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- DMC Devil May Cry is over a decade old.
- The game was criticized for changing the themes of this series and offering a new take on Dante.
- Reviews were still positive, thanks to compelling combat and nonstop action.
Devil May Cry is one of the only AAA franchises in the hack-and-slash genre today. This series is best known for its stylish combat and memorable OSTs, with many considering the third and fifth games the pinnacle of the IP.
However, among the many entries in the series, Ninja Theory’s reboot from 2013 is perhaps the most disliked. Created as a new direction for the series, this game was released 11 years ago and nearly led to the demise of Devil May Cry.
Why it matters: DMC Devil May Cry is one of the few games that shows a disconnect between critical and fan reception, with the two being polar opposites in this case.
Dante is easily one of Capcom’s most recognized and famous protagonists. However, DMC Devil May Cry, instead of paying homage to this character’s legacy, took a completely different approach.
The game changed Dante’s personality and design, even going as far as mocking his original look in one particular cutscene. Similar changes were made to the rest of the cast, including Vergil.
While past games were known for being campy and cheesy, Ninja Theory focused on a more edgy tone. This meant that nearly everything about the game was a departure from Capcom’s releases in the past.
As expected, fans were quick to voice their dislike for these changes. This resulted in the game being a commercial failure, forcing Capcom to wait for six years before eventually releasing Devil May Cry 5 in 2019, a return to form for the IP.
Still, DMC Devil May Cry was not completely irredeemable. Those who were willing to look past the tone shift found the combat energetic and high-octane. In this regard, it lived up to the legacy of the IP.
Eleven years later, DMC Devil May Cry is still a fun hack-and-slash game. As a franchise that has built itself based on providing strong combat gameplay, we find a game like Devil May Cry 2 worse than Ninja Theory’s reboot.
However, there is no denying that Ninja Theory’s approach was far from fitting.
With no signs of a new Devil May Cry game and director Hideaki Itsuno busy in the development of Dragon’s Dogma 2, DMC Devil May Cry might be worth trying for those craving more content from the IP.
At the same time, Devil May Cry 5 is still an incredible hack-and-slash game, offering multiple characters to explore, demons to slay, and combos to practice.
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[News Editor]
Obaid is pursuing a Law degree while working as a content writer. He has worked as a gaming writer for over three years because of his passion for the medium and reporting the latest updates in the industry. Having played hundreds of games, Obaid finds himself coming back to Elden Ring, Cyberpunk 2077, and Red Dead Redemption 2, with these games being among his favorites. He has also been mentioned on highly regarded websites, such as Wccftech, Metro UK, PS Lifestyle, GamePressure, VGC, and Gamespot.
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