DmC Devil May Cry: Definitive Edition Review

The trend of remastered games on new-gen systems can be easily summarized in two sentences: “It has improved visuals and all the DLC. If you didn’t play it before, this is the best version.” Devil May Cry: Definitive Edition also fits that description, but that isn’t the whole story. With an array of small tweaks and optional modifiers, Ninja Theory goes the extra mile by giving hardcore fans a reason to revisit the action.

This definitive edition contains the whole base game, the Vergil’s Downfall DLC, and a handful of character and weapon skins. All of the stylish combat and stunning environmental effects remain intact, but everything looks better and runs at a higher framerate than the original console version. These are all of the features we have come to expect from this kind of release, but I was more impressed by the less obvious changes made to improve the experience.

A bit below the surface, you find options to customize your combat. Changing your button layout, making the game faster, and making it harder to achieve high style bonuses are a few of the modifications, but they’re all aimed at tailoring the battles to your personal preferences. As someone who got every collectible and beat every difficulty in the original release, I appreciate the excuse to keep playing and pushing my skills.

While most of the core gameplay feels the same, a handful of fan-requested tweaks have been worked in. A manual target lock is a welcome addition, Vergil has his own Bloody Palace (a multi-phase challenge of escalating difficulty), and formerly weapon-specific enemies are more manageable. If you’re familiar with the original, these additions address some of the most serious complaints while leaving the stylish essence intact.

Delving even deeper, some changes are barely noticeable. Vergil doesn’t wear his dumb hat anymore. The keys to access secret missions are now universal, and their locations are reshuffled. One new, brief scene adds a grain of additional context. These things may have a negligible impact on the overall experience, but they are evidence of Ninja Theory’s commitment to polishing Devil May Cry into the best game it can be.

No game is perfect. Even when we play the best ones, we find things that we wish the developer had done differently. Devil May Cry: Definitive Edition is a rare case where the developer goes back and fixes those things, big and small. Whether you’re a newcomer or a devoted fan, this is a remaster done right.