Atma Devil May Cry 5 Review

I'm on my 5th replay of the game and what else can I say about the game that hasn't already been said. In this review I'll focus on the game structure and how smooth and rich the progression between Nero/V/Dante. First let's look at it from from the perspective of the first playthrough in Normal/Devil Hunter. You start with Nero who doesn't have as much variety as Dante, but more than makes up for it with how everything he has flows with everything else, and how every move feels so weighty and satisfying. Then you move to V, who at first sight is very different compared to anything else in the series, but also fits so well. But on a first playthrough he is very confusing, and the player is expected to slow down and observe enemies more carefully. I think this achieves two things: 1. By playing something completely different, you start missing Nero and how smooth he plays. Then you return to a Nero with a fresh perspective, and excited to try new things with him. 2. It's a subtle introduction to multi-tasking by controlling two things at the same time. This is actually a core concept in other DMC characters like Nero charging his gun while attacking and Reving his sword, or Dante attacking while changing weapons/styles based on enemy position. Finally you get to Dante, who is the "Expert" character with multiple weapons and styles that even add more to those weapons. This all can be overwhelming at first, so you're kind of expected to just focus on the new weapon you got. Now in other similar games, it's either you can pick a character freely or you pick a character for the entire playthrough. So why does this game still force you to play all 3 characters again in Hard Mode? I think this is intentional and part of how the game wants you to learn to play stylishly. You start the game again on Hard with Nero, but this time with DT and so many new options. Now that you are used to piloting Nero with the basics (Sword, Gun, Arm), you start discovering that the gun works better on a shoulder button to keep charging, and other similar details that make Nero much more satisfying to play. Finding the right timing for Rev, his triple jump nudging you to use his more aerial focused fighting style, and so on. This is actually when I started to enjoy Nero more than Dante, his fundamentals are simple, but there are so many ways to gradually build up on those fundamentals, and each new technique you discover makes piloting him even more satisfying. Then comes the switch to V again. And you probably miss playing Nero, but it's also an opportunity to "Sleep" on Nero, which is something critical in learning. V doesn't have as many new moves in the second playthrough, but it's also an opportunity to use his existing moves more effectively. You will also probably figure out by now that putting Gryffon on a shoulder button is more effective, and you get a better sense of controlling two things at once. Then comes Dante again with his 4 styles, 4 swords and 4 guns. So you start focusing on a few options you really like, and gradually try other options until you naturally get a feeling of how style/weapon switching works. I think SDT also plays a similar role to cinematic supers in fighting games. It's an opportunity to cooldown your mental stack from all the switching and just deal a lot of damage with simple controls. Now you have finished Hard Mode, and have a general idea how to pilot each character and what works. This is when you feel the game really open up. You can try B. Palace as sort of an Arcade mode to try different Arms/Swords/etc and get even more reps with your favourite character. Or you can try DMD for a challenge to test all you learned. Or try LDK to just kill things and get a dopamine hit everytime you reach SSS. Or even take a break from the game, but still remember how many cool things you still haven't tried in the game. Which is what I did, and now it's almost a yearly ritual to replay this game and try something different everytime. Now this all might be a cope because I'm salty I can't play a full playthrough with just 1 character. But I think it's also a way for the game to constantly keep you hungry, and everytime you're forced to switch characters, you're still hungry to try things with the previous character. So you keep playing and then start getting hungry to play the current character even more (Expect for V probably lol), only to switch characters and do it all over again. There are so many other positives and a few negatives I can go mention, like: Positives: + The artstyle, animation, character models, UI and how cool everything looks + The iconic character themes that are just pure hype, and even the soundtrack in general with so many amazing boss themes and menu tracks. + The bosses range from average to best boss fight ever. Allmost all of them being excellent. + The story is really well done for a Character Action game. They way each of the main characters grows and "Awakens", and how it ties to their gameplay growth too. + The action and humour in cutscenes is top-notch. Maybe the best in the series. I could watch a whole series with just Nero and Nico roasting eachother. Negatives: - The ambient battle music in some stages instead of the character themes - I really wish there was some DLC to add other ways to play the game continuously like some fighting games. Other than the multiple campaign difficulties, it's just B. Palace which can get repetitive. - Trish and Lady's minimal role in the story. The game does a really good story with the Sparda Sons. But I also wish they had extra resources to flesh Trish and Lady out more. All in all, this is a game I could play a million times and never get bored of, 10/10!