DmC: Devil May Cry
-Ben
I was never a Devil May Cry fan.
[GASP]
I don’t know. It was just the whole white-haired-yet-still-in-his-twenties protagonist thing. Plus, by the time I first heard of the game, we were on Devil May Cry 4. Even within the universe chronology, it doesn’t come first. So I sat around and forgot about the franchise, as I’m sure many gamers did when the series disappeared for about three years. Then something (depending on your perspective) dreadful happened.
The “R” word.
Reboot.
[GASP]
I don’t know. It was just the whole white-haired-yet-still-in-his-twenties protagonist thing. Plus, by the time I first heard of the game, we were on Devil May Cry 4. Even within the universe chronology, it doesn’t come first. So I sat around and forgot about the franchise, as I’m sure many gamers did when the series disappeared for about three years. Then something (depending on your perspective) dreadful happened.
The “R” word.
Reboot.
Yes, Dante (the series’ protagonist) re-emerged sometime in 2011. There was something different about him, though. First, the white hair was gone. He also looked incredibly young. If the picture hadn’t been labeled with his name and the game he was related to, I wouldn’t have known who he was. Not long after that, the reboot of the franchise, DmC: Devil May Cry, was announced. Being developed by a different studio than the original, the project had a
fresh approach all around. Needless to say, many hardcore fans of the series weren’t too happy with Dante’s new look, nor the new direction Capcom chose for the series. I have one thing to say to them:
Get over it!
DmC is one of the best games of the year. If I hadn’t proclaimed BioShock Infinite as the winner of that title, this one would get it for sure. To start,
the game’s existence in and of itself is a triumph. Ninja Theory (the new developer) held steadfast against the storm of backlash that was the fans of the original (and gamers in general) doing their usual complaining and whining. My hat’s off to them for not diverting from their vision. Now to the game itself.
The story of DmC has no in-universe relation to the originals and starts anew with Dante, a hybrid of angel and demon, being recruited by a mysterious “terrorist”organization called The Order. This group wages war against the demons of Limbo and is led by an equally mysterious masked man. That’s about as far as I’ll go with the story because I don’t want to spoil any moments for you; I’m confident in saying that it’s one of the most unique and engrossing storiesof the past two years.
fresh approach all around. Needless to say, many hardcore fans of the series weren’t too happy with Dante’s new look, nor the new direction Capcom chose for the series. I have one thing to say to them:
Get over it!
DmC is one of the best games of the year. If I hadn’t proclaimed BioShock Infinite as the winner of that title, this one would get it for sure. To start,
the game’s existence in and of itself is a triumph. Ninja Theory (the new developer) held steadfast against the storm of backlash that was the fans of the original (and gamers in general) doing their usual complaining and whining. My hat’s off to them for not diverting from their vision. Now to the game itself.
The story of DmC has no in-universe relation to the originals and starts anew with Dante, a hybrid of angel and demon, being recruited by a mysterious “terrorist”organization called The Order. This group wages war against the demons of Limbo and is led by an equally mysterious masked man. That’s about as far as I’ll go with the story because I don’t want to spoil any moments for you; I’m confident in saying that it’s one of the most unique and engrossing storiesof the past two years.
The real star of this portion of the game, however, is Dante himself. Depicted as a disenfranchised kid who hunts demons and bangs chicks, he is not
your typical hero. Nevertheless, I would say I enjoyed my time with Dante more than I enjoyed plowing through Requiem as Master Chief last November. He’s dangerous and smart, but could also be charming, lighthearted and funny. He’s also one of the few characters that I actually see evolve throughout the game; not only his powers, but his soul as well. Voice acting was top-notch and actor Tim Phillipps was perfectly cast as the dark hero.
That’s not all; the combat was the most addicting combat I’ve played the last few years. I forgot how fun hack-and-slash was, but DmC’s brand of it was
truly astonishing. Using Dante’s Rebellion (sword), Arbiter (battleaxe), Osiris (scythe), Eryx (gauntlets), Aquila (shurikens) and Ophion (grappling hook), the game let you develop your own unique fighting style. I favored the whole Scorpion approach, bringing the enemies over to me with Ophion then hacking them to bits with Rebellion. Even the boss fights were fun. Plus, one of the demonic bosses cursed in her demented, witch-like voice. Hearing a female demonic thing yell “F**k you!” at me was one of the funniest things I’ve ever heard. Don’t ask me why, ‘cuz I don’t know.
Other than your slashing tools, Dante also had Ebony & Ivory (his two pistols), a shotgun called Revenant and a rocket launcher-pistol hybrid called
Kablooey. Yes, it was actually called Kablooey. I can’t say I used the guns that much, though. There were some enemies where you were required to use the
guns or get pulverized, but that was about it. The only other time I would is when I would hit X to slash someone, only to remember that X shoots the gun (Y is the slashing).
your typical hero. Nevertheless, I would say I enjoyed my time with Dante more than I enjoyed plowing through Requiem as Master Chief last November. He’s dangerous and smart, but could also be charming, lighthearted and funny. He’s also one of the few characters that I actually see evolve throughout the game; not only his powers, but his soul as well. Voice acting was top-notch and actor Tim Phillipps was perfectly cast as the dark hero.
That’s not all; the combat was the most addicting combat I’ve played the last few years. I forgot how fun hack-and-slash was, but DmC’s brand of it was
truly astonishing. Using Dante’s Rebellion (sword), Arbiter (battleaxe), Osiris (scythe), Eryx (gauntlets), Aquila (shurikens) and Ophion (grappling hook), the game let you develop your own unique fighting style. I favored the whole Scorpion approach, bringing the enemies over to me with Ophion then hacking them to bits with Rebellion. Even the boss fights were fun. Plus, one of the demonic bosses cursed in her demented, witch-like voice. Hearing a female demonic thing yell “F**k you!” at me was one of the funniest things I’ve ever heard. Don’t ask me why, ‘cuz I don’t know.
Other than your slashing tools, Dante also had Ebony & Ivory (his two pistols), a shotgun called Revenant and a rocket launcher-pistol hybrid called
Kablooey. Yes, it was actually called Kablooey. I can’t say I used the guns that much, though. There were some enemies where you were required to use the
guns or get pulverized, but that was about it. The only other time I would is when I would hit X to slash someone, only to remember that X shoots the gun (Y is the slashing).
This was a reboot, but that doesn’t mean the previous games were forgotten entirely. Later on in the game Dante learns a form called Devil Trigger. Basically, it gives you higher hit points and rejuvenates your health; however, it was also a fan service, as Dante’s hair and coat are turned white and red, respectively, as a nod to the old character’s design. That’s just one of the nods to the old games, so don’t get all sad that I ruined them all for you.
DmC: Devil May Cry was a shocker for me, mainly because of the time it was made at. This past year was a year of gamers complaining about EVERYTHING, from Mass Effect 3’s ending to BioShock Infinite’s cover design. Every complaint was met with something to calm the whiners, but I don’t believe DmC really did. Sure, it had some nods to the old games, but what reboot won’t? The series made a new life for itself and unlike the past
installments, I’ll be here to follow it. An incredible risk and a huge underdog, DmC rose triumphantly through the storm and is one of the best games of the year.
installments, I’ll be here to follow it. An incredible risk and a huge underdog, DmC rose triumphantly through the storm and is one of the best games of the year.