Devil May Cry HD Collection Review Summary

Last updated: 2026-05-10
  • Masterpiece with fun and enjoyable gameplay.
  • Legendary hack and slash series with unique combat.
  • Praise for combat variety and memorable soundtracks.
  • DMC2 criticized for poor quality and flaws.
  • DMC1 camera and control issues noted.
  • Performance and technical issues reported.
Devil May Cry HD Collection header

Emotions

Archetypes

Hardware

Windows <8GB VRAMpositiveWindows 12-15GB VRAMmixed

What players like:

Common complaints:

Gameplay feedback:

Performance notes:

Recommendations:

Other player notes:

Review evidence

Why players say this

What players like

DMC3 is a masterpiece: Devil May Cry 3 is widely regarded as the best in the series, praised for its story, gameplay, combat system, soundtrack, and overall quality. It is considered a pinnacle of the hack and slash genre with deep mechanics and satisfying combat.

DMC1 is a classic: The first Devil May Cry game is celebrated for its gothic atmosphere, challenging combat, and engaging story. It is seen as a classic that has aged well and remains enjoyable despite its age.

Legendary hack and slash series: The Devil May Cry series is a favorite among hack and slash fans, known for its stylish action, memorable characters, and over-the-top gameplay.

Fun and enjoyable gameplay: The series is known for its fun and addictive gameplay, with enjoyable combat systems and challenging yet rewarding gameplay loops.

DMC1's gothic atmosphere: DMC1 is praised for its unique gothic atmosphere, dark setting, and memorable level design, which contribute to its distinctive feel.

Common complaints

DMC2 overall poor quality: Devil May Cry 2 is often described as the weakest entry in the series, with numerous flaws including poor level design, repetitive boss fights, and a lack of redeeming qualities. The game is frequently recommended to be skipped or avoided.

DMC2 story and character flaws: The story of Devil May Cry 2 is widely criticized for being weak, uninteresting, and poorly executed. Characters, including Dante, are often described as lacking personality and charisma, contributing to the overall disappointment with the game.

DMC1 camera and control issues: Devil May Cry 1 is often criticized for its bad camera angles and clunky controls. These issues can make combat frustrating and navigation difficult, detracting from the overall gameplay experience.

Save system problems: The save system in the games is criticized for various issues, including lost save files, no Steam Cloud saves, and a complicated process to restore save files. These problems can lead to frustration and a poor user experience.

Performance and porting issues: The games suffer from various performance issues and poor PC ports. These technical problems can include bugs, performance issues, and poorly adapted controls, leading to a subpar gaming experience.

Gameplay and performance

DMC3 praised for combat: DMC3 is highly praised for its improved and deep combat system, offering challenging gameplay, a variety of weapons, and styles. Players enjoy the fluid combat, complex mechanics, and the ability to perform intricate combos.

Variety in combat and weapons: The games offer a variety of combat styles, weapons, and combos, allowing for a diverse and engaging combat experience. Players appreciate the depth and customization available in combat.

Hack and slash genre: The games are recognized for their hack and slash mechanics, which are central to the gameplay experience. This genre is highlighted for its action-packed combat and stylish action.

Boss fights and challenges: Boss fights are a significant aspect of the games, providing unique and challenging encounters. These fights are often highlighted as memorable and enjoyable parts of the gameplay.

Story and gameplay integration: The integration of story and gameplay is noted for enhancing the overall experience. Players appreciate the combination of engaging narratives and solid gameplay mechanics.

Performance and technical issues: The game collection suffers from various performance issues, including general lag, crashes, and texture problems. These issues affect gameplay and visual quality.

Graphical and visual issues: The game has several graphical issues, including missing textures, broken effects, and resolution limitations.

Framerate and resolution support: While the game supports 60 FPS and modern resolutions, there are issues with frame drops and resolution limitations.

Cutscene and cinematic issues: Cutscenes and cinematics have various issues, including audio desynchronization, lag, and failure to load.

Audio desynchronization: Audio frequently goes out of sync, particularly during cutscenes and cinematics, which detracts from the overall experience.

Recommendations

DMC3 is highly recommended: DMC3 is frequently highlighted as the standout game in the series, praised for its combat, story, and overall quality. Many reviewers suggest that the collection is worth buying for DMC3 alone.

Collection highly recommended: The Devil May Cry collection is often recommended for both new and returning fans. Reviewers suggest it is worth buying, especially for those interested in the series' origins and evolution.

Recommended for action game fans: The series is highly recommended for fans of stylish action games and hack and slash genres. Reviewers highlight its appeal to those who enjoy fast-paced and challenging gameplay.

Start with DMC1 or DMC3: Reviewers often recommend starting with DMC1 or DMC3 for the best experience. These games are seen as the strongest entries in the series.

Avoid DMC2: DMC2 is often criticized and generally not recommended due to its flaws. Reviewers suggest skipping it unless you are interested in experiencing all parts of the series.

Buying context

Community fair range: $10.00 - $20.00.

Game completion: 25.0h.

Story completion: 10.0h.

Session length: 0.5h.

Endgame: 20.0h.

Players generally find DMC1 and DMC3 fun after overcoming initial control and camera challenges, with combat systems that improve with time. DMC2 is widely criticized for being boring and poorly designed.

Reported time to anchor: 2h.

Player profiles

Challenge-Seeking Veteran: Strategic and persistent, focusing on mastering combat mechanics and overcoming difficult challenges. Motivation: Mastery and challenge. Stance: buy.

Series Newcomer: Exploratory and learning-focused, trying out different combat styles and strategies. Motivation: Exploration and initial engagement. Stance: sale.

Mod-Enthusiast: Experimental and customization-focused, utilizing mods to enhance gameplay and add new features. Motivation: Customization and enhancement. Stance: buy.

Platform notes

Performance varies significantly across hardware cohorts, with lower VRAM systems experiencing stability issues and crashes, while higher VRAM systems report smoother performance despite some visual and performance drawbacks.

Windows <8GB VRAM: positive. Reports stable performance and smooth experience on modern systems.

Windows 12-15GB VRAM: mixed. Visuals are outdated and FPS drops cause slowdowns, but it runs smoothly with stable 60 FPS on good hardware.

Windows 8-11GB VRAM: negative. Frequent hard crashes and instability issues, particularly on Linux systems.

Steam Deck: The Devil May Cry HD Collection on Steam Deck faces several significant issues, including the lack of cloud saves, problems with cutscenes, control issues, and performance instability. These problems detract from the overall user experience and require substantial tinkering to mitigate.

Linux and Proton: The game has mixed reviews regarding its compatibility with Linux and Proton. While some users report a smooth experience, others encounter significant issues, particularly with cutscenes and the need for specific Proton versions or additional tweaks. The consensus suggests that the game is playable on Linux but may require some level of tinkering for optimal performance.

Extra review signals

External guides: The primary issues highlighted by users revolve around technical instability, particularly with alt-tab crashes, and a lack of in-game guidance for finding items and completing missions. These problems significantly impact the user experience, making the game frustrating to play without external resources.

Other review notes

Secret costumes and difficulties: Players have noted the inclusion of secret costumes and unique difficulties, adding to the game's replay value.

Nostalgic content and bugs: The game includes nostalgic bonuses and some legendary bugs, which might affect gameplay experience.

Steam overlay resolution issues: There are reports of resolution issues specifically related to the Steam overlay.

Steam Deck compatibility mentioned: A user mentioned the Steam Deck, but did not provide additional context or details.