Do you like remasters? Do you like ports? Do you like ports of ports? This collection has got you fam’. Devil May Cry HD Collection is an 8th generation port of the Devil May Cry HD Collection that was released on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Developed and Published by Capcom, this collection was first released in 2012 for the seventh generation of consoles. Capcom thought it would be good a idea to port this to the eight generation of consoles as well as the PC for new players to experience the beauty of these games and for older fans to replay this game on a newer generation without needing to pull out their old consoles. Devil May Cry HD Collection is out now on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. So is this HD Collection good enough to warrant a port to the current gen or is it a cash grab, lets find out.
Devil May Cry HD Collection has the original three Devil May Cry games, so it contains Devil May Cry 1, Devil May Cry 2, and Devil May 3 Special Edition. For those unfamiliar with the franchise, you play as Dante, a man armed with dual pistols and a sword who fights and hunts demons. Throughout the games you fight various creatures from hell like demons, spirits etc and even fight through the various levels of Hell with their respective bosses. It’s quite an interesting take and has inspired games like Bayonetta which follows a similar story and style of gameplay. In terms of the gameplay, the game focuses on fast paced action combat with a heavy emphasis on using different combos. While there are puzzles in the game, the primary focus is on the flashy yet fun and challenging combat.
Now in terms of what it improves from the original PlayStation 2 version, there’s quite a few. Improved textures and overall visuals, smoother gameplay, support of achievements and trophies. The original collection bumped the resolution up to 720p and this new port takes it up to 1080p. It also has added bonuses like an in game compendium full of concept art, the soundtrack of all the games and fan art that has been curated by Capcom US. But in terms in what it offers over the 7th gen port is the resolution boost and the added bonuses. Other than that its pretty much the same. The bugs and inconveniences that were there in the original game and the port are still present in this game. The weird 4:3 menus that looked horrible and the odd camera placement that plagued the original games is very much present here. Another issue that was reported is that the game speeds up to sonic levels of speed when going above 60fps so keep that in mind. Another issue is the scaling on resolutions higher than 1080p since you have to edit it in the cfg file.
Overall, this Devil May Cry HD Collection is a decent port that is a great way for fans of the series and newcomers both to experience this classic on modern tech. Although it has some issues which were present in the original game, the issues on the PC version can be quite the deal breaker for some. However, if you like the Bayonetta style of gameplay then I highly recommend this game, especially Devil May Cry 3 since it is one of the best in the series and in this genre of games.
