Just Starting DMC

[Becky's Butt]

I want to play and learn the story in the right order so the chronology goes...

DMC3
DMC1
DMC Anime
DMC4
DMC2

Correct?

Though I've heard this summary of the storyline for the whole series.

"BEWARE! The coin is the key that unlocks the gateway to the demon realm!!!!"

"...Wait, I thought that was my amulet?"

"Yes, well, that too-"

"Isnt it the philosophers stone as well?"

"Yes, yes, fine, that too-"

"And Temni-Gru?"

"You spelled that wrong you know."

"....."

*Hits over head with sword*

[Rock it.]

Yes, the order goes like that, but if you never played them before I'd recommend playing them in the original release order (because after playing DMC 3 you will not be able to play DMC 2, trust me), and play another game between each one. Otherwise, you'll problably get bored pretty fast.

[Alexia_Ashford]

I wouldn't even recommend playing DMC2. It's not regarded as canon and DMC4's story more or less trumps it. DMC2 is half of a different game but they just quickly added some DMC parts in to make some money out of it because it was fail, and I can't find a quote but I'm sure in the past Capcom have said DMC2 isn't canon. From DMC4 as well, I don't see how it can be canon. So it's DMC3 - 1 - 4.

[A-J]

Don't go by Chronology, just play 'em in the order they were released in, and ^ as said, do yourself a favor and avoid DMC2 at all, you're not missing anything

[BadWolfX]

So, DMC2 isn't canon....

My mind. Blown.

[Becky's Butt]

In preparation to start the series I've checked out multiple DMC forums and the wiki and trust me, there is nothing that says DMC2 isn't canon.

From DMC4 as well, I don't see how it can be canon.

I'm not sure what you're referring to. I haven't heard anything about DMC4 meaning 2 couldn't have happened.

[Rock it.]

http://www.devilschapel.com/dmc.php?timeline - A very complete timeline lies here, and it seems just about right (except that it lists the DMC anime being closer to 4 instead of 1, something wich I disagree). Also, the story stated under the DMC2 section (wich states it as CANON. I wonder to this day why people say it's not) seems about right, and I recall reading something similar in a magazine back in the day.

[Mr_Zombie]

As A-J has said, don't play them by chronology, play them by how they were released. As you already know, story isn't a strong point of DMC games - it's just there to give you a reason to slash monsters and all. The core element of DMC series is gameplay and I believe it would be really hard to move from DMC3, where you have those 4 (6) completely different styles, into DMC1, where you have only one. Not to mention, both DMC3 and DMC4 is full of cheese, one-liners and slow-mo fights. I haven't played DMC1 (only have played DMC3:SE and DMC4, both on PC), but from what I've seen the game is more serious and less flashy (in cut-scenes), Dante acts differently as well.

[xfactor]

DMC2 is canon. Its just that the fanbase refuses to acknowledge it to be canon

[Becky's Butt]

Eh, I don't get the big hate=on for DMC2. Dante looks cooler in it than any of the others.

[REmaster]

DMC2 is canon. Its just that the fanbase refuses to acknowledge it to be canon

Yea DMC2 is canon, the creators just said that the game takes place sometime way beyond DMC4. So, it goes DMC 3, 1, 4, 2.

[Carnivol]

As A-J has said, don't play them by chronology, play them by how they were released. As you already know, story isn't a strong point of DMC games - it's just there to give you a reason to slash monsters and all. The core element of DMC series is gameplay and I believe it would be really hard to move from DMC3, where you have those 4 (6) completely different styles, into DMC1, where you have only one. Not to mention, both DMC3 and DMC4 is full of cheese, one-liners and slow-mo fights. I haven't played DMC1 (only have played DMC3:SE and DMC4, both on PC), but from what I've seen the game is more serious and less flashy (in cut-scenes), Dante acts differently as well.

Pretty much what this fella says. (Except from the part about taking up A-J's advice on "skipping" DMC2. No skipping allowed!)

DMC3(SE, evt.) and DMC4 are a different bag of tea from the two first (and, well, the second is also a different bag of tea from the first)

Play them by release order, experience the evolution of the series. And most of all; see how another franchise went from having gameplay at the front, with just a story slapped onto it as an excuse for the setting, to then suddenly becoming all about story and bla bla bla bla (while still at least also focusing on gameplay... but we all know gameplay rarely seem to matter to those who only care about story)

So go DMC -> DMC2 -> DMC3 -> ANIME -> DMC4, I suppose.

By the way... since people hate product placement, how come I rarely see people giving Devil May Cry 2 a hard time for being a massive digital Diesel Advertisement? (They all just complain about the game itself "in general"... 'cause someone else complained about it... somewhere.)
Hmm... maybe I should crack open my L.E. and give DMC2 some much needed love soon...


And, yeah, the cheese went from being just the story writing itself, to melt itself all over the dialog, cutscene direction and everything else in DMC3-4.

[randomwab]

Definitly start with the first game, because going from 3 and 4 back is pretty hard due to all the gameplay changes and additions, as well as the control scheme.

Devil May Cry 2 shouldn't be skipped. It's not on par with either the first or third game, but it's not terrible by any means. It always felt more like a mission pack for the first game to me. Still worth a playthrough of at least one character.

[Becky's Butt]

I started both 1 and 2 and hrea re my initla thoughts having completed through Mission 10 in 1 and just playing the first few minutes of 2:

A. I've seen Dante's lines in DM3. "Woo! i love a fast woman!!!" ..I prefer the silence/occasional sarcastic line I've seen in both 1 and 2.
B. The music playing during parts of the castle sounds an awful lot like the Save/Merchant Room music in RE4...
3. Gameplay is fun in both. I like guns and I like swords...so let's all have a blast.
D. Soundtrack is decent for both games with a good mix of metal and orchestral stuff. Well the creepy choirs work good for this kind of game.

[Umon Daisuke]

Two of DMC1's composers worked on RE4's music as well. Senbongi headed the effort. The chief composer on DMC1 worked on Kamiya's games thereafter and did Bayonetta's (Masami Ueda who also did the PS1 RE trilogy music).

Make an effort to complete DMC1 entirely. Beating DMD mode in that game was one of the most satisfying gaming experiences I've had, next to Master Ninja mode in NG Black. It's a true classic (and still my favorite in the series). If you enjoyed the games on a pure gameplay level, try out the modern Ninja Gaiden series afterward, particularly NG Black on the original Xbox. The enemies are relentless on those games but never feel cheap (well, NGII does in some parts but the original is gold).

Devil May Cry 2 shouldn't be skipped. It's not on par with either the first or third game, but it's not terrible by any means. It always felt more like a mission pack for the first game to me. Still worth a playthrough of at least one character.

It was crap, pure and simple and a development disaster from start to finish. It was much, much slower with a weak gameplay engine and offered no challenge whatsoever if you've played the original to death on DMD. Good thing it sold well enough, otherwise Capcom would've tossed the series aside like Dino Crisis.

It did have great animations and music, but everything else was atrocious compared to the original. I still view the original to be the best overall in the series; great enemy designs and aside from very early marionettes, the enemies aren't punching bags like DMC3 or most of DMC4's, and the boss fights are very memorable.