Devil May Cry 5 Devil Hunter Edition (Switch 2) review: still schooling modern action games

The devil's in the details, and Devil May Cry 5: Devil Hunter Edition comes with a couple of caveats attached. This is a very complete version of Capcom's action classic, bundling together the game, Vergil and years of DLC into one package, but it's not quite the Special Edition fans have been asking for. Some of the PS5-updated modes are missing, such as Turbo Mode and Legendary Dark Knight Mode, the gloriously chaotic mode that floods arenas with enemies.

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For some players that'll be enough to sour the deal immediately, and I get it. Those additions are a big part of why the PS5 and PC versions became the preferred way to play. But put that disappointment to one side for a moment and what you're left with is Devil May Cry 5 running beautifully on Switch 2, on a handheld, and that's still exciting. This is, after all, one of the best hack 'n' slash games ever made, layered with superb combat mechanics and some of the most outrageous boss designs you'll see.

It's kind of ridiculous how well Devil May Cry 5 has held up. For a game released back in 2019 on PS4 before its PS5 upgrade, DMC5 still feels more inventive than most modern action games, and the combat system remains one of the deepest I've ever played. Every fight feels like you're scratching the surface of something bigger, some ridiculous combo route or weapon interaction you haven't figured out yet. And there are plenty of weapons, skills and abilities to dig into and experiment with across the game's cast of characters.

The three playable heroes help keep everything fresh. Nero is probably the easiest way in, all revving sword attacks, gunfire and disposable Devil Breaker arms that encourage you to experiment because each arm you can unlock – and there are lots – offer unique ways to affect combat, some offensive and some defensive. Dante remains a solid brawler, which means he has enough weapons, stances and combat options to make most action game protagonists look unfinished, and later game weapons, such as wielding a sword made from a motorbike – Cavaliere R – just feel overkill. Then there's V, the strange one.

I've always liked V more than most people seem to. He does occasionally feel like Devil May Cry's cheat code because you can hang back while his summoned creatures tear through demons on his behalf, but he's also wonderfully odd, and there's a flexibility in managing the summons' health and when to launch the hulking Nightmare golem. The image of a pale goth wandering into battle and reading William Blake while a giant monster falls from the sky is exactly the sort of nonsense this series thrives on.

That's what keeps pulling me back to Devil May Cry 5, even though I've been here before with the PS5 edition. The combat is phenomenal, sure, but loads of games have good combat, and new releases like Ninja Gaiden 4 have caught up to Capcom's classic, but Devil May Cry 5 has personality bursting out of every pore. The kind of weird charm, snappy one-liners, odd weapon designs and impromptu dance sequences few other 'series' games have.

I love how Nero fires off dreadful one-liners at exactly the wrong moment. Nico spends half the game acting like she's wandered in from a completely different genre, getting flustered over Nero and excited over the new demon piece someone drops her way. Dante, meanwhile, remains one of gaming's greatest idiots. The man is trying to stop a demonic apocalypse and somehow still finds time to break into a Michael Jackson dance routine after getting a new cowboy hat.

The bosses are equally unhinged. One minute you're fighting a giant feathered fish-demon covered in tiny eyes, the next you're squaring off against an armoured knight wrapped in shell-like wings and firing lightning across the arena. Later, there's what looks suspiciously like a giant, skinless chicken carrying a three-headed blue demon on its back. Even now, few games can match Devil May Cry 5 when it comes to imaginative creature design.

The story is better than it gets credit for, too. Nobody comes to Devil May Cry for subtle storytelling, but there's a surprisingly strong emotional thread running through all the ridiculous action, and by the end I was far more invested in the fate of Dante, Nero and Vergil than I remembered being back in 2019.

As for the Devil Hunter Edition extras, it's nice having everything bundled together at last. Alternate costumes, battle tracks, and bonus weapons are all here, including Nero's wonderfully stupid Mega Buster Devil Breaker that turns him into a cosplay Mega Man for a few seconds. Vergil is included too, and for many fans, that's reason enough to pick up this version.

The other thing that stood out during my time with the game was just how good it looks on Switch 2. Capcom's RE Engine continues to work miracles. The game runs at a smooth 60fps, which is exactly what a precision action game like this needs, and visually it still looks fantastic. There's a slight caveat here: it looks best in handheld mode. If you're playing in docked mode, there can be some aliasing, but the whole thing is running so fast it's rarely noticeable. Character models remain excellent, effects work fills the screen without becoming a mess, and the art direction carries the whole thing through those moments when you're fighting inside what is essentially a giant demonic tree for several hours.

It also feels like another small victory lap for Capcom's engine tech. Resident Evil Requiem, Pragmata, and now Devil May Cry 5 all make a strong case that Switch 2 isn't just getting ports; it's getting genuinely good versions of modern games- something that always plagued Switch- and it's one of the reasons Switch 2 is worth buying a year after release.

Would I have liked Turbo Mode? Absolutely. Am I disappointed Legendary Dark Knight Mode didn't make the cut? Definitely. But then I spend five minutes launching demons into the air, juggling them with bullets, smashing them back into the ground with a flaming motorcycle split into two swords, all on a handheld at 60fps, and suddenly it becomes very difficult to care about what's not here because what is here is still very good.

Devil May Cry 5 was one of the best games of 2019, and it's still one of the best action games you can play today. Devil Hunter Edition might not be the definitive version some fans wanted, and if you already own it, it's a hard sell to double-dip unless you want to play on a handheld, but it's an excellent way to experience one of Capcom's greatest games on Switch 2.

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