Devil May Cry 5: Devil Hunter Edition review deep dive: critics praise the Switch 2 port, with caveats

Almost nobody reviewing Devil May Cry 5: Devil Hunter Edition is arguing about the game itself. Critics still rate DMC5 as one of Capcom's sharpest modern action games. The argument is about the package: a Switch 2 port that runs much better than some expected, but leaves out a couple of Special Edition features players might look for. If this is your first DMC5, the reviews are warm. If you already own the Special Edition elsewhere, the praise gets quieter.

OpenCritic lists it at 87 from 31 critics (it was around 87 from 22 in late June), with every listed critic recommending it when we checked. Scores run from 80 to 100, and the gap is mostly about how much each outlet penalizes missing modes, visual compromises and the lack of new content.

What Devil Hunter Edition is

It's the Switch 2 version of Capcom's 2019 action game, built around Nero, Dante, V and Vergil: a strong portable version with 60fps combat, most of the expected DLC and a few missing Special Edition features. It isn't a remake or expansion.

DualShockers calls it "a straightforward port of the special edition of Devil May Cry 5 from 2020," with "absolutely no new content to speak of, except now you don't have to pay for Vergil." The game is still a monster; the port is mostly a way to deliver it. Nintendo Life calls DMC5 "the finest DMC entry so far" and the port "mostly a straight port." ZTGD says it's "rock solid both docked and handheld" and "hits the ground running and doesn't let up." COGconnected calls it "an incredible technical achievement" that works "perfectly on the Switch 2."

The combat is why it scores this well. DMC5 turns style into a system: you aren't just surviving fights but trying to look better with every dodge, launcher, shot, taunt and weapon swap. Reviewers say the Switch 2 version keeps that flow.

Switch 2 performance

Character action games punish frame-rate drops. DMC asks you to read animations, cancel into movement, juggle enemies and keep rhythm on a busy screen, and if the port can't hold together, nothing else matters.

The reviews sound relieved. DualShockers says it targets 1080p and 60fps and that Capcom "succeeded in matching that," calling performance "honestly spectacular." Nintendo Life is more cautious about visuals but confirms "that crucial 60fps gameplay" and "exceptionally smooth frame rates for the majority of the game." COGconnected says it holds a locked 60fps docked and handheld.

Dan Ryan at ZTGD puts it best: "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." Hair can look crispy, handheld mode is softer, and the default brightness can wash things out, but the fighting holds up.

Twisted Voxel notes it doesn't render at native 4K, but supports 120fps docked with the system set to 120Hz. Cody Medellin at Worth Playing says it looks close to the stronger console versions and keeps the particle effects and lighting. MonsterVine says it "works wonderfully."

DMC5 has three distinct combat styles before Vergil arrives. Nero's Devil Breakers push you to improvise. Dante's styles and weapon switching make him a whole fighting game in one character. V fights through familiars and changes the pace. Nintendo Life calls V "the weak link of the bunch." DualShockers is kinder, calling his sections a fun change of pace. That's one of the few real design disagreements in the reviews.

The criticism: missing modes

The main complaint is that it stops short of being the most complete version.

Nintendo Life points to the missing Legendary Dark Knight mode, which put more enemies on screen in the Special Edition. It assumes the cut was about holding 60fps, but says this isn't "the definitive way to experience the game." ZTGD names Legendary Dark Knight and Turbo mode as missing, while noting Vergil, the most important DLC, is included and adds about five hours. Twisted Voxel says the missing mode slightly hurts replay value. Cubed3 says it doesn't match the full suite of Special Edition features but is still an exceptional port. Hobby Consolas is more irritated, criticizing the incomplete package and the use of a Game-Key Card instead of a full cartridge.

Whether that matters depends on who you are. For a first-time player, the campaign plus Vergil is a lot of game. For a veteran who's owned the Special Edition for years, portability has to do most of the selling. DualShockers says if you've played it many times already, you're "really not missing out on anything aside from it just being cool to play the game on Switch 2." COGconnected says returning players get little beyond small extras like colours, music options and development cutscenes. Gamer Guides says it adds nothing for people who played elsewhere, and One More Game says it may not be worth the double dip.

Devil Hunter Edition review scores: 80 to 100

Several smaller outlets sit between 8 and 9.5. Nobody says the game has aged badly or that Capcom botched the port. The lower scores come from reviewers who weigh completeness; the higher ones from reviewers who weigh how it feels handheld and docked.

There's a platform story too. Switch 2 is still establishing itself as a place where current and last-generation action games can live without feeling like compromised ports, and these reviews treat Devil Hunter Edition as evidence that Capcom understands the hardware. The praise isn't "this runs"; it's "this runs well enough that the point of the game survives."

Is Devil Hunter Edition worth it?

If you've never played DMC5 and want it on Switch 2, critics say yes. It's one of the best action games of the last decade, and this version keeps the speed that makes it work.

If you already own the Special Edition on PlayStation, Xbox or PC, it's personal. Reviewers don't call it a must-buy upgrade; they call it a strong portable port. You're buying convenience, not reinvention. If you log it in Perthro, note which run it was: "first time, on Switch 2" and "third playthrough, missed Legendary Dark Knight" are very different reviews of the same game.