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is a series of
action-adventure game The action-adventure genre is a video game hybrid genre that combines core elements from both the action game and adventure game genres. Typically, pure adventure games have situational problems for the player to solve to complete a story ...
s created by
Hideki Kamiya is a Japanese video game designer and director who is the vice-president of PlatinumGames. He began his career in 1994 with Capcom, where he directed '' Resident Evil 2'' (1998), ''Devil May Cry'' (2001), '' Viewtiful Joe'' (2003), and ''Ō ...
. It is primarily developed and published by
Capcom is a Japanese video game developer and video game publisher, publisher. It has created a number of List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises, with its most commercially successful being ''Resident Evil' ...
. The series centers on the demon hunter
Dante Dante Alighieri (; – 14 September 1321), probably baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri and often referred to as Dante (, ), was an Italian poet, writer and philosopher. His ''Divine Comedy'', originally called (modern Italian: '' ...
and his efforts to thwart various demon invasions of Earth. Its gameplay consists of combat scenes in which the player must attempt to extend long chains of attacks, avoiding damage and exhibiting stylized combat; this combat, along with time and the number of items collected and used, are considered in grading the player's performance. Across the series, new characters with unique skills are available. The series alludes to
Dante Dante Alighieri (; – 14 September 1321), probably baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri and often referred to as Dante (, ), was an Italian poet, writer and philosopher. His ''Divine Comedy'', originally called (modern Italian: '' ...
's ''
Divine Comedy The ''Divine Comedy'' ( it, Divina Commedia ) is an Italian narrative poem by Dante Alighieri, begun 1308 and completed in around 1321, shortly before the author's death. It is widely considered the pre-eminent work in Italian literature and ...
''. Hideki Kamiya created ''Devil May Cry'' after a failed attempt to develop a ''
Resident Evil ''Resident Evil'', known in Japan as is a Japanese horror game series and media franchise created by Capcom. It consists of survival horror, third-person shooter and first-person shooter games, with players typically surviving in environments ...
'' game with the first game originally being conceived as ''
Resident Evil 4 ''Resident Evil 4'' is a 2005 survival horror third-person shooter game developed by Capcom Production Studio 4 and published by Capcom. It was originally released for the GameCube on January 11, 2005. Players control U.S. government special ...
''. Kamiya wanted to create a game with more action features, which Capcom felt the series did not need. The games were directed by
Hideaki Itsuno is a Japanese video game director and designer. His entire career has been at Capcom, where he shepherds the ''Rival Schools'', '' Power Stone'', ''Devil May Cry'' and ''Dragon's Dogma'' series. Career Early years (1994–2002) Hideaki Itsuno ...
and writer
Bingo Morihashi is a Japanese novelist. He also contributed to writing the video game franchise ''Devil May Cry'', its television anime series, as well as two light novels based on it. Career Morihashi published his first series named ''Tokyo Shimatsumou'' w ...
. Capcom announced a new game, '' DmC: Devil May Cry'' (developed by
Ninja Theory Ninja Theory Limited is a first-party British video game development studio based in Cambridge, England. Notable games it has developed include '' Kung Fu Chaos'', ''Heavenly Sword'', '' Enslaved: Odyssey to the West'', '' DmC: Devil May Cry ...
and supervised by Capcom), during the 2010
Tokyo Game Show , commonly known as TGS, is a video game expo / convention held annually in September in the Makuhari Messe, in Chiba, Japan. It is presented by the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association (CESA) and Nikkei Business Publications, Inc. The ...
. A high-definition remastering of the three
PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...
titles was released for
PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on Novemb ...
and
Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation ...
in 2012, and in 2018 for the
PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013 in ...
,
Xbox One The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third base console in the Xbox series of video game consoles. It was first released in North America, parts of ...
and
Microsoft Windows Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for serv ...
. The latest game is ''
Devil May Cry 5 is a 2019 action-adventure game developed and published by Capcom. It is the sixth installment overall and the fifth mainline installment in the ''Devil May Cry'' series. Capcom released it for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One on 8 March 201 ...
'', released on March 8, 2019. The series has been successful; the main entries have sold several million copies and received Capcom's Platinum Title award. The success of the video-game series has led to
comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
s,
novelization A novelization (or novelisation) is a derivative novel that adapts the story of a work created for another medium, such as a film, TV series, stage play, comic book or video game. Film novelizations were particularly popular before the advent of ...
s, an animated series, guides, collectibles, publications, and a variety of
action figure An action figure is a poseable character (arts), character model figure made most commonly of plastic, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, military, video game or television program; fictional or historical. These figures are ...
s. Critical response to the gameplay
combos Combos, officially called Combos Stuffed Snacks, are cylindrical tubes of cracker, pretzel, or tortilla, available with various fillings. History Combos Snacks, created in the early 1980s, are a snack food distributed by Mars, Incorporated, and ...
has been positive. However, the games' narrative was considered simple until the third installment. According to
Eurogamer ''Eurogamer'' is a British video game journalism website launched in 1999 and owned by alongside formed company Gamer Network. Its editor-in-chief is Martin Robinson. Since 2008, it is known for the formerly eponymous games trade fair EGX ...
, another Capcom franchise, '' Strider'', was a vital influence on the ''Devil May Cry'' franchise, and according to ''
Retro Gamer ''Retro Gamer'' is a British magazine, published worldwide, covering retro video games. It was the first commercial magazine to be devoted entirely to the subject. Launched in January 2004 as a quarterly publication, ''Retro Gamer'' soon became ...
'', the over-the-top action of ''Devil May Cry'' draws from ''Strider'', particularly in their inclusion of the "boss rush".Jones, Darran (24 Apr 2010). "The Making of... Strider". ''Retro Gamer'' (76). pp. 48-53.


Game overview

* ''
Devil May Cry is a series of action-adventure games created by Hideki Kamiya. It is primarily developed and published by Capcom. The series centers on the demon hunter Dante and his efforts to thwart various demon invasions of Earth. Its gameplay consists o ...
'': Its gameplay focuses on fast-paced, highly-stylized combat; a high style ranking requires long attack and evasion strings while avoiding damage. Although the game also features puzzle-solving and exploration elements retained from its survival-horror origins, they are downplayed in favor of action. In later games, the system was modified; players had to vary their attacks to maintain their style rank. The Devil Trigger enables a player's character to assume a devilish form with additional powers (based on their current weapon), while the character's strength and speed increase, and health is slowly restored. * ''
Devil May Cry 2 is a 2003 action-adventure hack and slash game developed and published by Capcom. It was released from January to March, originally for the PlayStation 2. In terms of chronological order, the game's events are set after ''Devil May Cry'' and pri ...
'':
Dante Dante Alighieri (; – 14 September 1321), probably baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri and often referred to as Dante (, ), was an Italian poet, writer and philosopher. His ''Divine Comedy'', originally called (modern Italian: '' ...
is generally the game's lead character. Two other playable characters, Lucia and
Trish Trish is a feminine given name, often a contraction of Patricia. It may refer to: Persons *Trish Adudu (born 1969), British freelance journalist, television presenter and DJ * Trish Bartholomew (born 1986), Grenadian sprinter *Trish Bertram, Britis ...
are also available. The ability to perform combination attacks in mid-air and evasion and weapon-change buttons were introduced. With the latter, a player can cycle through ranged weapons without switching to the inventory screen. * '' Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening'': A selection of gameplay styles were added, allowing the player to focus on favorite techniques or weapons. Each of the four styles gains experience points, which unlock more techniques and abilities without costing red orbs (the series' currency). A second weapon-change button was added, allowing the player to cycle through a character's melee weaponry. The game was re-released as ''Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition'' with new skills for Dante and the ability to play as Vergil. * ''
Devil May Cry 4 is a 2008 action-adventure game developed and published by Capcom. It was released for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Microsoft Windows platforms. It is the fourth installment in the ''Devil May Cry'' series and is written by Bingo Morihashi ...
'': Nero's Devil Bringer arm gives players the ability to pull distant enemies in to be attacked or destroyed. Nero is also armed with a sword which can be throttled up, allowing players to pre-charge it for extra damage on the next hit; with precise timing, it can be charged after each attack for extra damage and style. As Dante, players can switch fighting styles in mid-combat. An updated version titled ''Special Edition'' was rereleased featuring the ability to play as Vergil as well as Dante's two love interests, Trish and Lady. *''Devil May Cry HD Collection'': A collection of the series' first three games for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, ported by
Pipeworks Software Pipeworks Studios is an American video game developer based in Eugene, Oregon. The company was founded in November 1999 by Dan White and Dan Duncalf and works to provide full development, co-development, and live operations to video game publis ...
and
Double Helix Games Double Helix Games was an American video game developer based in Irvine, California, founded in October 2007 through the merger of The Collective and Shiny Entertainment, two studios owned by Foundation 9 Entertainment. Double Helix was acquir ...
, eventually released on March 22, 2012 in Japan and March 29, 2012 in the US. It was later ported to the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows on March 13, 2018. * '' DmC: Devil May Cry'': This title in the Devil May Cry series introduced changing environments to the gameplay. Players could reach hidden areas with the Ophion whip and grappling hook, and the weapon had similar functions to the Devil Bringer in ''Devil May Cry 4''. The environment often "attacked" Dante by changing its architecture and infrastructure to a more-hostile form, prompting fast-paced chase sequences and platforming scenarios. * ''
Devil May Cry 5 is a 2019 action-adventure game developed and published by Capcom. It is the sixth installment overall and the fifth mainline installment in the ''Devil May Cry'' series. Capcom released it for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One on 8 March 201 ...
'': Released in 2019, this game introduces a character named V, who controls three demons in battle due to his weak physical state. Nero and Dante return as playable characters, although Nero is weaker with the replacement of his Devil Bringer by a mechanical prosthesis. *''Devil May Cry: Peak of Combat'': A mobile-phone game by Yunchang Games, based on ''Devil May Cry 3''. Its rendition of Dante's appearance was criticized, and the developers promised to fix it when the game left the beta period for release in 2020.


Plot

The series begins two millennia before the first game with the demon Sparda, the Black Knight, defeating Demon World ruler Mundus. Sparda stops Mundus from conquering the human world by sealing several Hellgates and Temen-Ni-Gru (the last portal) with a ritual requiring his blood and the aid of a human priestess. Sparda meets Eva, who gives birth to his twin sons Dante and Vergil. The plot begins with ''Devil May Cry 3'', a year after Dante has a falling-out with Vergil. A large tower erupts from the ground near the shop, and Dante interprets it as a challenge from Vergil. Dante is defeated in Temen-Ni-Gru by Vergil, who takes his locket and leaves with Arkham. Dante's dormant devil power revives him, and he resumes pursuing his brother. Vergil wants to use the pendants their mother gave them in a ritual to create a portal to the Demon World. The battle is joined by
Lady The word ''lady'' is a term for a girl or woman, with various connotations. Once used to describe only women of a high social class or status, the equivalent of lord, now it may refer to any adult woman, as gentleman can be used for men. Inform ...
, who wants to avenge her mother's death by Arkham; Arkham manipulated the three into completing the ritual, which would allow him to acquire Sparda's sword: the Force Edge. Dante and Vergil defeat him, and resume battling each other. The portal begins to close, and Vergil approaches it. Dante pleads with his brother not to go, but Vergil leaps into the Demon World before the portal closes. Vergil is tested and encounters Mundus, his mother's killer. When Lady returns to the human world, she coins the phrase "devil may cry"; Dante uses it for the shop. Dante is confronted in ''Devil May Cry'' by
Trish Trish is a feminine given name, often a contraction of Patricia. It may refer to: Persons *Trish Adudu (born 1969), British freelance journalist, television presenter and DJ * Trish Bartholomew (born 1986), Grenadian sprinter *Trish Bertram, Britis ...
, who reveals that Mundus is planning to return and only a descendant of Sparda can defeat him. He explores Mallet Island (where Mundus is set to return), encountering demons which include Mundus' general: the undead Vergil, Nelo Angelo. As Dante approaches Mundus, he falls into a trap which reveals that Trish is the demon's agent; he saves her, however, because she resembles his mother. Trish saves Dante from Mundus, and Dante realizes his father's power. Dante defeats Mundus when Trish helps him return Mundus to the Demon World. Dante and Trish escape as the island collapses and work together in the Devil Never Cry shop. In the ''Devil May Cry: The Animated Series'' anime, Trish is a demon hunter; Dante is the bodyguard of Patty, a young heiress who becomes obsessed with him. Patty's mother is descended from a sorcerer who sealed the power of Abigail, an ancient devil lord. Patty is targeted by Sid, a demon seeking Abigail's power. Lady and Trish fight demons summoned by Sid, and Dante kills him. Dante is invited by Lucia in ''Devil May Cry 2'' to meet her mother, Matier. Dante learns that
Arius Arius (; grc-koi, Ἄρειος, ; 250 or 256 – 336) was a Cyrenaic presbyter, ascetic, and priest best known for the doctrine of Arianism. His teachings about the nature of the Godhead in Christianity, which emphasized God the Father's un ...
is collecting artifacts (Arcana) to summon the demon lord Argosax. Dante flips a coin, and decides to help. Lucia confronts Arius, who reveals that he created her. Lucia gives Dante the last of the Arcana before facing Arius alone. Dante encounters Matier, who asks him to take the Arcana to save Lucia from Arius. Lucia attacks Arius, but he captures her. Dante arrives, trades the Arcana for Lucia, and attacks Arius (who escapes). A stream of energy strikes the
Ouroboros The ouroboros or uroboros () is an ancient symbol depicting a serpent or dragon eating its own tail. The ouroboros entered Western tradition via ancient Egyptian iconography and the Greek magical tradition. It was adopted as a symbol in Gnost ...
tower, and a portal to the demon world opens. Dante and Lucia argue about who will enter, and Dante determines that he will go. After Dante leaves, Arius returns to the human world and Lucia defeats him. In ''Devil May Cry 4'', Dante and Trish discover foul play within the Order of the Sword and investigate while learning its religious leader's scheme to conquer the world using demonic power. Dante seemingly assassinates the Sanctus, only to face a young holy knight named Nero, who awakened his demonic forces as a descendant of Sparda. Nero quests to capture Dante while gaining Yamato, only to learn the Order's dark secrets before being captured by Sanctus through his girlfriend. Dante manages to cripple Sanctus's plans before freeing Nero to finish the job. The two part ways on good terms with Nero allowed keeping Yamato. In ''Devil May Cry 5'', set several years after ''Devil May Cry 4'', Nero runs a mobile branch of Dante's Devil May Cry business. He befriends Nico, a weapons artist and descendant of the gunsmith who crafted Dante's Ebony and Ivory handguns. Nero's Devil Bringer arm from ''Devil May Cry 4'' is stolen; armed with a
prosthetic In medicine, a prosthesis (plural: prostheses; from grc, πρόσθεσις, prósthesis, addition, application, attachment), or a prosthetic implant, is an artificial device that replaces a missing body part, which may be lost through trau ...
Devil Breaker created by Nico, he leaves with Dante and the demon hunter V to face their "strongest foe yet". Although the series' timeline had placed ''Devil May Cry 4'' before ''Devil May Cry 2'', it was
retconned Retroactive continuity, or retcon for short, is a literary device in which established diegetic facts in the plot of a fictional work (those established through the narrative itself) are adjusted, ignored, supplemented, or contradicted by a subse ...
with the release of ''Devil May Cry 5''. '' DmC: Devil May Cry'', developed by
Ninja Theory Ninja Theory Limited is a first-party British video game development studio based in Cambridge, England. Notable games it has developed include '' Kung Fu Chaos'', ''Heavenly Sword'', '' Enslaved: Odyssey to the West'', '' DmC: Devil May Cry ...
, is not part of the timeline and takes place in an alternate universe from the main series. Along with a very different looking Dante, it moves away from the gothic look of the previous games to a more contemporary setting with some social commentary on mass media and culture.


Development

After the completion of ''
Resident Evil 2 ''Resident Evil 2'' is a 1998 survival horror video game developed and published by Capcom for the PlayStation. The player controls Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield, who must escape Raccoon City after its citizens are transformed into zom ...
'' in 1998, preliminary work on a
PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...
installment of the ''Resident Evil'' series began by Team Little Devil under the direction of
Hideki Kamiya is a Japanese video game designer and director who is the vice-president of PlatinumGames. He began his career in 1994 with Capcom, where he directed '' Resident Evil 2'' (1998), ''Devil May Cry'' (2001), '' Viewtiful Joe'' (2003), and ''Ō ...
. Early
research and development Research and development (R&D or R+D), known in Europe as research and technological development (RTD), is the set of innovative activities undertaken by corporations or governments in developing new services or products, and improving existi ...
included a trip to Spain to examine castles as a basis for the game's environments. Its prototype, however, was a radical departure from the ''Resident Evil'' formula and the
survival horror Survival horror is a subgenre of survival of the players as the game tries to frighten them with either horror graphics or scary ambience. Although combat can be part of the gameplay, the player is made to feel less in control than in typical ac ...
genre. Kamiya rewrote the story and changed its premise, drawing from Italian poet
Dante Alighieri Dante Alighieri (; – 14 September 1321), probably baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri and often referred to as Dante (, ), was an Italian poet, writer and philosopher. His ''Divine Comedy'', originally called (modern Italian: '' ...
's ''
Divine Comedy The ''Divine Comedy'' ( it, Divina Commedia ) is an Italian narrative poem by Dante Alighieri, begun 1308 and completed in around 1321, shortly before the author's death. It is widely considered the pre-eminent work in Italian literature and ...
'' for ''
Devil May Cry is a series of action-adventure games created by Hideki Kamiya. It is primarily developed and published by Capcom. The series centers on the demon hunter Dante and his efforts to thwart various demon invasions of Earth. Its gameplay consists o ...
''. Despite the success of the original game, its sequel was not created by Kamiya or Team Little Devils. Although an unidentified director was placed in charge of the project, Capcom was dissatisfied with their work and assigned
Hideaki Itsuno is a Japanese video game director and designer. His entire career has been at Capcom, where he shepherds the ''Rival Schools'', '' Power Stone'', ''Devil May Cry'' and ''Dragon's Dogma'' series. Career Early years (1994–2002) Hideaki Itsuno ...
"with only 4 to 5 months remaining in development" to steer the project back on course. Despite Itsuno's limited time on the project, he is the only person credited as director in the final version of the game. According to producer Tsuyoshi Tanaka, the design aim was to make ''Devil May Cry 2'' bigger than its predecessor; Tanaka estimated that the game's environments were about nine times larger than the first. After ''Devil May Cry 2'' mixed reception, Capcom decided to develop the next game like the more critically successful ''Devil May Cry''. Gameplay elements, such as environment size and battle engine, were reconsidered. In the original game, Vergil was killed by demons early and his soul was controlled by Mundus;
Bingo Morihashi is a Japanese novelist. He also contributed to writing the video game franchise ''Devil May Cry'', its television anime series, as well as two light novels based on it. Career Morihashi published his first series named ''Tokyo Shimatsumou'' w ...
wanted to create an alternate universe in which Vergil was alive. However, Kamiya gave Morihashi the freedom to rework Vergil's backstory and make him a living teenager for ''Devil May Cry 3''. As a result, the game was designed as a prequel to the series, set several years before the events of the first game. Development of ''Devil May Cry 4'' began shortly after its predecessor's success. The development team had 80 members. A new protagonist was discussed many times at Capcom, but was not approved until producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi said that Dante had to be in the game. Kobashi said before the game's release that they wanted to make Dante seem significantly more powerful than Nero, to create an obvious difference between the strength of a "veteran" compared to a "rookie". Writer Morihashi collaborated with film director Yuji Shimomura, who worked on the earlier games. Morihashi left Capcom at one point, but returned at Itsuno's request. It took him a year to finish writing the game; he had difficulty with the characterization of Nero, the new protagonist. Dante returned as a supporting character. Although the fourth game was a commercial and critical success, the staff considered rebooting the series because other game series had better sales. They chose Ninja Theory, impressed with their work on ''
Heavenly Sword ''Heavenly Sword'' is a 2007 action-adventure hack and slash video game developed by Ninja Theory and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3. Gameplay The game is an action-adventure title with heavy hack and slash game ...
'' (which the staff thought would work with a ''Devil May Cry'' game). However, in 2013 Itsuno expressed interest in developing a fifth installment. It was originally thought that Itsuno intended for the series to go on hiatus or end if ''Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition'' was not a commercial success, but he said in a GameSpot interview that the series' future did not depend on ''Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition'''s sales. He alleviated fears that ''DmC: Devil May Cry'''s sales would kill the series, confirming that Capcom was satisfied with them. In mid-January 2016, Itsuno tweeted that he had begun work on a new project. Reuben Langdon and Johnny Yong Bosch, who had done voice acting and motion capture for Dante and Nero in ''Devil May Cry 4'', took pictures of themselves in motion-capture gear in March 2016; this led to speculation that a new ''Devil May Cry'' game was in development. According to Capcom Vancouver, "It's not a game that
hey Hey or Hey! may refer to: Music * Hey (band), a Polish rock band Albums * ''Hey'' (Andreas Bourani album) or the title song (see below), 2014 * ''Hey!'' (Julio Iglesias album) or the title song, 1980 * ''Hey!'' (Jullie album) or the title s ...
announced that
hey are Hey or Hey! may refer to: Music * Hey (band), a Polish rock band Albums * ''Hey'' (Andreas Bourani album) or the title song (see below), 2014 * ''Hey!'' (Julio Iglesias album) or the title song, 1980 * ''Hey!'' (Jullie album) or the title ...
working on at
heir Inheritance is the practice of receiving private property, titles, debts, entitlements, privileges, rights, and obligations upon the death of an individual. The rules of inheritance differ among societies and have changed over time. Officiall ...
studio". On May 17, 2018, the domain name "DevilMayCry5.com" was registered under Capcom's Onamae domain register. ''Devil May Cry 5'', featuring the return of Dante and Nero, was confirmed at
E3 2018 The Electronic Entertainment Expo 2018 (E3 2018) was the 24th E3, during which hardware manufacturers, software developers, and publishers from the video game industry presented new and upcoming products to the attendees, primarily retailers a ...
for release the following year. Most of the team had worked on the recently released ''Resident Evil 7'', and were experienced with the
game engine A game engine is a software framework primarily designed for the development of video games and generally includes relevant libraries and support programs. The "engine" terminology is similar to the term "software engine" used in the software i ...
; Itsuno was influenced by his work in '' Monster Hunter: World'' to provide content appealing to new gamers but also felt that making the game challenging would appeal to long-time fans. Other members of the staff had worked on the reboot game '' DmC: Devil May Cry'', but the Osaka team was more willing to make a sequel to the fourth installment of the main series. The team listened to fan opinions about previous games to ensure that the new game appealed to them; an "auto" mode facilitated combos. Itsuno was moved to tears by a film in which three robots combined into a giant robot to overcome their foe, and wanted to create similar moments. He wanted to convey the style of a Hollywood movie such as
Marvel Marvel may refer to: Business * Marvel Entertainment, an American entertainment company ** Marvel Comics, the primary imprint of Marvel Entertainment ** Marvel Universe, a fictional shared universe ** Marvel Music, an imprint of Marvel Comics ...
's ''
Avengers Avenger, Avengers, The Avenger, or The Avengers may refer to: Arts and entertainment In the Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes **Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of ...
'' series. Kamiya, currently working at
PlatinumGames PlatinumGames Inc. is a Japanese video game developer that was founded in October 2007 as result of a merger between two companies, Seeds Inc. and Odd Inc. Shinji Mikami, Atsushi Inaba, and Hideki Kamiya founded Seeds Inc. after the closure of ...
, was interested in making a remake of the first installment and a crossover game with Dante and
Bayonetta is a series of action-adventure games created by Hideki Kamiya and developed by PlatinumGames. The franchise was introduced in 2009 with ''Bayonetta''. Two sequels were released, ''Bayonetta 2'' (2014) and ''Bayonetta 3'' (2022), as well as a s ...
.


Other media


Light novels

The series has several print adaptations. Two ''Devil May Cry'' light novels, written by Shinya Goikeda and illustrated by
Shirow Miwa is a Japanese manga artist and illustrator. He is best known as the writer and artist for the ''Dogs'' manga series, but has also contributed illustrations to various tribute books, and magazines, including Square Enix's Monthly Shōnen Gangan. M ...
, were published in Japan in 2002 and translated and published in the United States in 2006. The first, ''Devil May Cry Volume 1'', was published in Japan in conjunction with the release of the first game and explored Dante in an adventure set before the game's events. The second, entitled ''Devil May Cry Volume 2'' in the US, was published in Japan to coincide with the second game's release and is set after the first game's events.
Tokyopop Tokyopop (styled TOKYOPOP; formerly known as Mixx Entertainment) is an American distributor, licensor and publisher of anime, manga, manhwa and Western manga-style works. The German publishing division produces German translations of licensed J ...
published the books in the United States in June and November 2006, respectively. Bingo Morihashi wrote a ''Devil May Cry 4'' novel entitled ''Devil May Cry 4 Deadly Fortune''. The two-volume novel, published in Japan in 2009, has a number of scenes which were not included in the original game due to time constraints. A prequel novel by Morihashi titled ''Before the Nightmare'', set before ''Devil May Cry 5'' and leading to the beginning of the game, was published on March 1, 2019.


Comics and manga

Three issues of a comic adaptation of the first game were published by the Canadian
Dreamwave Productions Dreamwave Productions was a Canadian art design studio and comic book publisher founded in 1996. Best known for its comic book adaptations of Transformers, the company shut down on January 4, 2005. History Brothers Pat Lee and Roger Lee founde ...
in 2004, but the series was left unfinished when the company went bankrupt the following year. On July 25, 2008,
WildStorm Wildstorm Productions, (stylized as WildStorm), is an American comic book imprint. Originally founded as an independent company established by Jim Lee under the name "Aegis Entertainment" and expanded in subsequent years by other creators, Wilds ...
(a
DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
imprint Imprint or imprinting may refer to: Entertainment * ''Imprint'' (TV series), Canadian television series * "Imprint" (''Masters of Horror''), episode of TV show ''Masters of Horror'' * ''Imprint'' (film), a 2007 independent drama/thriller film ...
) and
Capcom is a Japanese video game developer and video game publisher, publisher. It has created a number of List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises, with its most commercially successful being ''Resident Evil' ...
announced that they would collaborate on a ''Devil May Cry''
comic-book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
series. Details about the series were planned to be announced at a later date, but no new information has been provided. Two volumes of a planned three-part ''Devil May Cry 3'' manga series have been published in Japan and the United States. Set a year before the events of ''Devil May Cry 3'', the manga describes how the characters come to be at the beginning of the game. On March 7, 2019, Capcom announced that a tie-in manga entitled ''Devil May Cry 5 Visions of V'' would be serialized on the Japanese manga-hosting site Line Manga (LINE マンガ). The manga's prologue was published before the serialization began. Illustrated by Tomio Ogata, the manga (only available in Japan) would update every other Sunday beginning on April 27.


Animation

An
anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
series, '' Devil May Cry: The Animated Series'', premiered on Japan's Wowow TV network on June 12, 2007. The 12-episode series, produced by Madhouse, was directed by Shin Itagaki. Bingo Morihashi, a writer of the third and fourth games, was one of its writers. In November 2018,
Adi Shankar Aditya Shankar (born January 8, 1985) is an Indian-American film producer, screenwriter, film director, television program creator, television showrunner, and occasional actor. He is best known for ''Dredd'', '' Castlevania'', and his " Boot ...
announced that he had acquired the rights to produce a ''Devil May Cry'' anime series for
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
. Shankar, who has been completing a similar
animated series An animated series is a set of animated works with a common series title, usually related to one another. These episodes should typically share the same main characters, some different secondary characters and a basic theme. Series can have either ...
for Konami's ''
Castlevania ''Castlevania'' (), known in Japan as is a gothic horror action-adventure video game series and media franchise about Dracula (Castlevania), Dracula, created and developed by Konami. It has been released on various platforms, from early system ...
'' franchise, said that he considered both series part of a shared "Bootleg Multiverse". In November 2021, Shankar revealed that the show's first season will have 8 episodes. He also have plans for a connected “multi-season arc”, like what he did with ''
Castlevania ''Castlevania'' (), known in Japan as is a gothic horror action-adventure video game series and media franchise about Dracula (Castlevania), Dracula, created and developed by Konami. It has been released on various platforms, from early system ...
'', and that fan-favorite characters will make their debut throughout the series.


Film

On February 28, 2011,
Screen Gems Screen Gems is an American brand name used by Sony Pictures' Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group, a subsidiary of Japanese multinational conglomerate, Sony Group Corporation. It has served several different purposes for its parent ...
(which made ''Resident Evil'' into a
film series A film series or movie series (also referred to as a film franchise or movie franchise) is a collection of related films in succession that share the same fictional universe, or are marketed as a series. This article explains what film series are ...
) had purchased feature-film rights to the ''Devil May Cry'' series. Kyle Ward was hired to write the screenplay for the film (based on ''DmC: Devil May Cry''), which would be Dante's origin story. No news has emerged about the project's status.


Plays

Capcom produced ''Sengoku Basara vs. Devil May Cry'' a staged amalgam of the ''Devil May Cry'' and ''
Sengoku Basara is a series of video games developed and published by Capcom, and a bigger media franchise based on it, including four anime shows, an anime movie, a live action show, a magazine series, a trading card game, and numerous drama CDs, light nov ...
'' series, in August 2015. In the play, Dante, Lady, Trish, and Vergil encounter mysterious historical ruins while chasing a devil and are sent back in time to Japan's
Warring States period The Warring States period () was an era in History of China#Ancient China, ancient Chinese history characterized by warfare, as well as bureaucratic and military reforms and consolidation. It followed the Spring and Autumn period and concluded ...
; there, they meet Date Masamune, Sanada Yukimura, and other characters from the ''Sengoku Basara'' franchise. The play ran at the AiiA 2.5 Theater in Tokyo for 18 performances. Masanari Ujigawa wrote and directed the play, and
Hideaki Itsuno is a Japanese video game director and designer. His entire career has been at Capcom, where he shepherds the ''Rival Schools'', '' Power Stone'', ''Devil May Cry'' and ''Dragon's Dogma'' series. Career Early years (1994–2002) Hideaki Itsuno ...
and Izaki Matsuno collaborated on the scenery. Kazushi Miyakoda and Tetsuya Yamaura were the producers, supervised by Hiroyuki Kobayashi and Makoto Yamamoto. ''Devil May Cry: The Live Hacker'', a musical, ran for 13 performances in March 2019 at
Zepp DiverCity The Zepp music halls are a group of Japanese music venues covering every area of the country. They play host to many international tours and are a popular stop among Japanese musicians. Each venue takes the Zepp name, along with the city in whic ...
in Tokyo. Jun Yoriko wrote and directed the musical and its video, and a DVD was released in late August of that year.


Soundtracks

The ''Devil May Cry'' series has seen the release of seven separate soundtracks. Initially, Capcom was very reluctant to release an officially sanctioned
soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack o ...
for the ''Devil May Cry'' series, due to worries that the products would sell poorly. As a means of testing the market, Capcom decided to ask for pre-release sales.


In other games

''Devil May Cry'' characters appear in the
PlayStation is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a divisi ...
versions of the ''
Viewtiful Joe is a side scrolling beat 'em up video game franchise created by Japanese game designer Hideki Kamiya. It is primarily developed and published by Capcom and its subsidiary Clover Studio. Games ''Viewtiful Joe'' (2003) The first game in the ...
'' games, another Capcom series created by Hideki Kamiya; Dante is a playable character in the
PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...
port of the first ''Viewtiful Joe''. The PSP version of '' Viewtiful Joe: Red Hot Rumble'' also includes Dante and costumes based on Vergil, Trish, Sparda, Marionette, and Plasma. In a deal between Capcom and
Atlus is a Japanese video game developer, publisher, arcade manufacturer and distribution company based in Tokyo. A subsidiary of Sega, the company is known for video game series such as ''Megami Tensei'', ''Persona'', ''Etrian Odyssey'' and ''Trau ...
, ''
Megami Tensei ''Megami Tensei'', marketed internationally as ''Shin Megami Tensei'' (formerly ''Revelations''), is a Japanese media franchise created by Aya Nishitani, Kouji Okada, Kouji "Cozy" Okada, Ginichiro Suzuki, and Kazunari Suzuki. Primarily developed ...
'' character designer
Kazuma Kaneko Kazuma Kaneko (金子 一馬, ''Kaneko Kazuma'', born September 20, 1964) is a Japanese video game artist and designer for Japanese video game company Atlus. Kaneko is best known for his work in the ''Megami Tensei'' series of video games, actin ...
created Dante and Vergil's demonic forms in ''Devil May Cry 3''. In return, Atlus included Dante in his ''Devil May Cry 2'' costume as a character in an enhanced release of '' Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne'' (''Maniax'' in Japan). The English localization of ''Nocturne'' was based on the game's ''Maniax'' edition. Dante and Trish are playable characters in '' Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds'', and Vergil, Dante, and Trish are playable characters in its ''
Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is a crossover fighting game developed by Capcom in collaboration with Eighting. It is an updated version of '' Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds''. The game features characters from both Capcom's video game franchises and comic book se ...
'' update. Dante and Vergil retain their Kazuma Kaneko-designed Devil Trigger forms since they are based on the third game of the ''Devil May Cry'' series. Dante is also a playable character in '' Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite''. The ''DmC: Devil May Cry'' version of Dante is a playable character in ''
PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale ''PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale'' is a 2012 crossover fighting video game developed by SuperBot Entertainment, in conjunction with Bluepoint Games, and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. It features various characters drawn from dif ...
'', and he is a playable character in ''
Project X Zone (pronounced as "Project Cross Zone") is a crossover tactical role-playing game for the Nintendo 3DS developed by Monolith Soft with assistance from Capcom and Red Entertainment and published by Namco Bandai Games. The game is a follow up to the ...
'' for the Nintendo 3DS as half of a pair with '' Darkstalkers''
Demitri Maximoff is a fictional character in Capcom's '' Darkstalkers'' series. Making his first appearance in '' Darkstalkers: The Night Warriors'' in 1994, he is the series' male protagonist. Appearances In video games Demitri is a mighty Romanian vampire lo ...
; Lady is a separate character. Dante returns in its sequel, ''
Project X Zone 2 ''Project X Zone 2'' is a crossover tactical role-playing game for the Nintendo 3DS developed by Monolith Soft and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. Despite the game being the sequel to '' Project X Zone'', the plot is a homage to the eve ...
'', with Vergil; Vergil's future self, Nelo Angelo, is a rival character. On June 28, 2021, it was announced that a
Mii A Mii ( ) is a customizable avatar used on several Nintendo video game consoles and mobile apps. Miis were first introduced on the Wii console in 2006 and later appeared on the 3DS, Wii U, the Switch, and various apps for smart devices. Miis c ...
costume based on Dante would appear in the crossover fighting game ''
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' is a 2018 crossover fighting video game developed by Bandai Namco Studios and Sora Ltd. and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It is the fifth installment in the '' Super Smash Bros.'' series, succeed ...
'', as a set for the Mii Sword fighter character with clothing inspired by his design from the original ''Devil May Cry'' game. The set was released the following day alongside the game's new DLC fighter,
Kazuya Mishima is a fictional character in Bandai Namco's ''Tekken'' fighting game series, first featured as the protagonist in the original 1994 game and later became one of the major antagonists and antihero of the series. The son of worldwide conglomerate ...
from the ''
Tekken is a Japanese Media mix, media franchise centered on a series of fighting game, fighting video and arcade games developed and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment (formerly Namco). The franchise also includes film and print adaptations. The ...
'' series.


Reception

By September 30, 2022, the ''Devil May Cry'' series has sold 27 million units worldwide; each installment is a Capcom Platinum Title, selling over a million units. As of October 19, 2022, ''Devil May Cry 5'' is the best-selling game in the series having sold 6.10 million units worldwide. The series has received generally positive reviews. In 2010,
IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
ranked ''Devil May Cry'' number 42 and ''Devil May Cry 3'' number 18 on its "Top 100 PlayStation 2 Games" list. The series' gameplay has been praised as innovative. ''Devil May Cry'' has been cited as beginning a subgenre of "extreme combat" action games, which focus on powerful heroes fighting hordes of foes with stylized action. It has been described as the first game that "successfully captured the twitch-based, relentlessly free-flowing gameplay style of so many classic 2D action games". The series is the standard against which other 3D
hack and slash Hack and slash, also known as hack and slay (H&S or HnS) or slash 'em up, refers to a type of gameplay that emphasizes combat with melee-based weapons (such as swords or blades). They may also feature projectile-based weapons as well (such as ...
action games are measured, with comparisons in reviews of games such as ''
God of War A war god in mythology associated with war, combat, or bloodshed. They occur commonly in both monotheistic and polytheistic religions. Unlike most gods and goddesses in polytheistic religions, monotheistic deities have traditionally been po ...
'', ''
Chaos Legion is a third-person hack and slash video game developed and published by Capcom. The video game received a novelization by Tow Ubukata shortly after release. The story of ''Chaos Legion'' is a gothic opera which begins November, 791 A.S. (''A ...
'', and ''
Blood Will Tell ''Blood Will Tell: Tezuka Osamu's Dororo'', released as in Japan, is a 2004 PlayStation 2 game released by Sega. It is based on the Japanese manga series ''Dororo'', which was created by Osamu Tezuka. It concerns a hero named Hyakkimaru, who ...
''. ''Devil May Cry 5'' has three protagonists with distinctive abilities, increasing the number of moves available. According to Hiroyuki Kobayashi, the team's work on ''Devil May Cry 4'' influenced Capcom's ''
Dragon's Dogma ''Dragon's Dogma'' is an action role-playing hack and slash video game developed and published by Capcom for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2012. An enhanced version titled ''Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen'' was released for the game's original consol ...
''. Response to the series' narrative has been mixed, despite Dante's increased popularity. The series' popularity led to a line of ''Devil May Cry'' action figures produced by Toycom,
and
Kaiyodo is a Japanese company which manufactures action figures, figurines and garage kits. Its headquarters is in Kadoma, Osaka, Kadoma, Osaka Prefecture. According to a gamecritics.com reviewer, the story was overly short and the characters underdeveloped. Dante's cockiness was noted as largely absent from ''Devil May Cry 2''. ''Devil May Cry 3'' and its relationships among the cast in the narrative were found to be superior to Kamiya's original version. Dante's dynamic with Nero in the following game was praised, with critics saying that neither overshadowed the other. ''Devil May Cry 5''s handling of its characters and their connections was well received. Although well received by most critics, ''DmC: Devil May Cry'' was highly controversial with many long time fans due to the dramatic change in Dante's appearance and the move away from the series' iconic gothic style to a modern urban setting.


References


External links


Capcom USA's ''Devil May Cry'' portal''Devil May Cry 2'' website

''Devil May Cry 3'' website

''Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition'' website

''Devil May Cry 4'' website

''Devil May Cry HD Collection'' website

''DmC: Devil May Cry'' website

''Devil May Cry 5'' website

''Devil May Cry'' series
at
MobyGames MobyGames is a commercial website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes nearly 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms. The site is supported by banner ads and a small ...
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