As a long-time fan turned games writer, readers often ask me: what exactly is the difference between DmC: Devil May Cry and the classic Devil May Cry series? At a glance, they appear quite similar – both star a supernaturally-gifted, smart-mouthed demon hunter named Dante who slashes hordes of enemies into stylistic oblivion.
The critical distinction, however, is that DmC serves as a darker, grittier reboot made outside of the series‘ original developers. It re-imagines Dante and the premise from the ground up compared to the bombastic, anime-inspired antics of the core games. Let‘s analyze the history, gameplay, and public reception of each more closely.
DmC: A Controversial Metal-Laced Reboot
DmC: Devil May Cry launched in 2013 as an attempted reboot of Capcom‘s beloved hack-and-slash franchise by acclaimed studio Ninja Theory. Its initial reveal caused controversy and skepticism within the passionate DMC community due to drastic changes made to the appearance and backstory of protagonist Dante.
Gone was his iconic long white hair and red trenchcoat – in DmC, a young "Donte" sports a modern punk look with black hair and tattoos. He begins the story as an aimless youth unaware of his demonic heritage, but soon awakens to strange powers that allow him to take on rulers of the underworld.
A More "Grounded" Setting…With Neon Demons
Early skepticism aside, Ninja Theory pitched DmC as telling an "origins" tale in a more grounded, contemporary world compared to the gothic stylings of past games. While elements of absurdity remain, DmC‘s environments leverage real-world parallels like propaganda news networks or soft drink corporations controlling society through demonic influence. Fans criticized this approach as unsubtle despite praise for parts of the story and characters.
Ironically, the visual presentation in DmC is anything but grounded once the sword-slinging begins. Neon flashes and electronic music blare across limbo-esque battle arenas as Dante tears through bizarre, colorful enemies. Ninja Theory expanded upon their knowledge in creating impactful melee systems from past games like Heavenly Sword. Combat and style mechanics remain solid, though fans debated whether depth and overall complexity matched previous entries.
Sales Struggled to Meet Expectations
Pre-release fan frustration aside, DmC: Devil May Cry earned positive critical marks for trying new things with the formula – standing at 85 on Metacritic today. However, the radical changes and lost brand familiarity contributed to underwhelming sales that failed to meet Capcom‘s targets.
Exact figures are not shared, but most estimates place DmC selling around 1.1 – 1.5 million copies worldwide. Below expectations given the brand and development budget. As a result, Ninja Theory moved on from the IP while also being acquired by Microsoft. Capcom seems to view DmC as a one-off experiment rather than new start for the series canon.
The Core Series: Classic Combat Perfected
Let‘s rewind to 2001 and the origins of the landmark franchise itself – Hideki Kamiya and Capcom‘s original Devil May Cry, which began life as the earliest incarnation of Resident Evil 4 before morphing into its own legendary strain of action game.
The de facto formula involves Dante – silver-haired, trenchcoat-clad demon hunter armed with swords Alastor and Rebellion alongside acrobatic gunplay via pistols Ebony and Ivory. He takes various jobs dealing with supernatural threats, all while wearing a co*cky smirk when not unleashing guitar riffs from his battle music.
This foundation established the series across four titles by 2008. A decade later, 2019‘s Devil May Cry 5 (DMC5) brought Dante and friends into stunning modern form with the best combat depth yet and state-of-the-art visuals.
Style, Substance…and Smokin‘ Sexy Style!
Unlike Ninja Theory‘s contemporary urban attempt, the DMC series wears proudly bizarre anime inspirations on its sleeve in terms of characters and presentation. Buxom femme fatales, gothic architecture mixed with neon colors, and heavy metal chugging away as characters throw out hammy one-liners.
But silly persona aside, these games back it up with substantial systems underlining the style. Not only does Dante gain more outrageous weapons and abilities with each entry, the central combat loop – juggling enemies while weapon switching to vary crowd control tactics – made significant advancements. Hit feedback, animation priority, recovery time, cancel windows, all precisely calibrated to reward mastery and experimentation.
Capcom nailed that feeling of progression as enemies get tougher while players improve. Unlocking new gameplay from the initial surface level hack-and-slash. Depth supported by excellent art direction and sound work that accentuates rewarding combos. Plus secrets and challenges to test veterans, especially hardcore modes like Dante Must Die.
Commercial Performance
In terms of financial stats, the Devil May Cry franchise has sold over 27 million units worldwide according to the latest Capcom reports. Breakdown across mainline entries below:
| Game | Approx. Lifetime Copies Sold |
|---|---|
| Devil May Cry (2001) | 3.2 million |
| Devil May Cry 2 (2003) | 2.3 million |
| Devil May Cry 3 (2005) | 2.16 million |
| Devil May Cry 4 (2008) | 4.26 million |
| DmC: Devil May Cry (2013) | 1.5 million |
| Devil May Cry 5 (2019) | ~6.1 million and counting |
DMC5 marked a major comeback, inheriting fans of earlier titles who fall in and out of the series. But the foundation remains players appreciating depth behind Dante‘s co*cksure attitude – similar to combo fiends dedicated to fighting games. DMC even crosses over with brawlers like Street Fighter and Marvel vs Capcom.
Analyzing Core Differences: Tone, Style, Gameplay, and Reception
With background established, let‘s directly compare DmC vs past DMC games on key areas – where they overlap and differ fundamentally outside surface-level looks.
| Category | DmC: Devil May Cry (2013) | Devil May Cry Series |
|---|---|---|
| Protagonist | Reboot "Donte" – Punk rock look – Younger/new to hunting – Origin story | Dante – Iconic red coat – Veteran demon hunter – Established style/persona |
| Tone/Setting | Gritty, "real" urban environments with political commentary | Gothic fantasy settings with eccentric anime flair |
| Core Combat | Polished, modernized version of DMC fundamentals with streamlining | Bread-and-butter combat pioneered and iterated on across multiple titles |
| Difficulty/Depth | Easier onboarding, combo creativity still rewarded | Infamous hardcore challenges. Huge mastery skill ceiling |
| Critical Reception | Great praise for art and fresh ideas But controversy over changed establish IP | Range of praise and criticism depending on entry. DMC3-5 regarded among top character action games |
| Sales Performance | Below expectations at 1-1.5 million units | 27 million units total. DMC5 a major comeback success |
DmC shines brightest when viewed as its own standalone entry divorced from past DMC history and baggage. An interesting alternate universe vision for sure, but not one that longtime fans felt eclipsed the crazy combat mashups and outsized anime energy they loved most.
Meanwhile, core DMC entries build strongly upon each other in lore and mechanics. Providing exponentially greater depth and challenge compared to Ninja Theory‘s reboot attempt. Dante remains king of stylish action as the best entries push the genre forward across multiple generations.
The Future: DMC6, Spinoffs, and Expanding the Universe
With Devil May Cry 5 a critical and commercial smash, Capcom seems eager to continue investing in Dante and crew‘s future escapades:
- Devil May Cry 6 – Reportedly in the planning stages at Capcom to follow up after DMC5‘s explosive finale teased further adventures. Though years away from any official reveal.
- Devil May Cry: Peak of Combat – A mobile gacha-style action RPG developed for Asian territories, launching globally 2023. Features 3D exploration and combat using DMC5 models and assets.
- Animated Series – Bounding Into Comics reports Netflix aims to produce a Western-style animated Devil May Cry show for streaming, though not yet confirmed. Prior anime exists like Devil May Cry: The Animated Series.
This aligns with a general Capcom effort to capitalize on key IPs like Resident Evil through live services and multimedia angles – gaining record profits last quarter.
Will Dante and friends receive crossover fighting game cameos? A live action adaptation one day? Time will tell!
For now, the DMC dynasty seems forever poised to deliver the next trailblazing evolution of fast-paced, frenetic combat Capcom perfected across multiple console generations.
