Devil May Cry

Series Overview

Devil May Cry is a gothic stylish action-RPG game series developed by Capcom and published by Capcom. The series began in 2001 with Devil May Cry, and is available on PlayStation, Xbox, PC, and Nintendo Switch. Established as a benchmark for high-octane narrative and aesthetic flair, the franchise has redefined the "character action" subgenre by blending supernatural horror with operatic family drama.

Release Order Complete list of games series in Release Order.

# Game Title Year Platforms Rating Data & Ratings Methodology:

To ensure consistent and accurate insights, our ratings are aggregated using the following priority-based logic:

Primary Source (Metacritic): We prioritize the Metacritic Metascore. The original 100-point scale is normalized to a 10-point scale (e.g., 87 to 8.7).

Fallback Source (OpenCritic): If a Metacritic score is unavailable or unverifiable, we use the OpenCritic Top Critic Average, similarly converted to a 10-point scale.

Note: Scores are static as of the last site build to ensure fast loading times.
1 Devil May Cry 2001 PS2, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC, Switch 9.4/10
2 Devil May Cry 2 2003 PS2, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC, Switch 6.8/10
3 Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening 2005 PS2, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC, Switch 8.4/10
4 Devil May Cry 4 2008 PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One 8.4/10
5 Devil May Cry 5 2019 PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S 8.8/10

Chronological Order Complete list of games series in Chronological Order.

# Game Title
1 Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening
2 Devil May Cry
3 Devil May Cry 2
4 Devil May Cry 4
5 Devil May Cry 5

All Devil May Cry Series Overview Each game's plot guide includes minor spoilers.

1. Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening (2005)

In the shadow of a nameless city, a young and insolent Dante finds his fledgling demon-hunting business christened in blood before he can even select a name for his shop. His mundane world is shattered when a colossal, ancient spire known as the Temen-ni-gru erupts from the earth, serving as a beacon for the demonic invasion and a stage for his estranged brother, Vergil. Driven by a volatile mix of sibling resentment and a burgeoning sense of responsibility, Dante embarks on a harrowing pilgrimage to the tower's summit.

The struggle intensifies as Dante encounters Lady, a vengeful human woman hunting her own father, the manipulative priest Arkham, who lurks in the shadows of the brothers' conflict. Vergil seeks to unseal the portal to the demon world to claim their father Sparda's ultimate power, viewing Dante's human attachment as a weakness to be purged. Every floor of the tower reveals a new layer of the twins' fractured history, forcing Dante to decide if he will embrace the legacy he once mocked. The air seethes with the friction of clashing steel as the brothers' ideologies begin to manifest as a literal war for the soul of the world.

The thematic weight shifts as Dante realizes that the true threat might be the human malice manipulating the demonic energies for a twisted ascension. He finds himself caught between his brother's cold ambition and Lady's singular thirst for familial retribution. As the ritual to open the gate nears its terrifying completion, Dante must confront the reality that his demon blood is not just a curse, but a weapon that demands a heavy psychological toll. He stands at the threshold of the underworld, his blade poised for a final confrontation that will determine which twin truly inherits the mantle of their father.

2. Devil May Cry (2001)

The silence of Dante's office is pierced by the arrival of Trish, a mysterious woman who bears an uncanny resemblance to his deceased mother. She reveals a looming cataclysm: the demon emperor Mundus, who murdered Dante's family twenty years ago, is preparing to return to the human world through a gateway on Mallet Island. Dante accepts the mission with a grim stoicism, traveling to the fog-shrouded castle to finish the war his father started millennia ago. The gothic halls of the island act as a suffocating prison where the past and present collide in a symphony of steel.

As Dante explores the derelict estate, he is relentlessly pursued by Nelo Angelo, a silent, knight-like demon who possesses a combat style and a pendant disturbingly similar to his own. The conflict becomes increasingly personal as Dante uncovers the depths of Mundus's cruelty, realizing the emperor has spent centuries twisting the spirits of the fallen into mindless soldiers. Trish's motives remain shrouded in ambiguity, her presence a constant psychological goad that forces Dante to relive the trauma of his childhood. The castle itself seems to pulse with Mundus's malice, its shifting geography designed to drain the vitality of any intruder.

Relationships are tested as Dante discovers the horrifying truth behind Nelo Angelo's identity, a revelation that fuels a righteous fury long buried beneath his wisecracking facade. He realizes that Trish may be more than just a messenger, serving as a pawn in a larger, more cynical game of emotional manipulation orchestrated by the emperor. The final seal on Mundus's prison begins to crack, threatening to unleash a tidal wave of darkness that would consume the island and beyond. Dante descends into the volcanic depths of the island's heart, wondering if the blood of Sparda is enough to kill a god who claims to be immortal.

3. Devil May Cry 2 (2003)

Dante arrives on the remote Dumary Island, a place steeped in ancient traditions and governed by a clan of protectors who once fought alongside his father. He meets Lucia, a silent and agile warrior who requests his aid in stopping Arius, a billionaire industrialist obsessed with attaining demonic godhood. Arius seeks to collect the four sacred Arcana to summon Argosax the Chaos, an infernal deity that would reshape the modern world into a nightmare of corporate and demonic fusion. Dante, now a more reserved and somber hunter, follows the trail of blood and magic across the island's urban ruins.

The tension escalates as Lucia discovers a disturbing secret regarding her own origins, leading to a crisis of identity that threatens to paralyze her resolve. While Dante systematically dismantles Arius's private military forces, Lucia must confront the reality that she may be more connected to the enemy than she ever imagined. Arius's ritual begins to warp the fabric of reality, turning the city's skyscrapers into jagged monuments of a burgeoning hellscape. The friction between Lucia's search for purpose and Dante's sense of duty creates a somber atmosphere as they prepare for a final strike against the corporate monolith.

The core tension revolves around the price of artificial existence and the weight of a silent protector's burden. Dante acts as a stoic anchor for Lucia, pushing her to define her own humanity despite the circumstances of her birth. As Arius nears the completion of his ascension, the gateway to the underworld begins to pulse with the chaotic energy of Argosax. Dante realizes that stopping the god might require a journey from which there is no return. He stands before the shimmering portal, his coin in hand, facing a choice that will seal the gate and his own fate in the shadows.

4. Devil May Cry 4 (2008)

In the vibrant city of Fortuna, a young, hot-headed knight named Nero participates in a religious ceremony for the Order of the Sword, an organization that worships the demon knight Sparda as a god. The peaceful event is shattered when Dante suddenly crashes through the cathedral roof and executes the Order's leader in cold blood. Horrified and confused, Nero engages the legendary hunter in a visceral struggle, discovering that his own arm has transformed into a powerful, demonic claw. He is tasked by the Order to hunt down the "assassin" Dante, embarking on a journey that will unravel the foundations of his faith.

The conflict sharpens as Nero discovers that the Order of the Sword is not as benevolent as it appears, having secretly experimented with demonic essence to create "man-made" gods. He learns that his childhood friend Kyrie has been targeted as a vessel for a massive living statue known as the Savior, which the Order intends to use to "cleanse" the world. Nero's pursuit of Dante turns into an investigation of the Order's true intent, eventually bringing the two hunters into a tenuous alliance. The friction between Nero's desire to save Kyrie and his growing distrust of the High Priest leads to a series of devastating betrayals.

The narrative explores the themes of religious hypocrisy and the true nature of power, as Nero realizes the "monsters" he was taught to hate are currently leading his city. Dante acts as a cryptic mentor, testing Nero's resolve and revealing the secrets of the blade Yamato, which holds the key to the brothers' lineage. The suspense reaches a breaking point as Kyrie is abducted and integrated into the Savior's core, leaving Nero isolated against an army of "holy" demons. He stands at the feet of the golden titan, his demonic arm glowing with an unyielding light, wondering if he can destroy the god his people worshiped to save the woman he loves.

5. Devil May Cry 5 (2019)

A several-year gap has passed since the incident in Fortuna, and a new threat emerges in Red Grave City: a colossal demonic tree called the Qliphoth, which feeds on human blood to bear a fruit of absolute power. Nero, now operating his own demon-hunting agency, is brutally defeated and has his demonic arm severed by a mysterious, hooded figure. Simultaneously, a fragile man named V arrives at Dante's office, offering a contract to kill the demon king Urizen, the source of the tree's growth. The three hunters-Dante, Nero, and V-converge on the city, each carrying their own scars and secrets.

The struggle escalates as Urizen proves to be an insurmountable force, easily defeating Dante and plunging the city into a month-long nightmare of arboreal growth and mass casualties. V leads a weakened Nero through the ruins, searching for the legendary sword Sparda to give them a fighting chance against the demon king. The air is thick with the scent of decay and the mystery of V's true identity, as he seems to possess intimate knowledge of the Sparda family history. As Dante re-emerges with a terrifying new power, the friction between the three protagonists reaches a boiling point, with V's health rapidly failing as he pushes toward a final confrontation.

The core tension focuses on the resolution of a decades-long family feud and the burden of the Sparda legacy. Nero must prove he is more than just a "dead weight" in the eyes of his predecessors, while Dante faces the darkest reflection of his brother's ambition. The relationship between the three men is a web of unspoken truths that threatens to unravel as they reach the heart of the Qliphoth. The suspense builds to a fever pitch as the identity of the hooded figure is revealed, triggering a final, cosmic clash for the future of the human and demon worlds. Nero stands at the center of the conflict, his new power awakening as he makes a desperate attempt to end the cycle of fratricide once and for all.

All Devil May Cry Games in Order: A comprehensive list of the franchise, organized by release and chronological order. Information is curated from web sources and highlights mainline entries only. Note: This guide does not include DLCs or remakes, focusing strictly on primary Devil May Cry titles for a cleaner browsing experience.