Capcom has been proving for years that they are among the best developers on the planet when it comes to graphically demanding games running on hardware you’d never expect. They have been on an absolute tear with the Nintendo Switch 2 lately. Capcom has dropped some seriously impressive Switch 2 versions of Resident Evil: Requiem and Pragmata – now they’re flexing their muscles again with the release of Devil May Cry 5: Devil Hunter Edition on the Switch 2.
Devil May Cry 5 has been out since 2019 and has been a fan favourite in the series. It stars Nero, a one-armed sword-wielding smart-mouth who can equip arms with various weapons and tools depending on his situation. You can also play as Dante, the main protagonist of the DMC series, as well as the newcomer, V. Each character plays dramatically differently from the others and has a plethora of combos to master.
V is the most unique character by far. He’s a magic user/summoner who uses his familiars to fight his battles for him. V fights alongside Griffon, an avian demon who can control lightning, Shadow, a very big, very angry cat, and Nightmare, a hulking demon creature. Nightmare will often do his own thing during fights, while Shadow and Griffon will fight as you command them to. V has a powered-up state he enters when an enemy has low enough HP, and he’s able to launch toward them and execute them.
As mentioned above, Nero has access to a range of equippable arms that can change up how you play him. These are his Devil Breakers. The one you start with, Overture, gives you the ability to attack enemies with bursts of electricity. You are able to unlock a bunch of other arms through the campaign that become stronger as you go. My personal favourite is Helter Skelter, which is a rotating arm made of blades. Nero has another unique system in his gameplay where he can rev the engine in his sword to make his next attack much, much stronger. It reminds me a bit of the Nioh games that reward you for “pulsing” after an attack or combo. In Nioh, you can regain some energy, which is a great way to incentivize players to develop muscle memory and timing. Nero’s Exceed system works similarly. His attacks have different timings, and learning when to use your revs to boost your Exceed gauge is necessary to do some really ridiculous damage.
If you’ve played the series before, then you’ve got a pretty good idea as to how Dante plays in Devil May Cry 5: Devil Hunter Edition. He’s got his iconic sword, Rebellion, and dual-wielding pistols, Ebony and Ivory. Dante, as always, has a ridiculous amount of weapons to use in this game, and I think your experience with the game would be enhanced greatly if you got to find them on your own without being spoiled. This is, in my opinion, the most exciting arsenal of weapons he’s had across the entire franchise. His evil brother, Vergil, is also playable in this version, in his own campaign. His campaign basically acts as a “cool guy” mode that is definitely not canonical. It’s shorter and mostly exists just to give you a truly broken character to have some fun with.
The best thing about Devil May Cry 5: Devil Hunter Edition on the Switch 2 is just how well the game runs. The wizards over at Capcom have managed to get the game running at a ridiculously smooth 60 fps, with the option to switch to a 120 fps mode. To my eyes, the frames look good, and I’ve never noticed a single dip across my playthrough. I’ve heard the 120fps mode doesn’t quite hit 120fps; it usually floats around 100fps (which is still insane). Graphically, Devil May Cry 5: Devil Hunter Edition isn’t quite as high quality as it is on other platforms, but it’s still ridiculously good-looking. The only place I could see major differences was in the hair and other detailed textures. The handheld performance is just as impressive as the rest. The game runs at a locked 60 fps when played handheld. Capcom really overdelivered on this version of the game, and I’m excited to see what games they decide to give the same treatment.
The biggest downside of this version of Devil May Cry 5: Devil Hunter Edition is that it doesn’t include the Legendary Dark Knight mode from previous releases. This mode makes the game way harder by adding a ridiculous amount of enemies to each encounter. While most people probably won’t be playing that mode, it’s unfortunate that it’s omitted from this version. Maybe it’s something to do with the console’s power, but I really don’t know.
Despite this not being what I’d call the ‘definitive version’ of the game, I think the Switch 2 version of Devil May Cry 5: Devil Hunter Edition is absolutely worth getting if you’re curious to play it. Many people consider it to be the best game in the franchise, and it’s a very good place to start. Personally, I’m a fan of DMC3, and I’d love to see it remade. I wish the price were much lower than the steep $54.99 CAD, since the game has been out for 7 years now. However, this release is, without a doubt, something I’d consider a necessity for a Switch 2. Get out there and play Devil May Cry 5: Devil Hunter Edition!
