Devil May Cry 5 Devil Hunter Edition Review: Jackpot on Switch 2
Capcom’s immaculate character-action comeback loses none of its bite on Nintendo’s new hardware. It is not a reinvention, but it is one heck of a victory lap.
Devil May Cry 5 has always felt like a game sprinting down a collapsing highway while playing an electric guitar solo with one hand. Devil Hunter Edition does not change that song; it simply plugs the amp into Nintendo Switch 2 and lets the chorus rip at a clean, satisfying 60 frames per second in both TV and handheld play.
That matters because Capcom’s 2019 action masterpiece is built on timing, animation priority, cancels, taunts, weapon swapping, style ranking, and split-second improvisation. If the rhythm stumbles, the fantasy falls apart. Here, the rhythm holds. The result is an impressive port of one of the best character-action games ever made, and one of the easiest Switch 2 recommendations for players who somehow missed Dante, Nero, V, and Vergil the first time around.
Let’s Rock, Baby
The most important thing to know is also the least glamorous: this is a straightforward Switch 2 edition of an already expanded Devil May Cry 5 package. Do not come in expecting new missions, new bosses, a rewritten story, or a secret extra campaign waiting behind the jukebox. The big draw is convenience, performance, and the fact that Vergil is part of the deal rather than a separate temptation.
For returning fans, that makes the value proposition simple. If Devil May Cry 5 is already installed on your console of choice and you have cleared every difficulty until your thumbs developed muscle memory, this edition is not hiding a life-changing surprise. It is cool because it is Devil May Cry 5 on Switch 2. It is not cool because it suddenly becomes Devil May Cry 6.
For everyone else, though? Good grief. This is still Capcom at full swagger: absurdly stylish, mechanically generous, loud in all the right ways, and confident enough to put slapstick, melodrama, gothic horror, and score-attack combat into the same leather jacket.
The Best of the Best
Devil May Cry 5 earned its reputation in 2019 because it understood what this genre needs more than almost anything else: pace. Missions are rarely bloated. Encounters escalate quickly. The game knows when to hand you a new tool, when to throw a nasty enemy into the mix, and when to let a cutscene be ridiculous enough that you cannot help grinning.
Nero remains the perfect on-ramp. His Red Queen sword, Blue Rose revolver, grappling options, and breakable Devil Breaker arms create a fighting style that is readable at first and wonderfully expressive once you start getting brave. Dante, naturally, is the beautiful mess at the center of the storm: multiple weapons, multiple guns, multiple combat styles, and an almost rude amount of freedom. V still plays like the strange experiment he was meant to be, commanding familiars from a distance and finishing enemies with theatrical flair. Vergil, meanwhile, is all discipline, precision, and terrifying efficiency — the kind of character who makes you sit up straighter because the game suddenly feels like it is grading your posture.
That variety is why the campaign still flies. Devil May Cry 5 is short enough to replay and deep enough to make every replay feel like practice for the one after it. Better combos, cleaner dodges, higher ranks, faster clears, more stylish humiliation of anything unlucky enough to spawn in front of you — that loop remains as intoxicating as ever.
Diverse Styles, Maximum Chaos
The Switch 2 version’s biggest win is that it preserves the feel. According to Nintendo’s listing, the game targets 60fps in both TV and handheld modes, and that is exactly the kind of promise this release needed to make. Devil May Cry is not a series where “good enough” responsiveness is good enough. It needs snap, and this version has the snap.
Visually, Devil May Cry 5 still looks excellent because its art direction was never just about raw texture count. The demonic architecture, grotesque enemy designs, neon-lit urban decay, and lavishly animated character work all remain striking. It is flashy in a way that serves the combat: readable silhouettes, violent effects, and clear feedback when a combo connects.
The soundtrack and audio design also continue to do a lot of heavy lifting. Devil May Cry 5’s dynamic battle music is not background noise; it is a hype engine. When the style rank climbs and the music opens up, the game starts daring you to do something stupid, spectacular, or both. That feedback loop is still the beating heart of the whole thing.
What’s New — And What Isn’t
There is no getting around the caveat: Devil Hunter Edition is not overflowing with new material. It is better understood as a polished, accessible way to play a modern action classic on Nintendo’s new hardware. That makes it excellent as a first purchase, easy to recommend as a portable replay, and harder to justify as a full-price double dip for anyone satisfied with an existing copy elsewhere.
Still, the absence of new content does not erase the strength of the package. Devil May Cry 5 has aged beautifully because it was never chasing trends. It was chasing mastery, style, and the giddy joy of turning a demon encounter into a personal music video. Six years later, that design still cuts clean.
Devil Hunter Edition is not the definitive reinvention of Devil May Cry 5. It is something simpler: a superb portable version of a superb action game.
Closing Comments
Devil May Cry 5 Devil Hunter Edition is an excellent Switch 2 port because it respects the thing that made the original special: flow. It does not need a mountain of new content to remind us that Capcom’s combat design is operating on another level. It only needs to run well, look sharp, and let the player chase that next SSS rank without friction.
If you are new to Devil May Cry 5, this is an easy jackpot. If you are a longtime fan, it is a stylish excuse to come back, especially if portable play matters to you. If you wanted a brand-new chapter, you will have to keep waiting. But as a chaotic thrill ride returning on Switch 2, Devil Hunter Edition absolutely delivers.
Sources
This review rewrite was informed by DualShockers’ coverage and Nintendo’s official product listing for platform and performance details.