13 Essential Tips and Tricks for Devil May Cry 5

UnlockLast Edited: March 8, 2019 at 4:31 AM

There are a lot of things to learn in Devil May Cry 5, and if you’re a newcomer to the series or just a little rusty, you may need a bit of a gentle hand to help get the hang of things. These are separated by general, basic tips that apply for all characters, and specific tips for Nero, V, and Dante!

Watch the video above for a quick rundown!

Explore off the beaten path

Yes, combat is the main draw in Devil May Cry, but you should absolutely explore! Looking behind you after jumping down from a ledge, or up above you on a narrow street, can reveal hidden treasures that will help tremendously - like Red Orbs that are used like money, Gold Orbs that can revive you in a pinch, and Blue Orb Fragments that permanently increase the vitality bar. You can find Secret Missions by keeping an eye out, too! These will earn you Blue Orbs.

2. If You Get Lost...

If yo get lost while exploring, remember you can hold down the left stick to be shown the right direction.

3. Buy Abilities First

The beginning of Mission 2 brings you to the customization menu. If you feel like combat is limited, it may be because you haven’t unlocked enough abilities yet. Check the skills and unlock them as you can - for example, Streak is an important ability for Nero and Dante that let them close the gap fast, making combat more fluid.

4. Overwhelmed? Stay in the Air

Staying in the air is beneficial for both Defense and offense. Some enemies are stuck on the ground, so knocking one into the air - and keeping it there - will help you focus down a single target at a time, while avoiding attacks from the ground. This is also a good method to single out the biggest threat in a crowd. You’ll want to pick up skills to aid in this endeavor, like Roulette Spin and Enemy Step.

5. Jump to Dodge!

Fighting untouched is one of many ways to increase your style rank, which earns you extra Red Orbs. You can always dodge by pressing the jump button and tilting the left stick while targeting an enemy, but, jumping also offers a few seconds of invincibility! It’s usually a better choice, but, since this invincibility only lasts on the way up, you may need to dodge depending on the duration and range of the attack.

6. Replay Missions

Remember, you can always replay any mission you want to earn more Red Orbs and find secrets you may have missed!

7. Always Stock Up

Make sure to always stock up on and equip Nero’s Devil Breakers when you get the chance, and keep your vitality rising by purchasing Blue Orbs. Never leave the opportunity untaken to power up between missions and before boss fights - which you can expect to come after a phone booth appearance.

8. Don’t Button Mash

Button mashing won’t get you far in Devil May Cry 5. Timing is crucial for many combos, and without learning how to play efficiently, you will probably find yourself open to attack, striking at the air, and unable to dodge well. Enemies have obvious tells before striking, so there’s no excuse if you’re paying attention to what’s going on around you.

9. Yeah, You Can Parry

If you time you attacks right, you can parry an enemy's attack, leaving them open! You can counter the most outrageous attacks, too. For example, Nero can send Goliath's fireball back at him with a well-time sword slash, or with a Devil Breaker's AOE attack.

10. Embrace the Void

You can try out various skills before purchasing them in “the Void,” available in the Customization or Main menu. Use this to try out more than just new skills - practice your entire kit in this safe place to learn what works, and what doesn’t.

11. Select Targets Carefully

If you see enemies that heal (glow green) or summon other enemies, kill them first! Use our earlier suggestion of knocking them up into the air to single them out, and get rid of them, fast.

12. Don’t be ashamed of Auto-Assist

Devil May Cry 5 is fairly difficult to master. And though it’s a rewarding feat, if you’re here for the story and flashy combat, don’t feel bad about using Auto-Assist. You can activate it by pressing in the right stick. This will allow you to pull off fancy battle maneuvers without having to learn every input. It’s easier for sure, but keep in mind it is more limiting than what skilled players can pull off manually, but hey, this is a game, and games should be fun. Play how you want!

Nero Tips[edit]

1. Use the Exceed System! This is VERY important for Nero. You'll learn you can charge the Red Queen Sword with LT/L2 during Mission 01 - Nero, but Devil May Cry 5 does not tell you how to do this efficiently.

If you hit LT when Nero hits an enemy with his sword, it will automatically charge a single level. If your timing is good, you can keep Nero's Red Queen Charge permanently, which makes it faster, stronger, and a little different in its execution. You don't actually have to hit an enemy to pull this off, too, so you can practice while swinging at the air.

2. Bring the Buster Arm to Boss Fights

The Buster Arm Devil Breaker can be used to throw enemies around by pressing B/Circle next to them without locking on. When a boss is stunned - you can perform unique, powerful attacks on them with this technique!

3. Use Your Devil Breakers

You'll find plenty of Devil Breakers lying around levels, even during Boss Fights, so don't worry about using them. You can always upgrade Nero so he can carry more at once, too!

1. Use the Power of Two

Remember, you can attack with both Shadow (Y/Triangle), and Griffon (X/Square), at the same time. Stay on the offensive and dish out attacks.

2. Hang Back

V does not need to get up in his enemy's business - he has pet demons for that. Try to focus on staying out of harm's way while dishing out damage, and you should rack up SSS Ranks in no time.

3. Use the DT Power Up - Often

Use Devil Trigger with V not only to summon Nightmare, but to imbue Shadow and Griffon with power. Hold LT/L2 and press Shadow or Griffon's respective attack buttons to power them up and send them out to attack autonomously. You can use your

Dante Tips[edit]

1. Use That Devil Trigger

Dante's Devil Trigger fills pretty frequently, and when activated, you'll gain health! Use it to punish mobs or bosses, or just to heal when in a punch.

2. Different Stances = Different Defenses

When you're using Balrog, you can hold down the attack button while in the fist stance to do a little bob and weave that gives you a few invulnerability frames. Very useful in a one-on-one situation against a tough enemy.

3. Cavelier Flight

Remember how we said, in general, you should stay in the air as much as possible? With Cavallier, it's especially important to utilize its air combos. Because it's so slow, and relies so much on continuous DPS, that if you try to use it on the ground while surrounded, you'll almost surely get knocked out of it.

Are we missing any essential tips? Let us know in the comments below! We'll add the best ones!

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