Early last year, Capcom released Devil May Cry 5 on Xbox One, PS4, and PC and it was the return to form that long-time fans of the fast-paced action franchise had been wanting. Now, just in time for the next generation of consoles, Capcom has come back around with everything that the initial release brought and more with Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition. With new features like ray-tracing, options for choosing graphical fidelity or performance, and the inclusion of fan-favorite Vergil as a playable character to go along with the return of the Legendary Dark Knight difficulty mode, this makes for the definitive version of an already fantastic installment in this long-running franchise.
[pullquote]"[Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition] makes for the definitive version of an already fantastic installment in this long-running franchise."[/pullquote]
If you missed out on the original release, Devil May Cry 5’s story follows the return of Dante and Nero a handful of years after the events of Devil May Cry 4 as a new and mysterious enemy named Urizen arises to causes trouble for the demon hunters and their crew. They are joined on their quest by the equally mysterious V who also serves as a new playable character.
The story itself is fantastic and kind of insane. It brings in all of the elements that have made the franchise such a favorite among fans and is full of subtle and not-so-subtle nods to previous games in the series. It’s over-the-top and silly at times, but it is a great ride from the start to finish with all of the characters brimming with personality. It's easily one of my personal favorite gaming experiences from last year.
If you know anything about the Devil May Cry series, then you know that combat and combos are the foundation. And in Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition, getting a triple-S ranking has never looked and felt better thanks to the power of next-gen consoles. The original release looked and played phenomenally and this upgraded edition surpasses what was on screen in just about every facet. It’s faster and smoother and really feels like the way it should be played.
With the new hardware at its disposal, you also now have multiple options to choose from if you wanted to prioritize graphics over frame rate, or a mixture that you can tailor to your liking. For instance, you can enable ray-tracing to play at 1080p at 60fps or 4K at 30fps. Alternatively, with ray-tracing turned off, you’ll be able to reach up to 120fps. Having these options really adds a whole new depth of customization to the package and allows for players to mix and match and fine tune the way they want to play.
Aside from the enhanced visuals and gameplay options, one of the biggest draws for players with this new release is the inclusion of Vergil, Dante’s brother and rival. Modders had brought the character to the PC version of last year’s release and Capcom decided to finally give in and bring fans what they wanted by including him in the Special Edition. In a game where there are already three playable characters, Vergil manages to hold his own and set himself apart from the way the others play and feel. He's much faster and more relentless than both Nero and Dante, but still has a few moves to reward holding back and careful timing like V’s move set. Vergil is very much a jack-of-all-trades type of fighter which makes him a whole lot of fun to play whether you’re using his katana, Yamato, or his heavy-hitting gauntlet combo, Beowulf.
[pullquote]"Vergil manages to hold his own and set himself apart from the way the others play and feel."[/pullquote]
If there is one gripe that I have with Vergil’s inclusion it’s the lack of a proper story from the character’s perspective. Vergil’s story more or less drops him into the main Devil May Cry 5 campaign with no real reasoning. There are points in that story that kind of fall apart and don’t make sense for Vergil to exist in those specific moments. In no way does it detract from the fun of finally getting to play as Vergil again, but it does lead to some head-scratching instances if you’re familiar with the story already. That being said, make sure to play through the story as Nero, Dante, and V if you haven’t had the chance to play it and want to get the whole narrative. If the story doesn’t interest you or you already know what’s happening, then jumping in with Vergil is still a lot of demon-slaying fun.
Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition is the definitive next-gen Devil May Cry experience. This iteration took what was already one of the best action games of the last console generation and refined everything from the performance to the visuals. Even if you’ve experienced this game before, it’s worth a second look for all of the added enhancements. And if you missed it the first time around, this is the version to play. Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition really is the whole package and a must-play for action fans.
Although, I still have my fingers crossed for a Ladies’ Night DLC where we can play as Lady and Trish with Nico in tow. Who do I have to tweet at to make this happen?
