Devil May Cry: Vergil's Downfall Impressions

(Warning: These impressions contain spoilers regarding the ending of Devil May Cry)

Featuring tons of upgrades and no lack of one-liners, Dante was a blast to play as in the new Devil May Cry. Despite this, players only saw a bit of his brother Vergil’s combat capabilities during the game’s climactic battle. With Vergil’s Downfall, the game’s first DLC, you’ll get a chance to take control of the blue-coated brother and all of his powers firsthand.

This isn’t a tack-on DLC offering, as Vergil features his own set of upgrades and moves that are completely separate from his brother’s. Plenty of moves for his Yamato sword are available for purchase, and it features its own set of angel and demon attacks. In lieu of small arms, Vergil utilizes his floating swords (which can also be upgraded).

Vergil can also pull himself towards enemies (or the other way around) just like Dante, although he does this via projectile swords instead of any kind of grappling system. While Dante’s devil trigger mode simply made him more powerful than the opponents floated around him, Vergil’s allows players access to a variety of new moves. It’s great to pull out these devil trigger-specific attacks, and specific moves like the spiral sword are fantastic for crowd control.

Vergil’s distinct differences from Dante are what makes this DLC feel fresh, as his slower, more deliberate slashing style forces you to approach combat in a new way. Two new enemies are introduced to the mix, as well. They may not drastically alter the gameplay experience, but it’s still fun to observe them and learn the best strategy for taking them down.

Taking place directly after the main game’s story, we first see Vergil as beat down and feeling betrayed by his brother. He travels through six stages of floating platforms and crumbling structures, but few of these areas feel significantly different than areas seen in the main game. They’re technically new stages, but they don’t offer unique visuals such as the soda factory or news station levels in the full game. Most disappointing of all is the ending, which comes out of nowhere without any kind of proper build.

Capcom’s claims of the DLC packing five hours of new material aren’t far off, as I finished it on Devil Hunter with a final time of four hours and thirty-six minutes. Like the main game, it offers plenty of reason to return for more. Many upgrades and items won’t be unlocked after just one playthrough, so it encourages you to return for more if you want to play as a fully-powered Vergil. Even with some uninspired environments and an abrupt ending, Vergil’s Downfall is well worth playing for the chance to control Dante’s skilled brother.