Devil May Cry 5: A Game of Smokin Sexy Style

In a style true to its predecessors, Devil May Cry 5 hits the scene in a blaze of seamless, fast-paced combat and heavy metals riffs. You’ll smash enemies aside with an arsenal of swords, guns, magic, rocket arms, and even a weaponized motorcycle; while throwing the flippant quips that only a devil hunter can pull off in the middle of a fight.

Devil May Cry 5 does not reinvent the wheel. It is still the same action-orientated, highly linear hack and slash game that we saw with the first iteration, way back in 2001. Levels are a repetitive series of zones that you cannot progress past until you have defeated all enemies, linked by halls and corridors with very little in them. As before, you collect red orbs – the crystallized blood of demons – to unlock more skills and weapons. The plot follows the same usual tropes of devils fighting for control of the underworld, which you must stop.

Regardless, Devil May Cry 5 is a true sensation, actively encouraging players to approach each and every piece of combat to be better! Style is the major focus of the game, stringing together new, inventive combo streaks to strive for that coveted SSS (Smokin’ Sexy Style) ranking. It might not be apparent from the off, especially for newcomers to the series, but at some point everything just seems to click. The game becomes far less about mashing keys, to relentlessly kill everything and far more about looking very, very cool in how you relentlessly kill everything.

Leading the fight against hordes of devils you control three different characters: Dante and Nero (who fans will happily recognise from older DMC games), and the mysterious V (a newcomer to Devil May Cry 5). Each character has their own distinct style of combat, giving players a new challenge to perfect three different styles of combat.

Dante: “The Legendary Devil Hunter”

We’ve been at Dante’s side from the very beginning. His style of combat will be the most familiar, especially if you played Devil May Cry 4, with his range of attacks being focused around four distinct styles: Trickster, Royal Guard, Gunslinger, and Swordmaster.

Each style mods the way he uses his melee and ranged weapons, which include the sword Rebellion; and his popular twin guns Ebony & Ivory. You can effortlessly switch Dante’s style by hitting one of the directional buttons which, when timed right can be employed in-combat to help you tally style points.

Keeping true to the over-the-top style of Devil May Cry 5, Dante can also use his motorcycle to crash into enemies before transforming the vehicle into two buzzsaw swords that hit hard! This alone hints at the craziness of each fight and what you can look to do to earn the higher rank.

Nero: “The Devil Hunter”

Dante may have his motorcycle but Nero has something that revs with equal menace… the Red Queen. This sword, alongside the Blue Rose handgun; a grapple to bring enemies to you; and the Devil Breaker mechanical arms, set the base for Nero’s prowess in a fight.

Perhaps not as versatile as Dante, Nero gives players an opportunity to hone in on a particular style of combat. The variety with Nero comes with the many Devil Breakers you can buy throughout the game. Each mechanical arm has its own ability, from transforming into flaming swords; to freezing time momentarily; to launching from your body like a homing rocket. The last one you can even jump onto a fly around the screen, delivering blows from your gun and sword before letting it smash into an enemy with a mighty explosion!

V: “The Mysterious One”

The last combatant you can control is V, a mysterious magic-wielder who looks and sounds like a resurrected Edgar Allen Poe. When he is not reading poetry, he can summon demonic familiars to do the heavy work for him before finishing off damaged foes with his arcane cane. This style is completely unlike Dante’s and Nero’s and does come with a steeper learning curve. It requires an appreciation for offense and defense since V himself is no real fighter, so cannot stay too far away as he needs to deliver the finishing blow.

At his command, V has Shadow, shapeshifting panther (which operates as the melee), and Griffon, a lightning-throwing raven (the ranged). Activating V’s special attack – aptly named the Devil Trigger – will see him summon Nightmare, a behemoth of shadow and strength. Nothing can really stand in this monster’s way as it lumbers about the fight zone and smashes enemies into oblivion.

The combat sections with V can be a little hard at times, especially when his familiars do not do what you want them to do. Still, V does add a whole new dimension to the game, giving you a break from endless and (near) mindless sword and gunplay. His sections are not too often as well, so all-in-all it results in a neat balance.

Style is key

Everything, and we mean everything, in Devil May Cry 5 revolves around style. It is a simple philosophy to get into: make it look sexy and we’ll give you a better rank and higher rewards. Yes, you can button mash your way through the entire game, but where is the fun, skill and challenge in that? It is not about getting to the finishing line, like a horse race, but enjoying the journey it takes. Moves and equipment are easy to unlock so, as you progress through each level, you’ll have new things to try out while building those buttery-smooth combos. This also gives the game lots of replayability as you strive for SSS across all levels. And of course, there are different difficulty modes too!

An archetypal plot filled with lore from the series’ older games, which newcomers may find a little confusing, does little to detract from precisely what Devil May Cry 5 looks to be: fun. And fun it is! If demonic panthers, heavy metal scores, swords made of two halves of a motorcycle, and surfing arm rockets into devils does nothing for you, then this is not your game. But if even an iota of that appeals to you, definitely pick up this title and see what Smokin’ Sexy Style devastation you can bring to the foe.