Capcom’s fifth main entry in theDevil May Cryseries saw Nero, Dante, and V struggling to contain the demon infestation of Red Grave City. With a few of the title’s mechanics and design elements working to accentuate the nightmarish nature of its world,futureDevil May Crygamescould benefit from leaning further into horror.
Devil May Cry 5sets up the struggles between Red Grave and the Qliphoth almost immediately; Nero and V are left to watch as the tree’s demonic tendrils skewer the city’s inhabitants, sowing chaos. The same eerie quality translates to Nero’s earlier missions across the dilapidated cityscape, where husks of its former inhabitants echo their last moments of fear. It’s a startling tone for the game’s introduction that demonstrates how horrific a demon infestation truly is, even from the perspective of a capable devil hunter. The game’s ambient music works in tandem to build upon this atmosphere, mixing chilling piano notes with the sound of falling rain.
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The Horrors of Devil May Cry 5
Horrific undertones are apparent throughoutDMC 5’s early boss and level designs. As the underdogdemon-slayer Nerotraverses the dusty corridors of an ornate building, an unseen enemy moves beyond its windows, sending shards of glass flying in its wake. It’s a foreboding set-up for a boss fight to come: Artemis, whose eldritch design is exemplified through a half-missing head and fanned out wings lined with tiny, purple eyes that hurl projectiles.
The defining mechanic ofDevil May Cry5is its style meter and flashy combat, a quality that stays consistent despite the title’s tone. Though the horrors of the world are set up well, the natural progression of the game has its characters gain a larger arsenal, making standard enemy types less fear-inducing as players get more accustomed to performing combos. However, one instance stands out that demonstrates thesurvival-horror genre’s shift in power dynamics:Devil May Cry 5’s mission 14, “Diverging Point: V.”
V loses access to his demon familiars, and he must defeat them in combat before they can return to his side. With stark limitations on his moveset, the ensuing mirage fights feel closer to the horror of the one-sided struggle between humans and demons in earlier games. There’s less of an opportunity to “style” on enemies and more of a fight for survival, the mission instead relies heavily on the player’s capabilities to strategize and time their moves. Among the capable combatants andweapons ofDevil May Cry 5, mission 14 showcases one way futureDevil May Cryentries can lean further into its horror ambiance.
TheDevil May Cryseries shows an aptitude for tragedy, horror, and comedy in equal measure. While futureDevil May Crytitles shouldn’t give up on this variation, they can take notes fromDevil May Cry 5’s horror elements, building upon the formula. Whichever direction a new entry takes, it could benefit from certain environmental and design choices that hone in on an unsettling ambiance. Vistas similar to Red Grave’s Alberton Graveyard could be a grim addition, while occasional missions - whether they’re helmed by Nero or a new fledgling devil hunter - could experiment with endgame limitations on moves that encourage strategic thinking.
Devil May Cry 5is available now for the PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
