This generation of consoles may be nearing its end, but games
like DmC: Devil May Cry show there's plenty of life
left in them yet.
DmC: Devil May Cry
For: PS3, Xbox 360, PC
From: Capcom/Ninja Theory
The Devil May Cry series made its debut on PlayStation
2 way back in 2001, and has since spawned sequels of varying
quality and popularity. Capcom (wisely) decided that the
series needed a reboot and entrusted the series to Ninja
Theory, the studio responsible for Heavenly Sword and
Enslaved. This enraged some of the purist fans, but it
provides a clean slate for gamers who had never played the
series before. Like me.
The first thing that will strike you in this game is how good
it looks. I don't think I've ever seen a more stylish game,
both in terms of the quality of the graphics (which are
amazing) and the fluidity of the combat.
Combat is your typical hack and slash affair, with one button
controlling your sword, another for your guns (Ebony and
Ivory), and as you progress you get a few more variants of
weapons to slay the demon horde. The heavy metal soundtrack
that accompanies the fights is also a nice touch.
The whole experience is buttery smooth, and while you're
hacking your way through the enemies the entire world you're
in warps and mutates. Words cannot describe just how good the
level design is, and how the levels evolve. It's a feast for
the eyes.
The story takes place in both the real world, and in
Limbo. Limbo is the place where Dante is transferred each time
the demon king finds him, and is then able to launch his demon
minions to attack.
Dante's main quest is to hunt down and kill the Demon King,
who killed his family and controls the human population with
a soft drink called Virility.
I'm not sure whether this is meant to be some sort of clever
jab at today's society or whether it's just strange. Based
off Capcom's past track record ... I'm going to go with
strange. One thing tends to go hand in hand with hack and
slash games, and that is difficulty.
Devil May Cry 3 is notorious for being tremendously
difficult (so much so, that they released another version of
the game that was easier).
This time around it's not too bad, but no regenerating health
and very liberal health pickups can make some battles very
challenging if you haven't mastered the art of dodging and
parrying attacks.
Having said that, if you've played through the God of
War series, you shouldn't have too many problems here.
Ultimately, DmC: Devil May Cry will suit gamers who
prefer all out action to a coherent plot.
If you're expecting a deep, thought provoking experience you
may want to look elsewhere. However, those that like their
games with minimal plot and maximum slash hack and slash ...
acquire immediately.
-Simon Bishop
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