What are you talking about? DMC4 is the last in the trilogy. DMC1, 3, and 4. See? Trilogy.
 
(Don't play 2.)
 
Though your poll answers imply you're asking about order of play. In which case I'd offer you one of two options. Either, yes, play 1 and 3 before 4, or play 1, then 3, then 4, which is the chronological order. I'd only advise against chronology because elements of 3 that are not in 1 might frustrate you after the fact.

Man, DMC 4 was such a shitty game. You can totally see how half way through the development the team pretty much ran out of ideas and said "FUCK IT". Play the first and third game and save your self the torture of that were the second and fourth. 

" What are you talking about? DMC4 is the last in the trilogy. DMC1, 3, and 4. See? Trilogy?  (Don't play 2.) "

Forget DMC ever existed and just play Bayonetta. Yeah, you play Bayonetta long time.

Man, I have to seriously disagree with everyone who is totally discounting DMC in favor of Bayonetta. Now, I know this is down to opinion and all, but I'd say at least play 3. If you play no other Devil May Cry game, play 3. It's the first, chronologically, anyway, so it's not like you're missing any story, and it's the best in the series.

" Forget DMC ever existed and just play Bayonetta. Yeah, you play Bayonetta long time. "

" @McGhee_the_Insomniac said:

" Forget DMC ever existed and just play Bayonetta. Yeah, you play Bayonetta long time. "

As much as Baynetta is a good game it does not have the versatility of DMC 3. Should he play Bayonetta? Yes. But he also needs to play DMC 3. That game pretty much defines the Japanese Action Adventure games. Give respect where it's due. Without DMC there won't be any Bayonetta, period.  "

As someone who has played all DMC titles, I think that four is the second best game of the series.

" @Mordukai said:

" @McGhee_the_Insomniac said:

" Forget DMC ever existed and just play Bayonetta. Yeah, you play Bayonetta long time. "

As much as Baynetta is a good game it does not have the versatility of DMC 3. Should he play Bayonetta? Yes. But he also needs to play DMC 3. That game pretty much defines the Japanese Action Adventure games. Give respect where it's due. Without DMC there won't be any Bayonetta, period.  "

meh "

If I was you I would just play DMC3 and then if you want go back and play DMC1. Forget 2 and 4.

Play all of em. Start at 1 and go from there. If you are gonna play the other 3 games, you might as well play DMC2 as well. I mean, yeah, it is pretty bad, but at least you will have first hand experience as to why it is bad and not just hearsay.

i agree with the others, but just to let you know, DMC1 had an odd control scheme, took me a while to get used to when i went back to it, there's a much better one in place for 3 and 4 though

Considering that 3 and 4 are the only good games in the DMC series, yeah, you should probably play it.  Granted, 3 is far and above better, and until Bayonetta, it was the best action game of that style out there.

Bayonetta is so much better that it's beyond comparison, however.

Edit: Also, Nero was a way more enjoyable main character than Dante in any game but the 3rd.

Just start with devil may cry 4 and forget the rest. You get to use nero, a new character so you don't have to relearn everything. You also get to use dante and the combo system is quite good.  
 
I never finished devil may cry 3 special edition, it's honestly very difficult. Devil may cry 2 is easy, the first devil may cry has a difficult boss later on, however i'm not sure how the gameplay holds up today.

Play the trilogy and forget DMC4 even exists and if you like retarded games then play Bayonetta. I'm in the small minority who thought Bayonetta was garbage.

" @McGhee_the_Insomniac said:

" Forget DMC ever existed and just play Bayonetta. Yeah, you play Bayonetta long time. "

As much as Baynetta is a good game it does not have the versatility of DMC 3. Should he play Bayonetta? Yes. But he also needs to play DMC 3. That game pretty much defines the Japanese Action Adventure games. Give respect where it's due. Without DMC there won't be any Bayonetta, period.  "

Yes definitely. The soundtrack is awesome (especially the introduction - the vocals and strings are awe-inspiring) and the combat system is just plain fun. 
 
Play Bayonetta too. It's the best game of it's type.

Really dumb question. It seems like you decided since trilogy is a word, that means you should just play the trilogy. The dated first game, the abysmal second game, the great third game, and the competent fourth game. Yeah, I think if you already decided to play through the worst DMC cus its part of the "trilogy" you might wanna play the game that's better than that one, too.

DMC4 is one of the few games I regret ever playing. Go play Bayonetta or God of War.

If you play DMC4 you should record yourself playing through the first half of it, and then just play back the recording in reverse.  It's pretty much the same experience as playing the whole thing.

The Trilogy is DMC, DMC3, and DMC4 so you'll be good regardless.

Just play Devil May Cry 3. The first game is kind of aged in a lot of respects, the second game was never good, and DMC 4 tries to do what 3 did but doesn't do it as well. Not to mention, the second you start getting good with Nero the game switches to Dante, becomes noticeably harder, and basically consists of you going through all the areas you already went through and fighting the bosses you already fought. It's not a well structured game. 
 
Or you could play Bayonetta. I understand that game is quite popular.

Where are people getting this second game from?  There never was a second DMC game.  They skipped the number two and went straight to DMC3.

Don't play the second one.

I say play DMC4. I enjoyed it quite a lot and even wanted to play through on harder difficulties (something I don't do in action games). I couldn't beat Dante Must Die mode though. Damn Agnus, you broke my spirit.

"Really dumb question. It seems like you decided since trilogy is a word, that means you should just play the trilogy. The dated first game, the abysmal second game, the great third game, and the competent fourth game. Yeah, I think if you already decided to play through the worst DMC cus its part of the "trilogy" you might wanna play the game that's better than that one, too. "

There's no reason why you shouldn't play the first Devil May Cry. The controls and combat may seem a bit dated at first, but soon you'll see that you just need to adopt a more methodical approach to how you play. The atmosphere is also unchallenged when it comes to action games of that type. DMC3 goes without saying, great all around game. Skip four, it's incredibly tedious when it comes to the Dante sections which are basically backtracking. The story in that one is completely pointless as well.

" @Icemael: Not in gameplay style. Remember how DMC3 gave you the option to pick a different style at the beging of each chapter and you got points relating to that specific style? I didn't get through Bayonetta. the only thing that can make you replay the game is to get better score and not to try out a different gameplay style.  "

DMC2 is the one you want to skip. 
 
I'd say play DMC 1 & 3. Those are the good ones. DMC4 is fine, but those other two are better. 

Don't play Devil May Cry 1. That game, today anyways, is terrible. Story's not that good, either.

" Don't play Devil May Cry 1. That game, today anyways, is terrible. Story's not that good, either. "

 They have that pack that comes with all 3 games in one package now so you might as well start there then work your way up. I wouldn't advise playing DMC2 though. If anything at this point you only need to play 3 and 4.

" Where are people getting this second game from?  There never was a second DMC game.  They skipped the number two and went straight to DMC3. "

I absolutely loved Devil May Cry 3, and haven't played a game like it until Bayonetta. And I feel that that game (Bayonetta) is the best hack-and-slash game ever. I have a copy of Devil May Cry 4 sitting in my 360's disc tray this very moment, but I have no urge to play it at all. I've seen Let's Plays of the first two games (including 2) that were actually well done (it was done by some Australian woman who played it on the hardest difficulty setting) just so I can prep myself for the fourth in the series. But, I just can't. Le sigh.

You should only play (and have) DMC, DMC3, and DMC4.

My ranking goes: DMC3>DMC4>DMC1  So yes, you should play DMC4.
 
@xaLieNxGrEyx said:

however DMC3 is the greatest action game ever made.

I came into this thread intending to make a wonderfully witty quip, only to find I'd already made it two pages and five months ago. You cheeky bastard, me.

I got DMC4 on the PC, got to what I believe is the end of the game, and never finished it. Most of the time I was playing it I just wasn't having fun, but like half of the people on this forum have said, you should try Bayonetta. I've played through it at least four times so I'd say it's pretty good.