Captured on Nintendo Switch 2 (Handheld/Undocked)
Capcom has become one of the most prolific and consistent publishers in recent years, putting out banger after banger with no signs of slowing down. This renaissance began in 2017 with Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, but it was arguably the one-two punch of Resident Evil 2 and Devil May Cry 5 in 2019 that cemented its enviable status.
There have been several Resident Evils since 2019, yet with the departure of DMC veteran Hideaki Itsuno in 2024, the future of the action series is unclear. But that’s okay, because with Devil May Cry 5 Devil Hunter Edition on Switch 2, a whole new audience finally has the opportunity to experience what I believe is the finest entry of them all.
If you’re not caught up on the series, don’t worry: DMC5 includes a video detailing the story so far. It’s hardly comprehensive, but it’s enough to prepare you for the story ahead. In a nutshell, three protagonists — Nero, V, and Dante — band together to defeat a powerful demon called Urizen. To say any more would venture into spoiler territory, but DMC5’s narrative is a well-paced rollercoaster from start to finish.
Captured on Nintendo Switch 2 (Docked)
If you’re familiar with previous entries, you’ll know what to expect in terms of gameplay. As you progress, you’ll encounter dozens upon dozens of enemies to dispatch. These encounters are often confined to small arenas with the exit blocked until you beat them all, with the game awarding you with a style rank after each skirmish. So while you might be able to get by with some frantic button mashing, you’re encouraged to mix up your approach, stringing together combos and taunts to boost your rank.
The good news is that every character has unique abilities to help you achieve this (along with their own badass musical score to boot). Nero is perhaps the most balanced, combining his Red Queen sword and Blue Rose revolver to great effect. Nero also makes use of the Devil Breaker: a customisable cybernetic arm that boasts several different abilities.
You can carry multiple Devil Breakers at once, which is wise considering how fragile they are. Using a charge shot, voluntarily destroying it, or getting hit while executing a Breaker attack will all decrease your supply, but it’s also a wonderful way to incentivise experimentation.
Captured on Nintendo Switch 2 (Handheld/Undocked)
Your first Devil Breaker, christened Overture, unleashes a blast of electricity which eviscerates smaller enemies in one go and cuts down huge chunks of boss health. Subsequent Breakers do everything from firing homing missiles to powering up Red Queen and Blue Rose. Amusingly, one of my favourites is the Mega Buster, a Mega Man-inspired blaster that fires three shots in quick succession when charged.
Moving on to Dante, the series’ overarching protagonist carries over his ability to swap fighting styles from previous entries. A simple tap of the D-pad cycles through styles, offering up slight changes to the way he approaches each encounter. You can also swap weapons on the fly, which at the start consist of the Rebellion sword and Balrog arms for melee, and the Ebony & Ivory handguns and Coyote-A shotgun for ranged combat. You’ll gain more as you go, but I’ll let you discover those for yourself.
By consistently defeating enemies, you’ll also power up the Devil Trigger ability, which lets you take on a demonic form for a short period of time. This significantly boosts your attack power and speed, and is a great way to fend off multiple foes at once if you find yourself in a bit of a bind.
Captured on Nintendo Switch 2 (Docked)
Finally, V is the weak link of the bunch. In a manner not too dissimilar to Bayonetta 3, V’s approach to combat is to call upon his familiars to do his dirty work for him. You’ve got Griffon, a wise-cracking bird that takes care of ranged combat, Shadow, a cat-like beast that’s the go-to for melee encounters, and Nightmare, a hulking demon that mostly fights completely independently from V.
That’s not to say V is completely useless, mind. Once you’ve used your familiars to cut down your enemies’ health, they’ll eventually turn white. At this point, you can use V’s cane to teleport to your injured foes, impaling them instantly to finish them off.
That said, despite the ability to directly control the actions of both Griffin and Shadow, V’s sections never feel as satisfying as Nero or Dante’s. You’ve got to keep V himself out of harm’s way, but still position yourself adequately so you can keep an eye on the combat taking place in the background. As such, you feel somewhat disconnected from the action. I felt similarly whenever using the Demon Slave mechanic in Bayonetta 3.
Captured on Nintendo Switch 2 (Handheld/Undocked)
Thankfully, V’s sections are relatively few and far between, particularly as you get further into the story. Dante and Nero more than make up for his shortcomings.
There is, of course, a fourth playable character that was initially introduced in the Special Edition release: Dante’s brother, Vergil. He has his own take on the campaign which largely feels like a fun, albeit canon-breaking jaunt – don’t take it too seriously. That said, Vergil’s speed and power are unmatched, and he’s great fun to wield once you’re done with the main story.
Speaking of the Special Edition release, the new Devil Hunter Edition on Switch 2 is mostly a straight port of the former. The big draw with this one is the ability to play as Vergil, but you’ve also got a few extra colours and Devil Breakers to make use of.
Captured on Nintendo Switch 2 (Handheld/Undocked)
Unfortunately, one of the Special Edition’s best additions, the Legendary Dark Knight mode, is absent. This increased the number of enemies on-screen dramatically, and I assume that the Switch 2 just wouldn’t be able to handle this while maintaining 60fps performance. Regardless, its absence means this simply isn’t the definitive way to experience the game.
Aside from that, DMC5 is a spectacularly smooth port for the Switch 2. Visually, there are some clear drawbacks: you’ll immediately notice the fuzzy hair effects from other Capcom ports, while handheld gameplay can look messy at times. That said, there was never a point where I thought it looked bad, and you’re getting exceptionally smooth frame rates for the majority of the game.
This is simply another shining example of what’s possible on Nintendo’s console, and one of the best action games on the market. Now do Dead Rising, Capcom.
Conclusion
Devil May Cry 5 Devil Hunter Edition is another great Capcom port for the Switch 2, maintaining that crucial 60fps gameplay without completely tanking the visual presentation. There are a few blemishes, mind you, and the absence of an entire mode means this isn’t the definitive release of the game.
If you’ve never experienced DMC5 before, however, you’re in for a treat. This is one of the best action games out there, and the finest DMC entry so far.
