DEVIL MAY CRY 5 NERO DEMO FOR XBOX ONE
DEMO SIZE = 7.57 GIGABYTES
AVAILABLE UNTIL JANUARY 6th 2019
Control Scheme for the Demo (Left Trigger performs Exceed).
A lot of the information is gathered from the DMC5 Official Demo Manual:
http://www.devilmaycry5.com/xbc/en/
Game play footage can be found from the following links along with the Gamescom trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gBESLaqXFs ← Trailer
https://youtu.be/6cPemVjX7fc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dl41NUIjh18&feature=youtu.be
https://youtu.be/nmZdyeCRgus
Big thanks to many of the DMC fans on Resetera, Twitter, Reddit, Discord (send me PM for invite), Youtube and other forums as well as on site at Gamescom for gathering and spreading all the information, making gifs and doing breakdowns.
[This thread is repurposed from my previous Nero Breakdown thread. I had a new thread made for this but somehow the text/images/gif got messed up and most of it was just changed up stuff from the previous thread anyway]
General Movement
*Nero can initiate Sprint after running for a short while. You have better control him while moving around and you don't lose your sprint if you make sharp turns.
*You can now charge up your Red Queen while running which is a very welcome addition. You could always do this before while walking or jumping.
*Stinger/Stream jump work like in previous DMC games just with better animation. You just do a RB+Forward+Y near a ledge and you will keep your momentum as you lunge forward. There's a specific area in the demo that you can reach using this method.
*The regular dodge that is performed by Nero with RB+Right/Left+A is still in but there have been various changes made to it. When you are in "neutral" or you are firing shots with Blue Rose, you do the classic DMC roll. The roll has far more of a curve around the enemy rather than a stiff right or left roll to Nero's side. In addition, this dodge has far less recovery time and it's easier to chain dodges together into one and another. YOU CAN SHOOT WHILE DODGING!
*More importantly though, the dodge that you get while you are attacking with Red Queen is completely different. Instead of doing a roll, Nero now does a jockey step around which can be chained very easily into more steps. This creates a smooth transition from attacking with Red Queen into a dodge.
*Jumping around while locked on also has been changed. You now face towards your opponent as you jump, even as you jump sideways. This means there are now new animations for jumping around especially with Air Hike (double jump). The trajectory of jumps have been changed too, making them more horizontal and far better at dodging than before. This is especially true with Air Hike.
*JUMP CANCELS/ENEMY STEP ARE DISABLED FOR THE DEMO!!!!!
WIRE SNATCH
The CLASSIC Nero ability from DMC4 returns! By pressing RB + B, you can pull enemies to you with the Wire Snatch. Has a lot of ranged and can be performed from the air as well. It is a core component of Nero's combat and you have access to the Wire Snatch at all times, regardless of whatever Devil Breaker you have equipped. If an enemy is too heavy to be pulled then Nero simply pulls himself towards them (like against a boss). Learn to use this move a lot in the demo!
Camera Control and Angles
*The camera system has been revamped in DMC5. It is more similar to DmC (and other modern 3D action games) where you have more direct control over the camera and so far there are no real fixed camera angles in DMC5. Use the Right Stick to move the camera around and press it like a button to reset it.
*The camera system dynamically focuses on the lock on enemy. It will also zoom in during specific actions like power moves or grapples or move around during particular moments. It will also slow down for the final kill of a combat scenario.
*During crazy moments of action, the camera will pull back to show the scale of the action. This is most apparent during the boss fight scene in the demo when the boss does giant leaps.
*The camera attempts it best to keep perspective of a locked on enemy. Because of this if you switch targets too rapidly or if the two targets are on opposite sides of the player, it causes a fast zoom/perspective change which can be quite jarring.
Environment Interaction/Destruction
*There is definitely an element of environment destruction in the game. So far, none of these impact combat directly (like you can't do stuff like break walls and it will damage enemies) but they enhance the combat feel. You can break down clocktowers, destroy cars and walls etc. due to sheer force. This is most apparently in the boss fight as the boss would do stuff like pull apart pillars to hit the player with, suck up nearby cars and debris or shoot giant fireballs that would bring down structures.
TAUNTS
Performed by pressing the Options button on the controller. Taunt raises your Style bar if you perform it within proximity to an enemy and some of the taunts have extra utility.
*The biggest feature with Taunts now is that you can do a taunt in the air. Nero does an air surf spin with Red Queen and this Taunt can be used to rev up the Red Queen with timings. So it has actual practical applications. This is similar to a ground taunt he has had access to since DMC4. This air taunt is actually very useful for dodging in the air!
*There are now new taunts for Nero, examples given below. The two noteworthy taunts include one where Nero puts on his hood and keeps it on for the rest of the fight and another one where he reloads his gun as a taunt but this actually stocks up your bullets for your charged shots as well!
*You can even perform a RUNNING Taunt where Nero performs a drop kick, called the Rainbow kick.
EXCEED SYSTEM
*Nero's EX system returns in DMC5. By holding down the Left Trigger
*You can charge it up manually by just mashing on Left Trigger... however you want to TIME it with attacks. Let an attack play out, then press the Left Trigger once to charge up stocks. The better your timing to the recovery of an attack, the more stock you get. You can CONSUME charges by performing attacks with the Red Queen sword to unleash powerful attacks with it.
*The major change now is that a normal attack will not consume all remaining EX charges. This means that if you have a lvl3 charge, you won't consume all 3 charges from doing a basic attack. It will only consume one charge. For attacks that consume multiple charges with enhance power, you can press the button multiple times to consume charges individually.
*As mentioned previously, you can now charge up the sword while running and while taunting in the air.
RED QUEEN
Here are some of the moves with Red Queen that you want to be using:
*Streak = RB + Forward + Y. Forward lunging attack, useful for knocking away enemies or getting closer to them.
*High Roller = RB + Back + Y (HOLD to rise!) . Performs an uppercut with the sword that launches the opponent in the air. Hold down Y to rise with the enemy to go into air combos!
*Split = In the air, RB + Back + Y. A downward vertical attack from the air to bring you back to the ground quick or hit enemies below you.
*Calibur = In the air, RB + Back, then Forward + Y. Essentially a Streak attack but performed in the air. You perform this move by flicking the stick from the back position to the forward position quickly before pressing Y.
*Roulette Spin = In the air, Y, Y, pause Y, Y. An alternative combo in mid air that causes a spin animation which launches the enemy even higher!
*Combo II = On the ground, Y, Y, pause, Y, Y, Y. An alternative combo string to the standard "mash Y" variant. Don't mash the Y button, use your other options!!!
BLUE ROSE
*Blue Rose got many changes. The basic firing rate has been changed so that it's not as fast and fires more like a revolver. It's slower but packs a bigger punch, feels meatier.
*The charge system for Blue Rose is entirely reworked. Now when you hold down the gun button, Nero will load up the Blue Rose manually up to its maximum capacity of 6 bullets, 3 shots (as seen in the demo at least). This means that there is no longer a need to hold the gun button for extended periods of time, just charge it once and forget until you need to fire the charged shots.
*Fire charged shots is as you would imagine with this new system. Once you have loaded in the bullets, you can fire any time after that and it will be powered up versions. In this game, the charged shots deal more damage, multi hitting attacks that keep the enemy pinned/in hit stun for better combat opportunity. Not as devastating or as robust in applications as the Blue Rose of DMC4 but it's far easier to manage on a controller. It's possible that we may have more bullet types in the future giving us access to different forms up charged shots.
Style Rank System
*Style rank system is most similar to DmC. You are shown a letter grade that has a bar inside the letter. The letter bar fills up to the top and when it fills up, you go to the next letter. The grading scheme is same as previous games: D, C, B, A, S, SS, SSS. Here are the names for each of them:
D = Dismal
C = Crazy
B = Badass
A = Apocalyptic
S = Savage
SS = Sick Skills
SSS = Smokin' Sexy Style
*In addition, when you achieve a new style rank the announcer yells out the name just like in DmC. This feature can actually be turned off in the options.
*Furthermore, at higher style ranks the music starts to get louder and becomes more dynamic with additional beats, lyrics and instruments layered on with each additional style rank increase.
*The style gauge seems to follow similar rules to previous games. You get style increase from proper dodges and other skillful actions still. Repetitive actions and getting hit lower the style gauge.
*You are ranked in missions on mandatory combat encounters through stylish points that are displayed at the end of the encounter. Currently the demo rates you on 3 areas plus the boss area. It actually doesn't appear to be that easy to get S ranks for end of mission rankings.
*You get extra bonuses for using high level mechanics like enemy step, deflects/parries and more which are all counted for the final mission ranking.
DEVIL BREAKER SYSTEM
This is the main feature that DMC5 has as a mechanic that differentiates it from previous games. The Devil Breaker system allows Nero to have multiple functions on his arm at the cost of some functionality. More on this later. Let's go over the basics.
THERE ARE 2 DEVIL BREAKERS AVAILABLE IN THE DEMO: Overture and Gerbera
*Devil Breaker button is mapped to the B button.
*If you press the button without lock on, in the air or on the ground, it will do an attack or action with the equipped Devil Breaker.
*If you press the B button while locked on, then Nero will do the Wire Snatch ability from DMC4 which is also doable in the air. This ability is NOT tied to the Devil Breaker system and is a universal move that Nero has all the time.
*Holding down B while NOT locked on will perform a powerful move with the Devil Breaker that consumes the cartridge you have equipped.
The Devil Breakers are not equipped as weapons or styles on Nero, they are equipped as cartridges. These cartridges can break due to various reasons. Here are the 3 ways they can break:
In addition, the following rules apply for Devil Breakers (as of the demo, we don't know how these rules will change in the full game):
*You CANNOT switch to another Devil Breaker cartridge without breaking your current one. Breaking your current one will remove it from your possession permanently.
*You can acquire new Devil Breaker cartridges by either calling the Nico van (not available in the demo), at the mission start loadout (not available in the demo) and by acquiring on site in the environment. There are generally some Devil Breakers in every area of the game.
*The cartridges are in a set rotation. That means that you can't choose which cartridge you break into, breaking the first cartridge goes into the second one. You can't access the 4th cartridge (which is the current maximum amount of cartridges you can carry at one time) without breaking the other 3 cartridges.
*The L1/LB button performs the "Break Away". This is a universal move that can be performed with any equipped Devil Breaker and it has the same animation/properties. It explodes the equipped Devil Breaker and then you equip the next cartridge in your rotation. The explosion does damage and knocks away enemies. It is also completely invincible and can break grab/capture states. More importantly, the Break Away acts as a hard cancel mechanic. It can cancel any action you are currently doing allowing you to get out of sticky/hard to avoid situations in a pinch or perform very advanced maneuvers or combos. Furthermore, the Break Away itself can be jump canceled out of. It can of course be used in the air as well. For those who are familiar with DMC4, this is actually almost identical to the Nero DT cancel in DMC4 however instead of costing Devil Trigger meter, it costs a cartridge in DMC5.
Now let's look at the individual Devil Breakers in the demo:
OVERTURE
The default, beginner friendly Devil Breaker of the game. There aren't many moves to this but it still has various nuances to it.
*Pressing B performs a shock wave attack with your hand. This attack can be done in the air as well. What makes it interesting is that the direction/properties of the attack vary depending on the position of the opponent. If the opponent is directly in front of you on the ground or in the air, thenNero will do a straight palm attack.
If the opponent is above Nero, then he will uppercut. It is presumed that if the enemy is above Nero even if they are both in the air then he will do an uppercut in the air as well but no one has been able to replicate this as of yet. The ground version was shown in gif form previously in the camera section.
If the enemy is below Nero while he is in the air, then Nero will do an attack angled downwards like a smash. Most interestingly, if the opponent is in a downed state then Nero will do a shockwave ground slam creating an area of effect of shock.
Maybe more enemy states can be discovered in the future which would give this Devil Breaker even more utility.
*The attack actually has invincible/parry frames where it can parry incoming attacks, EVEN boss attacks. A successful parry by Nero will make him say some lines and you even hear a special sound effect when you properly pull it off with appropriate style gain.
*Holding down O/B with Overture and releasing it performs its super move called the EXPLODER. There are 3 variations to this move. Against an enemy while both Nero/enemy are grounded, Nero will grab the enemy, stick an explosive in it and then kick it away. If both are in the air then Nero will latch on to the enemy, stick a bomb in them then kick flip them away mid air.
I have not seen what would happen if Nero is in the air and the enemy is on the ground or vice versa but I would imagine we get an altered animation. The third variation that has been hinted at is that you can actually do this attack without any nearby enemy and it will leave a sticky bomb on the floor. Maybe you can also leave sticky bombs on the wall?
The sticky bomb explodes after some time delay or you can trigger it to explode immediately by shooting the target. It does a lot of damage and knocks up enemies in an area of effect. This action consumes the equipped cartridge.
GERBERA
Gerbera is a mobility, projectile based Devil Breaker. It is more versatile than the Overture devil breaker.
*Pressing B with Gerbera while on the ground or air will perform a reflective shield attack that knocks away enemies on contact. It can also reflect back projectiles as can most actions of the Gerbera.
*Press O/B plus any direction with Gerbera will perform a boost maneuver that is a multifaceted mobility option called Jockey. It actually has a hit box and it launches nearby enemies caught in its path. It has invincibility frames meaning it can be used as a dodge attack and due to its range it can be used to close the gap. More interestingly, this maneuver has no air action limit and you can keep doing it as long as you are airborne making it already a favorite among top DMC players.
*Holding O/B on the ground and releasing it will perform a giant laser beam attack with some wind up time called the Stamen/Petal Ray. It's very devastating and the direction of the beam can be controlled as it is channeled. You are very vulnerable to attacks during the wind up and while the attack is being channeled but it can be well worth it. This consumes the equipped cartridge.
*Holding B in the air and releasing it will perform a barrage of homing lasers that bounce of surfaces. After they bounce from surfaces, they do more damage. They knock away enemies and can bounce multiple times, making them ideal for dealing with large pack of enemies in tight areas. Very powerful when used correctly as it leads to high style rating quickly.
There is an Automatic mode in the game called Auto Assist. You can manually turn it on by holding down R3 or in the menus. If you are in Auto mode then it says on the screen and you get negative penalty for it. PLEASE DON'T PLEASE THESE GAMES ON AUTO ASSIST/AUTOMATIC MODES...
If there is anything I missed then please let me know. There are still secrets and nuances waiting to be discovered in this demo...
DEMO SIZE = 7.57 GIGABYTES
AVAILABLE UNTIL JANUARY 6th 2019
Control Scheme for the Demo (Left Trigger performs Exceed).
A lot of the information is gathered from the DMC5 Official Demo Manual:
http://www.devilmaycry5.com/xbc/en/
Game play footage can be found from the following links along with the Gamescom trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gBESLaqXFs ← Trailer
https://youtu.be/6cPemVjX7fc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dl41NUIjh18&feature=youtu.be
https://youtu.be/nmZdyeCRgus
Big thanks to many of the DMC fans on Resetera, Twitter, Reddit, Discord (send me PM for invite), Youtube and other forums as well as on site at Gamescom for gathering and spreading all the information, making gifs and doing breakdowns.
[This thread is repurposed from my previous Nero Breakdown thread. I had a new thread made for this but somehow the text/images/gif got messed up and most of it was just changed up stuff from the previous thread anyway]
General Movement
*Nero can initiate Sprint after running for a short while. You have better control him while moving around and you don't lose your sprint if you make sharp turns.
*You can now charge up your Red Queen while running which is a very welcome addition. You could always do this before while walking or jumping.
*Stinger/Stream jump work like in previous DMC games just with better animation. You just do a RB+Forward+Y near a ledge and you will keep your momentum as you lunge forward. There's a specific area in the demo that you can reach using this method.
*The regular dodge that is performed by Nero with RB+Right/Left+A is still in but there have been various changes made to it. When you are in "neutral" or you are firing shots with Blue Rose, you do the classic DMC roll. The roll has far more of a curve around the enemy rather than a stiff right or left roll to Nero's side. In addition, this dodge has far less recovery time and it's easier to chain dodges together into one and another. YOU CAN SHOOT WHILE DODGING!
*More importantly though, the dodge that you get while you are attacking with Red Queen is completely different. Instead of doing a roll, Nero now does a jockey step around which can be chained very easily into more steps. This creates a smooth transition from attacking with Red Queen into a dodge.
*Jumping around while locked on also has been changed. You now face towards your opponent as you jump, even as you jump sideways. This means there are now new animations for jumping around especially with Air Hike (double jump). The trajectory of jumps have been changed too, making them more horizontal and far better at dodging than before. This is especially true with Air Hike.
*JUMP CANCELS/ENEMY STEP ARE DISABLED FOR THE DEMO!!!!!
WIRE SNATCH
The CLASSIC Nero ability from DMC4 returns! By pressing RB + B, you can pull enemies to you with the Wire Snatch. Has a lot of ranged and can be performed from the air as well. It is a core component of Nero's combat and you have access to the Wire Snatch at all times, regardless of whatever Devil Breaker you have equipped. If an enemy is too heavy to be pulled then Nero simply pulls himself towards them (like against a boss). Learn to use this move a lot in the demo!
Camera Control and Angles
*The camera system has been revamped in DMC5. It is more similar to DmC (and other modern 3D action games) where you have more direct control over the camera and so far there are no real fixed camera angles in DMC5. Use the Right Stick to move the camera around and press it like a button to reset it.
*The camera system dynamically focuses on the lock on enemy. It will also zoom in during specific actions like power moves or grapples or move around during particular moments. It will also slow down for the final kill of a combat scenario.
*During crazy moments of action, the camera will pull back to show the scale of the action. This is most apparent during the boss fight scene in the demo when the boss does giant leaps.
*The camera attempts it best to keep perspective of a locked on enemy. Because of this if you switch targets too rapidly or if the two targets are on opposite sides of the player, it causes a fast zoom/perspective change which can be quite jarring.
Environment Interaction/Destruction
*There is definitely an element of environment destruction in the game. So far, none of these impact combat directly (like you can't do stuff like break walls and it will damage enemies) but they enhance the combat feel. You can break down clocktowers, destroy cars and walls etc. due to sheer force. This is most apparently in the boss fight as the boss would do stuff like pull apart pillars to hit the player with, suck up nearby cars and debris or shoot giant fireballs that would bring down structures.
TAUNTS
Performed by pressing the Options button on the controller. Taunt raises your Style bar if you perform it within proximity to an enemy and some of the taunts have extra utility.
*The biggest feature with Taunts now is that you can do a taunt in the air. Nero does an air surf spin with Red Queen and this Taunt can be used to rev up the Red Queen with timings. So it has actual practical applications. This is similar to a ground taunt he has had access to since DMC4. This air taunt is actually very useful for dodging in the air!
*There are now new taunts for Nero, examples given below. The two noteworthy taunts include one where Nero puts on his hood and keeps it on for the rest of the fight and another one where he reloads his gun as a taunt but this actually stocks up your bullets for your charged shots as well!
*You can even perform a RUNNING Taunt where Nero performs a drop kick, called the Rainbow kick.
EXCEED SYSTEM
*Nero's EX system returns in DMC5. By holding down the Left Trigger
*You can charge it up manually by just mashing on Left Trigger... however you want to TIME it with attacks. Let an attack play out, then press the Left Trigger once to charge up stocks. The better your timing to the recovery of an attack, the more stock you get. You can CONSUME charges by performing attacks with the Red Queen sword to unleash powerful attacks with it.
*The major change now is that a normal attack will not consume all remaining EX charges. This means that if you have a lvl3 charge, you won't consume all 3 charges from doing a basic attack. It will only consume one charge. For attacks that consume multiple charges with enhance power, you can press the button multiple times to consume charges individually.
*As mentioned previously, you can now charge up the sword while running and while taunting in the air.
RED QUEEN
Here are some of the moves with Red Queen that you want to be using:
*Streak = RB + Forward + Y. Forward lunging attack, useful for knocking away enemies or getting closer to them.
*High Roller = RB + Back + Y (HOLD to rise!) . Performs an uppercut with the sword that launches the opponent in the air. Hold down Y to rise with the enemy to go into air combos!
*Split = In the air, RB + Back + Y. A downward vertical attack from the air to bring you back to the ground quick or hit enemies below you.
*Calibur = In the air, RB + Back, then Forward + Y. Essentially a Streak attack but performed in the air. You perform this move by flicking the stick from the back position to the forward position quickly before pressing Y.
*Roulette Spin = In the air, Y, Y, pause Y, Y. An alternative combo in mid air that causes a spin animation which launches the enemy even higher!
*Combo II = On the ground, Y, Y, pause, Y, Y, Y. An alternative combo string to the standard "mash Y" variant. Don't mash the Y button, use your other options!!!
BLUE ROSE
*Blue Rose got many changes. The basic firing rate has been changed so that it's not as fast and fires more like a revolver. It's slower but packs a bigger punch, feels meatier.
*The charge system for Blue Rose is entirely reworked. Now when you hold down the gun button, Nero will load up the Blue Rose manually up to its maximum capacity of 6 bullets, 3 shots (as seen in the demo at least). This means that there is no longer a need to hold the gun button for extended periods of time, just charge it once and forget until you need to fire the charged shots.
*Fire charged shots is as you would imagine with this new system. Once you have loaded in the bullets, you can fire any time after that and it will be powered up versions. In this game, the charged shots deal more damage, multi hitting attacks that keep the enemy pinned/in hit stun for better combat opportunity. Not as devastating or as robust in applications as the Blue Rose of DMC4 but it's far easier to manage on a controller. It's possible that we may have more bullet types in the future giving us access to different forms up charged shots.
Style Rank System
*Style rank system is most similar to DmC. You are shown a letter grade that has a bar inside the letter. The letter bar fills up to the top and when it fills up, you go to the next letter. The grading scheme is same as previous games: D, C, B, A, S, SS, SSS. Here are the names for each of them:
D = Dismal
C = Crazy
B = Badass
A = Apocalyptic
S = Savage
SS = Sick Skills
SSS = Smokin' Sexy Style
*In addition, when you achieve a new style rank the announcer yells out the name just like in DmC. This feature can actually be turned off in the options.
*Furthermore, at higher style ranks the music starts to get louder and becomes more dynamic with additional beats, lyrics and instruments layered on with each additional style rank increase.
*The style gauge seems to follow similar rules to previous games. You get style increase from proper dodges and other skillful actions still. Repetitive actions and getting hit lower the style gauge.
*You are ranked in missions on mandatory combat encounters through stylish points that are displayed at the end of the encounter. Currently the demo rates you on 3 areas plus the boss area. It actually doesn't appear to be that easy to get S ranks for end of mission rankings.
*You get extra bonuses for using high level mechanics like enemy step, deflects/parries and more which are all counted for the final mission ranking.
DEVIL BREAKER SYSTEM
This is the main feature that DMC5 has as a mechanic that differentiates it from previous games. The Devil Breaker system allows Nero to have multiple functions on his arm at the cost of some functionality. More on this later. Let's go over the basics.
THERE ARE 2 DEVIL BREAKERS AVAILABLE IN THE DEMO: Overture and Gerbera
*Devil Breaker button is mapped to the B button.
*If you press the button without lock on, in the air or on the ground, it will do an attack or action with the equipped Devil Breaker.
*If you press the B button while locked on, then Nero will do the Wire Snatch ability from DMC4 which is also doable in the air. This ability is NOT tied to the Devil Breaker system and is a universal move that Nero has all the time.
*Holding down B while NOT locked on will perform a powerful move with the Devil Breaker that consumes the cartridge you have equipped.
The Devil Breakers are not equipped as weapons or styles on Nero, they are equipped as cartridges. These cartridges can break due to various reasons. Here are the 3 ways they can break:
- Performing a super move with the Devil Breaker called "Breakerage".
- Performing the L1/LB move "Break Away".
- Getting hit while performing any action with a Devil Breaker (normal and super moves).
In addition, the following rules apply for Devil Breakers (as of the demo, we don't know how these rules will change in the full game):
*You CANNOT switch to another Devil Breaker cartridge without breaking your current one. Breaking your current one will remove it from your possession permanently.
*You can acquire new Devil Breaker cartridges by either calling the Nico van (not available in the demo), at the mission start loadout (not available in the demo) and by acquiring on site in the environment. There are generally some Devil Breakers in every area of the game.
*The cartridges are in a set rotation. That means that you can't choose which cartridge you break into, breaking the first cartridge goes into the second one. You can't access the 4th cartridge (which is the current maximum amount of cartridges you can carry at one time) without breaking the other 3 cartridges.
*The L1/LB button performs the "Break Away". This is a universal move that can be performed with any equipped Devil Breaker and it has the same animation/properties. It explodes the equipped Devil Breaker and then you equip the next cartridge in your rotation. The explosion does damage and knocks away enemies. It is also completely invincible and can break grab/capture states. More importantly, the Break Away acts as a hard cancel mechanic. It can cancel any action you are currently doing allowing you to get out of sticky/hard to avoid situations in a pinch or perform very advanced maneuvers or combos. Furthermore, the Break Away itself can be jump canceled out of. It can of course be used in the air as well. For those who are familiar with DMC4, this is actually almost identical to the Nero DT cancel in DMC4 however instead of costing Devil Trigger meter, it costs a cartridge in DMC5.
Now let's look at the individual Devil Breakers in the demo:
OVERTURE
The default, beginner friendly Devil Breaker of the game. There aren't many moves to this but it still has various nuances to it.
*Pressing B performs a shock wave attack with your hand. This attack can be done in the air as well. What makes it interesting is that the direction/properties of the attack vary depending on the position of the opponent. If the opponent is directly in front of you on the ground or in the air, thenNero will do a straight palm attack.
If the opponent is above Nero, then he will uppercut. It is presumed that if the enemy is above Nero even if they are both in the air then he will do an uppercut in the air as well but no one has been able to replicate this as of yet. The ground version was shown in gif form previously in the camera section.
If the enemy is below Nero while he is in the air, then Nero will do an attack angled downwards like a smash. Most interestingly, if the opponent is in a downed state then Nero will do a shockwave ground slam creating an area of effect of shock.
Maybe more enemy states can be discovered in the future which would give this Devil Breaker even more utility.
*The attack actually has invincible/parry frames where it can parry incoming attacks, EVEN boss attacks. A successful parry by Nero will make him say some lines and you even hear a special sound effect when you properly pull it off with appropriate style gain.
*Holding down O/B with Overture and releasing it performs its super move called the EXPLODER. There are 3 variations to this move. Against an enemy while both Nero/enemy are grounded, Nero will grab the enemy, stick an explosive in it and then kick it away. If both are in the air then Nero will latch on to the enemy, stick a bomb in them then kick flip them away mid air.
I have not seen what would happen if Nero is in the air and the enemy is on the ground or vice versa but I would imagine we get an altered animation. The third variation that has been hinted at is that you can actually do this attack without any nearby enemy and it will leave a sticky bomb on the floor. Maybe you can also leave sticky bombs on the wall?
The sticky bomb explodes after some time delay or you can trigger it to explode immediately by shooting the target. It does a lot of damage and knocks up enemies in an area of effect. This action consumes the equipped cartridge.
GERBERA
Gerbera is a mobility, projectile based Devil Breaker. It is more versatile than the Overture devil breaker.
*Pressing B with Gerbera while on the ground or air will perform a reflective shield attack that knocks away enemies on contact. It can also reflect back projectiles as can most actions of the Gerbera.
*Press O/B plus any direction with Gerbera will perform a boost maneuver that is a multifaceted mobility option called Jockey. It actually has a hit box and it launches nearby enemies caught in its path. It has invincibility frames meaning it can be used as a dodge attack and due to its range it can be used to close the gap. More interestingly, this maneuver has no air action limit and you can keep doing it as long as you are airborne making it already a favorite among top DMC players.
*Holding O/B on the ground and releasing it will perform a giant laser beam attack with some wind up time called the Stamen/Petal Ray. It's very devastating and the direction of the beam can be controlled as it is channeled. You are very vulnerable to attacks during the wind up and while the attack is being channeled but it can be well worth it. This consumes the equipped cartridge.
*Holding B in the air and releasing it will perform a barrage of homing lasers that bounce of surfaces. After they bounce from surfaces, they do more damage. They knock away enemies and can bounce multiple times, making them ideal for dealing with large pack of enemies in tight areas. Very powerful when used correctly as it leads to high style rating quickly.
There is an Automatic mode in the game called Auto Assist. You can manually turn it on by holding down R3 or in the menus. If you are in Auto mode then it says on the screen and you get negative penalty for it. PLEASE DON'T PLEASE THESE GAMES ON AUTO ASSIST/AUTOMATIC MODES...
If there is anything I missed then please let me know. There are still secrets and nuances waiting to be discovered in this demo...
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