The Ultimate Question: Devil May Cry 3 vs Devil May Cry 5?

[bar_bar12]

We have waited over 10 years for Devil May Cry 5, and it's safe to say that it lived up to expectations. The game is one of the best released in an incredible year, and seems to cement the sentiment that Capcom is Back. However, is it better than the previous best game in the series?

I personally think that the combat system in DMC5 is better than DMC3, but DMC3 has better level design, and many more memorable locations. Boss fights are pretty even between the two, since they both have some high highs (Vergil 3, M19 Vergil, Agni & Rudra, King Cerberus) and some middling encounters (Gilgamesh, Nidhogg, Leviathan Heart, Gigapede) and in general are pretty good.

What are your thoughts on this, DMC-Era?

 

[Weiss]

I'm not good enough at either to make that call but I will say that DMC3's aesthetic is leaps and bounds better. I don't like how organic and gross the DMC5 maps are.

 

[Mr.Fletcher]

Bayonetta.

 

[DanteLinkX]

Dmc5 is just barely perfect dmc game, dmc5se will be the definitive tho, all dmc5 needs is playable vergil maybe a new 5 missions arc.

 

[BadWolf]

DMC5 is the best action game ever made.

 

[Dreamboum]

I have lots of respect for DMC3 but I absolutely love Nero and I think he is such a refreshing and great addition to DMC lore that it shoots up in my appreciation of the game.

But to be fair I never truly enjoyed DMC3's tower and the fact I had to climb it again.

DMC5 has some things I didn't enjoy but it was such a pleasure to play 99% of the time. I'm gonna buy it again on steam

 

[Deleted member 8196]

Overall package?

Absolutely DMC 3.

 

[Hayeya]

Gameplay: dmc 5
Stages and setting: dmc 3
Soundtrack: both kick ass

 

[mrmickfran]

Dante's gameplay in 3 is really difficult to go back to after 4 and 5

The Bloody Palace is annoying for me to play just because I can't change weapons/styles.

 

[Haze]

DMC5's combat is fucking ACE. Like maybe the best combat system ever in a character action game. But its biggest blemish is the nonexistent level design.

 

[s y]

5. Best action combat system ever created, no equal.

Nero is the best character in the series and Exceed is the best mechanic in the series.

I like the "no bullshit" level design of DMC5 more. Clearing out room after room, none of the extra stuff.

Dante is at his peak in DMC5 in terms of moves and abilities and is absolutely ridiculous.

V is cool(but fucking trash on higher difficulties)

But really, Nero is the fucking best.

 

[Aurelioking]

DMC5 is the better game, DMC3 has better cutscenes tho.

 

[CherryIcee]

Even though the combat is better in DMC5, I enjoy the story a lot more in 3. Besides the last mission, the last 30~40% of 5 was kinda bad from a mission/story standpoint.

 

[BadWolf]

DMC5's combat is fucking ACE. Like maybe the best combat system ever in a character action game. But its biggest blemish is the nonexistent level design.

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The level design is one of the best things about it. It's perfect for replaying the game.

No bullshit gimmicks, platforming, mini games, running around or puzzles that waste your time. It's pure action.

It's basically bloody palace in campaign form, which is what I've always wanted.

 

[Deleted member 49482]

DMC3 is one of my all-time favorite games, but I've yet to play DMC5 (or DMC4, for that matter), but just the fact that you even asked this question has me extremely excited to play DMC5 now!

 

[diablogg]

Where's the DMC4 option?

 

[Haze]

The level design is one of the best things about it. It's perfect for replaying the game.

No bullshit gimmicks, platforming, mini games, running around or puzzles that waste your time. It's pure action.

It's basically bloody palace in campaign form, which is what I've always wanted.

Click to shrink...

The blood palace already exists. If anything it made replaying the game less enjoyable that it could have been for me because there's no variation whatsoever.

it's compounded by the later levels which all look exactly the same.

 

[Dullahan]

Devil May Cry 5 is basically THE character action game. Masterclass in game design.

 

[BadWolf]

The blood palace already exists. If anything it made replaying the game less enjoyable that it could have been for me because there's no variation whatsoever.

it's compounded by the later levels which all look exactly the same.

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And it was the best part of DMC4. Just like mercenaries was the best part of RE6. It lets the combat shine.

The removal of puzzles, platforming and other wastes of time was as per fan requests. So glad they listened.

 

[Deleted member 679]

DMC5 > DMC3 > V levels in DMC5

 

[Gilver]

5 for sure, Im sorry but Nero is my favorite character since 4 but I go back to DMC 3 and replay it every time I re purchase the collection and its always amazing (lost count of how many times ive beaten 3/bloody palace in 3 still has the best structure I think). But DMC is a very iterative franchise/genre so it makes sense.

 

[BeaconofTruth]

5. Stronger enemy lineup overall and relative push as far as boss fights, maybe the edge to 3. Better bloody palace, Dante is a far deeper character kit, Nero is a deep character kit, and V is a better way of doing change of pace stuff than usual action game idiocy.

3 has a more consistent plot n sense of momentum and QOL in terms of less load times, but 5 is way funner to get good at.

 

[BeaconofTruth]

5 for sure, Im sorry but Nero is my favorite character since 4 but I go back to DMC 3 and replay it every time I re purchase the collection and its always amazing (lost count of how many times ive beaten 3/bloody palace in 3 still has the best structure I think). But DMC is a very iterative franchise/genre so it makes sense.

Click to shrink...

Hell no.

4 got the best Bloody palace. None of the randomness of 3, more stricter n challenging than 5 tho limited by its enemy roster just a tad.

 

[Jawmuncher]

5 is easier to jump in and play, but 3 still holds the better overall game I feel.

 

[s y]

Imagine once the SE comes out and they add tons of QoL changes( less loading screens before the mission starts/instant mission restart etc). Won't even be a question.

 

[Oinone]

Easily 3 for me.
I love both Dante and Vergil's design.
Lady is a wonderful badass character.
Every scene with Jester is hilarious.
The story moved me, especially the ending. There is so much potential hidden in it. While I have a lot to criticise, it is wonderul staged and still better than every other game of the series.
Sadly 5 tore down everything I loved about DMC. Vergil was dirtied in my eyes, Dante acts like an asshole, and my hope for Lady's honor being restored after 4 was crushed.

 

[Village]

I think 5 is overall the better game

3 has playable vergil tho....

 

[J 0 E]

DMC 5 easily. The best game of its genre.

 

[Mezati99]

A playable vergil could make DMC5 the greatest action game ever made

 

[Yossarian]

Is there no Vergil DLC planned?

 

[Courage]

DMC5 feels like a game catered towards series diehards, which isn't a bad thing necessarily, but as someone who wasn't self-motivated enough to delve into the core of its combat, I found it to be mind numbingly boring. It was lean to the point where it offered nothing else other than engaging with its admittedly polished combat engine. Even when it did try to add some half-baked platforming or puzzle solving, they felt like an afterthought than organically devised.

So while it seems like the perfect game for people who have been invested in the series for years now, I couldn't help but feel there was a better way to evolve the series rather than resorting to what's tried and true.

 

[BeaconofTruth]

Imagine once the SE comes out and they add tons of QoL changes( less loading screens before the mission starts/instant mission restart etc). Won't even be a question.

Click to shrink...

The real kicker will be if SE can also tweak high level stuff. At the least give full proper mode support by giving players access to the re engine and source code.

then DMC5 community edition can be some other worldly shit.

 

[Theswweet]

As someone that played through DMC1-5 in a row - it's DMC3.

 

[Ahti]

DMC5 is great. But DMC3 is a masterpiece.

 

[Zassimick]

I played through DMC 1 - 5 for the first time this year. Easy for me to say DMC5 is the best of the bunch, and the only game throughout that I was having fun nearly the entire time.

 

[Gilver]

Hell no.

4 got the best Bloody palace. None of the randomness of 3, more stricter n challenging than 5 tho limited by its enemy roster just a tad.

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Kinda like not knowing what im getting in BP, also like the 3 element system because I just got bored knowing exactly what im getting every floor plus DMC 4's Bloody Palace just felt impossible and im pretty good at DMC (5's BP kinda easy tho).

DMC5 is great. But DMC3 is a masterpiece.

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Masterpiece for the time* Itsuno has learned alot in 14 years.

 

[Gold Arsene]

I'll give it to 5 just because I really like Nero.

 

[Y2Kev]

Can I pick the first half of DMCV? DMCV's second half is not good. It takes place entirely in that stupid tree. It's boring and unimaginative. That said, the boss fights remain great.

 

[AgentLampshade]

5 overall, but I still admire 3 more for what it did for the series. 5 was a perfection of the formula, 3 invented the formula.

3 had the better Vergil fight(s).

 

[Rubblatus]

DMC3's extremely limited enemy design alone makes it unplayable for me nowadays. Not even the Style Switcher mod can save it for me. Throw in all the amazing gameplay systems that expands how Dante and Nero play to a ridiculous degree along with the most mechanically dense weapons the series has ever seen, it's no contest.

 

[Chippu]

They're both great, but DMC3's aesthetics makes me prefer it over DMC5. And nostalgia.

 

[BadWolf]

Can I pick the first half of DMCV? DMCV's second half is not good. It takes place entirely in that stupid tree. It's boring and unimaginative. That said, the boss fights remain great.

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Barely a quarter of the missions take place inside the tree though.

Missions 1 to 10 = 2 missions inside tree
Missions 11 to 20 = 4 missions inside tree

 

[Galactic Barret]

I was asking this same question to myself this morning. I haven't played 5 yet, but I have played every other.

I will say, however, that if Era believes 4 is anywhere close to as good as 3, I cannot take it's consensus seriously. Nero is great in 4, but the absolutely terrible reimagining of the Stinger for Dante ruins the entire game for me. Backtracking doesn't bother me as much.

Also, Agni and Rudra are the original Ornstein and Smough. That just dawned on me and has to count for something.

 

[Vincent Alexander]

Devil May Cry 5 level design is atrocious, and the writing is terri-bad. I'd rather they left Vergil gone, because the version we got in DMC5 was like a cartoon character of himself.

 

[Order]

The one with Nero

 

[BeaconofTruth]

I was asking this same question to myself this morning. I haven't played 5 yet, but I have played every other.

I will say, however, that if Era believes 4 is anywhere close to as good as 3, I cannot take it's consensus seriously. Nero is great in 4, but the absolutely terrible reimagining of the Stinger for Dante ruins the entire game for me. Backtracking doesn't bother me as much.

Click to shrink...

What's wrong with the stinger in 4?

 

[Makoto Yuki]

Ugh, that's tough. DMC5 once they release Virgil.

I dunno, whynotboth.gif

 

[DominicanGlory]

3's level design and more focused story puts it over the top for me. Both are excellent.

 

[Bastion561]

I love both, but I enjoyed DMC3's story and level design a bit more.

 

[Issen]

DMC3 was much stronger overall because it was awesome pretty much all the time. Playing as V is some fucking bullshit in DMC5.