Devil May Cry HD Collection (v2018.04.02)

Dante’s demon-hunting career arrives as a three-game action package that charts the birth, stumble, and spectacular refinement of one of character action’s defining series. Devil May Cry HD Collection brings together Devil May Cry, Devil May Cry 2, and Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition, all built around gothic castles, ruined cities, demonic invasions, and a hero who treats impossible odds as an excuse to show off. The mood is knowingly absurd but never weightless: horror-inspired environments and oversized monsters sit beside gunplay, sword flourishes, and Dante’s constant swagger. Running at 60 frames per second, the collection preserves the speed and sharp visual readability these demanding fights need.

Combat revolves around mixing melee weapons, firearms, jumps, evasive maneuvers, and launchers into long combos while keeping enemies airborne and your style rank climbing. The original Devil May Cry favors tense exploration, keys, light puzzles, and deliberate encounters against dangerous bosses, while Devil May Cry 2 expands Dante’s movement and ranged options with techniques such as wall-running and aerial gunfire; Lucia offers a second campaign with her own fighting style. Devil May Cry 3 is the mechanical centerpiece, letting players choose combat styles such as Trickster, Swordmaster, Gunslinger, and Royalguard, then unlock upgrades that radically change Dante’s toolkit. Its Special Edition content also makes Vergil playable, and Bloody Palace challenge modes provide a focused survival test for players chasing mastery.

What makes the set worthwhile is the chance to see a genre evolve in real time, from the first game’s survival-horror roots to the third game’s aggressive, combo-heavy spectacle. Each entry has a distinct rhythm, and not every experiment lands—Devil May Cry 2 remains noticeably simpler and less memorable—but its inclusion gives the package useful historical context. Devil May Cry 3 still stands alongside Bayonetta and later Devil May Cry installments as a high-water mark for expressive, skill-based combat. Fans of difficult action games, score chasing, and replaying missions for cleaner runs find plenty to enjoy, while newcomers should begin with the first game for the story or jump to Devil May Cry 3 for the strongest all-around introduction.