This game feels rushed.

[Algiark]

First of all, I want to state that the gameplay is excellent. No complaints there. What bothers me is everything else that is not the gameplay.

The environment is bland. Part of what makes a DMC game good, in my opinion, is its varied and exotic locations. DMC1 has an ancient castle and a ghost ship. DMC3 has an evil tower and a flying giant's intestines. DMC4 has tropical rainforests and demonic labs. DMC5 has... generic cityscape. And gray spiky roots for the rest of the game. It feels like an afterthought, something hastily made after the gameplay aspect was finished and a quick backdrop for the characters was needed.

The story is bad. I know DMC games aren't heavy on stories, but at least they should try to tell a story. In this game, characters meet and split up for no reason. Conflicts between characters happens and get resolved out of thin air. Plot twists have no weight. The dialogue is generic and filled with cheap nostalgic throwbacks. Heck, the whole story is pretty much a cheap nostalgic throwback. The story, like the environment, feels like an afterthought.

The pacing is all over the place. I don't see why it can't just tell the story chronologically, instead of having to go back and forth on the timeline multiple times. Or create separate campaigns for each character so the story can focus on a single character at a time instead of having to juggle 3 characters at once. RE6 did it, so why can't this game?

Also, why is there a loading screen between the mission menu and the customization menu when it feels like a camera transition or a cut is enough?

Maybe I'm just nitpicky, but it's only because I like the series so much and have high expectations for this game.

[TAI]

I dunno, but I found the story in DMC5 a bit more clearer than the previous installments. As for the locations, it's really all up to the story. The story takes place in Redgrave city (for most part, post apocalyptic theme yanno), at least we got a look inside a really weird looking plant thing from the underworld.. And I really do believe the last bit of the game we're pretty much connected to the underworld.
I do feel like there could be more, especially with how the game ended. But then again that means here comes DMC6. But no more sons of Sparda (booo, it was getting good).

For the chronological order of the story, it can be confusing (for some) and interestingly that the bulk of saving the day took literally a day in game time. It's not really that confusing. I get from what you posted that you want a whole game play like RE2 where we chose one character, we'll use that said character all the way to the end. I really don't think that can work, especially in this type of story. I mean even in DMC4, we switched between playing Nero and Dante. This is something that's been continued to DMC5. Although I do want more V play time, so much fun and very refreshing in the game franchise.
In the sense of RE2, that's how it was in the original RE2 game, we choose a character, side A or B and we play it all the way to the end and then switch to get the complete ending. These two games ARE VERY different, but uses the same engine. Don't mistake them to be similar because it uses the same engine and was developed by Capcom.

I understand why you feel that way, but it just comes boiling down to how the previous (DMC4 mostly) installments were done. They've made a lot of improvements from DMC4, which I love and I'm happy they did it.

[Kyle G]

It does feel like there were alot of ambitions for the story, but it all fell short due to the length and pacing. It's the type of story that would benefit from 3 separate campaigns. But I dunno, I think Itsuno just wanted a straight up action game with no unncessary padding in between. Short and straight to the point. And the story takes a heavy blow because of this. It feels like there's so little going on, yet it felt like it wanted to tell something more.

I like that it actually went back and re-introudced interesting various elements of the lore. From Dante's time as Tony Redgrave, his friend Patty from the anime, revelations about circumstances surrounding Eva's death, Neil Goldstein, etc. as if this was meant to be an emotional goodbye to the characters of Sons of Sparda.

But the ambitions of trying to make an epic end to the Sons of Sparda saga just didn't feel...right. That ending is super abrupt. It feels like there could be 5 more missions after mission 20.

And, it's an overall safe ending that ensures Dante and Vergil are definitely staying as mainstays in the franchise. No tragedy. No risks. But hey, it's Devil May Cry, not Breaking Bad. So it doesn't feel like the end of Sons of Sparda even though that's what Itsuno pitched it as. Still enjoyed the story though. ( got emotional at Nero's shonen hero speech at the climax). Just disappointed at it failing to live up to its full potential.

[BassChamber]

I wouldn't say rushed, but there are several bad design decisions.

Loading screens all the time, lack of gothic enviroments (library is awesome though) and specially V.

[Algiark]

Originally posted by Sandvich of Peace:

I like that it actually went back and re-introudced interesting various elements of the lore. From Dante's time as Tony Redgrave, his friend Patty from the anime, revelations about circumstances surrounding Eva's death, Neil Goldstein, etc. as if this was meant to be an emotional goodbye to the characters of Sons of Sparda.

I really don't like this decision to put so many part of past lore into the main story, especially when there's no good reason for them to be there. You could remove the parts about Dante's past and the story would still work out the same. It would be fine if these references blend seamlessly with the background, but they're not and they just act as distractions. I also agree that it seems like this game was going to be the ambitious grand finale for all the characters involved, but for whatever reason many story threads were cut short and we are left with an incomplete story.

Originally posted by BassChamber:

lack of gothic enviroments (library is awesome though)

YES, especially this. Devil May Cry has always used gothic architecture style in its environment design since the beginning. It gives a unique look and a religious, cult-ish kind of vibe, which fits the theme of the character being a demon slayer. The city in 5 feels very much like a generic European city, which is weird, since everyone has American accents? The story presents the city as being important, being where Dante was born and raised, but very little worldbuilding was given to the city itself.

[Mu'Ammar of Carthus]

I enjoy varied and pretty environments as much (maybe more) than anyone, but variety for the sheer sake of it, I don't see the point of.

Same thing with story, I don't need 120 pages of over-exposition drivel.

Especially if it means the story needs to barely be coherent to shoehorn the varied environment and the game needs to delayed for a year just to work on unnecessary stuff.

[bjørk]

To me it felt like a complete game, it has flaws sure, but didn't feel rushed imo.

[them4pples]

my biggest issue is that all the arenas you fight in are the same. just one level/floor with no interesting terrain to fight around. They're basically just empty rooms.

[Deathraven13]

Most DMC have empty parts on the maps, because most people don't care about that since it's not the main focus, gameplay over graphics.

[Memer Report]

If this to you is a rushed game, then Anthem is literally a developement build.

[Deathraven13]

Originally posted by Okay, I believe you.:

If this to you is a rushed game, then Anthem is literally a developement build.

Yo everyone talk about that game, what's wrong with that one ? (I also missed the fallout 76 stuff when it was the thing back then).

Is it worse than Left alive ?

[Algiark]

Maybe rushed isn't the right word. It's more like I can sense that the game wants to be more than this, but for some reason a lot of corners were cut. Remember Metal Gear Solid V, how it abruptly ends and how there were supposed to be another chapter and a third world map? This game feels like that.