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.
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.