Devil's Lair - Devil May Cry (2024)

#1 - Critical Hit

Objective: Aim for its weak point and defeat it with one single shot.

Where to find: Go back to the bridge and jump into the water AFTER killing Phantom. Only available at the end of Mission 3.

Strategy: A lot of first timers struggle with this secret mission, but once you know how to critical hit a Sin Scissors, it isn't very difficult. Run to the colourful disc to trigger the descent of the Sin, hold R1 to target, and wait. Once the Sin has descended, wait for it to open its scissors horizontally, then - in non-DT mode - slash once at the inside of the scissors. This will stun it. Quickly run straight ahead and swivel clockwise, or run diagonally left (from Dante's POV), and shoot once at the Sin's face.

If done correctly, the Sin will instantly shatter and a few small red orbs will appear before the larger red orbs. You can use any gun (E&I, shotgun, grenade gun) and you can keep on trying for as many times as you like. It doesn't matter if you damage the Sin, only the final hit needs to be a critical one. On DMD mode, the Sin will DT, but you can still get a critical hit in exactly the same way. Careful not to exit before collecting the blue orb piece!

#2 - Phantom Baby

Objective: Defeat 100 Phantom Babies within the time limit.

Where to find: Go back into the cathedral at the very beginning of Mission 4.

Strategy: Equip E&I. Start mission. There will be four bunches of spiders in each corner of the cathedral. As soon as you enter, take a step forwards, then do a single sword slash - this should destroy 35+ spiders in one go. Shoot at the remainder, then run to the opposite corner. By now the spiders will be spreading out, so it isn't worth slashing at them. Instead, just shoot until the majority in the corner have been cleared, and then run up the aisle to the altar end and keep shooting until you have reached 100. For greater speed, you can DT. Taunt any leftover stragglers to regain DT.

#3 - Phantom Baby II

Objective: Defeat 100 Phantom Babies within the time limit without using any weapons.

Where to find: After completing SM02, go to the end of the corridor and enter the small study

Strategy: Start mission, and run around in circles. You cannot use anything except your feet this time, so NO guns. DT to make this mission much easier. Again, you can taunt any leftover stragglers to regain DT.

#4 - The Three Beasts

Objective: Fight the shadow. You only have one chance.

Where to find: AFTER defeating the enemy in the fountain room, go down to the basem*nt underneath the biplane room. Available in Mission 4 only.

Note: This is the only secret mission in the game which is a one-try event only. If you try and fail, the secret mission will no longer be there. Worse, if you save after failing, your failed status will also be saved. If you reload the game, the secret mission will NOT be there - the only way to make it accessible again is to wait until the next playthrough. In short, if you fail, do not save. Reload the game and try again. Yes, it is a pain...

Strategy: This will be VERY hard if you're a first timer to the game. Equip E&I. Buy Stinger Lvl 1. There are basically two approaches you can take. One is to roll, jump, and run like crazy the entire time, shooting at a single Shadow until it exposes its core. Once it does so, use DTed Stingers to turn it red. Rinse and repeat with the remaining two Shadows. The second is to get critical hits. (It's a good idea to practice with the solo Shadow in the fountain room first!) To critical hit (CH) a Shadow, hold R1 and walk around in front of it until it stops and its face starts to go "globby" - a second or two later jump straight up. If timed right, you'll land on the horizontal spike the Shadow shoots out underneath you. Start shooting E&I like crazy (no need to DT). If enough bullets go in, you'll turn the Shadow red whilst standing on the spike.

The advantage of a CH strategy is that it's generally safer, as, if you're not riling the Shadows by shooting at them, they will resort to doing only their two long-ranged attacks: the horizontal spike and the one where they jump into the air and hurl themselves at you (roll or run and jump to evade). Another advantage is you gain far more red orbs for a CH kill - 300 as opposed to the usual 50.

At the beginning of the mission, you can CH one of the Shadows before it even has time to leave the alcove. Run forwards, then veer left (from the player's POV). Disregard the jarring camera angle change which will occur. In the alcove, 95% of the time you will see the Shadow preparing its horizontal spike attack. Jump straight up and turn it red then and there. For the remaining two Shadows, walk around the arena, R1 held down, and wait for the NEAREST Shadow to prepare its spike attack - if you jump on the spike of the furthest away Shadow, you'll only target the nearer one instead.

Air Hike is the easiest way to evade red Shadows, but you'll be very unlikely to have it this early on in the game (unless you orb-farmed Phantom... >_>). Instead, try jumping OVER the red Shadow as it lunges towards you (trust me, it works), jumping and firing E&I to suspend yourself in mid-air above the lunging Shadow, or doing wall-jumps. Any one of those is better than just trying to jump away from the Shadow.

As a final note, Hard mode Shadows can still be CHed (though it will sometimes take several standings on their spikes to do so), but DMD Shadows are resistent to critical hits. You can use the CH technique to greatly weaken them on DMD mode, though, and, indeed, against DTed Shadows, it's highly recommended you do so.

#5 - One Eyed Evil

Objective: Lure the Kyclops into their mutural death.

Where to find: The room where you picked up the (gleaming) rusty key in Mission 6, but doesn't become available until Mission 7. You MUST pick up the blue orb piece in the nearby alcove first (turn right at the very beginning of Mission 6), otherwise SM05 will not be there. I recommend doing this mission in the intermission between Mission 7-8, where you won't have Dante's draining health to worry about.

Strategy: Keep jumping in and out between the two Kyklops to bait them into spewing rocks at each other. Try to linger for *just* long enough to make sure that the rock attack hits the other Kyklop, as, if you jump away immediately, the Kyklop will turn away from its mate to track your position instead. DT whenever you have it. Don't use guns or melee attacks of any kind, as you will automatically fail. Try to stick to the corner with the blue door, as that way you can see both Kyklops. If one or both of them go on a jumping spree, run and jump until it's over (Air Hike is a big help here), then get back to baiting them into spewing rocks at each other again. As soon as one Kyklop has died, collect the blue orb and exit.

#6 - Wandering Ghosts

Objective: Acquire the Blue Orb that's floating in the air.

Where to find: Mission 11 only. Any time before fighting Nelo Angelo 2, go back into the area you fought the Kyklops in.

Strategy: Use the Sin Scissors as "stepping stones" to jump up towards the blue orb in the sky. An easy way if you have Air Hike is to wait at the beginning of the mission until the Sins start appearing at the top of the screen, Air Hike straight up, then jump forwards to collect the blue orb.

#7 - Water Cell

Objective: Eliminate all the enemies and escape from the confinement.

Where to find: This mission is only available in the intermission between Mission 13-14. Once you've completed Mission 13, examine the captain inside the ghost ship.

Strategy: Swim around, shooting. If the Blades overwhelm you, you can keep swimming upwards - after a certain point, they won't pursue you. On the plus side, they can't hit you, but on the down side, you can't hit them. There's an easier way than that through this mission, however. Hold the controller in such a way that you can hold down R1, Triangle, and X or [] simultaneously. This enables you to swim and shoot at the same time. At the very beginning, keep on swimming and shooting backwards until you've put a large distance between yourselves and the Blades. Without letting go of any buttons, keep strafing left and right. With this technique, you can clear this mission damage-less. (Not that damage counts towards ranking in an intermission, but even so... >_>)

#8 -Treasure Of The Reaper

Objective: Defeat all the enemies.

Where to find: At the beginning of Mission 15 (or you can pick up the Nightmare-Beta first if you want), go back to the spike trap area from Mission 14 and examine the picture of the skeleton

Strategy: For how to actually FIGHT Shadows, refer to the notes for SM04. In the meantime, SM08 opens with an extremely cheap lunge from a Shadow, which is only *just* evadeable. When the Shadow emerges from the picture during the cutscene, hold R1 + the analogue stick to the right or left, then keep tapping Triangle as fast as possible - this should ensure you roll out of the Shadow's way when the cutscene ends.

There are three Shadows in total, but you start off with only one. If you're fast enough, you can kill each Shadow before the next one appears. Otherwise, if you're too slow, you'll have to deal with two, or even three, Shadows simultaneously. The critical hit strategy works well, otherwise use DTed E&I to open up the core as fast as possible. DTed Nightmare-Beta shots work well in cramped areas, too.

#9 - Stairway Of Tranquality

Objective: Acquire the Blue Orb at the end of the stairway of death.

Where to find: Mission 16. Exit the coliseum, then re-enter it.

Strategy: After the brief cutscene ends, don't try to change Dante's position as he is already in the ideal spot. Instead, run forwards, then keep jumping up the line of Sargassoes. When you reach the last Sargasso, jump straight up to nab the blue orb. In Normal mode, the Sargassoes won't move from their positions, but in Hard/DMD mode, they will circle around. Air Hike makes this mission easier. Otherwise, just keep on trying until you get it.

#10 - Shadow Of Darkness

Objective: Hunt down all the Shadows.

Where to find: Mission 16, biplane room, AFTER you've defeated Nightmare. Only available in Mission 16.

Strategy: For how to actually FIGHT Shadows, see notes for SM04. In the biplane room, there are two inactive Shadows on the biplane wing. Awaken one of the Shadows by jumping straight up and firing a single E&I shot *only* - if that doesn't work, fire again. Defeat the Shadow in any way which suits you, then awaken the second Shadow and defeat that one too - if you like, you can jump up onto the biplane to evade the second Shadow after it has been turned red. Do NOT, whatever you do, exit via the red door. If you do, you will fail the mission and have to clear the biplane room again. Instead, exit via the BLUE door into the main hall. The third Shadow is in the alcove, so jump up into the alcove and awaken it with gunfire.

You can get a critical hit while you're in the alcove, or you can make the Shadow follow you down onto the ground and fight it from there. The fourth Shadow is in the foyer, so go through the RED door this time. Try DTing, then walking forwards, firing E&I non-stop. If your guns start to point upwards, evade! If they don't, you should expose the Shadow's core then and there. Once the fourth Shadow has gone "kaboom", make your way back to the corridor to clear the mission.

#11 - Blue Gem In The Sky

Objective: Acquire the Blue Orb that's located high in the sky.

Where to find: At the beginning of Mission 17, go back through the portal. Vortex or Air Raid to the other side of the broken bridge to trigger the secret mission.

Strategy: Defeat the Death Scythe first of all, then wait for DT to refill. Kick-jump to the top of the arch above the door. Next, wall-jump or Air-Hike straight up, then quickly, at the height of your jump, press L1 to DT then R1 to activate flight mode. Now either Vortex or glide over to the blue orb high above the broken bridge pieces. Continue to the other side, drop down, and exit via the left hand painting to clear the mission.

#12 - Hidden Bangle

Objective: Find the hidden bangle that resides in the secret corridor.

Where to find: At the beginning of Mission 21, go counter-clockwise round the room until you come to the divinity statue - examine the wall panel opposite it.

Strategy: Keep running forwards until you come to the first fork - it doesn't matter whether you go left or right, as both paths lead into the same cave. Defeat the Nobody. Pick up the blue orb, which is a WHOLE orb this time, not just one quarter of a whole. Keep moving forwards. As long as the camera is *behind* Dante, you can't get lost - if you start running towards the camera, you're going back on yourself. You'll fight two more Nobodies along the way before finally reaching a cavernous room with a fire-breathing skeleton. There's a red orb vase you can smash, if you like. To get through the next part, there's a short way and a long way. I'll describe the long way first of all.

Use the platforms on the right to jump up to the top, then defeat the skeleton with melee attacks (guns won't work). Sword slashes or uncharged PPKK combos will do. Once the skeleton is defeated, 2-4 Frosts (depending on difficulty mode - you'll get two on Normal, more on Hard/DMD) will appear. Jump down and defeat them with Inferno, Auto-Combos, etc. Once the Frosts are defeated, three moving eye platforms will materialize. Once again, jump up to the top, then go to the left hand side to jump up the platforms on the left. Hop onto the first moving eye platform, then, at the top, hop onto the second one (the third one is unnecessary, by the way). From the second platform, jump onto the ledge, then jump onto the ledge in front of that one - finally, you've reached the Bangle of Time! Pick it up to clear the mission.

Now for the shortcut. Jump straight up to where the first moving eye platform would be, ignoring the skeleton. Stand next to the wall, DT, wall-jump up, then, at the height of your jump, quickly press R1. Glide right along the wall until you reach another ledge - on the end of the ledge, there is a dent in the middle of it. Make your way to that dent, then press L1 to de-DT - Dante should automatically grab hold of the edge to haul himself up. Go to the other side of the ledge, wall-jump or Air Hike up, DT, then continue to fly right until you come to the ledge with the Bangle of Time - drop down and pick it up! The shortcut is pretty easy to do - the only part which may require a little bit of practice is in grabbing hold of the edge of the ledge to haul yourself up.