Gamescom 2018: Devil May Cry 5 details and release date trailer
At Gamescom 2018, Capcom revealed numerous details as well as a release date for Devil May Cry 5. In an official release trailer, Capcom announced that Devil May Cry 5 is available on 8 March, 2019 for PS4, Xbox One and PC. At the convention, Capcom also revealed many gameplay details through multiple demos. These include gameplay, story and design elements. From the demos and release trailer, players can expect Devil May Cry 5 to live up to the series' name.
The most important story details that fans will notice is that the protagonist is Nero. After the fan backlash of DmC's 2013 new Dante, Capcom have retconned their attempted reboot. Following on from Devil May Cry 4, Nero appears to be more like new Dante, with his cheeky swagger and short hair, than the angsty protagonist of DMC4. From this, one can speculate that the Capcom has taken new Dante, who was critically praised, cut off his arm and called him Nero. Without his iconic demon arm, Nero now has a robotic arm that is maintained and upgraded by series newcomer Nico. At the end of the reveal trailer, keen fans will spot the beloved Dante. However, he looks older, with his white hair turning grey to match his grizzled beard.
The story elements feed directly into the design elements. One of the series' strongest aspects has always been its design. From the Gothic architecture of DMC1, to the Hellish environments of DMC3, and most recently to the technological realism of DmC, the series offers unique locations, weapons and enemies. In Devil May Cry 5, the demons look as grotesque, malformed and demonic as ever. However, the biblical and apocalyptic influences of the original series is less visible, while the connection to the real world from DmC, seen in vehicles, technology and a contemporary setting, is more present.
While the design and story aspects revealed in the trailer are impressive, gameplay is king in the Devil May Cry series. As such, the gameplay demos highlight this element best. From these demos, such as this 15 minute gameplay video put out by IGN, it is evident that the adrenaline fuelled, high energy, twitch reflex combat is still the main focus of the game. With Nero's new hand, players have a slew of new technology based abilities at their disposal. The gameplay is smooth, running gorgeously at 4K 60FPS on the Xbox One X. However, Capcom have also stated, in an interview with Famitsu, they are aiming for 60FPS on all consoles to match the fast-paced battles.
Devil May Cry 5 is scheduled to release on 8 March, 2019 for PS4, Xbox One and PC.
