There is a funny kind of review consensus that only happens with a port. Everyone can agree the game is excellent, then spend the rest of the review arguing about whether this particular version is the one to buy. That is where Devil May Cry 5: Devil Hunter Edition has landed on Nintendo Switch 2.
On OpenCritic, Capcom's Switch 2 version is sitting around an 87 top critic average from 22 reviews, with 100 percent of listed critics recommending it as of June 27. That looks like a clean win. It mostly is. But the interesting part is in the caveat that keeps turning up: critics love how well Devil May Cry 5 runs in portable form, while several are careful to say this is not quite the definitive edition.
That distinction matters. A player who has never touched Devil May Cry 5 is hearing something very different from someone who already bought the PS5 or Xbox Series version. For the first group, reviewers are basically saying: yes, this is still one of Capcom's best action games, and the Switch 2 handles it better than many expected. For the second group, the message is quieter: the port is strong, but the missing modes and small compromises may not onlyify a second purchase.
Devil May Cry 5: Devil Hunter Edition critic score snapshot
The score band is tightly positive. Nintendo Life gave it 8/10. DualShockers gave it 9/10. Hobby Consolas scored it 87/100. COGconnected also landed at 87/100. Worth Playing gave it 9/10. Saudi Gamer went higher with 5/5. Several smaller outlets sit in the 8 to 9.5 range, which is why the OpenCritic average is stable rather than inflated by one or two ecstatic reviews.
The easy headline is performance. Nintendo Life's Oliver Reynolds called it "another great Capcom port for the Switch 2," specifically praising the way it keeps "60fps gameplay" without ruining the visual presentation. COGconnected's Jaz Sagoo called it "an incredible technical achievement" and said the game works perfectly on Switch 2. Worth Playing's Cody Medellin made the same basic point in more practical terms: this version looks close to the stronger console editions and avoids performance drops where it counts.
That is the center of the consensus. Devil May Cry 5 is a timing game disguised as a style contest. It can tolerate a bit of visual fuzz. It cannot tolerate combat that feels late. Reviewers keep circling back to the same point because a locked or near-locked frame rate is not a bullet point here. It is the thing that lets Nero, Dante, V, and Vergil still feel like themselves.
Twisted Voxel adds one useful technical wrinkle. Its review notes that the Switch 2 version does not include Legendary Dark Knight mode or Turbo mode, and it does not render at native 4K, but it does support 120 FPS while docked if the system is set to 120 Hz output. That puts the port in an odd place. It is missing a couple of features series veterans associate with the Special Edition, but it is also more technically ambitious than a simple 60 FPS handheld conversion.
What critics agree on: the combat survived the move
Most of the praise is really praise for the original game, but that is not a knock. Devil May Cry 5 was already the hard part. The question for Devil Hunter Edition is whether the Switch 2 version preserves the snap, readability, and ridiculous confidence of Capcom's combat system. The answer from critics is yes.
Nintendo Life spends a good amount of time on the three-character structure. Nero is the balanced lead, Dante is the deep end, and V remains the strange one, using familiars instead of fighting in the usual close-up style. That review still calls this the finest entry in the series. Worth Playing is similarly warm about the level design and combat arenas, noting that the spaces give players room to use the system without constantly fighting the camera. COGconnected leans into the SSS-rank chase, describing an adventure that stays replayable because you can feel your own skill improving across characters.
That matters more than it sounds. A weaker port can make a great action game feel merely busy. Here, reviewers are saying the rhythm is intact. The attacks still read. The cancels, dodges, taunts, and weapon swaps still have the right pressure behind them. The spectacle is there, but the underlying praise is about feel.
There is also a small but real Switch 2 angle. Several reviews frame Devil Hunter Edition as another sign that Capcom understands Nintendo's new hardware early. COGconnected says the game holds 60fps in docked and handheld play. Worth Playing says the port keeps the visual flair of the original, including particle effects and lighting, while still staying smooth. MonsterVine, via its OpenCritic excerpt, says the game "works wonderfully" on Switch 2 and looks fantastic. You can feel critics slightly recalibrating what they expect from the platform.
What critics complain about: this is not the definitive version
The disagreement is not really about whether Devil May Cry 5 is good. It is about what Capcom left out, and how much that should matter.
Nintendo Life is blunt on this point: the missing Legendary Dark Knight mode means this is not the definitive way to experience the game. Twisted Voxel says the same absence slightly hurts replay value. Cubed3's excerpt says Devil Hunter Edition does not match the full suite of technical features and bonus modes from Special Edition, though it still calls the result an exceptional port. Hobby Consolas is more irritated, criticizing the incomplete content package and the use of a Game-Key Card instead of a full physical cartridge.
Those are different complaints, but they point at the same discomfort. This is an excellent version of an old great game, not a clean all-content edition that ends the conversation. If you wanted the Switch 2 box to become the obvious one to own, critics are warning you to slow down.
The returning-player question is where the reviews become most useful. Gamer Guides says the port is great for first timers but adds nothing new for people who already played it elsewhere. One More Game says it may not be worth the double dip, especially for people who have already played the current generation versions. COGconnected says returning players will not find much new to pull them back in beyond small bonuses like colors, music options, and development cutscenes.
That is probably the fairest read. Devil Hunter Edition is not being treated as a bad value. It is being treated as a specific value. It gives Nintendo-first players access to one of the best action games of the last decade in a version that travels well. It does not give long-time DMC players a strong new reason to start over unless handheld play is the reason.
The review spread says more about expectations than quality
An 87 average with mostly 8s and 9s can look boring from a distance, but the writing under those scores is not all saying the same thing. Some outlets are reviewing it as a first-time doorway into Devil May Cry 5. Others are reviewing it as a port competing against the Special Edition. That is why the same fact can sound generous in one review and disappointing in another.
Take the missing Legendary Dark Knight mode. For a newcomer, it is a specialist omission from a game that already has a lot to do. For a veteran, it is one of the reasons to prefer another platform. Take handheld performance. For a Switch 2 owner who has not played DMC5, smooth portable combat is the whole pitch. For someone with a PS5 copy, it is a convenience, not a revelation.
This is where review aggregation is genuinely useful. The score tells you the port is safe. The excerpts tell you what kind of player the score is safe for.
If you are coming in fresh, the critic consensus is unusually clean: Devil May Cry 5: Devil Hunter Edition is a strong way to play a brilliant action game. If you already know every mission, the consensus is more conditional. You are paying for portability and a solid Switch 2 implementation, not for a dramatic upgrade.
Why this one matters for Switch 2 owners
There is a bigger platform story here, but it is better kept modest. One port does not prove a library. Still, Capcom's recent Switch 2 work is giving critics a reason to treat the hardware as a serious home for performance-sensitive action games. That is not nothing.
For players using Perthro as a journal, this is exactly the kind of release where a plain note helps. Not just "want to play DMC5," but why. Maybe you missed it in 2019 and want the portable version. Maybe you already played it and only care if the Switch 2 port holds 60fps. Maybe the missing modes mean you should leave it on the shelf. A backlog entry without that context gets fuzzy fast.
That is the small, useful lesson from the reviews. Devil May Cry 5: Devil Hunter Edition is not split because critics doubt the game. They are split over the purchase logic. The game is still sharp, loud, stylish, and apparently sturdy on Switch 2. The package is just a little less complete than some fans wanted.
So the practical verdict is simple enough. New to Devil May Cry 5 and playing mostly on Switch 2? Critics say this is an easy recommendation. Already own the Special Edition elsewhere? Read the fine print before double dipping. The port has the style. It has the speed. It just does not quite have everything.