Devil May Cry 5, hunting demons on Nintendo Switch 2 - Review

Devil May Cry 5 was one of the biggest surprises of 2019, a year in which Capcom also delighted us with the Resident Evil 2 remake, laying the groundwork for renewed success. And it's no coincidence that the Stylish Action genre "shakes up" the action genre, focusing entirely on emphasizing dynamics, transforming every situation into a true triumph of a "demon medley."

And the reception, which saw it span two generations of consoles (including an excellent Special Edition on PS5 and Xbox Series), couldn't have been better for this fifth installment, managing to sell 11 million units worldwide—no small numbers for this return. And a few years later, Capcom had no intention of leaving Nintendo Switch 2 owners high and dry, delighting them with an edition designed for the occasion: the Devil Hunter Edition.

Some more attentive observers will have noticed, especially by looking at the cover image, a similarity with the Special Edition. Well, yes, it is precisely that version with some very small compromises resulting from an optimization choice that aims for a rock-solid 60 FPS. Devil May Cry 5 Devil Hunter Edition is an edition rich in content with fast, satisfying gameplay that is perfectly enjoyable in both TV mode and handheld mode.

In short, this return of the demon hunters, with the addition of Vergil (much loved by fans), we believe has succeeded and will surely entertain more than expected. After all, we are talking about the most modern and, in some ways, most spectacular chapter of the entire saga, even if the third episode reaches very high peaks in terms of narrative.

Devil Hunter, reporting for duty!

Five years have passed since the events of the fourth chapter, and something bizarre seems to be happening in Red Grave City. A majestic tree appears to have sprung up out of nowhere and is literally wiping out all life, sucking its blood with its imposing roots. To stop what appears to be a gargantuan plague, the demon hunter Nero heads everywhere in his agency's camper, along with his partner and armorer, to stop the hordes of demons with his beloved revolver Blue Rose and the Red Queen sword, capable of tearing apart any villain out there.

Nero, however, will not be the only hero; by his side will be the legendary hunter Dante (half-man and half-demon) and V, a mysterious man with a truly unique gameplay style: imagine, he can rely on three demons who will unconditionally obey his orders, making everything absolutely brilliant.

The beginning of the events also coincides with a hooded man who appears in Nero's workshop and, almost at death's door, violently tears off the boy's right arm to free the Yamato sword and open a portal to the underworld. And here we stop, because we believe it is good and right that you experience this epic without further spoilers that we would never dream of giving you. In any case, Devil May Cry 5 is an absolutely elegant chapter in its brutality, the most successful of the series (if you'll grant us that) and one that strongly highlights the technical prowess of the RE Engine (the proprietary game engine already used for the various Resident Evil titles).

In Devil May Cry 5 Devil Hunter Edition, we will therefore be called to follow the exploits of these three demon hunters, each equipped with their own personalized moveset to shine on the battlefield. Each chapter, or mission, will be tackled sequentially with a pre-established character who will dynamically (and cinematically) follow the events. It starts (obviously) with Nero, the youngest of the "litter" but not the tenderest of the group: he is brash and has an awareness of his innate abilities in battle. In fact, after losing his demonic arm, he rushes forward with a new power given to him by his partner: the Devil Breaker.

This is essentially a bionic arm replacing the lost one that can unleash devastating power, but also very easy to break. To tell the truth, Nero can equip several of them, giving him more maneuverability to make the gameplay more "sparkling." In addition to the arm's abilities, we can have fun with the anti-demon sword and perform slashes capable of tearing the flesh of the toughest villains. Another peculiarity lies in the combustion system (a bit like that of a motorcycle) to add a dose of power and spectacularity to the dynamics.

Dante, on the other hand, has his classic arsenal, the double pistol so dear to fans, a heavy weapon imbued with demonic power (slower but lethal), and the demonic sword Sparda. Among other things, thanks to the Devil Trigger, he can assume the form of a demon and recover some energy, as well as acquire extraordinary speed and power. Last but not least is V, who represents a real novelty in gameplay, showing us that you don't necessarily need a sword and a gun to harm opponents. In fact, the boy does not possess combat potential but can eliminate opponents thanks to his personal demons; Shadow for close-range attacks and Griffon for long-range ones. In the end, all that's left for us is to deliver the finishing blow with the inimitable cane.

In short, Devil May Cry 5 Devil Hunter Edition boasts fast, responsive, and very varied gameplay thanks to the three protagonists we will use throughout the story. The adventure as a whole lasts about 15 hours and is divided into about 20 main missions, plus 12 secret ones with challenges to complete to obtain some pretty good rewards. And in all this, we haven't forgotten Vergil, Dante's twin brother and the big absentee in the game's first version, later included in the Special Edition some time ago.

Vergil and additional content

Vergil is undoubtedly one of the most beloved characters in the franchise: strong, determined, and highly skilled with his sharp blade. Using him will make you feel like a war machine, and you'll have more fun than ever reliving the entire adventure in his shoes, even if his story skips the moments when he's not present and only adds a few small, new cutscenes.

To be clear, Vergil will traverse the same levels as the others, showcasing his astonishing moveset, characterized by four unique styles: Yamato, Beowulf, Mirage Edge, and Mirage Blade. And it's needless for us to tell you how much damage you'll inflict on the enemy, dynamically alternating various abilities, teleporting in an instant before them as they remain incredulous of your determination. The son of the demon Sparda is certainly the character you'll use the most, as he will relive the entire adventure solo.

In any case, Vergil and the other hunters can also demonstrate their combat skills in the Bloody Palace, a mode that can only be accessed once you have finished the game. It's a dungeon full of villains where you fight your way to the top, as is classic for a DMC title. As you can imagine, the battles will be heart-pounding and of increasing difficulty: only true hunters can make it here, but we're sure you will!

Devil May Cry 5 Devil Hunter Edition, however, does not include Turbo and Legendary Dark Knight modes. These were two "mods" that increased the game's speed by 120%, for faster and more responsive gameplay, and added a difficulty selector to increase the number of enemies on screen, somewhat in the vein of a musou. These "omissions" might surprise the most loyal fans, but we believe it's a choice due to global optimization that takes into account the hardware "limitations" of Switch 2.

So, how does it run on Nintendo Switch 2?

Devil May Cry 5 Devil Hunter Edition is a top-notch port, perfect for playing both in portable mode and directly on TV. The frame rate is always convincing, and you'll hardly notice any performance drops, even in particularly dynamic situations. Of course, to ensure fluidity, compromises had to be made with the graphics engine, which doesn't always appear perfect but defends itself enormously well.

Obviously, the absence of ray tracing seems quite obvious to us, and to be honest, on Switch 2, it's not really needed. We must always consider the hardware limitations of the console, which, even if it's more powerful than the first Switch, certainly can't work miracles in terms of rendering. And Devil May Cry 5 is yet another Capcom title to have been incredibly well optimized for Nintendo's "little one."