Devil May Cry 5 Review: 5 Ups & 3 Downs

2. The Perverted, Creepy & Outdated Attitude Towards Women

Speaking of cohesion, the game’s treatment of women is a massive shame. Maybe I’m picking up on something that other people just won’t mind, and look, I’m as tired of the point finger freak out conversations as the vast majority of people, but I’d be lying if I said these elements didn’t stick out, or that they weren’t worth talking about.

From suggesting one unconscious woman will be “up for it” just because she’s naked, mentioning how she has a “smoking body” – again, whilst still naked and unconscious - to having Trish and Lady talk to each other like sultry pornstars, to having the camera pan over their bodies like how Michael Bay used to shoot the Transformers films. Lady and Trish have literally nothing to do other than wait for Dante, Nero or V to progress the plot, and weapons handler Nico‘s inventory screen is reminiscent of Quiet’s helicopter scenes from MGS 5, albeit without the boob-dangling.

It doubly sucks because writer Bingo Morihashi helped write Bayonetta 2. He knows how to make characters powerful AND sexy, and there’s nothing wrong with that whatsoever.

The issues in this case come from DMC 5’s female cast feeling weak, disposable, and only existing to be ogled at. Capcom have championed being able to design games and characters that appeal to both genders in the past, and they had someone who could’ve nailed that on staff, so when they treat the audience like slack-jawed gawkers thinking “Hnnng BOOOOBS”, I think that’s a legitimate talking point.

You can do better Capcom, and I don’t know why you didn’t.