DMC: Devil May Cry Review (XBOX 360)
By: Damon Cooper
It’s been a long time since players were thrust into the demonic world
of Dante and the hordes he hacks and slashes his way through. But the silver
haired demon slayer is not the same face we remember. Taken up by a new studio,
with Capcom’s blessing, Ninja Theory has made sure Dante’s look is the biggest
source of controversy in this reboot of the DMC franchise. Does it still hold
the challenge and flair the franchise is known for? Yes and no. But DMC does
deliver on a fantastic ride through limbo that’s well worth giving it a chance.
A New DMC, A New Story
DMC: Devil May Cry is about Dante realizing his potential and bringing
down the Demon King, Mundus, the demon responsible for killing his Angel mother,
Eva, and imprisoning his Demon father, Sparda, for all eternity. After a much
more revealing and mature opening sequence, we find ourselves looking at a bare
bodied Dante as he is woken up by Kat, a newcomer to the franchise and member
of The Order. Dante has been living his life destroying demons that get in his
way and leaving a path of death and destruction behind him. Kat is there to
warn Dante of the demon hunting him and after an awesome fight through an
amusement park he is acquainted with The Order and its leader, Virgil. Virgil
reveals the Order has been combating the influence of the Demon King, Mundus,
who has the world controlled through media and debt. He also tells Dante that
is a Nephilim, the offspring of an angel and demon. Those who know the
franchise have a solid idea of what’s coming but for those who don’t, I won’t
spoil anything further except that there is so much commentary on the world we
live in that players won’t help but chuckle at some of the correlations between
our media and the game’s.
Players will spend the majority of the game in Limbo, a twisted view of
the world occupied by the demons that run rampant. In Limbo corridors extend,
walls twist and subliminal messages are revealed on billboards and signs. It’s
here that the game really shines with some of the most fun levels I’ve ever
played in a DMC title. Corrupted city streets, an insane trek through a soda
factory, an electro pop nightclub gone haywire and probably the biggest slap in
the face to the Fox News network ever. DMC delivers on great arenas that are a
lot of fun to traverse.
Ninja Theory put a lot of time and effort into making sure this was a
more story driven experience than in past DMC’s. Their experience in motion
capture and storytelling is a testament to their skill as developers and this
is a much more intimate look at Dante. I found the new Dante to be just as
funny as ever but not quite the stylish cocky one we remember. His punkish
flair is the driving force behind his brash behavior and nonchalant attitude
after the world is revealed to be in control by Mundus. With a soundtrack
deserving of a DMC title and great voice acting combined with awesome motion
capture and storytelling, this is shaping up to be a great reboot of the
franchise.
Destroy All Demons
We all know the reason for picking up DMC is for the combat. While most
can bitch and moan about the aesthetic differences between the new Dante and
what they remember, those who are smart enough to appreciate a good game will
look past that and remember it’s all about the gameplay! And I’m very pleased
to tell you that DMC delivers in a big way.
Given the Rebellion by his father, Sparda, Dante dispenses pain in
great style and this will be the weapon of choice when dealing with most of the
demon hordes. With a total of five melee weapons and three firearms to acquire
throughout the game, players have a huge arsenal at their disposal to dispose
of the demons that flood their path. Combos are easy to rack up and switching
between weapons is as simple as hitting the d-pad. New to the series are the
angelic and demonic weapons that Dante is imbued with. Holding down the right
trigger will turn the beloved Rebellion into the Arbiter, a demonic axe with
great power but slow swings. Holding down the left trigger will turn Rebellion
into the Osiris, an angelic scythe that is weak but fast and great for dealing
with groups of demons. In later levels and difficulties players will have to
use the demonic weapons and angelic weapons to destroy certain enemy types that
are only hurt with a specific type of weapon. This can become a burden and
disrupt to overall flow of combat from being a breeze of destruction, to a stop
and hit strategic takedown.
Those familiar with the series know that along with decimating demons
with flair is the precursor to growing the style meter. The coveted SSS ranking
is still the draw to the combat but is much easier to pull off. Where a player
had to constantly keep up with a dropping style counter by switching up the
weapons and combos, this meter will not drop a rank unless hit with some type
of damage, thus making the all important SSS much easier to get this time
around. It should be stated that simply button mashing will not raise the style
counter nearly as fast as utilizing the entire arsenal at Dante’s disposal. Also
aiding in combat is a style points name and point total for the different moves
the player pulls off. I found the firearms to be all but useless in this outing
except for juggling and the occasional break of an enemy’s defense.
I don’t consider this a letdown, but the boss fights were the obvious
wait and counter affair. Though, they were extremely fun fights and awesome to
look at. A fight with a demonic news anchor that’s a cross between Lawnmower
Man and the Matrix will be the highlight to most. Overall the combat in this
new DMC is extremely fun and easy to pull off, delivering a very frenetic
brawler.
Those looking for a challenge should start the game on its hardest
available difficulty right out of the gate. Although this was a fantastic
experience, its difficulty was not something I found to be over the top. I
completed the normal, Demon Hunter, difficulty in about seven hours with no
deaths and I’m an experienced DMC player.
A Game Worth Playing
DMC: Devil May Cry may not be the best in the series but it definitely
ranks up there with the best action games on the market. This is a game
deserving of a buy and I highly recommend it to anyone that is a fan of combo
driven brawlers. With great replay value with seven, yes seven, different
difficulties and collectables to find, there is no reason not to play through
the game at least three times. I give DMC: Devil May Cry a 9/10.
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