the Zelda games, but it's still super cool. Definitely better than hearing the same song play in the same exact way for basically every fight.

The thing, and this is something I've tried to get at when writing about the other games, that I can't really put into words is how it all comes together. I can describe the moves, the gimmicks, the music, etc, but I can't really convey what it's actually like to play the game and really feel it. The anticipation as I charge headfirst in, ready to fight. The thrill of narrowly dodging an enemy and hitting them back even harder, the surge of adrenaline when the SSS rank screams above the roaring music. And finally that gasp of relief when a fight ends, especially if it ends with some truly outlandish overkill of a move.

That thing, that spark so fundamental to Devil May Cry, that stylish heart that going all the way back to the first game, still here, after all these years. Maybe it works more for me than it does most people, but it works for me in a way like nothing else out there.

Phew. And with that, I think I've covered Devil May Cry 5. I love this game, it's one of my all time favorites. I get it's not gonna be the favorite for every fan of the series, but it is for me, and it's probably going to remain that way for quite a while, given...

Part 6 (and a half): The Future?

Now that I've reached the end of this long retrospective series, it's time to look forward. Been six years since 5's release, and five since the Special Edition. As long as the time between DmC and DMC 5, but with not even a whisper about a DMC 6. All we've gotten are that mobile game I refuse to acknowledge, and now the Netflix series that inspired me to re-experience the series. That's getting a second season, at least. For better or worse, depending on your perspective, I guess. Problematic people involved or not, I'll probably watch it. I mean if they were to bring Reuben Langdon back for a theoretical DMC 6, am I not gonna play that just because he's a conspiracy weirdo? He only just managed to give a consistently good performance in 5!

I don't seek out rumors or leaks, yet somehow Resident Evil leaks keep finding their way to me (Leon in Requiem?), so I kinda imagine if there was anything about a DMC 6 I would have seen something, right?

Now, I know what Itsuno did after DMC 5, it was Dragon's Dogma II. And after Dragon's Dogma II...he left Capcom to start a new studio. As to why he left after working at Capcom for three decades, and making so many beloved (and well selling) games... Again, based on the rumors online, he had a lot of trouble getting the support of the company to make Dragon's Dogma II, so maybe he just wanted more creative freedom? I know I'll be paying attention to whatever he's working on at LightSpeed Studios, whether it's something closer to DMC, Dragon's Dogma, or entirely new. I'm just saying we could be on the cusp of another Bayonetta moment. Though realistically I feel like if he wanted to keep making DMC-likes, he would have worked on DMC 6.

Of course I'm not saying that they can't make a DMC without him. He didn't work on the first one, after all, and the series only grew and flourished without Kamiya (not counting DMC 2). But without someone to champion, and push for it, I dunno how high of a priority it is for Capcom.

Not like it doesn't sell. Just this year Capcom announced DMC 5 sold ten million copies. A number that a friend and I, after we both realized we each bought two copies, joked, “I can't believe five million people bought DMC 5 twice!”

In all seriousness, those are sales numbers that to me, say the series will return eventually. Just a question, of when, and how. Honestly, I'd be interested to see a remake of the first one? Especially if they changed the structure of the game to more embrace the exploration of that big castle, over linear missions. I love DMC 5, but I would be really curious to see the series go in a different direction in the future, and make something a little closer to those survival horror roots. Nothing wrong with some air combos between solving obscure puzzles!

Now, I feel like after all these write-ups, all these weeks, or really months in terms of how I actually wrote it...I think I've said everything I can about Devil May Cry. I'm glad I did this, it was both really interesting, and super fun to revisit all these games. Even DMC 2, as bad as it is, was at least funny and baffling enough that I got something out of it, so it was a worthwhile experience.

Plus it's left me with a deeper knowledge and appreciation of a series I love. And a greater appreciation for some people like Itsuno. He might not be a household name like Kojima or Miyamoto, and no his contribution to games isn't as great as the creator of Mario and Zelda, but he's directed some fantastic games! I love Kojima's games too, and he's certainly a name synonymous with stealth and a heavy emphasis on narrative in games. But honestly, while Kamiya is the one treated as the equivalent for stylish action games, I feel like if anyone deserves that title it's Itsuno. He'd certainly be on my game dev hall of fame if I were to actually make such a list.

Also, I didn't really think about it at the time, but this six part series is the biggest project I've ever undertaken in the realm of writing about games. I did a four part series on Tears of the Kingdom, so that's certainly the deepest dive on one game, but it's still not this. This wasn't the original intent, but obviously the project grew, and I think it turned out pretty well!

The point being that this was a lot of work over a lot of time (I started in May, but am only publishing the finale in December!), but it was a labor of love. Literally because I don't get paid for this. Giant Bomb doesn't pay me, and Capcom certainly didn't pay me to write about Devil May Cry, I did it, quite literally, out of love for the game(s).

So, to everyone still here, thank you for reading. Especially if you read all six of these! And I hope if anyone reading this hasn't played a Devil May Cry, you go give them a shot. They're readily available on all modern platforms, and I'm sure emulating the PS2 ones is simple enough if you're into that sort of thing. I won't judge, just go play some classic games!

So...how do I end this? Well, how about with a...

Jackpot!!