DMC franchise's latest entry DMC5 sold 3.5 million copies worldwide within 1 year.

And recently, DMC5 just sold over 14 million copies worldwide.

Here's a source:

https://x.com/Genki_JPN/status/2082004753505214928

On the other hand, I heard NG4 (NG franchise's latest entry) didn't even sell a million copies worldwide within 1 year so far.

And if that's true, why? How is NG franchise not so popular nowadays compared to DMC franchise?

I gained a Platinum Trophy twice for DMC5. Once for its vanilla version on PS4 and once for its Special Edition on PS5.

As for NG4, I just finished playing the game. And its combat gameplay looks much more menacing than DMC5's combat gameplay imo. And I thought about gaining a Platinum Trophy for it too.

So I wanna ask, any ideas how is NG franchise not so popular compared to DMC franchise especially nowadays? Is there any reason for that? If so, I wanna know.

Apparently, some people are defending this by saying that it's just a music video and they won't use Gen AI in the game even for a bit. And I find that really baffling.

By the way, here's a link to Gen AI music video for BLOOD RAIN:

https://youtu.be/5Ncuote9ADo?si=qfFNuUC0iCkAO5sD

Here's a link to Gen AI music video for Stellar Blade: BLOOD RAIN:

https://youtu.be/5Ncuote9ADo?si=BDh4y9XoCqLenQWi

Devil May Cry 5 (1st Place):

Last time, DMC5 sold 12.9 million copies worldwide. But now that Capcom updated the sales figures of many of its titles, DMC5 has sold 14.24 million copies worldwide.

Here's a source that was shared by Genki on Twitter/X:

https://x.com/i/status/2082024701732565393

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God of War III (2nd Place):

According to VGChartz, GOWIII sold 7.6 million copies on PS3 and GOWIII: Remastered sold 5.621 million copies on PS4.

Which means GOWIII sold 13.221 million copies in total worldwide.

Here's a source:

https://www.vgchartz.com/gamedb/games.php?name=God+of+War+III

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NieR:Automata (3rd Place):

According to VGChartz, NieR:Automata sold 10 million copies worldwide.

Here's a source:

https://www.vgchartz.com/gamedb/games.php?name=NieR+Automata

The video is from "Moon Arkham". Here's a link:

https://youtu.be/bC8-EyZlvKk?si=DHm01c3bK_Zr7JZf

Despite not being a Hack & Slash game, God Hand has incredibly deep and customizable combo system.

Just like in Hack & Slash games, we can also build and execute strings of attacks in God Hand as well.

In fact, we can literally collect and slot in over 100 different combat techniques in God Hand.

DMC5 sales numbers:

DMC5 --> 12.94 million copies

PLUS

DMC5: Special Edition --> 1.7 million copies

EQUALS

DMC5 --> 14.64 million copies overall

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GOWIII sales numbers:

GOWIII --> 7.6 million copies

PLUS

GOWIII: Remastered --> 5.621 million copies

EQUALS

GOWIII --> 13.221 million copies overall

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So right now, DMC5 has become the best selling CAG of all time.

Whereas, GOWIII is now the second best selling CAG of all time behind DMC5.

And if there's any need for the correction to the sales numbers of these two CAGs, feel free to do so.

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By the way, I know there's 2018 GOW that sold 23.523 million copies.

But 2018 GOW doesn't count as a CAG.

I previously asked a question to this sub whether or not 2018 GOW is a CAG. 👇🏻

https://www.reddit.com/r/CharacterActionGames/s/w8lhIXrwwU

A lot of answers I got from this sub was "no."

And judging by a lot of answers from this sub, 2018 GOW is actually overall an "Action RPG" with "Cinematic Experiences".

So I guess we can say "Cinematic Action RPG".

But I think that's exactly what makes 2018 GOW really unique. 👍🏻

Greek-Era GOW combat:

Greek-Era GOW combat gameplay mechanics are aggressively high-speed, arcade-like combat. Which also has jumping, aerial juggling, and multiple magic abilities.

We can traditionally do multiple combos pretty easily in Greek-Era GOW games.

2018 GOW combat:

2018 GOW combat gameplay mechanics are heavily grounded and "over-the-shoulder" perspective. And it has no jumping or aerial combos at all. Also, the combat deliberately requires parrying, axe throws and combo attacks with Atreus (who uses his bow to attack).

We can't traditionally do multiple combos in 2018 GOW game. Yes, we can do multiple combos at some point, but hardly.

Marvel's Spider-Man games are basically action-adventure games. Sure, the combat is a major part in those games. But it's not exactly like CAGs (like DMC games and Greek Era GOW games and so on). Instead, their overall gameplay focuses on a fluid mix of fast-paced martial arts, web-shooters, gadgets and rhythmic dodging.

Combat Mechanics

• Combo-flow:

The fighting style is heavily inspired by Batman: Arkham series, emphasizing timing, counters, and crowd control rather than complex combo strings.

• Precision over button-mashing:

Combat is highly deliberate. You string together flying kicks, web strikes, and throws while managing multiple enemies at once.

• Overall Gameplay:

Beyond combat gameplay, a massive portion of the game is dedicated to traversal, utilizing new web-shooters and new web wings to navigate the open-world map of New York City. It also incorporates stealth segments, puzzle-solving and story driven exploration.

Defining CAGs

CAGs (Character Action Games) or "Hack and Slash" games or "Stylish Action" games are a subgenre of games that prioritizes fast-paced, real-time melee combat. They're primarily used for close-range weapons like swords, blades and axes to defeat large waves of enemies, often emphasizing high-scoring combos, character progression and looting.

Combos & Moves in CAGs

CAGs are played from third-person perspective and focus heavily on fluid, acrobatic martial arts and stylized combat, rewarding the players with "Ranks" based on how stylishly they defeat enemies.

For example:

Devil May Cry games, Greek Era God of War games, Ninja Gaiden games, Bayonetta games, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance and so on.

Here's a link to the new trailer of Stellar Blade: BLOOD RAIN just in case:

https://youtu.be/zhdh_LspRHk?si=5frvnielZayBJFkO