Summary
With only five mainline games currently released in the series,Devil May Cryhas managed to carve out its own unique identity for itself which, in many people’s eyes, has become the king of the hack-and-slash genre. While the fast-paced adrenaline-pumping action gameplay is always brought back for each new entry, there have also been a few smaller mechanics, systems, and implementations that help set this series apart from many others within the same genre.
No matter how modernized theDevil May Crygames may become as the years go by, Capcom is well aware that many of the fans who dive into each new entry are longtime players who have already ventured through previous titles. As a result, bringing back such traditions can help to familiarize players with the world and gameplay right off the bat, ensuring them that this is still the same badass demon-slaying series that it’s always been.
8Style System
A Unique Mechanic Which Is Much More Stylish Than A Simple Combo Tally
Every game in theDevil May Cryseries features a ‘Style’ ranking system which will show up whenever players jump into a new encounter. The way it works is, that players will be awarded a specific letter and phrase depending on how well they are performing in combat. In the original, this would range from ‘Dull’, being the lowest, to ‘Stylish’, which can only be acquired by landing every hit on the enemy without taking damage in the process, since this causes the meter to restart.
However, Dante can’t simply spamEbony and Ivoryto ramp up the stylish meter, as using the same move over and over again will actually cause it to decrease. It is therefore a clever system that pushes players to get creative with their attacks, and while this could be a little tricky in the first game due to limited weaponry, players would have far more options to play around with their ‘Style’ inDevil May Cry 3and onwards, thanks to the expanded combat systems seen in those games.
7Demons
The Signature Enemies Of The Series Who Can Appear In All Shapes And Sizes
In every singleDevil May Crygame, the primary enemies that Dante, Nero, and the other playable characters will be hacking and slashing during a playthrough are demons. These otherwordly creatures usually start off as little more than mindless grunts who can be taken down with just a few swings, but as the games progress, the demons will start becoming much deadlier and more durable, even being able to wield weapons.
While demons therefore play the role of main enemies in the series, the term is also very relevant to the wider lore, considering Dante and his brother Vergil are half demons themselves. Needless to say, demons always make an appearance in one form or another, and their existence is integral to the wider story of the series.
6Stinger
Dante’s Go-To Technique For Getting Up Close And Personal With Demons Is Available In Every Game
Arguably Dante’s most recognizable attack in the series, and undoubtedly one of his most useful, is Stinger. While it’s all well and good tearing a group of demons to shreds with consecutive attacks, Dante needs to actually get close to them first before he can start dishing out damage, and that’s exactly what Stinger is used for, acting as a lunge which allowsthe Son of Spardato close the gap in the blink of an eye.
While Dante can also use his Trickster style to move toward demons as quickly as possible, Stinger is the fastest and most reliable way of doing so, and is therefore an integral part of his move set which has appeared in each and every game for players to unlock.
5Devil Trigger
Dante And Vergil’s Ultimate Form Grants Them Tremendous Power
If Dante or Vergil decide to go all-out duringan intense battle, they can unleash their Devil Trigger; a form where they assume the appearance of a humanoid and immensely powerful demon who grants them tremendous speed and strength. While Devil Trigger technically showed up in the first and second games, it wouldn’t be untilDevil May Cry 3that it would take on the design that most fans are familiar with.
In the majority of the games, Dante will only be able to use Devil Trigger after a certain story event, ensuring players aren’t able to obliterate enemies too easily for the first few hours. While these forms were traditionally relegated to Dante and his brother Vergil, Nero would even have the chance to acquire his very own at the end of the fifth game, much to everyone’s surprise.
4Orbs
The Creepy But Useful Collectibles That Help Players Out Along Their Journey
In keeping in line with the creepy and light-horror aesthetic of the series, theDevil May Crygames use orbs as the items used for restoring the player’s health, vitality, and Devil Trigger gauge. What makesthese collectiblesso unnerving is that many of them are designed like demonic faces, making them pretty terrifying to look at, but that shouldn’t dissuade players from grabbing as many as possible, since they can be extremely useful.
There are multiple types of Orbs that can be found throughout the games, such as basic ones like Green Orbs which restore Vitality, or the much rarer Purple Orbs which can length the Devil Trigger bar significantly, giving players more time to run wild after transforming.
3A Focus On Family Ties
At The Heart Of Many Of The Games Is A Story About Familial Bonds
Though the overall story of everyDevil May Crygame is drastically different, one common theme they all carry is a focus on familial bonds. For example, in the first title, Dante seeks revenge on Mundus for seemingly killing his brother and mother and also sees Trish as the splitting-image of his mom, Eva, which is why he follows her. In the third game, the narrative would hone in on the rocky relationship between Dante and Vergil, which again plays a large part inDevil May Cry 5, where Nero is forced to put an end tothe sibling rivalryonce and for all.
Speaking of Nero, despite seeming like an entirely new character to the story, he too struggles with accepting his true family, whether it be Dante and Vergil, or his girlfriend Kyrie and her brother Credo. This isn’t even mentioning the blood feud between Lady and her father, Arkham, which appears in the third game, showing that it’s not just the protagonists who get swept up in this series tradition.
2So Many One Liners
Dante Loves Nothing More Than Belittling His Opponents, Even If They’re Triple His Size
Simply put, it’s not aDevil May Crygame without Dante crackinga few one-liners here and there. Despite being a lot more stoic and serious in the first game, Dante was still able to throw out some hilarious lines throughout the story, usually when face to face with the bosses, such as the iconic “Flock off, feather face” which he hurls at Griffon upon meeting him.
In every game since, Capcom would make it a mission to give Dante new cheesy one-liners to say against almost every boss he encounters. Even inDevil May Cry 5, where the demon slayer is a little older and more ‘mature’, he’s still not above throwing insults the enemy’s way, with even Nero jumping on the trend eventually too.
1"Jackpot"
Dante’s Iconic Quote Is Referenced In Each And Every Game
The very first time fans would hear this iconic phrase is actually during the very first cutscene of the entire series when Trish can be seen walking into Dante’s shop, but he again says it during his final showdown with Mundus at the end of the game. Since then, Dante has ensured to always shout out “Jackpot” whenever he gets the chance, though considering it is usually seconds before he unleashes a powerful attack on an enemy, it always means something big is about to go down whenever players hear it.
InDevil May Cry 3, both Dante and Vergil say the line in unison when aiming their pistols at Arkham, and it is even uttered duringthe post-credits sceneofDevil May Cry 5, this time, to the annoyance of Vergil, who has probably been hearing against his will since childhood.
