Devil May Cry is back! Well, to be fair, it's been back for the good part of almost two years since the release of the acclaimed Devil May Cry 5 in March of last year. Since this is a Capcom-developed new entry in the series, a special edition was bound to appear, and like with all special editions, now includes Vergil as a playable character. While we're still a far cry from Vergil being a central character in a base Devil May Cry game, there's a good reason why shoveling the extra bucks to upgrade the experience here might be in your best interest. Not only is Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition the most complete package of the game yet, but arguably the best it's ever been in the franchise's history.



If you're familiar with the story of Devil May Cry 5, you won't feel out of place this time around. A new evil by the name of Urizen has appeared, and it's up to the young devil hunter Nero, a veteran Dante, and a new scene kid named V to put a stop to the tyranny. I won't go into spoilers beyond this, but as you're aware now, Vergil also plays an integral part in the story. This is the first time we've seen Dante's twin tear up a game as the central villain again since Devil May Cry 3, and it's awesome to have the second son of Sparda back in the thick of the action.

The core story of Devil May Cry 5 is nonsensical, bombastic and all over the place - and it's freaking brilliant. Capcom doubled down on the series' more stylistic and humorous nature that was first introduced (and arguably perfected) in Devil May Cry 3. Hell, Dante famously mimics a Michael Jackson dance routine in one scene. That should tell you everything about what to expect from the narrative and its vibrant cast of characters. It's still a bit disappointing that Lady and Trish took a backseat here (as they were shining stars in Devil May Cry 4 Special Edition), but the new characters - like the weirdly endearing weapons and tools expert, Nico - all shine in their own ways and give the fifth installment a much-needed boost in charm. Vergil is a bit deadpan, but that actually contrasts well with everything else going on, and I'm sure this was an intentional choice by Capcom as it makes the character more of a walking caricature of himself.



Talking about some of the new additions to the Special Edition, Vergil is now a playable character from the get-go. After simply booting up the main menu, you can choose to tackle the original game's story with Nero/Dante/V, or take a different route as Vergil. For the most part, the route is actually the same. You still plough through the same twenty story missions as Vergil - battling the same scenarios with the same puzzles and bosses - only without any cutscenes to give it much context until the end. Some may find this disappointing if you're opting to play as Vergil for your first time, but it's recommended that you complete the main story with the other characters first before taking Vergil out for a spin. The differences in their combat approaches are night and day as soon as you become aware of each of their playstyles.

Vergil is flexible, fast and capable of dishing out seamless combo strings with ease, making him the most entertaining character to play in Devil May Cry 5.

With the core three playable characters offering their own unique playstyles - Dante being the more fun, chaotic type; V being the ranged, spellcaster type; and Nero being the balanced of the two - it's interesting to see how drastically different Vergil plays to his counterparts. Unlike Dante or Nero, Vergil is flexible, fast and capable of dishing out seamless combo strings with ease, making him the most entertaining character to play in Devil May Cry 5. His Mirage Blade is capable of hitting harder than his standard Yamato katana, and also delivers ranged combat via deadly blue blades that fire at enemies in quick succession. Vergil also comes packed with Beowulf from the start, meaning you'll be able to enjoy the flexible (and in my opinion, the superior) hand-to-hand melee combat right off the bat. It sometimes threatens the difficulty balancing of the game as destroying demons with Beowulf is a breeze, but luckily most of its perks - like Vergil's other tools - are locked behind upgrade paths that you have to typically unlock with red orbs.



If you feel that the process of demolishing demons with Vergil is too easy, the newly added Legendary Dark Knight difficulty option provides a challenge in doses - similarly to the Son of Sparda mode. Every enemy encounter is a battle of attrition and survival, as a measly couple of hits destroys your life bar. In addition to that, enemies are also increased. Getting hit once or twice by major boss fights is almost guaranteed death, so it keeps the tension high and the challenge formidable, but not impossible. Luckily you can choose to play in the lower difficulties first to unlock everything Vergil has to offer, which makes the experience a bit more manageable, but I was still sweating profusely as I entered each room filled with the denizens of hell. Likewise, you can also tackle the difficulty with other characters, but I found myself leaning towards V's safely ranged combat and Vergil's more stylishly aggressive playstyle to keep me going.



On PlayStation 5, Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition runs like a dream. The true star of the show is undoubtedly the RE Engine, which somehow looks even more stunning on new consoles. You can choose to play in Performance mode which enhances the experience to a buttery smooth 60fps, making the already jaw-dropping combat feel more responsive and fluid. If you want to taste that sweet ray-tracing, your frames will take a hit but it brings out the most in reflective surfaces and more lively textures. Either way you play, it's a treat for the eyes. The loading times on PS5 is also blisteringly fast, but I think I've said that for every PS5 game review so far. You can load in and out of missions in a few seconds, so it keeps the momentum moving at a lightning pace.

Vergil's theme song, "Bury the Light", is an infectious and imposing 9-minute track...

Another fantastic positive in Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition (and that also extends to the base game) is the soundtrack by Casey Edwards. While it's quite a change of pace from Shawn McPherson's more grungy industrial-screamo metal, the alternate metal approach that Edwards takes gives Devil May Cry 5 its edge - and I mean a lot of edge. Vergil's theme song, "Bury the Light", is an infectious and imposing 9-minute track that packs all the edgy punch to satisfy your inner teenager, but on its own, it's actually a phenomenally addictive piece of music. It plays in almost every encounter in the game, but I'm not complaining. I've been listening to it on repeat for the last two months, and I'm not going to stop now.



Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition just made my 2019 Game of the Year pick even better. Vergil is arguably now the best character to play in the game, with a playstyle that's fast, aggressive and super-stylish - and best of all, it contrasts beautifully with the core group of characters. It may not flesh out the story in any meaningful way, but being able to experience the wild anime-esque story with Vergil this time is an absolute blast and well worth your time. Capcom continue to prove that their new resurgence in the gaming world isn't just a stroke of luck. With the right effort and talent, they're still able to produce some of the best games in the industry today. Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition remains a prime example of their creative prowess, and I can't wait to see where the series goes next.

*PS5 Review code provided by Capcom