is an action-adventure game franchise created by Hideki Kamiya, and succeeded by Hideaki Itsuno for every game after the first until Devil May Cry 5. The hack and slash series introduced the new subgenre of character action games that ranked style used in combat. It is primarily developed and published by Capcom. The series centers on the demon hunter Dante and his efforts to thwart various demon invasions of Earth. Its gameplay consists of combat scenarios in which the player must attempt to extend long chains of attacks, avoid damage, utilise taunts and exhibit stylised combat by varying their attacks to express creative, freestyled action choreography in real time; this combat, along with time and the number of currencies collected and consumables used, are considered in grading the player's performance from rank D to S.
The series alludes to Italian poet Dante's Divine Comedy. Hideki Kamiya created Devil May Cry after a failed attempt to develop a Resident Evil game, with the first game originally being conceived as Resident Evil 4. Kamiya wanted to create a game with more action features, which Capcom felt the series did not need, but still showed confidence in the end product as standalone. The later games were directed by Hideaki Itsuno and writer Bingo Morihashi.
In 2010, Capcom announced a new game, DmC: Devil May Cry (developed by Ninja Theory and supervised by Capcom), during the Tokyo Game Show that year. A high-definition remastering of the three PlayStation 2 titles was compiled in the Devil May Cry HD Collection and released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2012, and in 2018 for the PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One. The remasters were released as standalone titles for Nintendo Switch between 2019 and 2020, with Devil May Cry 3 receiving exclusive new modes on the platform to modernize it. The latest game is Devil May Cry 5, released on March 8, 2019.
The series has been successful; the main entries have sold 41 million copies worldwide and received Capcom's Platinum Title award. The success of the video-game series has led to comic books, novelizations, two animated series (a canonical anime and a Netflix standalone series), guides, collectibles, publications, and a variety of action figures, as well as crossovers into other franchises, most notably Marvel vs. Capcom and Punishing: Grey Raven.
Games
Devil May Cry: Players assume the role of Dante, a skilled demon hunter. The gameplay focuses on fast-paced, highly stylized combat; a high style ranking requires long attack and evasion strings while avoiding damage. Although the game also features puzzle-solving and exploration elements retained from its survival-horror origins, they are downplayed in favor of action. In later games, the system was modified; players had to vary their attacks to maintain their style rank. The Devil Trigger, a mainstay ability of the entire series, enables a player's character to temporarily assume a devilish form with additional powers (based on their current weapon), while the character's speed and attack strength increase, and health is slowly restored.
Devil May Cry 2: Dante is generally the game's lead character. Two other playable characters, Lucia and Trish are also available. The ability to perform combination attacks in mid-air and evasion and weapon-change buttons were introduced. With the latter, a player can cycle through 2 equipped ranged weapons without switching to the inventory screen. The game also introduced the fan favorite mode, "Bloody Palace", to the series. Devil May Cry: Deadshot: A shooter game released for Japanese feature phones in 2003. It is set in an old castle on a deserted island. Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening: The main character Dante can swap between a variety of weapons and fighting styles, allowing the player to focus on favorite techniques or weapons. Each of the four styles gains experience points when used, which unlock more techniques and abilities without costing red orbs (the series' currency). A second weapon-change button was added, allowing the player to cycle through a character's melee weaponry. The game was re-released as Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition with new skills for Dante and the ability to play as Vergil. Devil May Cry: Two different mobile games for feature phones were released in 2007–2008. One has similar gameplay to Devil May Cry 3 and uses enemies and characters from that game. It is also known by the title Devil May Cry: Dante X Vergil. The other one is a 2D side-scrolling beat 'em up. Devil May Cry 4: This entry introduces a new protagonist, Nero, who is playable alongside the returning Dante. Nero's Devil Bringer arm gives players the ability to pull enemies toward him or himself toward enemies (depends on enemies), perform context-specific attacks or parries, and use grapple points. Nero is also armed with a Sword Called "Red Queen" which can be Revved up to three slots, allowing players to Pre-Rev those slots to cause extra damage on the next hit, and gain bonus "style points" toward their ranking; with precise timing, those Slots can be Revved with each attack. As Dante, players can switch weapons and fighting styles mid-combat, allowing for more varied and unique combos. The game was re-released as Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition in 2015, featuring the ability to play as Vergil as well as returning characters Lady and Trish. Devil May Cry HD Collection: A collection of the series' first three games for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, ported by Pipeworks Software and Double Helix Games, eventually released on March 22, 2012, in Japan and March 29, 2012, in the US. It was later ported to the PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One on March 13, 2018. DmC: Devil May Cry: This attempted reboot of the series introduced a new continuity in which the player character Dante and his twin brother Vergil are Nephilim, descendants of an angel and a demon parent. The player could alternate between Angel Mode and Demon mode with specific weapons and enhanced traversal abilities. Further options for accessing hidden areas included the Ophion whip and grappling hook. The gameplay takes place partially in Limbo, a parallel world inhabited by demons, that occasionally intersects with the normal world, changing its architecture and infrastructure to a more hostile form, prompting fast-paced chase sequences and platforming scenarios.A Key Addition To DmC Devil May Cry Is Dynamic, Changing Environments. Siliconera (2011-06-14). Retrieved on 2013-08-23.Bierton, David. (2013-01-27) DmC PC - the definitive Devil May Cry experience? • Face offs •. Eurogamer.net. Retrieved on 2013-08-23. The game takes place in an urban fantasy setting, inspired by contemporary Western cities, as opposed to the fantastical, Renaissance-themed environments of the other games in the series. The story also touches on criticism of themes of mass media and consumerism. The game has since had its plans of continuation abandoned, with the game itself now being treated as an alternate story to the classic games own story. Devil May Cry 5: This game follows the original continuity from Devil May Cry 4. It again features Nero and Dante as playable characters, as well as a new character named V. Nero's Devil Bringer arm is replaced with a selection of swappable cybernetic arms dubbed Devil Breakers, each one featuring distinct gameplay mechanics. V remotely commands three demons in battle due to his weak physical state. The game was re-released as Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition, featuring the ability to play as Vergil. Devil May Cry: Peak of Combat: A mobile-phone game by Yunchang Games, based on Devil May Cry 3. Its rendition of Dante's appearance was criticized, and the developers promised to fix it when the game left the beta period for release in 2020.
Plot
The events of the series begin two millennia before the first game with the demon Sparda, the Black Knight, defeating Demon World ruler Mundus. Sparda stops Mundus from conquering the human world by sealing several Hellgates and Temen-Ni-Gru (the last gate) with a ritual requiring his blood and the aid of a human priestess. Sparda meets Eva, who gives birth to his twin sons Dante and Vergil.
The plot begins with Devil May Cry 3, a year after Dante has a falling-out with Vergil.Arkham: Is your name Dante? Son of Sparda? Dante: Where did you hear that? Arkham: From your brother. He sent this invitation to you. Please accept it. Dante: Invitation huh? (Devil May Cry 3) Capcom, 2005 A large tower erupts from the ground near the shop where Dante works as a mercenary devil hunter and Dante interprets it as a challenge from Vergil.Dante: It's been nearly a year since we last met. Where does the time go? No doubt you've got some fun planned for me. Right Vergil? (Devil May Cry 3) Capcom, 2005 Dante is defeated in Temen-Ni-Gru by Vergil, who takes his locket and leaves with Arkham. Dante's dormant devil power revives him, and he resumes pursuing his brother. Vergil wants to use the pendants their mother gave them in a ritual to create a portal to the Demon World. The battle is joined by Lady, who wants to avenge her mother's death by Arkham; Arkham manipulated the three into completing the ritual, which would allow him to acquire Sparda's sword: the Force Edge.Jester: It was quite a ride, you know! If any of you had died before getting here, our little plan would have gone to waste! Therefore, my job was to get you to battle each other in order to weaken you. But at the same time, I needed to guide you here and make sure you were kept alive. I even went so far as dressing like a complete idiot! (Devil May Cry 3) Capcom, 2005Arkham: He plucks the threads that make us dance, finger and toe! We surrender in joy to the lowest of the foul and rank; we submerge through darkness, rancid filth. Hour by hour, we move downward, ever closer to Hell, in a slow, steady gait. Now, let the world resonate! Sloth! Gluttony! Greed! Envy! Lust! Wrath! And pride! A bell of chaos that tolls human desires! After two thousand long years, the once sealed gate to the demonic world will open! Destruction! Carnage and Despair! Let your instincts drive you! Entrap this world in fear! As its very name, Temen-ni-gru strikes terror into the heart of mankind. Then I will become the ultimate ruler of this wasteland engulfed with pandemonium. The demonic power that Sparda once imprisoned ... will be mine! (Devil May Cry 3) Capcom, 2005 Dante and Vergil defeat him, and resume battling each other. The portal begins to close, and Vergil approaches it. Dante pleads with his brother not to go, but Vergil leaps into the Demon World before the portal closes. Vergil is tested and encounters Mundus, his mother's killer, battling him with his sword Yamato, a magical katana with the power to open portals in space and separate worlds, which once belonged to Sparda. When Lady returns to the human world, she muses on the nature of devils and humans, coining the phrase "devil may cry" in relation to the nature of a loving heart. Dante decides to use it as the name for the shop.Lady: Are you crying? Dante: It's only the rain. Lady: The rain already stopped. Dante: Devils never cry. Lady: I see. Maybe somewhere out there, even a devil may cry when he loses a loved one. Don't you think? Dante: Maybe. (Devil May Cry 3) Capcom, 2005Lady: Oh, speaking of a kind devil, he finally decided on a name for his shop. It took him quite a while to pick one. Want to know the name? Devil May Cry. (Devil May Cry 3) Capcom, 2005