The Devil Trigger ability enables Dante and Lucia to transform into a demon form. Dante and Lucia can also purchase items, which allow them to restore their damaged health or even instantly revive should they be killed by an enemy's attack. These Red Orbs are "the blood of demons" enemies drop them when they are defeated. Red Orbs are used to acquire new combat powers and abilities for the characters. Gameplay involves the player examining their surroundings to find items and orbs. The game also features puzzle-solving and exploration elements. Another new feature is a weapon-change button, which allows the player to cycle through ranged weapons without switching to the inventory screen.
New to the series is an evasion button, which allows Dante or Lucia to roll, dodge enemy attacks, or run along walls. The game's controls convert short sequences of button presses into complex on-screen actions. If the character takes damage, the style rating falls back to "Don't Worry". This ranges from "Don't Worry", progressing to "Come On!", "Bingo", "Are You Ready?" and peaking at "Showtime". The rating the player gains for style is improved by hitting enemies continuously while avoiding damage. Ĭombat itself is based on the "style" the player demonstrates during a fight. In contrast to the rest of the gameplay, the style judging system used in the game has been cited as being the harshest in terms of how it judges the player's performance.
The player's performance in each mission is ranked from D (poor/"Don't Worry") to S (excellent/"Showtime") based on the time taken to complete the mission, the amount of Red Orbs collected, the overall "style" displayed during fights, item usage, and damage taken. The game consists of missions with specific goals in the play area of the game itself. In Devil May Cry 2, the player guides either Dante or Lucia through an urban environment, fighting groups of monsters in fast-paced combat. In-game screenshot showing Dante swinging his sword, Rebellion, towards a Goatling.