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| Devil May Cry | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Playstation 2 - Capcom - Action - M - 1 Player | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Any self-respecting gamer should notice DMC's classically inspired origins right off the bat. The game feels like an enhanced old school 2D classic on steroids and in 3D, rather than the sluggish Resident Evil series some people have compared it to. Gone is the RC car-like control scheme. Here you press down, you move down. There are small survival horror elements in Devil May Cry, but the gameplay is completely unprecedented. Consider DMC as the evolution of nearly every element Capcom is known for both today and in the past. Simply put, Devil May Cry is the epitome of the action genre. Feel free to read that again, because I think it bears repeating.
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| You enter the fray as the self proclaimed badass, sword wielding, half demon Dante. Hideki Kamiya's vision of creating a game based on how utterly cool you should feel pulling off these ridiculously stylish moves really shines. But it doesn't end there, not by a long shot. Included are pseudo-RPG elements like a money system (red orbs), item & skill purchasing, and character growth. The hectic swordplay is more than enough to hold its own, but Capcom throws firearms into the mix, which leads to some very impressive combos. You can uppercut an enemy into the air and literally keep it afloat by pulverizing it with a barrage of dual handgun fire. It's really quite breathtaking. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Most breathtaking of all, however, may be the environment itself-beautiful cathedrals, demonic spires jutting up from the floor--this game has got atmosphere in spades. One notable example is first stepping outside, with the menacing castle lurking behind, as the camera twists and turns, following Dante as he sprints down the ominous bridge soon to be shattered into dozens of gravity defying sections. Visually, there is so much detail put into the game it borders on ridiculousness. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| The flow of the game is divided into missions, but in actuality the game is completely open ended, and you are free to traverse the enormous environment at will. On your first run through, you will probably spend more time exploring, enveloped in a never-ending quest for more red orbs, and searching for hidden items and secret missions. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| The plot presents its head when necessary, placing more emphasis on the game being more of a full-fledged action game than survival horror. Despite this, DMC still manages to create a dark and intriguing world, building to a suitably dramatic climax. Towards the end there's a nervousness and anxiety that forces itself into what used to be an "I'm kicking everyone's ass with ease" confidence level. The problem is, all this momentum dissipates once the game has peaked and it all spirals downhill into an unexpected emotional counterpoint. Overall, the story isn't as good as it should have been, but you won't be playing this game for plot, the gameplay more than makes up for it. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| DMC sports an artistic camera system that combines fixed shots, panning, and zooming that captures the feeling of playing an anime as opposed to a video game. This adds to the onscreen mayhem, but unfortunately may confuse the player when the camera abruptly changes directions or when the screen gets really crowded. For instance, the gigantic bosses have a bad habit of getting between you and the camera. This is definitely a pretty glaring flaw, though I think a more traditional camera system would have toned down the intensity of the action. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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There are a decent amount of extras to keep you going, like two unlockable characters, three additional unlockable difficulty settings (Dante Must Die Mode will probably be the most harrowing gameplay experience of your life), and a reasonable amount of hidden items and secret missions. Even without the expected additions, it will be the gameplay that keeps you coming back for more, it's that good.
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