Games Like Devil May Cry

What Made Devil May Cry Work

Devil May Cry created the style meter, and with it the idea that finishing a fight is not enough — you have to finish it well. Juggles, weapon swaps, no repeated moves. What people want next is a combat system deep enough to be graded, not just a hard game.

Devil May Cry was made by Capcom and directed by Hideki Kamiya for the PlayStation 2 in 2001. It began as an early version of Resident Evil 4 and became the game that defined character action: combos, juggling enemies in the air, and a style meter that grades how you fight. Devil May Cry 3 (2005) added selectable styles, and Devil May Cry 5 (2019) is the most recent main game.

9 Games Like Devil May Cry

1. Ba

   1.Bayonetta(2009)

   Same designer, and the combat is arguably more refined.

   Why it fits: PlatinumGames, 2009, directed by Hideki Kamiya, who directed the first Devil May Cry. Witch Time after a perfect dodge, and combo strings with the same style-first attitude.

   What is different: Witch Time slows enemies on a perfect dodge, which makes the rhythm more forgiving than DMC's.

   Where to play it: Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii U; Switch; PS4 and Xbox One.

   More about this game →
2. Me

   2.Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance(2013)

   Free-cutting as the style system, and short enough to master.

   Why it fits: PlatinumGames for Konami, 2013. Parry by pushing toward an attack, then slice enemies along any angle you choose in Blade Mode.

   What is different: The parry is directional and there is little combo variety; it is about one thing done perfectly.

   Where to play it: PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.

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3. As

   3.Astral Chain(2019)

   Character action with a second body on a chain.

   Why it fits: PlatinumGames, Switch, 2019. You fight as two at once — an officer and a chained Legion — and combos come from using both.

   What is different: You control two characters at once, and a lot of time is spent on police investigation.

   Where to play it: Switch.

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4. Ni

   4.NieR: Automata(2017)

   Platinum combat wrapped in the strangest story in the genre.

   Why it fits: PlatinumGames with Square Enix, 2017. Fast melee with dodges and swappable weapon sets, in a strange, sad open world.

   What is different: The combat is simpler, and the game is really about its story and multiple endings.

   Where to play it: PS4, Xbox One, PC and Switch.

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5. Hi

   5.Hi-Fi Rush(2023)

   The style meter reimagined as rhythm, and it is a delight.

   Why it fits: Tango Gameworks, 2023. Every attack, dodge and enemy is synced to the music, with a combo ranking at the end of each fight.

   What is different: Everything is timed to music, and the tone is bright comedy rather than gothic cool.

   Where to play it: Xbox Series X|S, PC and PS5.

   More about this game →
6. Go

   6.God of War(2005)

   The other pillar of the genre, heavier and more theatrical.

   Why it fits: Santa Monica Studio, PS2, 2005. The other great 2000s character-action series: heavier and angrier, with more spectacle than combo depth.

   What is different: Heavier and slower, with less emphasis on style ranking.

   Where to play it: PS2 originals (collected on PS3); the 2018 game on PS4 and PC.

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7. Ni

   7.Ninja Gaiden Black(2005)

   The hardest of the classic action games, and still the sharpest.

   Why it fits: Team Ninja, Xbox, 2005, an expanded edition of 2004's Ninja Gaiden. The hardest action game of its era, built on blocking, dodging and punishing mistakes.

   What is different: Brutally hard and focused on survival rather than style.

   Where to play it: Xbox; plays on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.

   More about this game →
8. St

   8.Stellar Blade(2024)

   Modern action with parry-heavy combat and a strong combo system.

   Why it fits: Shift Up, PS5, 2024. Parry-and-dodge combat with skill trees and combo strings, on a ruined Earth.

   What is different: Parry-and-dodge combat closer to a soulslike, with semi-open hub areas.

   Where to play it: PS5 and PC.

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9. Vi

   9.Viewtiful Joe(2003)

   Kamiya's 2D take, with the same obsession with stylish play.

   Why it fits: Capcom, GameCube, 2003, directed by Hideki Kamiya. Slow time down and speed it up to chain 2D combos, scored like Devil May Cry's style meter.

   What is different: 2D side-scrolling, with time-slowing powers as the core mechanic.

   Where to play it: GameCube and PS2.

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Where to Start

Bayonetta is the answer for most people — same designer, deeper combat. If you want the series itself at its best, play Devil May Cry 5, and if you want something short to master, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance.

How We Picked These Games

Picks had to grade or reward how you fight, not only whether you survive: long combos, cancels, parries or a ranking. Slower games are included only where perfect timing is the core skill.

Which One to Play, by What You Liked

If you liked Devil May Cry for the style meter, try Bayonetta and Hi-Fi Rush. Combat graded on variety and flair, not just survival.

If you liked Devil May Cry for parrying everything, try Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance and Stellar Blade. Defence as offence: both reward stepping into an attack.

If you liked Devil May Cry for playing on Dante Must Die, try Ninja Gaiden Black. If the hardest difficulty was the real game for you, this is its equal.

If you liked Devil May Cry for Hideki Kamiya's direction, try Viewtiful Joe and Bayonetta. The first Devil May Cry's director made both.