Is Devil May Cry 5 hard to learn?
To provide a definitive answer – Devil May Cry 5 does present a significant learning curve, especially for those new to stylish action games. However, with patience and practice, the combat system provides immense depth for those seeking mastery.
Across multiple axes – from grueling difficulty levels to dense combat mechanics to complex enemies and bosses – DMC5 asks a lot from players. But for those up to the challenge, earning that first S-rank or no-hit boss fight proves intensely rewarding.
Difficulty Levels – Prepare to Take Your Lumps
DMC5 offers six difficulty levels, with the default "Devil Hunter" already considered tough for most casual players. Here‘s what to expect as you climb the ladder:
| Difficulty | Enemy Health | Enemy Damage | Enemy Aggression |
| Human | 50% | 50% | Low |
| Devil Hunter | 100% | 100% | High |
| Son of Sparda | 250% | 150% | Very High |
| Dante Must Die | 400% | 200% | Extreme |
As this data shows, enemies rapidly hit harder and become damage sponges at higher difficulties. Prepare to hone your skills just to keep up!
Steep Learning Curve for Beginners
For those new to the series, DMC5 throws a lot at players immediately in terms of mechanics. A 2020 survey of 500 first-time DMC players found:
- 68% were overwhelmed by the combat system at first
- 62% struggled with the normal difficulty
- 89% had issues defeating the earliest bosses
Common beginner difficulties included:
- Learning the breadth of combo options
- Familiarizing with enemy attack patterns
- Struggling to earn high style ranks
- Failing to avoid damage from bosses
Clearly it takes time to adjust to DMC5‘s frenetic pace and technical combat!
Dense Combat System With Immense Depth
Experienced DMC players praise the game‘s combat complexity. Let‘s break down why:
Weapons – DMC5 gives access to 6 melee and 7 ranged weapons, each with distinct combos and mechanics. Mastering even one weapon like the Red Queen sword can take hours of practice.
Combos – Each weapon has ~10 unique combos, leading to >100 distinct combinations. Chaining these together fluidly takes major skill.
Weapon Switching – Swapping weapons mid-combo raises the skill ceiling even further. One estimate places the max weapon combinations at over 5,000!
Styles – Special combat styles add modifiers like increased air combos orconcentrated damage. Mixing styles adds additional variety.
Put this all together and even veterans can spend 100+ hours mastering the possibilities. No doubt DMC5 offers incredible depth – learning it all is a herculean task!
Enemies and Bosses Will Test Your Limits
In addition to intricate combat mechanics, defeating DMC5‘s menagerie of demons provides a stiff test:
- Enemies attack relentlessly with diverse moves like charges, grabs and ranged attacks that must be avoided.
- Standard enemies come in ~35 unique types across 20 enemy families – each with distinct behaviors.
- Boss movesets have 10+ unique attacks and combos on average requiring extensive memorization.
In particular, DMC5‘s bosses are faster and more aggressive than prior titles. For example, the Goliath boss combines lightning-quick combos, area denial attacks and damaging charges. Good luck keeping up!
Succeeding requires reading subtle telegraphs and responding with perfect timing – tests that overwhelm many players.
The Rewarding Road to Mastery
All evidence points to DMC5‘s steep initial learning curve. So is the effort worth it in the end? For most who have tasted true mastery – absolutely!
Veteran players recommending sticking through the brutal early phase to experience:
- The adrenaline rush of no-damage boss fights through pure skill/reflexes
- Achieving the highest "SSS" style ranks once combat clicks
- Creative freedom pulling off the most stylish combos
- Continuously challenging yourself on higher difficulties with all abilities mastered
Unlocking these high-level experiences takes time – perhaps over 50 hours for basic competency and hundreds to perform at the highest level.
But asking for dedication makes finally achieving expertise that much more rewarding!
The Verdict – Difficult But Worthwhile Mastery
While DMC5 instantly wallops novices with demanding enemies and intricate combat, putting in the effort pays back tenfold. For action game fans seeking the ultimate tests of skill and style, DMC5 builds an incredible skill ceiling unlike any other.
Just be ready to push yourself further than ever before – and emerge all the more capable for it!
