Devil May Cry HD Collection here means the Capcom-published collection of Devil May Cry, Devil May Cry 2, and Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition. Steam’s current appdetails also list CAPCOM Co., Ltd. as developer and publisher for the PC product. This guide is not for Devil May Cry 4 Special Edition, DmC: Devil May Cry, Devil May Cry 5, or the individual Nintendo Switch versions of the early games.
Content warning: Devil May Cry HD Collection is Mature-rated with Blood and Gore, Language, Partial Nudity, and Violence descriptors. This guide keeps discussion non-graphic and focused on play.
This is a spoiler-light beginner guide for approaching all three included games without assuming modern Devil May Cry habits apply everywhere. It is not a boss strategy guide, mission-rank guide, collectible route, Secret Mission guide, unlock guide, or achievement/trophy plan.
Essential Tips
1. Treat the Collection as Three Related Games
Shared style does not mean shared rules.
The HD Collection is one package, but the three games are not one continuous moveset. Devil May Cry is the oldest and asks you to learn its menus, combat rhythm, and exploration habits. Devil May Cry 2 changes movement and combat feel. Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition leans harder into style selection and character action depth.
Start each game as its own learning curve. A habit that feels natural in DMC3 may not help in DMC1, and a comfortable DMC1 rhythm may feel too stiff if you bring it unchanged into DMC2 or DMC3.
2. Read the Action and Customize Menus Early
The game teaches more than the first fight does.
One sourced beginner thread specifically calls out DMC1’s Action submenu because it explains attacks and special attacks you purchase or acquire. Make checking command lists part of your routine. When you buy a move, change a weapon, or return after a break, open the menu before assuming you remember the input.
DMC3 also expects you to make style choices before and during mission setup. If you skip the Customize screen, you are skipping part of the combat system.
3. Learn Movement Before Long Combos
Survival makes style possible.
Do not make your first goal a long highlight combo. Learn lock-on movement, jumps, dodges, spacing, wall jumps where available, and how your current weapon starts and ends attacks. The older games punish careless commitment, so a short string you can cancel or reposition from is more useful than a longer sequence you cannot control.
4. Vary Attacks to Feed the Style System
Repeating one move makes the gauge less impressed.
Stylish Rank rewards a steady flow of varied or difficult techniques, while repeated use of the same move gives diminishing returns. Rotate between melee strings, launchers, aerial hits, firearms, and taunts when the room is under control. You do not need to show off constantly, but you should avoid turning every enemy into the same button pattern.
5. Use Guns to Maintain Pressure
Firearms are not only about raw damage.
Firearms can help keep the style gauge from dropping even when they are not your strongest attacks. Use guns to keep contact while repositioning, watching an enemy, or closing distance. That does not mean standing still and shooting forever; it means using ranged pressure to connect your real offense.
6. Spend Red Orbs With a Plan
Currency is also character growth.
Red Orbs are used for items, weapon upgrades, and new abilities in the earlier games. Before spending, ask what problem you are actually solving. A new move you will practice may help every mission after this one. A healing item can save a bad run, but buying too many emergency fixes can delay the tools that make you better.
7. Respect Green, White, and Blue Orbs
Orb colors are practical information.
Green Orbs restore vitality, White Orbs restore Devil Trigger, and Blue Orbs or Blue Orb Fragments increase maximum vitality. You do not need a full collectible route for a first clear, but you should understand why these pickups matter. If a room leaves you low, recover before pushing deeper just because the door is open.
8. Use Devil Trigger Before Panic Sets In
DT is a resource, not a souvenir.
Devil Trigger amplifies your character and can add options depending on the game and state. New players often save it too long, then activate it after the fight is already out of control. Use it when the boost can turn pressure into progress: when you have a clear target, a dangerous wave is active, or you need breathing room to finish a hard exchange.
9. Pick One DMC3 Style Intentionally
HD Collection DMC3 is not Switch Free Style.
In the original and HD Collection versions of DMC3, Dante uses one selected style at a time. You choose it from the Customize menu at Mission Start or at a Divinity Statue. Do not expect the on-the-fly style switching introduced in the Nintendo Switch version of DMC3 Special Edition.
For a first run, choose a style because it solves a problem you understand. If you want safer movement, pick around movement. If you want more weapon technique, pick around weapon expression. Then give it time, because the original four styles level through use during missions.
10. Check Enemy Files Instead of Guessing Forever
The status menu can become a study tool.
The beginner thread points out that enemy files in the status menu become more useful as information unlocks. When an enemy keeps stopping you, check whether the game has added notes before you retry the same plan. This keeps the guide spoiler-light while still using the information the game gives you.
11. Taunt Only When You Own the Moment
Taunts are tools, but they are not free.
Taunts can interact with style and Devil Trigger systems depending on the game, but they require timing and space. Taunt after a knockback, at a safe distance, or when you know the enemy is not about to punish you. If the room is chaotic, stabilize first.
12. Let the First Clear Be a Learning Pass
Do not turn every door into a checklist.
The HD Collection has rankings, pickups, Secret Missions, achievements, modes, and version-specific extras. On your first pass, focus on finishing missions, learning enemies, building core moves, and understanding the three games. Save exact completion work for a dedicated route.
How to Treat Each Game
| Game | What Changes | Beginner Habit |
|---|---|---|
| Devil May Cry | The oldest included game, with action-menu learning, enemy files, and tighter commitment | Play patiently, read menus, and practice movement before chasing style |
| Devil May Cry 2 | Adds movement ideas such as wall run and Rain Storm and changes combat/camera feel | Relearn spacing instead of forcing DMC1 habits |
| Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition | Builds around styles, style leveling, and deeper customization | Choose one style intentionally and practice it through full missions |
Combat and Resource Habits
- Open fights with control: Lock on, move, and learn the enemy’s reach before spending health on a flashy start.
- Use short strings first: A reliable two- or three-hit plan beats a long sequence that leaves you stuck.
- Mix weapons and guns: Variety helps style, and guns can keep the gauge alive while you reposition.
- Practice new purchases immediately: If you buy a move, use the next safe encounter to learn it.
- Spend DT with a target in mind: Activate it when you can convert the boost into damage, safety, or recovery.
- Use Divinity Statues as planning stops: Check items, abilities, and DMC3 style selection before moving on.
- Review enemy files after trouble: If a foe keeps winning, look for newly unlocked information.
- Leave completion cleanup for later: Exact ranks, hidden pickups, and Secret Missions need a dedicated route.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Do not carry the same combo plan into all three games - DMC1, DMC2, and DMC3 Special Edition each ask for different habits.
- Do not ignore the Action menu - Purchased and acquired techniques are easy to forget if you never review them.
- Do not repeat one attack forever - The style system rewards variety and gives less for stale repetition.
- Do not stand still with guns only - Firearms help maintain pressure, but they work best as part of a wider plan.
- Do not spend all Red Orbs on panic items - Leave room for moves, abilities, and upgrades you will use often.
- Do not hoard Devil Trigger until the fight is already lost - Use it when it can change the exchange.
- Do not pick a DMC3 style and forget it exists - Your equipped style shapes your options and levels through use.
- Do not try to swap DMC3 styles mid-fight in this collection - HD Collection DMC3 uses one selected style at a time.
- Do not chase full completion on a blind first pass - Learn the missions before trying exact ranks, collectibles, and unlock routes.
Summary
| Category | Top Tip |
|---|---|
| Collection Scope | Treat DMC1, DMC2, and DMC3 Special Edition as separate learning curves |
| Menus | Check Action, Customize, status, enemy files, and Divinity Statues often |
| Style | Vary attacks and use guns to connect pressure |
| Orbs | Spend Red Orbs deliberately and understand recovery colors |
| Devil Trigger | Use DT when it can swing a real exchange |
| DMC3 | Pick one HD Collection style intentionally and practice it |
| Completion | Save exact ranks, pickups, Secret Missions, and unlocks for dedicated routes |
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8 checked for this guideEvery factual claim in this guide was checked against at least two independent sources before publication. These are the references used for Devil May Cry HD Collection.
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