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As an existing fan of the Bayonetta series, it was interesting to delve further back with the Devil May Cry HD Collection. This collection has made me interested in playing more from the series. Given this contains three games, I'll provide a general impression per title:
Devil May Cry
The one to start 'em all—and it feels like it. What's fun is you can tell this is a would-be Resident Evil 4 by its atmosphere and puzzles. Once I had control of Dante, what stood out most to me is the dynamic camera. This would go on to be a fixture of the collection and something to get used to, in particular when you're fighting enemies on the boundary of two angles; it can become disorienting. You may find yourself fighting the controls initially. I forced myself to play on Easy for my first time so I could defeat a boss. Characters' dialogue is cheesy, but in a fun way. There's one line toward the end I'm still thinking about. I'd be willing to replay it one day. As far as I know, this entry does not have the option to select specific missions; it's the whole game, then the whole game again. Something this has that I wish the other two did: It shows your exact position while looking at the map. The others simply tell you your general area.
Devil May Cry 2
I knew nothing about this entry than it's "bad," according to fans. Right away, Dante's controls feel positively iterative; for example, he has a dedicated dodge button and a tad more mobility. Mission Select is available. A word of warning: I came into a bug which makes Dante run while pressing the stick in cardinal directions and walk in ordinal directions. To fix this, I adjusted the advanced settings of my left stick via controller overlay; I swapped the stick response curve from "linear" to "aggressive." This makes menus a bit sensitive, so you might use the D-pad for those. Be sure to change it back for the next game. With regard for its reputation, I thought it would be worse than it is, but I also see it's not been mislabeled. The game is less challenging overall, and Dante's character writing differs from the first game. I played both routes and although they're similar, I strangely preferred the other?
Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening
THIS is what I call a step up. It's no surprise DMC3 is a favorite among fans. Its combat is the best and most robust of the collection, the story the most compelling, and the presentation is over-the-top stylish in a way you might recognize if you've played Bayonetta. It is a stark contrast with the second game how much more challenging it is. Some bosses took me a few tries! If you're likewise a series newcomer, it may be tempting to skip to this title. However, if you have any intention to play the others, just play them in order and appreciate what changes come along the way. The first two are short enough you could probably finish them same-day.
TL;DR - This collection made me put DMC4 and DMC5 in my library.