The game that was born from a failed survival horror project
In short: In 1998, Hideki Kamiya began developing a new Resident Evil title for the PlayStation 2. The project eventually shifted into a radical departure from survival horror, leading to a unique action-adventure series. This pivot birthed a new subgenre that prioritizes stylized combat and creative choreography over traditional horror elements.
The origin of Devil May Cry is rooted in a creative pivot. After completing Resident Evil 2 in 1998, Hideki Kamiya and Team Little Devil began work on a PlayStation 2 sequel. He drew inspiration from Italian poet Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy to create what would become the first entry in the Devil May Cry series.
The series is credited with introducing the "character action" subgenre, which emphasizes "style" in combat. Players are graded from rank D to S based on their ability to execute long chains of attacks, avoid damage, and express creative, freestyled choreography in real time. This mechanical focus on style is a core pillar of the franchise, distinguishing it from the slower, more deliberate pace of the Resident Evil games it originally intended to emulate.
The series' development has been marked by significant internal shifts. While Kamiya created the first game, Hideaki Itsuno took over as director for every subsequent entry until Devil May Cry 5. Itsuno was famously assigned to steer the second game back on course with only 4 to 5 months remaining in development. Despite these shifts, the series has maintained a cohesive identity, selling 41 million copies and expanding into comics, novels, and various media crossovers.
The narrative structure of the series is also complex. While Devil May Cry 3 serves as a prequel set years before the first game, the series has undergone retcons to maintain its timeline. Notably, DmC: Devil May Cry—a 2010 reboot featuring a contemporary urban fantasy setting and social commentary on mass media—is officially treated as an alternate universe, separate from the main gothic continuity.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Devil May Cry
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