As a long time fan of the Devil May Cry series, I was shocked on Capcom's decision to abandon the original Dante model in favor of a more "Western" character. I dreaded the release of this game for a while, for fear it would ruin the entire series because of Ninja Theory's involvement in the new game.
Never have I been so wrong. The result, is a high octane hack 'n' slash F-bomb ridden masterpiece, under the title DmC: Devil May Cry.
You play as a different, much younger version of Dante, who, unaware of his true powers as a Nephilim (half demon, half angel), spends his days drinking, canoodling with the women, or in this case, being hunted by an alternate twisted parody of the city, known as Limbo, a demon filled hell which hunts and tries to kill Dante in various ways. Armed with Rebellion and Ebony & Ivory, the trademark weapons of our hero as well as a few other surprises, Dante can obliterate demons in countless ways, using button combinations. A word of warning: this is no button masher. Some enemies can only be taken out with Demon weapons while others are shielded and require heavier weapons. Some weapons are more effective than others in terms of location, enemy types, etc.
Demons aren't the only thing Dante has to worry about though. The world of Limbo is alive, and is constantly after Dante, by means of warping the scenery, or creating chaos, in real time. Platforming elements are also a chaotic experience, with the Angel Grab and Demon Grab mixing things up to provide a high octane experience never seen in the series.
The demon "Mundus" makes a return, operating as Kyle Ryder, the ruler of both humans and demons, who uses his demonic powers and CCTV cameras to monitor the city and interrogate Dante on his ventures. Vergil is also back as Dante's twin brother, and leader of The Order, a group of activists against Mundus and his demonic universe. Kat, a psychic medium, who has the power to see Limbo is also introduced in the series.
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| Long live Dante! |
Make no mistake, this game is fantastic. There's some great dialogue, some very intense scenes and some very impressive visuals. Ninja Theory have done justice with its advanced motion capturing, giving realism to the characters. Collectibles like 'keys' and 'lost souls' spice things up even further, allowing some classic exploration stripped from the Devil May Cry DNA. Rather than emphasizing backtracking, DmC focuses on progression. It's all action, all the time. White Orbs earn you upgrade points, while Red Orbs allow the purchase of items. Dante can do tons of stuff simultaneously, giving power to the player. Weapons can be hot switched at any time, allowing for some SSSTYLISH stuff. A on display point system has been introduced to the series to show player how they're beating the shit out of the enemies, and how stylish they are in terms of ass-kicking. The in-game music provided by electronic group NOISIA and industrial group COMBICHRIST makes a treat, especially during the "RUN LIKE SHIT" scenes in Mission 1, (which are aplenty in this game.) The boss fights are entertaining and sometimes funny, as seen with the Succubus' foul mouthed insults, which definitely make a welcome addition to the series.
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| Like platformers? You'll LOVE this level. |
There are some minor gripes, mainly to do with graphical issues. I'm not talking about the 30fps controversy, because it never affected the enjoyment of this game in any way. I'm on about the cut-scenes which although entertaining, suffer texture loss and even turning some elements into a giant pixelated mess. The difficulty of the bosses is also an issue, where they lack in strength and attacks, even on the highest level of difficulty. Purchasing items can be a challenge, when there is only a couple of orbs lying around each level, leaving the player empty handed with no items to use, and forcing them to collect orbs in previous missions over and over again.
This is a welcome addition to the Devil May Cry series, even with its drastic modifications. The gameplay is fun, the music is fantastic, and the visuals are staggeringly beautiful. Ninja Theory have really pulled it off with Dante's re imagining, contrary to earlier views back in 2010. Watch out for some easter-eggs as a homage to the series, including trophies with quotes from previous DMC games.
JACKPOT.
JUDGEMENT:
Good Bits
Hours of gameplay
Impressive story
Fun platforming action
Motion capturing is top notch
Some fantastic music
Bad Bits
Bosses are too easy
Cutscenes can get graphically messy
Verdict:
9/10