Slowly but surely, Capcom is placing all of the Devil May Cry games onto the Nintendo Switch. The first one has been available for some time, and for some godforsaken reason, people can even get Devil May Cry 2 if they’re feeling masochistic. But fans have really been waiting for the Switch port of what many consider to be the best DMC game, Devil May Cry 3.
Well, wait no more, Dante worshippers. Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition is not only a great port of a great game, but it may also be the best version that you can find on any system.
This Party Is Still Crazy!
Devil May Cry 3 is a prequel designed to show us a bit of Dante’s backstory. Since this is a younger Dante, that means he’s at his most cocky, cheesy, and douchey. Up until this point, it seems like the concept of shirts was lost on this poor man.
A third-person character action game needs great combat, and Devil May Cry 3 was probably the best action game on the PlayStation 2 next to the God Of War games. The combat feels great and manages to be both challenging and rewarding. It’s not an impossible, Souls-like, rage-inducing game, but it’s not a cakewalk either. You’ll need to master the combat system to defeat the waves of enemies and the tough bosses. There are also plenty of different weapons to use and moves to buy, and there’s the style system, which gives you access to different sets of moves that you can level up.
Speaking of styles and weapons, one of the more annoying aspects of Devil May Cry 3 was the way it handled your equipment. Before, if you wanted to change your weapons or what style you were using you had to do that at the beginning of the mission or at Divinity Statues. Now, with a press of the directional pad, ZL or ZR button you can cycle through all the styles, guns, or melee weapons as much as your heart desires. It’s a massive improvement and it’s arguably the greatest update a port of an older game has ever received. You can throw away all other versions of this game because they all suck in comparison.
As if that wasn’t enough of a treat, Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition tosses in something that fans have dreamed about but never thought would actually happen: two-player local co-op in the Bloody Palace. The Bloody Palace is a series of challenges where you fight your way through 9999 floors of mayhem. That used to be a bit of a lonely experience, but now that there’s co-op, you and a buddy can make your way to the top together. It’s not quite as good as co-op in the story mode would be, but any kind of multiplayer DMC experience is cause for celebration.
A Minor Butt Spanking
As good as this port is, its biggest issue may be one that’s not necessarily DMC 3’s fault. Playing a game as intense and button-mashy as this on the Switch might be a surefire way to develop carpal tunnel syndrome. The tiny Joy-Cons with their minuscule buttons and sticks don’t feel like they’re cut out for a game as intense as this. It’s perfectly playable, but using a Pro controller is probably going to be easier on your wrists.
Devil May Cry 3 looks alright, but keep in mind, this was originally a PlayStation 2 game from 2005. Needless to say, it doesn’t look as nice as Luigi’s Mansion 3 or Breath Of The Wild. The graphics look like they’ve been upscaled for this release, but the cutscenes have a low resolution and it still has the appearance of a game from the sixth generation of consoles. It’s definitely an older title, but that shouldn’t deter you from playing one of the best entries in the Devil May Cry series.
The Definitive Dante Experience
While Capcom is taking its sweet time getting all the DMC games onto the Switch – and taking the scummy route of releasing them individually instead of as a compilation – this port is undeniably one of the best to hit Nintendo’s system. The handheld experience is a little iffy due to the size of the Joy-Cons, but whether you play it docked or undocked, this is still a hell of a good time.
With the ability to style switch freely and a cooperative Bloody Palace, Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition is undeniably the new definitive edition of the game and it’s a must-buy for any diehard Dante fan.
A Nintendo Switch copy of Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition was given to the TheGamer for this review. Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition is available on Nintendo Switch.
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