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Devil May Cry has renewed my
faith in action games in a fantastic way. Yes.
As a reviewer, you sometimes come across games you really want
to bash, either because they’re terribly hyped or even because
you don’t have enough money to purchase them. We all have our
reasons. I tried really hard to hate this game, but I couldn’t.
Devil May Cry will stay in history as an important game for the
bringing together of games and movies.
”Here we go again…”
Naturally, the first thing one feels when seeing DMC for the
first time is boredom: “Those Capcom fools have done it again:
this is another Bio Hazard clone!” After a few minutes however,
chances are the subject’s opinion will change greatly, according
to my formula: “HOLY COW!!! This game looks fantastic!” I’ll
spare you the moment when the poor player finds out that this
game isn’t a survival horror, but a good old brawler.
You see, too many people are mistaken: Devil May Cry is actually
an original product. The mature themes and gore ambience are
merely a pretext to justify insanely violent -and relaxing-
fighting.
“A diabolically meticulous produc--ACTION!”
Devil May Cry looks as good as Onimusha, but is in “real” 3D (a
la Dino Crisis). At the moment, it’s simply the best looking
game to ever grace the earth: Final Fantasy X has already lost
its crown. Of course, it won’t be the case for too long, but DMC
has something Alone in the Dark and consorts lack to a certain
extent: an exceptional sense of aesthetics and of architecture
in particular. Its most remarkable feature is that it constantly
oppresses the player (even more so than other “survival
horrors”) and pushes a constant flow of adrenalin in his/her
veins. Yes indeed, the action takes place in a medieval castle
–very similar to what you can still visit nowadays in Europe-
haunted by demonic creatures that in fact appears to be the
gateway to the Devil world.
Technically, this game looks perfect. Everything you’ve
heard about it is true: its light effects are awesome, its
environments are varied and detailed, its textures are
impressive… It’s almost impossible to find any fault in DMC’s
graphics. Even the monsters are beautifully designed, using
references from various horror flicks and putting them
altogether to create one of the coolest games ever. The
animation is, to put it simply, divine. We’re now entering an
era in which videogame characters naturally move like real human
beings. Crazy.
Surprisingly enough, Devil May Cry is one scary game. It doesn’t
create the same kind of fear as Resident Evil or Silent Hill, as
you’re rarely anticipating a surprise attack or are afraid of
the general atmosphere of the game. No, DMC is different. Here,
you’re just impressed by the game to the point that
you’re wondering how far the developers will go. If anything,
this game is more reminiscent of Legacy of Kain –Soul Reaver-
than of any of the aforementioned titles.
Curiosity is what will surely keep you playing through this game
despite its sub-par plot and laughable dialogs. You thought “I
hope this isn’t Chris’ blood” was bad? Wait until you hear
Dante, the most stereotypical hero ever created. Yeah, he’s cool
and all, but he’s also dumb as a rock and has the personality of
a drunk sailor. Come on, I’m sure even James Cameron could have
created a better personality. It’s amazing how Capcom managed to
screw up a character with such a charismatic design, especially
since he was modeled after the notorious anime character that
goes by the name of Cobra. As a matter of fact, the gap there is
between the quality of the adventure itself and its storyline is
amazingly huge. But let’s not nitpick much longer: for an action
game, Devil May Cry actually has a decent plot.
On the contrary, DMC excels in the sound area. Most of the
game’s music is made of discrete yet mysterious tunes. They
successfully capture the peculiar intensity of the game without
ever being too annoying. Naturally, the music becomes much more
dynamic when Dante has to fight for his life. Fast-paced modern
tunes accompanied by top-notch sound effects contribute to the
perfect picture portrayed by the developers.
The most fun 3D brawler?
Fighting monsters in a castle isn’t a very innovative concept,
I’ll admit. But the game is so fun that it doesn’t really
matter. Tight controls are what directly push Devil May Cry to
the rank of killer app. With his sword, Dante can perform
damaging combos very similar to what one could see two years ago
in Sword Of Berserk on Dreamcast. But when the protagonist
decides to draw his guns, you’d swear you’re watching a remake
of The Matrix by John Who. The technical excellence of DMC is
reflected on its controls: they’re much more intuitive than in
most recent action games.
The fighting and particularly the combinations are uber cool,
which doesn’t come off as a surprise given Capcom’s reputation.
Although the player is given many different possibilities to
slay the monsters, shooting them from far away like a girl won’t
give you as many points as a stylish combo. Actually, this game
is basically about looking cool while slaughtering monsters in a
majestic castle. Yes, Dante’s nickname is king of posers.
Refreshing new weapons can be easily found in the levels, and
your actual skill (read: score) determines how many special
attacks and magic items you can purchase. Materialized by orbs
that appear when you get rid of your foes, ‘slickness’ points
are the most important element to consider in order to go far in
the game. Further in the game you’ll obtain the interesting
possibility of temporarily morph into a demon, which definitely
makes things a bit easier.
”Hard as hell?”
One of the most surprising aspects of the game is its decent
difficulty. While Devil May Cry isn’t exactly what I would call
a challenging game, some of the bosses will require some
strategy. On the other hand, don’t expect much from the puzzles:
they’d be more fitting for six-year olds than for a “mature”
audience. Again, this essence of this game is its furious
action.
A ‘game over’ screen isn’t a rare sight in DMC, but you’ll often
be offered the chance to continue if you’ve earned enough orbs.
An innovative system that boosts the game replay value without
making your adventure too easy. Moreover, a ranking system and a
few interesting extras make up for the game’s average length
(about seven hours). Note that replaying Devil May Cry is a
pleasure though, as the levels are rather short, dynamic and
fun. Just keep in mind that perseverance is the key.
The catch
Key. That reminds me of DMC’s biggest flaw: repetition.
Obviously, the Capcom developers found a way to improve their
survival-horror franchise but they apparently forgot to work on
the rhythm of their baby. Playing through the first few levels
is bliss until you figure out the gimmick this game is based on.
Find a key. Fight monsters. Open a door. Fight monsters. Find an
item. Fight monsters. Open a door. Fight a boss. Level cleared.
Wash. Rinse. Repeat.
After a while, Devil May Cry’s simple structure gets tiresome
and you may just want to tell Dante to go to hell. Granted, this
is a minor problem for a brawler, but it’s increasingly
frustrating as you progress through the corridors of the castle.
Besides, the rest of the game is of such quality that it only
emphasizes DMC’s flaws.
”A Satanic work?”
Overall, Devil May Cry is an excellent action game that, even
though it won’t make you shed a tear, further proves Capcom’s
polyvalence. What was originally supposed to be a Resident Evil
sequel now became a flamboyant game based on coolness and
fun. Now, be honest: when was the last time you heard
these two words put together?
.:. BillyKane |
