from mesitoispro@ttrpg.network to games@lemmy.world on 13 Jun 12:53
https://ttrpg.network/post/20749416
I personally think 3 is peak, and I’m probably not alone in that.
It seems like it aligns the most with what the ‘core’ idea of Devil May Cry should be. There aren’t really gimmicks. There isn’t bad design. It’s simple, but done well.
The rest of the games in the series? They all leave a lot to be desired.
I’d say the first one comes the closest to reaching DMC3’s heights.
Devil May Cry 2 is well, you know.
4 starts off phenomenally, but then it turns out to only be half a game. I will never forgive them for that backtracking bullshit. It should always be a stain on everyone’s criticism of the game.
I’ve only played a little bit of 5, but I wasn’t too impressed. It’s certainly not bad, but I don’t think it comes close to reaching the level of DMC3. Switching characters honestly isn’t that great, because odds are I will prefer to play as a certain character which makes playing as others a chore.
So… what’s left? Looking at it in retrospect under a critical lens makes me think that most games in the series just aren’t that great. They’re certainly not bad, but not something I can replay expecting them to be consistent with the best in the series.
Compared to something like God of War, where some may argue all of the games are spectacular, Devil May Cry falls woefully short.
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You know, it’s funny, I’m about halfway through DMC4, and I’m loving it even more than 3 thus far, but even through cultural osmosis, I know a turn is coming. Other than that, I was surprised to find how much I agree with you, having not played 5 yet, but maybe I’m not as fond of the first game as you are; nothing seems to flow in that game compared to later entries, and I’d argue it often has more in common with Dark Souls. I went down this road playing this series because Hi-Fi Rush knocked my socks off, and I’m still expecting that game to have the most in common with DMC5. So far, I’d still say Hi-Fi Rush beats them all, but it got to learn from them, after all.
OK, so I'm gonna say this about action games: if you approach them like you do every other game—one playthrough and you move on—most are gonna disappoint you. DMC5 in particular is possibly the worst culprit; however, if you're willing to commit to exploring their depth and play on the highest difficulties, holy shit some of the best gaming you'll ever experience.
This is why I cannot take casual reviews of action games seriously because any action game fan knows the first playthrough is the tutorial, while for most people it's the whole game.
I can't really fault people for wanting to move on after one playthrough, but when they say stuff like "I played DMC… and it's not that good" I just wanna say: yeah, no shit, because you didn't stick around to explore why everyone else is praising it—you played the tutorial and moved on.
We could argue whether this is bad game design, but the truth is not only does it work, I don't believe there's any way for a game like DMC or Bayonetta to feed all of its combat depth to players in one playthrough. Hell, it's not enough for the muscle memory to kick in to get even close to mastering everything, so I cannot really blame devs that much.
And yet a number of these games did land for me on the first go.
Agree. 5 was a fun spectacle but the character switching really was ass, and playing as V it felt like the winning strategy was just buttonmashing. Still was very happy it got made after DMC.
Aww, I honestly forgot to mention DmC.
I really liked it and think it stands on its own as a good game.
What other game lets you fight the demonic personification of Fox News and Bill O’Reilly?
How are we still making these criticisms in 2025 😔
This is why discussing action games in mainstream spheres sucks balls because half of the criticisms are as lazy as this. Y'all should do better.
Devil May Cry is all about the player expression. I would argue that the series has the best controls for doing so of all the character action games and has provided solid control schemes for different playstyles.
Even Royal Guard is fantastic: high risk reward that more than just another parry; it is a conscious choice between high risk, high potential gameplay.
I also think unless you aim to play DMC without engaging Son of Sparda and Dante Must Die, you’re really short-changing yourself in terms of what these games can really be
Are they perfect? No but they’re damn solid games that really do reward players that take the time to reach those higher skill levels while being perfectly beatable for the average pleb.
Agreed, but extend that to cover action games in general. One playthrough is not enough to understand why everyone else is praising them.
Well it’s certainly a terrible Resident Evil spin-off.
(DMC originally began life as a Resident Evil game that got so off the rails, they just made it a new IP)
I would like more Onimusha please
Good News Everyone!
A new Onimusha game is coming.
.