You Should Be Modding: Devil May Cry 3 Crimson 0.5 Update

In this week's sole segment of You Should Be Modding, I've set aside the usual [Monday Mods], [Tuesday Tweaks], and [Throwback Thursday] column pieces in favor of highlighting Devil May Cry 3 Crimson, a highly transformative mod for Devil May Cry 3 (2003) that brings in the best pieces of DMC4 and DMC5. Of the best Devil May Cry 3 mods, Berthrage's Devil May Cry 3 Crimson stands in a league of its own, though it is built on top of serpentium's DDMK, which was used for the original HD Collection and 4 Special Edition. Additionally, at time of writing on the evening of May 22nd, we're only hours away from the estimated 11 PM Eastern Time release for the Devil May Cry 3 Crimson 0.5 update, which is set to add several new features and moves, but most importantly marks the point at which the entire game can be completed with real-time Co-Op enabled.

As a starting point, though, let's discuss what Crimson versions 0.4 added to the game. Beyond additional moves for Dante and the real-time Style Switching mechanic also included in DDMK and the Switch version, the game overhauled existing weapons, moves, and physics to be more in line with later titles. This includes the larger Enemy Step/Jump Cancel hitboxes on enemies to improve air combos and mobility added by Devil May Cry 5, the Inertia and Guardfly mechanics exclusive to Devil May Cry 4 without modding 5, and even the standard third-person camera introduced by 5.

It's a full overhaul of Devil May Cry 3 that brings it up to the standard of DMC4 and modded DMC5, in other words. Since Devil May Cry 3 also happens to have the largest roster of weapons and Styles in the series, Crimson arguably makes it the most technically-complex of the games as well. Even for a Casual player, though, there's a lot to enjoy here. Not only does nearly every aspect of the game simply feel better due to the extensive systems reworks, additional modes like Co-Op and the Musou-inspired Legendary Dark Knight (otherwise exclusive to PC vanilla 4, 4SE, and 5SE) further enhance Devil May Cry 3's already-stellar replay value.

With Devil May Cry 3 Crimson's 0.5 update, though, things are looking even better. Not only are additional physics carried over from future games, but second playable character Vergil has also seen a massive overhaul, including the addition of fan-favorite just frame Judgement Cuts, first seen in Devil May Cry 4 Special Edition. Earlier versions of Crimson already added Vergil's Doppelganger from DmC and Devil May Cry 5, but with the Judgement Cut rework, Crimson Vergil is now fully on par with future versions of the character. Plus, with real-time character switching in the mix, you can seamlessly switch between Dante and Vergil as you please, even mid-combo for some truly mind-boggling juggle possibilities.

It's hard to overstate my sheer enthusiasm for Devil May Cry 3 Crimson, as the base game is already a valid contender for the best in the series. If I weren't able to mod Devil May Cry games at all, base 3 would likely still be my favorite. Modded 4 and 5 are very steep competition, though, and Crimson rises to the occasion in every way that matters. The 0.5 update is also set to add unlocked FPS, numerous enhanced visual effects, and enough new moves to make even the most seasoned Devil May Cry vet salivate.

Fortunately, the install process is also dead simple. One need only download the latest Release of the mod from GitHub and drop it into their existing Devil May Cry 3 (HD Collection version) install folder. To be updated as soon as this update or future updates drop, I highly recommend joining the Discord Server below, which should also double as a good place to find other fans to play or discuss the games with. Co-Op is limited to local multiplayer if you don't resort to Steam Remote Play or Parsec, though.