---
title: "Devil May Cry HD Collection: Complete Guide"
game: "Devil May Cry HD Collection"
game_url: "https://qna.gg/games/devil-may-cry-hd-collection"
author: "Qloud"
author_url: "https://qna.gg/players/Qloud"
topics: ["Bosses", "Secrets", "Weapons"]
summary: "A guide to all three games in Devil May Cry HD Collection — Devil May Cry, Devil May Cry 2 and Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition — covering which to play first, core systems, weapons and styles, boss tips, secret…"
url: "https://qna.gg/g/devil-may-cry-hd-collection-complete-guide-b9f5aa5d"
published: "2026-09-27T20:36:08.424Z"
updated: "2026-09-27T20:36:08.424Z"
source: "QnA.GG"
---

# Devil May Cry HD Collection: Complete Guide

A guide to all three games in Devil May Cry HD Collection — Devil May Cry, Devil May Cry 2 and Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition — covering which to play first, core systems, weapons and styles, boss tips, secret missions, difficulty unlocks and PC setup.

*Researched September 2026 — current as of the final PC build (last patch April 2018, which added Simplified Chinese). Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.*

## Quick Start

1. **Use a controller.** These are PS2-era action games designed around a gamepad. Keyboard works, but a controller is the intended experience.
2. **Play order:** Release order (DMC1, DMC2, DMC3) shows the series' evolution; story order is DMC3 first (it's a prequel), then DMC1, then DMC2. DMC3 is the best game in the collection; DMC1 is the classic; DMC2 is the weakest.
3. **Red Orbs are currency.** Spend them at Divinity Statues (DMC1 and DMC3) or the between-mission shop in DMC2 on new moves, items and upgrades.
4. **Blue Orb fragments raise max health.** Four fragments make one full Blue Orb. Find them in secret missions and hidden areas.
5. **Devil Trigger** transforms Dante, boosting damage and defense and regenerating health. Save it for bosses and emergencies.
6. **Style rank matters.** The style meter (D up to S in DMC1, up to SSS in DMC3) rewards varied, uninterrupted combos with more orbs. Don't just mash one attack.
7. **Check every corner.** Secret missions and Blue Orb fragments are hidden in out-of-the-way places.
8. **DMC3 on Normal is hard.** That's normal (pun intended). Buy Vital Stars and learn enemy patterns.

## Devil May Cry (2001)

### Overview

Dante's debut. He's hired by Trish and heads to Mallet Island to confront the demon emperor Mundus. Twenty-three missions with a gothic castle setting and a strong survival-horror influence.

### Weapons

| Weapon | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Force Edge | Starting sword | Basic, reliable |
| Alastor | Lightning sword | Gives the lightning Devil Trigger and air-raid flight |
| Ifrit | Fire gauntlets | Heavy, high-damage fire attacks; strong against many bosses |
| Sparda | Late-game sword | Story weapon |
| Ebony & Ivory | Pistols | Rapid fire; keep enemies juggled |
| Shotgun | Shotgun | Close-range crowd control |
| Grenadegun | Grenade launcher | Area damage |
| Needlegun | Underwater weapon | Used in underwater sections |
| Nightmare-β | Special gun | Late-game energy weapon |

### Bosses

Recurring bosses include the giant spider Phantom, the bird Griffon, the dark knight Nelo Angelo, the blob Nightmare, and finally Mundus.

- **Phantom:** Stay on its side, avoid its fire and tail; attack its face or back.
- **Griffon:** Shoot it down with pistols, then punish on the ground.
- **Nelo Angelo:** A duel; block patterns carefully and punish after his combos.
- **Nightmare:** Target the core when it's exposed.
- **Mundus:** Multi-phase finale — the shooter phase rewards staying mobile.

### Tips

- **Ifrit** is excellent against tough enemies thanks to its heavy hits.
- **Alastor's Devil Trigger** gives flight and air attacks.
- **Secret Missions** reward Blue Orb fragments. Look for hidden areas and odd objects.
- **Yellow Orbs** let you continue from a checkpoint on death; don't waste them.

## Devil May Cry 2 (2003)

### Overview

Set decades after DMC1, Dante (and a second playable character, Lucia) fight Arius. It has two separate campaigns: Dante's and Lucia's.

### What's different

- **Wall run and Rain Storm** — new moves introduced here.
- **Bloody Palace** — the survival mode debuted in DMC2.
- Easier overall difficulty than DMC1 and DMC3; guns are especially powerful.
- **Amulets and Devil Trigger** — DMC2 customizes Devil Trigger via elemental amulet slots.

### Tips

- The guns are very strong in DMC2 — use them freely.
- Clear both Dante's and Lucia's campaigns to see everything.
- Bloody Palace is where the game's combat is most fun; try it once you've beaten the story.

## Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition (2006)

### Overview

A prequel to DMC1. Young Dante faces his twin brother Vergil atop the demon tower Temen-ni-gru, alongside Lady. Twenty missions. Special Edition adds Vergil as a playable character, a Bloody Palace mode, and Gold Mode (continue where you died using Gold Orbs) alongside the original Yellow Orb mode.

### Styles

DMC3's big innovation. Dante chooses one style at a time (switch at Divinity Statues or checkpoints), and each levels up with use.

| Style | What it does | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Trickster | Dashes, teleports, air mobility | Dodging and positioning; great default |
| Swordmaster | Extra melee moves for each melee weapon | Damage and style |
| Gunslinger | Extra gun moves | Ranged damage and juggling |
| Royalguard | Blocking and releasing stored damage | High-skill defense; huge damage on perfect blocks |
| Quicksilver | Slows time (unlocked from a boss) | Crowds and bosses |
| Doppelganger | Summons a shadow clone (unlocked from a boss) | Extra damage, co-op-style |

### Weapons

Melee: **Rebellion** (starting sword), **Cerberus** (ice nunchaku), **Agni & Rudra** (twin swords), **Nevan** (lightning guitar/scythe), **Beowulf** (light gauntlets and greaves).

Guns: **Ebony & Ivory**, **Shotgun**, **Artemis** (energy bow-gun), **Spiral** (sniper) and **Kalina Ann** (rocket launcher).

Most devil arms are earned by beating the boss they're named after — Cerberus, Agni & Rudra, Nevan and Beowulf are all bosses.

### Bosses

| Boss | Tip |
|---|---|
| Cerberus | Break the ice armor on each head, then damage the body |
| Agni & Rudra | Twin bosses; focus one, keep moving |
| Nevan | Dodge bats and lightning; hit hard when she's grounded |
| Beowulf | Hit him in the back; his charging attacks are telegraphed |
| Vergil (several fights) | The best duels in the series — learn his teleport strikes and punish after them |
| Lady | Watch her grenades and rocket; punish when reloading |
| Gigapede and Leviathan | Unusual fights with shooting and platforming |
| Doppelganger | Use light sources to make it vulnerable |
| Arkham | The final multi-phase fight |

### Special Edition extras

- **Vergil mode:** play as Vergil through the campaign with his own weapons (Yamato, Beowulf, Force Edge) and Dark Slayer style.
- **Bloody Palace:** survival floors with increasing enemies and bosses.
- **Gold Mode vs Yellow Mode:** Gold Mode lets you continue on the spot; Yellow Mode sends you back to the checkpoint.

### DMC3 tips

- **Trickster** is the easiest style for new players — it keeps you alive.
- **Royalguard** is the hardest but most rewarding.
- **Buy Vital Stars and Devil Stars** for tough bosses.
- **Upgrade favorite weapons early** instead of spreading Red Orbs thin.
- **Secret Missions** (12) reward Blue Orb fragments.

## Difficulty Levels

Each game has its own difficulty ladder. In general:

- **Normal** is the default.
- **Hard** unlocks after clearing Normal.
- **Dante Must Die** is the series' signature top difficulty, unlocked after Hard.
- DMC1 offers an easier automatic mode if you die repeatedly early on, and DMC3 SE has an Easy option; exact unlock conditions differ per game, so check the difficulty menu.
- DMC3 also has **Heaven or Hell** mode, where everything (including you) dies in one hit.

Clearing harder difficulties unlocks costumes and extras.

## PC Setup

- The HD Collection runs at 60fps.
- **Controller strongly recommended.** An Xbox-style controller works out of the box through Steam Input.
- The collection has a launcher where you choose which game to play.
- **Mods:** The PC community has **DDMK** (by serpentiem), a mod suite for the HD Collection (and DMC4 Special Edition) with gameplay mods, fixes, training tools and multiplayer features. Note: its GitHub repository was archived (read-only) in January 2026, so it is no longer updated, and first-time installs require undoing the latest game patch with an xdelta3 patch per its instructions. Mods are unofficial — back up your saves first (Steam keeps HD Collection saves under `Steam\userdata\[your Steam ID]\631510\remote`).

## Common Mistakes to Avoid

- **Mashing.** DMC rewards variety — style rank and orb income both go up with varied combos.
- **Ignoring guns.** Pistols keep enemies juggled and interrupt attacks.
- **Hoarding Red Orbs.** Spend them — new moves make every fight easier.
- **Skipping secret missions.** They give Blue Orb fragments (more max health).
- **Playing DMC3 with the wrong style** for a fight. Swap to Trickster if you're dying.
- **Using Devil Trigger immediately.** Save it for bosses or to heal.

## Advanced Tips

- **Jump cancelling** in DMC3 (jumping off enemies) lets you extend air combos — a core high-level technique.
- **Royalguard Release** after a perfect block deals massive damage.
- **Style switching** at checkpoints matters: use Gunslinger for flying bosses, Swordmaster for grounded ones.
- **In DMC1**, learn to cancel with guns and use Ifrit's charge moves.
- **Bloody Palace** is the best place to practice combos and boss patterns.
- **S-rank missions** by keeping combos varied, taking little damage and finishing quickly.

## FAQ

**Which game should I play first?**
Release order (1, 2, 3) is the classic way. If you only play one, play DMC3 Special Edition.

**Does DMC3 have style switching on the fly?**
Not in the PC HD Collection; you switch at Divinity Statues and between missions. Community mods such as DDMK add more flexible options (unofficial, and DDMK is no longer maintained).

**Is DMC2 worth playing?**
It's the weakest entry but short, and Bloody Palace debuted there. Many play it for completion.

**Is Vergil playable?**
Yes, in DMC3 Special Edition after finishing the game.

**What's Heaven or Hell mode?**
A DMC3 mode where everything dies in one hit, including Dante.

**Where does this fit with DMC4 and DMC5?**
DMC4 Special Edition and DMC5 are separate games on Steam and continue the story after DMC1.

**Is there a Netflix show?**
Yes — the Devil May Cry animated series streams on Netflix (Season 2 released May 2026).

## Sources

- [Steam store page — Devil May Cry HD Collection](https://store.steampowered.com/app/631510/Devil_May_Cry_HD_Collection/)
- [Steam news — Devil May Cry HD Collection announcements](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/631510)
- [Capcom — Devil May Cry HD Collection official site](http://www.capcom.co.jp/devilhd/us/)
- [DDMK on GitHub (archived January 2026)](https://github.com/serpentiem/ddmk)