Devil May Cry stands out as the pinnacle of the hack-and-slash genre, captivating players with its dismal combination of stylish combat, intricate storytelling, and mesmerizing visuals. First released in 2001, the series redefined the standards for action games by introducing the charismatic and demonically empowered Dante whose acrobatic moves and diverse arsenal of weapons allowed for an incredibly fluid and satisfying gameplay experience.
Devil May Cry is the perfect franchise for gamers looking to show off their sick skills. But because the series is fairly long, today we’ll be ranking all Devil May Cry games from worst to best.
All Devil May Cry Games, Ranked
The Devil May Cry series features five mainline titles and two spin-off/mobile adaptations. This list ranks all of them from best to worst, but if you don’t agree with the placements, then leave a comment telling us what you would score them.
7. Devil May Cry 2
Devil May Cry 2 is the perfect example of how not to do a sequel. Its story has absolutely nothing to offer as it follows a bland version of Dante killing a bunch of repetitive enemy types. The combat is also a downgrade in every way possible, offering less weapon variety than its predecessor and even the weapons you do acquire throughout the game add nothing to the gameplay and feel like reskins that are painfully awkward to use.Â
Devil May Cry 2 was an abysmal nightmare for fans of the series when it was released but at least it introduced us to The Rebellion, Dante’s sword inherited from his father that would later prove itself to be one of the most iconic weapons in all of gaming.
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6. Devil May Cry: Peak of Combat
Devil May Cry: Peak of Combat, to put it simply, is weird. It is a mobile game that tries to bring the legendary hack-and-slasher to more devices, but it fails at it so badly that you wouldn’t be missing out on much if you skipped it.
Firstly, the combat is nowhere near the quality you’d expect from a mobile, let alone a Devil May Cry game. Then, there’s the soulless narrative and representation of the characters. Devil May Cry: Peak of Combat is just not good, and its severe lack of substance makes it feel like a chore to play.
5. DMC: Devil May Cry
DMC: Devil May Cry was a disastrous reboot no one asked for. It ruined the iconic protagonist, Dante’s character with a horrible new design and the personality of an edge lord.Â
It had none of the charm that made the series a classic as it is filled with unlikeable characters and a subpar story. DMC: Devil May Cry offered none of the charisma and cheesiness that made the Devil May Cry games so much fun. But, to be fair, the gameplay isn’t bad. The weapon variety is generous and it has decent boss battles.
If you haven’t played the mainline Devil May Cry games, you’ll likely have a lot of fun with DMC, but if you have, it might seem like a travesty and one of the worst Devil May Cry games.
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4. Devil May Cry
Devil May Cry may not have aged that well with its janky combat and confusing level design but it is still the classic that marked the beginning of a legendary franchise and gave birth to a new subgenre. Even with all its clunkiness, the game is worth revisiting as it introduced us to legendary devil hunter Dante and offers a fun hack-and-slash experience filled with a ton of demons that are satisfying to kill.Â
Devil May Cry’s combination of serious and wacky moments work really well with each other, and decades later, it remains one of the best Devil May Cry games ever. How about you remake this one Capcom?
3. Devil May Cry 4
Devil May Cry 4 is the first game in the franchise that gave us multiple playable characters. Equipped with his own unique arsenal of weapons, Nero, even with a more limited moveset than Dante, is incredibly satisfying to play around with. His Devil Bringer ability is surprisingly versatile and makes juggling demons around a lot of fun. And don’t get me started on Nero’s revv-able sword, The Red Queen which is just the coolest thing ever.Â
On the flip side, Dante’s combat is just pure deadly carnage. The variety of moves he can do in this game is jaw-dropping. Devil May Cry 4’s incredible boss fights and alluring art style just solidify its status as one of the top Devil May Cry games.
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2. Devil May Cry 3
Devil May Cry 3 was the series’ defining masterpiece, with the incredibly intense and fast-paced combat being its highlight. It revolutionized the hack-and-slash combat back in the day and it marked another high point for Devil May Cry.
Dynamic and skill-based combos were taken up a notch, and the narrative with its themes of family, betrayal, and the struggle between good and evil gave fans much to enjoy.
Devil May Cry 3 served as a prequel that gave us the much-needed backstory of Dante, and it established the franchise’s legacy that is going strong to this day. For these reasons, Devil May Cry 3 is an easy pick for the best Devil May Cry games ever.
1. Devil May Cry 5
After 2013’s disappointing reboot, Capcom’s Devil May Cry 5 had to shoulder the weight of the franchise’s future. Luckily, it proved to be the peak of the franchise and it massively upgraded every aspect of its predecessors.Â
Devil May Cry 5 set a new bar for action games with its smooth free-flowing combat system and four playable characters, Dante, Nero, Vergil, and V. Each of them brought a unique combat style to the table ranging from Dante’s versatile weapons, Nero’s Devil Breaker arm, Vergil’s dimension-breaking Yamato, and V’s ability to summon terrifying demons.
Overall, Devil May Cry 5 was the perfect return to the smoking, sexy, and stylish franchise, and it’s undoubtedly the best game Devil May Cry has ever seen.
