Devil May Cry Cheats & Secrets for PlayStation 2

Devil May Cry is Capcom‘s first game in the series of the same name and the title often credited with creating the Character Action subgenre of third-person action games. Game director Hideki Kamiya originally began designing Devil May Cry as a potential initial version of Resident Evil 4. The game’s focus on fast-paced, stylish action was intended to be a necessary shake-up of the Resident Evil formula. However, as the game continued progressing in that direction, series creator Shinji Mikami would persuade Kamiya to make the project into its own standalone title separate from Resident Evil. Hence, Devil May Cry was born.

In terms of overall impact, few 6th generation titles are as influential or important as Devil May Cry. One of the many games to continue incorporating stylish, cinematic elements into its gameplay, Devil May Cry stands alongside the likes of Metal Gear Solid 2 and Ico in terms of elevating the art of video game storytelling. Additionally, the title is responsible for inspiring a host of imitators, much like Resident Evil before it. Without Devil May Cry, there would likely never be a God of War or even a 6th-generation reboot of Koei Tecmo’s Ninja Gaiden franchise.

Aside from its impact on action games and the industry as a whole, Devil May Cry stands as one of the most successful PlayStation 2 games. Despite its unforgiving nature and challenging difficulty, Devil May Cry would quickly sell upwards of 3 million units, with nearly 1 million of those attributed to the first few months of the game’s release. Further, in addition to its strong critical reception (holding an impressive 94% positive review aggregate score), Devil May Cry would go on to win several awards and continue to resonate as one of the best games of the 6th generation.

Devil May Cry Premise

In Devil May Cry, players take on the role of the enigmatic demon hunter Dante. When a mysterious woman shows up at his office with a job and a test of his skill, Dante finds himself intrigued enough to hear her proposition. The woman, Trish, informs Dante that the demon emperor Mundus is planning to cross over into the world of humans, triggering armageddon in the process. Having spent his entire life hunting demons, Dante agrees to investigate and stop Mundus, arriving at the castle on Mallet Island to begin his adventure.

In terms of gameplay, Devil May Cry is a fast and fluid third-person action game with a heavy emphasis on stylish combat. Using a mix of both melee and ranged abilities, Dante can effortlessly switch between multiple targets on screen at a whim. The use of fighting game-style controls allows players to execute complex melee combos, move cancel, and juggle foes. The more players switch up their style in combat and avoid relying on the same combos over and over, the higher “style points” they receive. Each mission in Devil May Cry adheres to a ranking system, with mission complete time, style points, and deaths all factoring into the player’s rank.

Though players begin with a standard sword and set of twin pistols, there are several additional weapons and abilities players will acquire and upgrade while inside the castle on Mallet Island. Defeating enemies awards currency in the form of Red Orbs, which Dante can exchange for valuable upgrades that expand his weapons’ move sets and increase their damage output.

Devil May Cry Main Characters

At the center of Devil May Cry (both the original game and the franchise) is the hero Dante. An effortlessly cool and nonchalant demon hunter, Dante only cares about one thing — revenge. Following the deaths of his mother and brother at a young age, Dante swears to track down and kill the demons responsible, leading to a thriving career as one of the world’s expert demon hunters. Later, after he crosses paths with the mysterious Trish, Dante sets off on a journey that will change everything he thought he knew about his lineage. The main characters in Devil May Cry include:

• Dante: The hero of the series and player character, Dante is the world’s greatest demon hunter. Having spent his life in search of the demons responsible for his mother and brother’s demise, he agrees to track down and stop the demon emperor Mundus from crossing over into the human world.
• Trish: A mysterious woman bearing a striking resemblance to Dante’s mother, Trish initially attacks Dante to test out his abilities before pleading with him to stop Mundus. She later reveals herself to be a demon, but her affection for Dante causes her to betray her master.
• Nelo Angelo: A powerful demon who regularly confronts Dante throughout the game, Nelo Angelo wears a mysterious amulet, the other half of which is worn by Dante. Eventually, Nelo Angelo reveals himself to be none other than Dante’s brother, Virgil.
• Mundus: The demon emperor, Mundus is the main antagonist of the game and the final boss that players fight in Devil May Cry.

Games in the Devil May Cry Series

The over-the-top action and atmosphere of the original Devil May Cry would prove to be a huge hit with fans, making a sequel all but a guarantee. A second and third entry in the Devil May Cry franchise would soon follow on the PlayStation 2, with a 4th entry arriving years later on 7th-generation hardware. There are now 6 mainline games in the Devil May Cry series, positioning it as one of Capcom’s more important franchises. The most recent game in the series, Devil May Cry 5, is largely regarded as one of the greatest character action games of all time. Games in the Devil May Cry series include:

• Devil May Cry (PlayStation 2, 2001)
• Devil May Cry 2 (PlayStation 2, 2003)
• Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening (PlayStation 2, 2005)
• Devil May Cry 4 (PC, PS3, Xbox 360, 2008)
• DmC: Devil May Cry (PC, PS3, Xbox 360, 2013)
• Devil May Cry HD Collection (PC, PS4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, 2018)
• Devil May Cry 5 (PC, PS4/PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, 2019)

Devil May Cry Cheats & Secrets

While there aren’t any official “cheats” that players can input in Devil May Cry, there are plenty of unlockable secrets and bonus modes. Additionally, there are several helpful Game Shark codes available for anyone with a PS2 and a Game Shark device. Alternatively, players can enter Game Shark codes into an emulator’s cheat menu for use with Devil May Cry.

Devil May Cry Unlockables

Complete any of the following to unlock the corresponding reward:

Devil May Cry Secrets

Secret Mission Locations

There are secret missions players can access within certain normal missions of Devil May Cry. Each of the secret mission locations is below:

Mission 3: Fall back in the water where the skullheads were located.

Mission 3: You will start near the Judge of Death. Press X to get the secret mission.

Mission 3: After you get chased by the Phantom, at the end of the hall will be a door to the left. Enter it.

Mission 4: Return to the room with the power-up statue. You will encounter the spider in the hall, just escape to the nearest door, then head back out.

Mission 4: Go to the airplane room after defeating the panther, then take the elevator down.

Mission 7: Kill the enemies in the sewer hall, then go to the pipe room (where the key was located).

Mission 11: Go through the door at the start of the mission.

Mission 14: Check the skeleton of the boat from the previous mission.

Mission 15: Check the skull carving underground in the previous mission.

Mission 16: Defeat the blob boss, then go to the airplane room.

Mission 16: For a second secret mission, go to the Coliseum.

Mission 17: Go through the warp zone, then cross the broken bridge without falling.

Mission 21: Check the wall on the opposite side of the power-up statue.

Easily Defeat Mundus

Players can exploit Mundus’ boss arena to get an easy win. Fall into the lava that surrounds the arena. Dante will gradually lose health until he has 1 HP, but the lava will not kill him. From this point in the arena, Dante can still damage Mundus, but Mundus’ attacks cannot reach him.

Reload Cancel

Immediately moving after shooting with the Shotgun allows Dante to skip the reload animation. This reload cancel method allows for quick damage against weaker enemies.

Devil May Cry Game Shark Codes

Players with a PlayStation 2 and a Game Shark device can utilize any of the following codes for Devil May Cry. Alternatively, players using an emulator can enter any of the following codes into the emulator’s “Cheat” menu.

Devil May Cry Cheat FAQs

Does Devil May Cry have cheats?

There are no official cheats or cheat codes for Devil May Cry on PlayStation 2. That said, there are several bonuses players can unlock by completing in-game challenges. Further, several Game Shark codes for Devil May Cry make the game significantly easier.

How do you unlock Easy mode in Devil May Cry?

Devil May Cry has several different difficulty modes, but Easy mode is not available by default. Instead, players need to unlock the mode by dying and continuing during the first three missions of the game. If players die and continue at any point during missions 1-3, the game will prompt them to select Easy mode at the start of the next mission. Note that selecting Easy mode locks you into that mode until you complete the game.

What is the best weapon in Devil May Cry?

In terms of both how fun it is to use and pure power, it’s hard to beat Alastor as Devil May Cry‘s best weapon. Though players do eventually get a more powerful weapon in the Sword of Sparda, that particular blade is only available for a short time. Alastor is the second sword that Dante acquires in the game. At full power, Alastor has one of the best movesets and some of the highest damage potential, making it a hard-to-beat choice for Devil May Cry‘s best weapon.

How long to beat Devil May Cry?

A typical playthrough of Devil May Cry will usually run about 6-8 hours, depending on player skill and the need to replay sections of the game. For those hoping to 100% complete Devil May Cry and unlock everything, they can expect to spend about 15-20 hours.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©Devil May Cry key art.