Now the time to jump in on DMC?

I can honestly say that I have never really tried out a single Devil May Cry game in my life. I recall playing the demo that was packaged in with Resident Evil: Code Veronica on my ps2 back when it was released. The demo seemed fine, but I never got around to trying out the full game.

With there being a bit of a lull in new releases that I'm interested in (anxiously awaiting Burnout Paradise), is now the time to jump in on DMC?

From what I remember the first DMC was originally going to be a new Resident Evil and had a similar set up, to a certain extent.

Anyway, just was curious if it is worth visiting these older games, or is this PS4 remaster not worth it?

Thanks!

Only bad game is the second one, yhe rest are great including the reboot.

I have not played any of the DMC games and can't speak to the quality of the port, but if you have Amazon Prime and a PC that can handle games decently, the HD rerelease of the first one is free on Twitch Prime until April 6th (the catch being you have to use the Twitch desktop client to run it).

There are some issues with the port of DMC1 specifically but nothing totally game breaking as far as I know. DMC1 and 3 are both worth playing on the collection (3 especially as it's not all that different from modern character action games), you can try out 2 if you're curious but feel free to skip it as soon as you lose interest, it's not so much awful as just an incredibly boring game.

It's really DMC3 you'd be buying it for. As a DMC fan, I would actually say that at this point in time the others are really not worth playing unless you have craploads of time. I'm talking having a week of free time before your 6-week vacation starts. And even then it would be questionable to play DMC1.

You'll want to play DMC3, unlock all the moves, then replay chapters on Dante Must Die and Hell or Hell trying to get S scores. That is where those games shine. I wouldn't play them through once just to play them.

While some people are still willing to vouch for its quality, I've never been able to make any sort of serious headway into Devil May Cry 1. Its roots as a Resident Evil game are pretty obvious, and if some of the camera angles don't scare you away, the punishing difficulty might. Still worth a shot as a historical item, given that it's more-or-less the originator of the entire "character action" genre. I mean, you'll probably not have as miserable a time as our own Brad Shoemaker did, and maybe you'll get over the hump that I was unable to. Just be warned that it's a game from 2001 through and through.

Don't touch DMC 2 except out of morbid curiosity. It's a bad game where the optimal tactic is to jump backward and shoot Dante's guns over and over again, repeat ad nauseum for a mercifully short 5-6 hours and then yell at people on the internet about how it turns out the game that no one liked deserves its reputation. That's what I did! Seriously, it makes a fight against a demon skyscraper somehow the single most boring thing imaginable.

And yeah, having played it recently, DMC 3 is still fantastic and easily the high point of the series. It gives you a lot of really fun weapons and options to mess around with, especially with the 4 different styles that legitimately change how you approach combat (though you should absolutely stick to Trickster on your first playthrough.) Understand that if you're picking up the HD collection, you're mostly doing it for this one.

Since they're also on PS4, I might as well mention DMC 4 and DmC. The former is a fantastic combat engine wrapped around half a game (you spend the second half as a different character going through a lot of the same environments as the first, fighting the same enemies and even the same bosses. The special edition adds 3 new characters and makes some welcome tweaks, but doesn't fix that core aspect) and the latter is a perfectly decent character action game that doesn't quite "get" the nuances of the series. It's the kind of stuff that only elitist lunatics would have a serious problem with, but I've turned into one of those elitists and having gone back to it fairly recently I don't like it nearly as much as I did in 2012.

At this point in time DMC 1 doesn’t really hold up that great no matter what people will try to tell you. It’s interesting as a historic piece of origin for the series and it’s certainly playable but it’s hard to recommend in modern day as a lot of it is extremely clunky. DMC3 is the earliest you’d ever really want to go back, with DMC4 being the most expanded upon entry in the combat department that hardcore fans can agree on but for some reason is not in the package. DmC is a really great modernized version but that’s a game you should buy and enjoy quietly without telling anyone about it. You really gotta ask yourself what kind of a player are you: the serious old school fans of DMC like these games in a sort of grindy Monster Hunter way where they’ll play them over and over again to get max rank and hone their moves to perfection with the repetition not being a problem because the combat alone is what they come for. Be aware that if you want a cohesive single player A to B experience then that’s not where the older games shine and not what older fans are even looking for.

When is it not the time to be playing DMC?

I like Ninja Theory's effort but that was also my point of entry.

DMC1 doesn't hold up as well to modern conventions in gaming but if you don't mind some dated controls and fixed camera angles, it's fine.

I think DMC2 is OK and might be enjoyed more if it wasn't a DMC game. It's really easy and what they did to Dante is criminal but I don't think it's as awful as some make it out to be.

DMC3 is often seen as the pinnacle for the series and I still think it's the best game in the series for sure. It's a great starting point (it was mine) and offers a great challenge while still being stylish and fun.

DMC4 is fun but not quite as great as 3. I think it does multiple playable protagonists better than 2, but the second half is a bunch of backtracking through the same areas you already went through which is a bit of a drag.

DmC (Reboot) is fun but definitely get the Definitive Edition because it changes one of the biggest issues in the original release by allowing you to attack any enemy with any weapon instead of forcing you to use specific weapons to even hurt some enemies. Dialogue is a bit hit or miss too but I think it's fine for the most part. If you like the rest of the series definitely give this one a try.

Have you played any character action games? Do you like them? Unless you're really into the genre, which I'm guessing you're not really sense you haven't play any DMC, you're looking at paying $30 for DMC3. DMC1 is a history lesson if you're into that sorta thing.

As far as the re-release is concerned, I don't have the PS4 version but based on the last gen versions, these are the quickest, dirtiest remasters you'll come across. They have added some small extras and I understand you can switch between the games now in the latest release so that's something I guess.

I don't want to discourage anyone interested in getting into the DMC series but for a collection you'd mostly likely be buying for 1 game, I'm gonna suggest you wait a little and let the price drop. I don't think you'd be waiting that long.

I bet the reboot is the better option, unless you really want to dig into DMC.

I’d think DMC3 would hold up well and DMC4 wouldn’t be very dated at all, but I can’t imagine going back to DMC1 (early 3D woes) or DMC2 (it wasn’t that good).

I love DMC1 but I’ve been a fan of the series since it first came out and having just finished it a few days ago, I don’t think it would hold up very well for someone who has never played it.

I only played DMC2 once when it came out and remember thinking it was okay. I tried to play it the other day after finishing the first one but gave up after mission 7. It’s a very bad game.

DMC3 is incredible and still holds up by today’s standards, it’s one my all time favourites.

I remember really liking DMC4 but I haven’t played it since it came out but I’ll get to the special edition once I finish 3. It’s a shame it’s only half a game but the combat system is great.

I also think the reboot is one of the best games in the series and will never understand the vitriol that it gets from the hardcore fan base and I think it’s a damn shame that we will never get a sequel to it.

I’m praying for a DMCV announcement at E3. It seems like a pretty badly kept secret at this point that the game is in development and I feel like the rumoured announcement pops up every year. I’m hoping that the release of the HD collection is a sign that they are gearing up to an announcement. Devil May Cry 5 and a new Splinter Cell would make my day!

There is actually another hardcore fanbase within the overall Devil May Cry hardcore fanbase that actually really likes DmC because of its combat system and combo potential. The hate mostly stems from the fact that the style of the game is not in line with the others. Most specifically Dante's appearance.

I still like DMC3, 4 and DmC today.

DMC 1 held up the last time i played it, but that was a probably over 5 years ago now.

Yeah I'm just gonna parrot what everyone else is saying. If you like hack and slash games and/or resident evil and you wanna see a lil piece of history, then DMC 1 is worth playing. But I don't think it holds up super well otherwise. It feels very old. But I enjoyed it last time I played, so not without merit at all.

DMC 2 is traaaash, don't waste your time. It's not even "so bad it's funny" it's mortal sin is being boring. A franchise known for creative and flashy combat, and one entry is drab, tedious and boring. It's the antithesis to what most people enjoy about the other games.

DMC 3 is primarily what you would get the collection for. Some of the level design has archaic backtracking and resident evil style puzzles that might be tedious or frustrating. But the combat system is fantastic, the enemy counters are great. The bosses are top of the class for the genre.... Great game. Pretty hard though, if you aren't used to the style of game I don't think you should be afraid of playing on easy with the mode that allows continues on bosses. It's easy enough to ramp up the challenge for replaying the game once you have practice in and know the bosses decently well from the first run.

EDIT: As a side note, if we ignore the HD collection. I think DMC 4 is a pretty good entry point as well. Just know beforehand that the story is pretty shitty and half of the game is literally playing the first half in reverse with the same bosses (different playable character). But if you wanna get in and have fun with the hacky and the slashy, then 4 plays the best out of all the games and has the meatiest options for content with several very different playable characters and a good tower/arena mode.

DMC1 is great and holds up well enough but don't be surprised if it feels a little old

2 is stupidly bad,

3 is one of the actual best games ever made

4 almost reaches 3's greatness but falls short. Still a great entry

The reboot is very good gameplay wise but what they did with the style and characters is AWFUL. Dante is completely unlikeable. Still a fun game though.

The cool thing is the best versions of all 5 games are on PS4 so go nuts. It's a wonderful series.

Never not a good time friend.

DMC3 is one of the best games. No qualifications there. Just best.

DMC1 is a must play to get the most out of DMC3 & one of my legacy games, DMC3 is in my top 10 of all time, DMC4 is good but unless they expand upon the character of Nero in the rumoured but not announced DMC5, it's not essential.

I hate DmC: Devil May Cry, I would like it if it wasn't associated with the DMC franchise. I don't hate DMC2, but I recommend you avoid it regardless.

Thank you for all the feedback everyone!

I've always enjoyed third person shooters and platformers, just never really got around to action games in the realm of DMC, so felt like possibly giving the collection a shot. Honestly, even though it's pretty old, the original game has me most intrigued. I absolutely love and still play the old Resident Evils all the time. Granted, I know DMC is tad more action focused.

I fucking LOVED DMC1 for the longest time, but every time I go back it feels more diminished because of how good 3 is. At this point I would say watch Bradley May Cry on the site here (which I might do again, in fact). It's still an awesome game that I think is worth playing, but the later ones play a lot better. But heck, if you start here then you won't know what you're missing from later entries and you'll be able to appreciate how the gameplay evolves as the series goes. Yeah, play it, screw it. Then maybe watch the series once you're done.

Skip 2. There's some redeeming stuff, but I'm afraid of recommending a playthrough if it stops you from getting to 3.

3 might be the best in the series and worth playing any time. I got a good 50 hours out of it since I played it over and over, and assuming HD includes the Special Edition stuff then that's worth the money alone. It plays great, the story is surprisingly good, the combat encounters keep you on your toes, and it's just well done on every level.

I loved 4 and beat it six times. It get a bad rap but it also plays great with a good story. The biggest problem people have is replaying sections a second time, but I didn't care because of how much depth the combat has. I liked Nero's mechanics a whole lot, and Dante has an absurd amount of options.

If you play the reboot, play the Definitive Edition. It fixed my gripes with some of the game design and just makes it a better package overall. The style isn't what I was looking for, but the cutscenes are extremely well-directed and the combat is extremely smart. I'm looking forward to what they added here being incorporate into a "classic" DMC 5.