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Notes -
If there's a good chance you'll never get to all of them, I'd recommend just skipping DmC altogether. Again, not a terrible game, but it's such a huge step down compared to the actual DMC games that it's not even in the same class. And the gameplay is so different that it'll just feel like going to a whole different game rather than an upgrade.
Otoh, DMC1 and 3 have very similar combat systems, but 3 is clearly superior to 1's, so you might want to play 1 before 3, to feel the improvement. 4 and 5 are also upgrades in gameplay compared to 3, but not by nearly as much as from 1 to 3.
And yes, DMC games are far more fun than God of War games. I will forever have bitterness towards David Jaffe for creating GOW that not only overahadowed DMC and Ninja Gaiden, but also helped to popularize quick-time-events in mainstream AAA games. Having flashing icons of the button you need to press above the enemy's head in order to pull off special moves doesn't make it more fun or immersive, it just reminds me that I'm playing a video game, not beating up minotaurs! DMC4 and Ninja Gaiden 2 both implemented similar systems far better without having to have flashing icons, but rather by integrating them seamlessly into the core gameplay controls.
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