A different Dante, an incredible action game

DmC: Devil May Cry is a fantastic game, and I never understood why Dante's changed appearance became such an overwhelming part of the conversation. I actually liked the different visual direction. A redesign is not automatically a failure because it does not look like the version someone already knows. What matters to me is whether the game has an identity and whether playing it is enjoyable. This one absolutely does.

My final score is 9/10. Dante's campaign is incredible, and I think the central combat has the best gameplay feel of the DmC and Devil May Cry games I have played. That does not contradict my overall admiration for Devil May Cry 5. One game can be my favorite complete hack-and-slash experience while another has a particular combat flow I love even more.

The pleasure of Dante's campaign

The main campaign understands how satisfying it can be to move between attacks, tools and enemy situations with a strong sense of momentum. Combat has an immediate appeal, but it also gives the player enough to explore that the enjoyment does not end with the first impressive sequence.

What I especially like is the flow. A good action game should make me want to engage with its systems because using them feels worthwhile. Here, the movement between options has a confidence that makes experimenting enjoyable. I am not simply waiting for the next story scene. I am looking forward to another chance to play.

The visual identity contributes to that enthusiasm. The environments are willing to be expressive, and the game does not seem embarrassed about its own interpretation of the material. I appreciate an action game with enough personality that a setting can feel like more than the room where enemies happen to appear.

The redesign was never my problem

I understand that an established character creates expectations. That does not mean every reinterpretation should be rejected before its own ideas are considered. Dante's changed appearance did not stop me from enjoying the character or the adventure. In some respects, I liked having a version that was willing to look and feel different.

For me, the argument has to return to the actual game. Does the campaign provide engaging action? Does the new direction have a coherent identity? Is there something enjoyable behind the change? My answers are positive enough that reducing the whole experience to a haircut or a visual comparison misses most of what I value here.

That willingness to judge the new interpretation on its own terms does not mean ignoring its flaws. It simply means criticizing the parts that actually affected my enjoyment rather than treating change itself as the problem.

Why it stops short of perfection

Some of the level design slows the experience more than I would like. The game is strongest when its ideas support the energy of the action. When the progression becomes more drawn out, I start noticing the distance between the excellent central gameplay and the structure carrying it forward.

Vergil's campaign is another reason this does not reach 10/10 for me. I wanted its additional perspective to provide the same consistent excitement I found in Dante's adventure. Instead, it felt more prolonged and less satisfying. An extra campaign should strengthen the whole package, and this one did not maintain the same level of enthusiasm for me.

Those are meaningful reservations because the rest is so close to what I want from an action game. I am not searching for a reason to lower a score. I can point directly to where the momentum weakens and where my enjoyment becomes less consistent. The difference between excellent and perfect is visible in those stretches.

Final verdict

DmC: Devil May Cry has an incredible Dante campaign, a visual reinterpretation I actually appreciate and combat whose flow I absolutely love. Some drawn-out level design and a less satisfying Vergil campaign keep it from a perfect score. Even with those reservations, this is an outstanding action game that deserves to be judged by what it delivers. For me, that is an enthusiastic 9/10.

Final score: 9/10.

Reviewed on PC by Andrew Louis. No review key or complimentary access was provided.