The teams at Capcom and Ninja Theory made a pretty ballsy
move in rebooting a franchise as loved as Devil May Cry. Stripping away
everything that we know and replacing it with a new Dante, a new world, and new
relationships with his fellow characters could have gone horribly wrong, but as
it turns out, this new twist on the series is a refreshing change, and shows
that you really can teach an old dog new tricks.
DMC is a brand new story that takes the demon-killing madness of the previous games, and slots it into a new, modern world, where demons have infiltrated the media, monarchy and other positions of power, and are controlling humans from the shadows. Ruling over everything is the Demon God Mundus, who is at constant war with an organization known only as "The Order".
It's here that Dante comes in. He is visited by the
mysterious Kat, before being drawn into Limbo in order to kill some things.
After escaping, Kat brings him to meet Vergil, Dante's brother and leader of
The Order. From here, Dante is drawn into the war against the demons, fighting
for freedom for the humans, as well as revenge for the death of his mother at
the hands of Mundus himself.
It’s a surprisingly well told story, especially considering
the lacklustre narratives of the previous titles in the franchise. There are a
few genuinely emotional moments, Dante himself develops as a character from a
rogue demon fighter to a warrior for justice, and his relationship with other
characters really draws you into the story. All of this is complimented by
superb voice acting, and some breathtaking visuals.
Sure, some of the facial animations look a little off, but
when it comes to the characters that count, the developers have done a good
job. The movements look realistic, the demons have been beautifully designed,
ranging from comedic to downright terrifying, and there’s enough reference to
the previous games in some of the characters to spark a hint of nostalgia, such
as Vergil’s blue coat, or Mundus’ iconic third eye.
Where the visuals really shine however is in the
environments. Most of your time will be spent battling demons in Limbo, which
offers a distorted interpretation of the real world. The floors and walls
around you crumble, forcing you to use all the tools at your disposal to traverse
the landscape. Limbo is also populated by demons, and even when there aren’t
any around to slaughter, evidence of their infestation is all around you in the
inky black substance that layers almost every surface.
As good as the game can look, the main focus that any Devil
May Cry fan is looking for is solid gameplay, and luckily for us, DMC does not
disappoint. Your standard weapons are the iconic Rebellion sword and twin
pistols – Ebony and Ivory. As the game goes on, you gain access to new weapons,
as well as Angel and Devil mode.
Let me explain. In
DMC, Dante isn’t just half demon. He is a Nephilim, the hybrid of a demon and
an angel, and one of the few who is able to wield the power of both. Quite
early on you will unlock both modes, with Angel weapons being faster, but not
as powerful, Devil weapons being slower, but packing one hell of a punch (no
pun intended), and Rebellion holding the middle ground, balancing the two
nicely.
By the end of the game, you will have two Angel, and two
Devil weapons, and a simple button press to switch between them on the fly.
This makes combat incredibly dynamic, allowing you to switch up your weapons
mid combo, and carry on your brutal assault unhindered. It’s a system that
works incredibly well, and is really accessible. It won’t take long before
you’re mixing heavy and light blows, and smacking your enemies around with
ease.
Don’t get me wrong, DMC is by no means an easy game. Mundus
will throw every demon he has at you over the 8-10 hours you’ll be playing, and
each has a trick up its sleeve. From chainsaw wielding maniacs (Resident Evil 4
anyone?), to a giant unborn baby that blasts you with techno-music soundwaves,
DMC has a new challenge around every corner, and in keeping with the bizarre
style that runs through many of Capcom’s games, you never know what to expect.
A risky move has definitely paid off here, as DMC manages to
keep the fast-paced combat, and epic boss battles that fans know and love, as
well as adding a whole new look on the franchise. DMC is a great standalone
action game, as well as an amazing instalment to the series, even if it doesn’t
fit in with what we’ve seen before. Any worries about the differences should be
left at the door. I had a great time with DMC, and am eagerly awaiting a sequel.
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