After a wait that has seemed like an eternity, Dante, Nero, and the rest of the familiar faces (along with some new ones) that Devil May Cry fans have come to know and love have finally returned in the long-awaited Devil May Cry 5. And in case you couldn't tell from our review of the game this week, it kicks all kinds of ass.
With 11 years having passed since the last mainline installment in the series (outside of 2013's DmC: Devil May Cry from Ninja Theory), naturally it might be expected that series veterans might be a little rusty, and newcomers to the series might not know where to start. Well, worry no more; I'm here to help you work up the Demon Hunter ranks as best as I can.
As Devil May Cry 5 is now out in the wild on consoles and PC today, if you're looking to put on your leather jacket and slay some demons to an outrageously heavy soundtrack, here are a few tips to help out those DHITs (Demon-Hunters-in-Training). The name isn't great, I'll admit it. I apologize.
Take some time to learn how each character plays.
For fans that have played the previous games, Devil May Cry 5 will feel like putting on a pair of familiar gloves. DMC5 very much plays like the classic original games but with the refinements of modern technology and gameplay design behind it.
However, one of the most notable elements--especially for newcomers to the series--is the fact that Devil May Cry 5's three playable characters each have very different combat styles worth exploring. Between Dante, Nero, and the mysterious new character "V," there are a range of combat styles between the three characters that can be dug into, so we'll break them down into their basics.
The series' iconic, wise-cracking Demon Hunter Dante of course makes his return in DMC5, and of the three characters, Dante is probably the most complex. Dante has four different fighting styles he can switch between--Trickster, Swordmaster, Gunslinger, and Royalguard--that each give him varying abilities, and a wide range of melee and ranged weapons to employ, all of which he can juggle on the fly. For Dante, juggling enemies in the air and keeping things varied between your styles and weapons is crucial to landing those SSStylish combos.
For Nero, the up-and-coming Demon Hunter introduced in Devil May Cry 4, his fighting style slightly resembles Dante's, but with a few key differences. Namely, he has his trusty sword Red Queen to attack enemies up close and his Blue Rose revolver to blast enemies from afar, but what really sets Nero apart is his robotic Devil Breaker arm. Mainly, Devil Breaker can either grab enemies and pull them in closer to Nero (or he can grapple over to them and bridge the gap quickly), while in DMC5, the Devil Breaker also has a wide range of attachments that can be used to give Nero new abilities compared to his Devil Bringer arm in DMC4.
The final character of the three, V, is by far the most eccentric and different playable character from a combat standpoint. Instead of fighting directly like Dante and Nero, V stands back and lets his trio of shadowy Familiars do the dirty work. The panther-like Shadow hits enemies up close with its melee attacks, Griffon flies up in the air and targets enemies with electric blasts, and when V builds up his Devil Trigger, he summons the ultra-powerful Nightmare to deal heavy damage to anything in its sight.
That all being said, as you play Devil May Cry 5, take some time with lower-powered enemies to experiment with each of the three characters to get a feel for their playstyles. Given how different each one is from one another, there are a ton of different options to explore throughout the storyline of DMC5, and it's worth getting to know what makes Dante, Nero, and V tick.
Focus on grabbing new abilities that will extend your combos.
Over the course of your playthrough in Devil May Cry 5, each of the three characters that you play as will get the opportunity to gain new abilities by purchasing them from Nico in the DMC van. How do you get them, you ask? From all those Red Orbs that you've been grabbing by slaying enemies, smash objects, finding them in the environment, and working your way towards getting those SSStylish combo rankings.
Dante, Nero, and V each have a wide range of new abilities that they'll be able to gain throughout DMC5, but if I have to make a recommendation for which ones to get first, I'd say that you should start out by trying to get abilities that will either give you new moves or extend the combos of moves you already have. Aside from some mainstay moves like Streak for Nero and Stinger for Dante--both moves that help them bridge the gap between enemies--they'll also go a long way in giving you the chance to vary up your combos and set up enemies for longer strings of attacks, thereby giving you the ability to get better level rankings and more Red Orbs.
While there are many abilities you can get that will power up your weaponry, such as Charged Shots for Nero's Blue Rose or Dante's Ebony and Ivory pistols, put your focus first on grabbing the abilities that will give you new options for engaging in combat.
Test the ins and outs of dodging, jumping, and invincibility frames.
While learning how to juggle enemies and build up combos is the biggest factor in taking on the challenges of a Devil May Cry game, learning how to evade (and employ the use of "invincibility frames") is another key element that Devil May Cry 5 certainly makes more important than ever before.
DMC5 has two main ways that you can evade enemy attacks across all three characters, with the notable exceptions being Dante's Trickster style that gives him a dedicated dodge ability, and Nero's Gerbera Devil Breaker that gives him mid-air dodges. The first of these is the most obvious, which is the jump button. It may not be as effective as something like dedicated dodge rolls in Dark Souls, but in DMC5 it still gets the job done and not only let you evade attacks, but can also set you up for an attack or combo.
The second (and most effective) form of dodging is done by locking on to an enemy, moving your left analog stick either left or right, and then hitting the jump button. By doing this while locking on, instead of jumping in the air vertically this will provide Dante, Nero, and V with a dodge roll that can really help players in a tight spot, and especially when it comes to dodging devastating enemy attacks.
Of course, the other added benefit to learning the ins and outs of evasion in DMC5 is the fact that jumping or dodging also provides the player with a few brief moments of "invincibility frames" (or "iframes"). Like in other games such as Dark Souls or several fighting games, iframes give you a small window in which your character can't get damaged, and in the case of Devil May Cry 5, both jumping and dodging attacks will provide small (but valuable) windows to not only avoid enemy attacks, but also to avoid damage entirely...once you know where to look for them.
Explore each area for Red Orbs, hidden items, and other secrets.
While you'll spend the majority of your time in Devil May Cry 5 fighting enemies and experiencing some of the most elaborate and wild cutscenes you might ever see, the game isn't without opportunities for players to do some exploring. And while DMC5 is a little more focused compared to the more open areas seen in past games like DMC3 and DMC4, there are still many nooks and crannies worth exploring that can give you the edge in grabbing new abilities and power-ups.
Namely, as you're moving between new areas of each level, take the time to explore a bit and see if you can find the secrets waiting on each level. In particular, look for cracked walls that might hide new areas or Red Orbs, or especially keep on the lookout for hidden pathways that might lead you to Orb fragments that can increase your health and Devil Trigger gauges.
Outside of hidden Orbs and other surprises, there are also a wide range of Secret Missions that you'll (largely) only be able to find by doing some exploration and doing some light puzzle solving. So while DMC5 might encourage players to keep pushing forward and has you constantly taking on new enemies, make sure to also take some time to explore, as you'll likely find some kind of surprise waiting around many of the game's corners.
Use Devil Trigger when you're in a pinch.
Each of the three playable characters in Devil May Cry 5 have so many different options when it comes to attack power, combos, and more that it can be a little overwhelming trying to really figure out the best ways to approach combat with them. However, one important tip that I have across all of them is that you shouldn't be afraid to unleash your Devil Trigger when you really need it.
As in the past Devil May Cry games, Devil Trigger is a special ability that gives the player an added boost in speed and attack power, among other benefits. Naturally for the Demon Hunters like Dante and Nero, that translates to giving players much more durability and speed when you're really overwhelmed by enemies, and even giving you the ability to recover health when you're (nearly) down for the count.
While V does have a Devil Trigger ability, it works a little differently than Dante and Nero. Instead of turning into a quasi-human-devil with supernatural abilities, V's Devil Trigger instead summons the behemoth known as Nightmare to the battlefield. Nightmare is by far the most powerful of V's Familiars, and aside from dealing massive damage to enemies, he can even ride on top of Nightmare and command him with a special ability down the line.
Devil May Cry 5 is available now on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. If you're looking forward to kicking demon ass and taking names with Dante, Nero, and V, you can pick up the game now over on Amazon. For more on the game, you can also check out 20 minutes of gameplay footage featuring each of the game's playable characters in action.