The long wait is over.
If you're like me, you've been eagerly, but cautiously, awaiting the
release of Ninja Theory's reboot of the popular Capcom series. Dante is back, but he's sporting some new
attitude and looks that help mark that this is a new Dante. Along with the looks, the story is changed
too. This time around, Dante is not a
Demon-human hybrid; he's a Nephilim: A demon-angel hybrid. This means Dante will not only be using those
demon abilities we've all loved tearing it up with, but no we have angelic
powers on top of those. We also see the
return of Dante's twin brother: Vergil.
Vergil is the head of "The Order," a group resisting the
Demonic powers that have enslaved the world.
All of the fighting is done in Limbo, a world that exists just outside
our own. This means that in Limbo,
things look like the normal world to some extent, but they are shifted and
distorted at will by the demons. And it
is only in Limbo that you can see the demons and their devices for what they
really are. For example, a soft drink
factory looks normal to the average human; but in Limbo, you see demons having
their fluids mixed in with the drink to create a poison to make humans more
docile. The plot revolves around trying
to destroy these methods of control, and killing the Devil King: Mundus. Mundus is responsible for killing Dante's
mother and exiling his father, and is the main antagonist in the story.
For starters, I loved the gameplay. The combat mechanics
offer easy switching between your Rebellion sword, angelic weapon of choice,
and your demonic weapon of choice. There
are only a couple demon and angel weapons, but they offer a lot of combat variety
to approach each encounter and prevent the missions from feeling stale. All fights are backed up by a great
soundtrack featuring some Metal tracks. If you don't like Metal, then you might
want to invest in ear plugs; but this game is about killing demons with
excessive violence, so the music feels appropriate. Enemies force you to change tactics to adapt
to ever-changing situations. The game
keeps the encounters feeling fair on the standard difficulties; enemies offer
just enough opposition to keep the game from feeling easy. Once you beat the game, you unlock the higher
difficulties. These modes are not to be
taken lightly, since they consider you already beat the game.
The plot is stronger than any of the old DMC games, which
focused more on the action and the humor.
While those things are obviously still strong in this game, there was a
clear attempt to strengthen the plot, and make you feel like you have a more
personal reason to be killing demons. It
is also clear that this game took a rather confrontational stance on
contemporary society, with demons using soft drinks, banking, and popular
culture to enslave humanity. This kind
of has a "Fight Club" feel to it, saying that modern society is a
means to weaken humans and prevent them from realizing their potential. If you don't appreciate those types of
themes, then the story might turn you off, but the good news is the story isn't
THAT important. You spend most of your
time just focusing on the action.
Now for the part that has led to a lot of controversy for
this game: characters. Dante has a new
look, and a new haircut. He still has a
lot of funny dialogue, but the difference is very obvious right from the start. Dante is more of a street punk in this game,
a clear difference from the suave, detached Dante we're accustomed to. Vergil is also back, but his character is even
more different than Dante. Vergil is one
of my favorite characters from the original series, and it just broke my heart
watching him in this game. The old
Vergil was ruthless, independent, and a loner with a personal code of honor. This new one works with humans, and lacks
that ruthless streak that made me respect the old character. There is a lot of the old Vergil here, more
than you might think, enough to let me appreciate him, but not enough to
consider him a worthy replacement. The
Order has a woman named Kat who helps Dante in Limbo, and her character was
likeable, but not extensive or remarkable.
The Verdict? This is
a great game that had me addicted with the awesome gameplay and great
environments. This title helps
revitalize the franchise and give it a fresh start with a compelling story and
interesting characters. If you have
never played a Devil May Cry title, then you will probably love this game
without reservation. If you are a
veteran DMC fan, then you may find this game a difficult, but necessary, step
forward. Devil May Cry 4 showed that the
franchise had just about run out of life in terms of story, and this game helps
give it a fresh start. However, many
(including myself) may find that this title makes you long for the original
characters you knew and loved.
(Game reviewed on Xbox 360)
Good:
- Combat is awesome with an easy-to-use, dynamic combo
system
- Stronger story that feels more believable than the
previous titles
- Fresh start helps bring new life to the franchise
- Awesome soundtrack that sets the mood and makes the combat
that much more satisfying
Bad:
- New characters can't quite substitute the old ones that
veteran fans know and love
- Could have done more with the plot, but compared to the
old DMC games you can't really complain
Scully
Rating: 9.0 out of 10
