The Best Devil May Cry Games, Ranked

Now that season 2 of the anime is out on Netflix, interest in the games is surging! Capcom is smartly taking advantage of this by putting all the games on sale, making it a great time to start playing. You can currently get the entire series on Steam for under $20 – an incredible price, especially since games are known for being highly replayable. I bought when it first came out and felt it was worth every penny. But if you’re new to the series, you might be wondering which game is the best? Let’s take a look.

The Devil May Cry series has changed a lot over time, and each game has both good and bad points. We’re going to focus on the good, because the series definitely deserves that kind of attention.

We will only include the best version of each game.

7. Devil May Cry: Peak of Combat

Excellent Combat Hindered By Expensive Microtransactions

Devil May Cry: Peak of Combat is an action game designed for mobile devices. Players can control iconic characters like Dante, Virgil, Nero, V, Trish, and Lady. While created by a new development team, the game still delivers the exciting action and style that Devil May Cry fans love.

Like many mobile games, Devil May Cry: Peak of Combat lets you spend money on items like Devil Gems to get stronger characters, helpful boosts, and better weapons. However, staying true to the Devil May Cry series, you can’t buy skills – mastering the game and achieving a high score requires practice and skillful combos.

6. Devil May Cry 2

Solid Combat, But A Step Backwards

Most fans and critics agree that Devil May Cry 2 is the weakest main installment in the series. Although it’s the second game released, its story actually happens before the events of Devil May Cry 4. Compared to the first game, Dante’s personality is much more serious and less playful, and the game has a darker tone overall. DMC2 offers more open environments than the original, but this comes at the cost of less detailed graphics and blurry visuals. Despite its flaws, Devil May Cry 2 remains a playable action-adventure game with some improvements to its gameplay.

Despite being considered weaker than the first Devil May Cry, this game has some redeeming qualities for series fans. The combat system emphasizes combos and bridges the gap between the styles of DMC and DMC 3. Many consider Dante’s character design in this installment to be the best in the entire franchise. The game features multiple playable characters – Dante and Lucia each have their own full campaigns that sometimes intersect, and Trish can be unlocked as well. This is Lucia’s only appearance in a video game, and some players even find her campaign more compelling than Dante’s; the game almost feels like it was designed with her in mind. While Dante easily defeats most enemies, Lucia feels a bit more balanced, although her story is still relatively easy compared to other games in the series.

5. DMC: Devil May Cry Definitive Edition

A Controversial Entry With Brilliant Combat And A Far Superior Definitive Edition

Ninja Theory, the studio behind Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, developed DmC: Devil May Cry. Capcom hired them to reboot the action-adventure series, giving Dante a fresh design to attract today’s gamers.

DmC: Devil May Cry is a solid action game with fast-paced and engaging combat that offers plenty of replay value, alongside a lighthearted and fun story. While the game shines in its action sequences, it’s bogged down by frustrating and repetitive platforming. The boss fights are also weaker compared to other games in the series. This version of Dante isn’t as charming as previous iterations; he comes across as an annoying teenager trying too hard to be a rock star. Despite deviating from what long-time fans might expect, Ninja Theory’s reboot of Devil May Cry is still an enjoyable experience, boasting some visually impressive moments.

If you’re planning to play in 2026, the DMC: Devil May Cry Definitive Edition is the best choice. It significantly improves the original game, even fixing the annoying enemies that could only be damaged by certain weapons. It also adds more difficulty options, a Virgil Bloody Palace mode, and other changes that make it feel more like a classic Devil May Cry game. If you only played the PS3 or Xbox 360 versions, I highly recommend checking out the updated PS4 and Xbox One edition – it’s a substantial improvement. It’s a shame this version never came to PC, though.

4. Devil May Cry 4 Special Edition

The Introduction Of Nero And A Great Action Title

Devil May Cry 4 marked a new generation for the series, appearing on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Players can now choose to play as either Dante or Nero, a new hero with distinctive demonic abilities and a personality all his own. While Nero shares some similarities with Dante in appearance and basic attacks, his gameplay feels different, focusing on the Devil Bringer – a powerful spectral arm used for controlling enemies and launching attacks. Though not everyone loves Nero’s story in Devil May Cry 4, his unique combat mechanics are highly praised.

The game occasionally felt repetitive, forcing players to revisit areas and repeat Nero’s actions with Dante later on. While this could be frustrating, Dante’s complex combat system made up for it. He could instantly switch between four different fighting styles, each with its own unique moves. Compared to other games in the series like DMC5, which largely reused this system, DMC4 offered the most polished and enjoyable version of Dante, making him one of the best hack-and-slash characters ever created.

Look, Devil May Cry 4 is alright, but honestly, there’s no point in playing the original when the Special Edition exists. They added three awesome characters you can actually play as – Vergil, Lady, and Trish. That alone makes it worth getting, because they’re all super fun! Plus, they threw in a few other cool things, like Legendary Dark Knight Mode if you’re looking for a real challenge.

3. Devil May Cry

The Classic Is A Gothic Masterpiece

While later games in the Devil May Cry series have modernized the gameplay, the original 2001 title can feel a little dated to new players. Despite this, it remains a truly exceptional game. Devil May Cry offers a classic, challenging experience that rewards skillful play, patience, and determination. It brilliantly blends adventure, action, and fighting elements, creating a powerfully satisfying experience. Unlike more recent entries, the focus isn’t on lengthy combos, but on mastering Dante’s concise and well-designed moves.

Devil May Cry presents a compelling dark fantasy world with beautifully designed environments, similar to those in Resident Evil. The game boasts memorable characters and a story that steadily becomes more captivating. It essentially created a new style of action game, inspiring titles like God of War and Bayonetta, and continues to define the hack-and-slash genre. Even today, Devil May Cry remains a deep, challenging, and enjoyable experience, standing up to its later installments.

2. Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition

After Two Divisive Entries, Devil May Cry Returned To Its Rightful Place As The Peak Of The Action Genre

While Devil May Cry 4 and DmC were both solid games with many strengths, they each had a few flaws that held them back from being truly exceptional. Luckily, Devil May Cry 5 didn’t just reach that level of quality – it completely surpassed it, delivering an incredibly impressive experience.

In this installment, you can play as three distinct characters – Nero, Dante, and V – each with a unique playstyle that feels substantial enough for a full game. Dante largely plays as he did in DMC4, because the original formula was so strong. While Nero’s basic moves remain, he’s been enhanced with interchangeable arms that add a variety of attacks and abilities. V, on the other hand, fights from afar using magical creatures, only directly engaging when enemies are weakened. Though he’s the least fun to play as, V’s levels are still well-designed.

Capcom has released a special version of DMC5 designed for newer, more powerful gaming systems. This version takes advantage of the upgraded hardware to deliver a faster, smoother, and more enjoyable experience, and it’s a fantastic demonstration of Capcom’s RE engine. The special edition also includes the challenging Legendary Dark Knight difficulty, a Turbo mode for faster gameplay, and features like ray tracing and quicker loading times.

This updated version of the game lets you play as Dante’s brother, Virgil, right from the beginning. He has a completely different fighting style that’s harder to learn than Dante’s or Nero’s, but very satisfying once you get the hang of it – it really fits his personality. Overall, Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition is the perfect way to experience one of the most exciting and visually impressive action games ever made.

1. Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening Special Edition

An Incredible Prequel With Outstanding Combat

Many fans consider Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening to be the high point of the Devil May Cry series, and even one of the greatest action games ever made. While it offers fewer customization options than later games, the combat is exceptionally polished – it’s deep and rewarding, but also easy to pick up and enjoy. This game also brought back the more lighthearted, humorous Dante from the original, establishing the character’s personality for future installments after the darker tone of Devil May Cry 2.

As a backstory to the original Devil May Cry, Devil May Cry 3 introduces players to Vergil, Dante’s twin brother and a major antagonist throughout the series. The DMC3 Special Edition is the preferred version, offering Vergil as a playable character and including extra modes like Bloody Palace and Turbo Mode, as well as a very challenging Heaven or Hell difficulty. This edition also adjusts the difficulty levels, making the “Normal” setting a more accessible starting point than in the original game.

If you don’t own the earlier Devil May Cry games, the best version to get is the Devil May Cry HD Collection, as it includes Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition.

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2026-05-13 14:39