Complaining that Devil May Cry needs better level design is like complaining Half-Life needs more platforming or Banjo-Kazooie needs better core combat. It's honestly kind of refreshing that Devil May Cry focuses PURELY on its biggest strength (combat), without the need of spectacle setpieces and quick-time-events. While I love Bayonetta and Metal Gear Rising, replaying them can be a chore because suddenly you have to stop and collect keys or have a slow walking/talking section or you failed a QTE out of nowhere and have to replay it until you get it right. But I jumped right into Devil May Cry V's new game+ on Son of Sparda and I am having the time of my fucking LIFE.
Also, the praise for DmC's platforming is just...bizarre to me. Like, everybody keeps bringing up the Bob Bardas/Raptor News Network section, but like...have you played that section? Because here it is, in its entirety, from 1:20 to 1:50. All glorious 30 seconds of it.
Like, that's it. It's five platforms and three grapple hooks. You just...jump and glide from platform to platform. It's not a challenge or anything. It's a rudimentary jumping section set to some admittedly nice looking visuals. Why not set like, an actual fight here and then have it devolve into the Bob Bardas arena? It's so ultimately worthless.
And I think the same thing about a lot of the level design in other spectacle fighters, too. Like, Devil May Cry 3's Temen-Ni-Gru is fantastic set dressing, but...can you remember a single piece of non-combat oriented level design where you were like, "Wow, this sure is some great, memorable platforming/puzzle-solving"? Can you remember a truly great non-combat level in Metal Gear Rising that wasn't a QTE? Do you remember platforming AT ALL in Ninja Gaiden? Devil May Cry V is great for the same reason God Hand is great: It puts all the focus solely on its core combat. And if you get tired of one character's combat, you have two other characters more fleshed out than any other spectacle fighter character's entire games. Shit, every single melee weapon Dante has could be the sole focus of its entire game. There's such an incredible amount of depth, and I'm glad we got that instead of a boring platforming section that I would not have given a shit about.
Some visual variety would have been appreciated in later DMCV levels, but that's my only real complaint. It just got a little too dark. I do love the big bright open final arena, though.