This expansion pack is the first major expansion on the DMC
story. If you haven't beaten the game,
then you should really just stop reading right here, because this expansion
assumes you've beaten the main story.
So... *SPOILERS* After Dante defeats Vergil, he goes to visit his family
grave. He soon falls, presumably dead,
and finds himself falling into Limbo. He
soon hears his mother's voice, telling him of his demise. Vergil also carries his mortal wound from his
fight with Dante, and his amulet is missing.
Vergil quickly sets out to escape Limbo, and to regain his former
strength. This quest leads him on a trip
down memory lane, facing his past as he struggles to cope with Dante's
betrayal. The expansion isn't all that
long, only taking a few hours to beat.
You can unlock Son of Sparda, Vergil Must Die, and Heaven and Hell mode,
increasing the difficulty.
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| No more Mr. Nice Vergil. |
As for the story, I found it to be rather interesting. Vergil is forced to face an alter ego called
"Hollow Vergil" who sends Vergil out to face Kat, Dante, and
eventually even Eva, Vergil's mother.
All of these are tasks to heal Vergil's broken heart. Now, don't think this is a reconciliation,
it's a quest for revenge. Hollow Vergil
is having Vergil find, and kill, the people that betrayed him. This is all about Vergil's... well....
DOWNFALL (go figure, right?). Vergil
transitions from feeling lost and confused to finding strength in his new quest for vengeance. The beginning definitely
makes you feel somewhat sorry for Vergil, and in many ways you may have
considered his original goal of ruling mankind to be a somewhat necessary one;
especially with the fact that demons had already taken control of the world
once almost unopposed. So in many ways,
you can feel Vergil's sense of betrayal, and his quest down the "dark
path," is what makes him begin his transition into a character that feels
more like the old character we appreciated.
However, this is still a transition period, and he never quite makes it
to the level we want him to achieve.
The gameplay is fairly simple; you have Yamato, that awesome
Japanese-style katana, and that's it.
Angel and Demon weapons? Yamato does it all. You unlock Angel and Demon modes for the
sword as you progress through the story.
As you might expect, Angel mode is meant for fast and agile strikes, but
don't do a lot of damage. Meanwhile,
Demon mode is for your slow, but savage strikes. I found the Demon mode to feel a little
underpowered in my playthrough, but to be honest I didn't invest a lot into
it. Angel mode is ideal here, with
hordes of demons being tossed at you, the fast and sweeping crowd control is
what works best usually. I did wish that
there was more done with the combo system, but you'll find that a lot of your
favorite moves from DMC 3 are brought back, but they never quite feel as strong
as they used to be. Vergil shares many
of the abilities that Dante possessed, so much of this feels familiar. One
thing I thoroughly enjoyed is the Doppelganger mode. This is Vergil's Devil Trigger, and it literally
doubles your damage output but having a shadow copy of you mirror all of your
attacks. Each level was fairly short,
but each encounter just threw a few waves of enemies at you. Two new enemies are added to the roster: the "Wisp"
and the" Imprisoner." These
enemies challenge your new abilities, and add some new flair to the game.
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| The old Yamato was awesome, and while this one doesn't have quite that same bark to it, it still has quite a bit of bite. |
The level design is really great, which we have come to
expect from the main game. Limbo is as
dangerous and riveting as ever, making you feel like the very ground you stand
on is out to get you most of the time, and there are even a few little obstacles that
are new. Some platforms have to be
phased in by shooting them with your Summoned Swords in order for them to fully
materialize, this is a small little thing that felt neat, but didn't really
amount to anything major.
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| What's more dangerous than ONE devilishly stylish guy? |
My final verdict is that this game is more or less what you
would expect if you had played the original game. This expansion is fun, and I think the price
is right. While you might not find this
to completely replace the Vergil we all used to hate to love, this is still a
step in the right direction. On complaint
is that Vergil doesn't get a Bloody Palace mode, allowing you to put his combos
to the ultimate test. While the story is somewhat short and sweet,
the final destination may disappoint some fans.
Vergil's Downfall is a solid step towards the classic character of Vergil,
but it's clear he will probably never quite be what you might be hoping
for. Is that to say you shouldn't try to
enjoy this? Of course not. This is a
reboot; change is expected. While this
won't quite scratch your classic itch, it might make you feel like this new
series is headed in a direction that isn't so bad.
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| Wisps have to phased in by your Summoned Swords before you can deal any damage. |
The Good:
-More awesome DMC
gameplay.
-Vergil is basically
a copy of Dante's mechanics, but subtle differences do set him apart, in both
function and style.
-Story is
entertaining.
-Yamato felt like a
Nephilim weapon for a Nephilim warrior, using Angel and Demon modes to give it
a universal and transcendent quality in combat.
The Bad:
-Short. Only 6
missions which last a few hours, but the price is low.
-If you're a veteran
fan, this still isn't classic Vergil, but you might not mind the overall
direction he's heading in.
-Story isn't as deep
as the campaign, Vergil's feelings of loss and betrayal are the only real focus
here
Scully Rating: 7 out
of 10