Devil May Cry HD Collection Review

HD remake collections seem to be pretty popular right now. In recent months, if not weeks, we have seen some of the biggest games of the last console generation be upgraded into glorious HD. One of the most popular series’ from the PS2 era was the Devil May Cry saga which introduced one of the most easily recognised characters today - Dante, son of the Legendary Sparda. It's no surprise then really that an HD collection has been released for these classics!

The Devil May Cry HD Collection includes Devil May Cry, Devil May Cry 2 and Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening, so you get a lot of demon slaying action for your money. Many will argue that 1 + 3 are the best ones, but it's also nice to have 2 in there as well so you can judge for yourself!

If you haven't played a DMC title then firstly, my god where have you been all this time?! Secondly, the DMC games give you control of Dante, a demon hunter. Throughout the 3 games you take on tons of enemies in Dante’s gloriously stylish hack and slashy way. Also on offer to use are some of Dante’s sidekicks i.e - Trish and Lucia as playable characters as well as a few more hidden ones, but these need unlocking before you can use them.

Armed with your sword and a set of guns, you begin each game hacking and chopping your way through armies of demons/marionettes/ghost things, fulfilling certain criteria that each level wants - be that collecting 50 red gems (jewels that drop off of monsters) before you can progress, or experiencing a certain part of the story to push things along (Dante’s chest and a large sword say hello). Throughout the games you can unlock several different types of weapons which mix up the gameplay a bit, allowing you to build bigger and better combos until you reach the dizzying heights of the ‘S’ rank, the best rank awarded at the end of a level based on how stylishly you managed to dispatch your foes! Inevitably at the end of each game is an all powerful being that you have to slay before getting your victorious ending.

It’s all pretty standard hack and slash fair now but back then, DMC was one of the defining series of the genre. It was the series that started my love of hack and slash, that's for sure. There weren't many games out there with the fluid, fast paced action you got from the Devil May Cry games at the time, and I'm pleased to say that they still play just as well as they did back then.

Not only do they play just as well, but they now look very pretty too! Capcom has done a brilliant job with the upscaling of graphics in-game, textures are more defined and the different locations look really nice. Character models such as Dante, Trish and Lucia also look great, and you can definitely see the work put into making them look shiny and new too. What is disappointing however is that the HD upgrades havent been applied to everything. Menu screens and even some FMV sequences are in their original forms so it can look a bit odd when swapping from crisp and clean graphics to pixilated menu screens, but it’s something you get used to.

There are also a load of unlockables chucked in, ranging from those already available in the original games such as Dante and Lucia’s fashionable clothes designed by Diesel and new stuff added, such as bonus pictures awarded for completing levels a specific way and the obvious Trophies and Gamerscore. Googling the unlockables brings up a rather big list so there is plenty to keep you entertained!

Overall, the collection is actually really well done. Devil May Cry 1 + 3 in particular are fantastic. Devil May Cry 2 was never as good as the others and it still isn’t now, although that is of no fault of the collection itself, it has always been the weaker link. The Devil May Cry HD Collection offers a lot to both newcomers who want to see just what all the fuss is about and fans of the series alike. The gameplay is addictive and a lot of fun, and the collectables are a nice bonus and give you reason to head back into the titles again and again prolonging longevity. Give these classics a go, there are worst games from this console generation you could waste your money on!