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| Devil May Cry | |
|---|---|
| Basic Information | |
Type(s) |
Series |
| Capcom, Ninja Theory | |
| Capcom | |
| Dark Fantasy | |
| Action-Adventure, Hack-and-Slash | |
First video game |
Devil May Cry |
| Android, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S | |
 Release(s) |
|
Devil May Cry (デビル メイ クライ｜Debiru Mei Kurai), is a series of Hack and slash video games, developed and published by Capcom and created by Hideki Kamiya.
The Devil May Cry series has become a large property spawning not just numerous video games, but also various anime, manga, and books.
Gameplay[ | ]
Gameplay in the series focuses heavily on stylized fast-paced combat, with platforming and puzzle solving elements. In combat scenarios, the goal is to get a high style ranking, achieved by having long strings of consecutive attacks without receiving damage (which will set the style gauge back). In later entries, emphasis is added on varying attacks and weapons. The style ranking is marked by letter grades, marked from lowest to highest: D, C, B, A, S (SS and SSS are added in later entries). Each game is divided into around 20 levels called "missions", with a ranking ranging from D to S being rewarded on completion. This score is determined by the style in combat performance, completion time, and items used.
Devil May Cry is described as a character action game: all but the first game allows the player to play as multiple characters. The game's central character Dante appears in every game of the series, with prominent recurring characters including Nero, Vergil, Trish and Lady.
World & Setting[ | ]
Lore[ | ]
The series is set in the modern era, although its lore stretches back roughly two millennia. Two thousand years ago, Sparda, a powerful and benevolent demon, turned against his kind to protect humanity. He defeated Mundus, the King of the Underworld, and sacrificed a great portion of his power to separate the human and demon realms. His actions over the next two thousand years are shrouded in mystery, but he eventually married a human woman named Eva, with whom he had twin sons named Dante and Vergil.
Timeline[ | ]
The chronology of the series is inconsistent with the numbering of the entries. Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening is the earliest game chronologically, taking place approximately a decade before Devil May Cry. Originally, Devil May Cry 4 came next, followed by Devil May Cry 2: this was retconned with the release of Devil May Cry 5, which switched the ordering of the two. Devil May Cry 5 is the latest entry chronologically, taking place five years after the events of Devil May Cry 4.
Setting & Art Style[ | ]
The series is inspired by Dante's Inferno, with several characters being named after characters from the work and the Christian influence in the demonic aspect of the series's mythology. Additionally, Renaissance-era Europe is a prominent influence in the architecture seen throughout games.
Development[ | ]
Games[ | ]
- Devil May Cry (2001)
- Devil May Cry 2 (2003)
- Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening (2005)
- Devil May Cry 4 (2007)
- Devil May Cry 5 (2019)
- DmC: Devil May Cry (2013): this entry takes place in an alternate continuity of the series, and as such is listed separately from the other entries.
Compilations[ | ]
Devil May Cry 5th Anniversary Collection[ | ]
On November 14, 2006, Capcom released the Devil May Cry: 5th Anniversary Collection for the PlayStation 2. The compilation features Devil May Cry, Devil May Cry 2, and Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening - Special Edition.
Devil May Cry HD Collection[ | ]
Devil May Cry HD Collection is a high-definition bundle, containing HD remasters of the first three entries in the series.