Devil May Cry 5: Devil Hunter Edition is a strange review story because almost nobody is arguing about the game itself. Critics still think Devil May Cry 5 is one of Capcom's sharpest modern action games. The argument is about the package around it: a Switch 2 port that runs far better than some people expected, but still arrives without a couple of the Special Edition pieces players might reasonably look for.
That makes it useful, honestly. This is not one of those critic splits where half the room played a different game. The consensus is clear: Devil May Cry 5 remains excellent. The interesting part is the gap between "excellent game" and "definitive version." If you are looking at the Switch 2 release as your first run through DMC5, the review picture is warm. If you already own the Special Edition elsewhere, the praise gets quieter.
OpenCritic lists Devil May Cry 5: Devil Hunter Edition at 87 from 31 critic reviews, with 100 percent of listed critics recommending it at the time I checked. The score range in the reviews I pulled runs from 80 to 100, which is not a true fight so much as a difference in how much each outlet penalizes missing modes, visual compromises, and the lack of new content.
What Devil May Cry 5: Devil Hunter Edition is
Devil May Cry 5: Devil Hunter Edition is the Nintendo Switch 2 version of Capcom's 2019 character action game, built around Nero, Dante, V, and Vergil. Critics describe it as a strong portable version with 60fps combat, most of the expected DLC, and a few missing Special Edition features.
The basics matter here because several reviews make the same point: this is not a new Devil May Cry. It is not a remake, reboot, or expansion. DualShockers calls it "a straightforward port of the special edition of Devil May Cry 5 from 2020," adding that there is "absolutely no new content to speak of, except now you don't have to pay for Vergil." That line captures both halves of the reception. The game being ported is still a monster. The port itself is mostly a delivery system.
Nintendo Life lands in a similar place, calling Devil May Cry 5 "the finest DMC entry so far" while noting that Devil Hunter Edition is "mostly a straight port" of the earlier Special Edition. ZTGD is a little warmer on the practical result, saying the Switch 2 version is "rock solid both docked and handheld" and that the game "hits the ground running and doesn't let up." COGconnected frames the same package as "an incredible technical achievement" and says it works "perfectly on the Switch 2."
The thing critics agree on first is the combat. That is not surprising, but it is still the reason the port scores this well. Devil May Cry 5 is built around style as a playable system. You are not just surviving encounters. You are trying to look better with every dodge, launcher, gunshot, taunt, and weapon swap. Reviewers keep coming back to the feeling that the Switch 2 version preserves that flow.
Why critics are so positive on the Switch 2 port
Performance is the headline. Character action games are not generous when frame rate slips. Devil May Cry asks the player to read animation, cancel into movement, juggle enemies, and keep rhythm while the screen gets busy. If the port cannot hold together, the whole thing collapses.
That is why the tone across reviews is so relieved. DualShockers says the game targets 1080p and 60 fps, and that Capcom has "succeeded in matching that" on Switch 2. The review calls the performance "honestly spectacular" and says the action "never suffers." Nintendo Life is a touch more cautious about the visuals, but it still says the port keeps "that crucial 60fps gameplay" and delivers "exceptionally smooth frame rates for the majority of the game."
ZTGD's Dan Ryan makes the better version of the same argument: "The Switch 2 is never going to be as powerful as a PS5 or XBOX Series, but games like DMC 5 show it doesn't need to be." That is the line the whole critical conversation sits on. This is a compromised version compared with stronger boxes, but not in the way that matters most. The hair can look crispy. Handheld mode can be softer. The default brightness can wash things out. The fighting still sings.
COGconnected is even more direct, saying the game holds a locked 60fps whether docked or handheld. It praises the combat system as a deep, strategic setup that keeps the series' speed intact. That matters because Devil May Cry 5 has three main combat identities before Vergil even enters the room. Nero's Devil Breakers push you toward improvisation. Dante's styles and weapon swapping make him feel like a whole fighting game packed into one character. V, the odd one, fights through familiars and changes the pace.
Not everyone loves V. Nintendo Life calls him "the weak link of the bunch" and says his sections never feel as satisfying as Nero or Dante's. DualShockers is kinder, saying V's moments are a fun change of pace and that his original controversy has softened with time. That is one of the few real design disagreements in the reviews. Everyone likes the speed and swagger. They split a bit on whether V's indirect fighting still works.
The missing modes are the real criticism
The main complaint is not that Devil Hunter Edition is bad. It is that it stops short of being the cleanest, most complete version of Devil May Cry 5.
Nintendo Life points to the missing Legendary Dark Knight mode, which increased the number of enemies on screen in the Special Edition. Its review assumes the omission is probably about maintaining 60fps, but still says the absence means this is not "the definitive way to experience the game." ZTGD names both Legendary Dark Knight and 1.2 Turbo as missing, while also noting that Vergil, the most important DLC, is included and adds roughly five hours.
That distinction shows up again and again. Reviewers are not pretending the missing content is meaningless. They are asking who it matters to. For a first-time player, the base campaign plus Vergil is a huge amount of game. For a veteran who bought Devil May Cry 5 years ago and already has Special Edition access, Devil Hunter Edition needs portability to do most of the selling.
DualShockers is blunt about that. If you have played the game countless times on previous consoles, the review says you are "really not missing out on anything aside from it just being cool to play the game on Switch 2." COGconnected also says returning players will not find much new to draw them back, even while calling the core combat razor sharp.
That is the fairest version of the criticism. Devil Hunter Edition is an excellent way to play Devil May Cry 5 on Nintendo hardware. It is not a generous new package for people who already know every mission, every boss, and every combo route.
Score spread: 80 to 100, but the mood is narrower than that
The numbers look wider than the actual conversation. Nintendo Life gives the game an 8 out of 10, praising the port but marking it down for visual blemishes and the absent mode. DualShockers gives it a 9 out of 10 and treats the Switch 2 performance as the key story. ZTGD also scores it 9, calling it "an outstanding experience for first timers and veterans alike." COGconnected lands at 87, describing it as a "masterclass in action" but saying it offers little reason for veterans to revisit.
OpenCritic's 87 average feels about right because the criticism is focused and repeated. Nobody I read is saying the game has aged badly. Nobody is saying Capcom botched the port. The lower end of the spread comes from reviewers who care more about completeness. The higher end comes from reviewers who care more about whether Devil May Cry 5 feels great in handheld and docked play.
There is also a small but interesting platform story here. Switch 2 is still building its identity as a place where current and last-generation action games can live without feeling like apology ports. Reviews of Devil Hunter Edition treat it as evidence that Capcom understands the hardware. The praise is not just "this runs." It is "this runs well enough that the point of the game survives."
That is the piece worth watching beyond DMC5. A technical port of a stylish action game sounds boring until it works. Then it quietly changes what people expect from the machine.
Is Devil May Cry 5: Devil Hunter Edition worth it?
If you have never played Devil May Cry 5 and you want it on Switch 2, the critic answer is easy: yes. This is one of the strongest action games of the last decade, and the Switch 2 version seems to preserve the speed that makes it work.
If you already own Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition on PlayStation, Xbox, or PC, the answer is more personal. The reviews do not describe Devil Hunter Edition as a must-buy upgrade. They describe it as a strong portable port. That is a smaller promise, but a more honest one. You are buying convenience, not reinvention.
I like that the reviews leave room for both reactions. There is a version of this story where the missing modes dominate everything and the port gets treated as half a package. There is another version where the old praise gets lazily recycled because Devil May Cry 5 is already beloved. The better critical read sits between them. Capcom brought a great game to Switch 2 in strong shape. It also left enough out that the word "definitive" does not fit.
For Perthro users, this is exactly the kind of release that benefits from a note more than a score. "Played on Switch 2, first time, loved it" means something different from "third playthrough, missed Legendary Dark Knight." Same game, different moment in your life, different reason to keep it in the library.
That is probably the cleanest takeaway from the critic spread. Devil May Cry 5: Devil Hunter Edition is not complicated because reviewers disagree about quality. It is complicated because the best version depends on who is holding the controller. Newcomers get a loud, stylish, beautifully preserved action game. Returning players get a portable excuse to come back, with a couple of caveats attached.
For a port, that is still a pretty good problem to have.