For better or worse, and to the chagrin of some of the series' more outspoken fans, Capcom stuck by their decision to shake up Devil May Cry and try something new. Understandably, news of this reboot set off major concerns from loyal followers, some of whom have painted a bleak picture for the future of the series. In their eyes, Dante should always have white hair, a cocky demeanor, a touch of Japanese wackiness, and a deep arsenal of weapons and combos to use in his fight against demons. Nothing could ever change it.
As someone who enjoyed the first and third installments of Devil May Cry immensely, I couldn't help but feel conflicted by this change. Our first look at the new "Dante" had a disturbingly beat-up and dark motif, but one the developer has subtlely dialed back over time. Just take a look at Dante now! New developer Ninja Theory has wisely toned down some of the off-putting characteristics their rebooted hero initially displayed, making him a much more approachable leading man. As far as looks go, he still bears similarities to professional Portuguese soccer player Cristano Ronadlo over Hillary Swank and Twilight, but he also retains the same irreverent attitude as ever -- not to mention a collection of fantastic weapons and fighting styles to use against his demon opponents. And, most importantly, he's still cool.
I went into this review ready for practically anything and well aware of the outcry that's followed the latest chapter of the series, DmC, since its 2011 debut. What I've discovered is that, despite all of the negative opinions surrounding Ninja Theory and Capcom's controversial reboot, DmC delivers a fresh and imaginative take on Dante, one that paints the character and his world with satisfying, relatable, and entertaining brushstrokes; one that empowers players with a strong combat system full of combo opportunities. The final product comes together as one of those rare experiences in video games where both gameplay and story complement each other in remarkable ways and deliver surprising results.
An early scene after the first mission accurately captures Dante's preserved 'tude. After a psychic named Kat helps rescue him from a large Hunter Demon, she convinces him to get in the car and follow into the heart of the city to meet her boss. "I'm part of an organization called the Order," she says as they drive off.
"Something to do with that masked freak on the net?" Dante muses aloud.
"Yeah, that's my boss," Kat replies enthusiastically.
In line with their previous work, Ninja Theory uses story and technology as a crucial element to boost DmC's appeal. The script, supervised by veteran writer Alex Garland, gleams with narrative polish typically absent from action games. Dante's one-liners, specifically, steal the show, but many individual scenes resonate as well when I look back on the whole story.
I realize using Hollywood talent and impressive motion capture to tell a story isn't new for this studio, but Ninja Theory leverages their expertise to create a fascinating take on Dante's world of angel and demons. The cutscenes themselves boast impressive attention to detail. You'll notice the way the actors' eyes move as they respond to each other with a range of lifelike expressions that never appear divorced from the scene itself -- a problem that noticeably plagues other big-budget Hollywood-chasing titles like L.A. Noire. DmC showcases Ninja Theory's understanding of how narrative and gameplay go hand-in-hand, along with their commitment to a well-directed scene.
Combat in DmC takes an equally impressive approach. According to the new fiction, Dante has the powers of both Angel and Demon, and the player can tap into these two styles -- plus his normal attacks -- effortlessly. In Demon mode, Dante swings slower, more powerful weapons that pack a wallop compared to his normal moves. As an Angel, he attacks at a much faster speed and tears through his enemies quickly. By carefully transitioning between the three styles, a player can mix things up with a range of different combos, most of them made up the fly. Enemies follow the same rules as Dante's own attack styles -- some appear blue or red to signal that only corresponding colors can do any damage to them -- but they also exhibit other weaknesses like counter projectiles. Dante can bat projectile attacks back at foes for harsh damage, and otherwise exploit specific pattern logic in each encounter.
The light/normal/heavy system sits at the heart of all of Ninja Theory's previous games, but in DmC the developer has finally found a way to make it seem a lot more flexible. In many cases, if you can think of some crazy combination of moves, chance are DmC's combat engine will give you a chance to do it. Even the way the three corresponding styles fit into the fast weapon selection -- where players cycle through other tools they find using the D-pad -- shows that a lot of thought went into designing this combat system. And then there's the shop and upgrade system, which lets players unlock new moves using upgrade points awarded based on performance. DmC lets players try any move before they buy it and even sell it back to the vendor for an upgrade credit they can use to unlock a completely different move altogether -- something I don't think I've ever seen in any other installment of the series.
Dante's new look signaled Ninja Theory's willingness not to shy away from taking risks with DmC, but the final game goes beyond that. It features some impressive stages and ideas that I almost don't want to mention for fear of spoiling the experience. One of the few I will point out is Limbo, a contorted reality that twists elements of the real world and a club scene, allowing the designers to use psychedelic atmosphere and sound to produce a colorful and memorable stage.
Maybe music by CombiChrist and an Aggrotech sense of stye doesn't fit everyone's definition of cool, but the DmC still deserves your attention simply for being one of the best action games released in years. The combat and high production values deliver a worthwhile adventure, one that will hopefully serve as a meaningful introduction for more Devil May Cry in this new style. I realize that for some the transition to this new look has sparked a particularly nasty controversy, but put aside your preconceptions and you'll find that DmC stands as an exceptional effort by Ninja Theory to try and do something interesting with Capcom's well-known series. Now that I've finished it, I don't think the old Dante would have fit quite as well into this new style. If you're dead-set against the idea of a reboot, I doubt anything I can write will soften your heart. But if you're looking for an exceptional action game, DmC's depth, replayability, and narrative will keep you happily engaged for hours.
PS3 vs. 360
This review was based solely off the Xbox 360 version of DmC. My colleague, Ryan Clements of IGN, tells me the PS3 version suffers from additional technical hiccups. Read his review on IGN to learn more.
I can't help but notice how this review focused on multiple aspects of the game and how it benefits the experience and pointed to another review that has a different take on the title with information about some techincal differences between the two consoles with this game. Clearly, there is some familiarity with Ninja Theroy's techniques and pointing out how they seem to have gotten better with the merger of DmC is nice to read up on. I am actually interested in playing/re-playing some of the developers titles after getting my copy of DmC in the mail tomorrow.
I was actually looking forward to the game, and this is coming from a die hard DMC fan. After playing the demo I was comforted with a solid gameplay engine and with the recent vids I'm glad you get to use the gauntlets again (looks like dmc3 beowulf too). But the writing from the demo seemed beyond horrible. Maybe I just find vulgar run-offs a bit too offputting; regardless, "fuck you, FUCK YOU, FUUUCK YOOOUUUU" killed off my hype.
I don't expect a genuine, poetic script from DMC. The cut scenes since DMC1 have always been about action leaving you in a 'wtf-woah-lol' hybrid that can't really be compared to anything else, but I don't think I can stomach writing that seems to be vulgar just for the sake of being vulgar. How is the rest of the writing outside the demo?
I found the writing was fairly good. I can only recall two instances where they dropped the F-bomb. I know the fight with the Succubus delievered three of them back to back, and felt really silly for it, but a majority of the writing steers away from this immature tone.
Looks like another great game in arguably the best action game franchise. Very nice, the demo was awesome. I look forward to tackling this one on DMD mode just like 1, 3, & 4.
...people are still getting their panties in a twist because he doesn't look like the previous version. I mean, he's more or less the same guy, only this is before he tries to become a professional demon hunter... unless this is an AU and then I'm just confused.
But really, as long as the game is fun to play and replay, I don't see the problem. I'mma get this.
Other than the platforming (which I thought was kinda "meh") I thoroughly enjoyed the demo so I was totally sold on the action itself. Surprisingly, the lack of a "lock on" button didn't bother me too much.
But now I am curious about the story as well. That said, I had never been excited about a Devil May Cry game before; I am going with my gut feeling and buying this game.
I guess I won't be able to look forward to wonky dialogue like there was in the first DMC. Some of Dante's lines in the first entry were just priceless.
"I wanted to fill your dark soul with liiiiiiiiiiiiiiggggghhhhht!!!"
this DMC has similiar style but it's also different at the same time ... people just don't like change but when you give them the same thing they say "oh it's the same shit again, boring ..." can't please everyone :p
"Then he falls in with The Order, a bunch of radical activists clearly modeled after anarcho-liberal movements like Occupy Wall Street, Wikileaks or Anonymous."
So not really Occupy. Still this is the first statement that raises my interest in the game :D
but they are modeleld on it. so its very similar. espicially with their comment about being against the "1%". thats a reference to occupy wallstreet. i hate when games push their political beliefs on me. especially when its one of my favorite franchises and now they hand it off to a new developer who makes a stupid character and then proceeds to force its politics into the game. its a bastardization of the franchise.
When you play a game, is the story your preoccupation or the gameplay? I definitely tend to focus on the latter. The stories are almost always written poorly, so I focus on what games are supposed to do well - get me into the game itself.
though i cant say i support occupy. im sure there is, its just a pet peeve of mine. i hate when politicical veiws are pushed on me in media, unless its more of a question type deal like bioshock where its introspective, and not the developers own veiws. i'll play this game anyways, i wont buy it though, because i dont think it looks as good as the old dmc series so i wont be supporting it. would have been better as a new ip, and i actually think it looks pretty fun to play. the dialogue seems aweful but im into that sort of thing.
Glad to hear they put a lot of thought into the combat and even happier to see Jose hint a few times that it has a satisfying narrative.
Nagging question however, though I enjoyed Enslaved quite a bit, it had an incredibly prescribed and linear level design that kind of broke the reality of the world for me. In DmC, are their levels more like that or more like the Zelda-esque level design in DMC 1 and 3?
The levels are pretty linear, but they also have hidden areas for secrets and collectibles. A few stages offer multiple pathways, but they all eventually lead to teh same place.
I'm interested to know why you stopped reading. Was it because that was all you needed to buy the game? Or was it because Jose saying that's the most important thing lost your respect? Just curious.
This version of Dante is possibly the lamest reimagining ever. Just from seeing that I can tell that I won't agree with his viewpoint.
Also, I wouldn't dare spend money on this. If you ignore the bad characters you also have a terrible story that tries too hard to be deep while also trying to be edgy or combat which is severely dumbed down compared to dmc3/4.
I'm glad the gameplay is good, but damn, I can't stop hating on the new look of Dante. He looks like a damn junkie, or a high school kid who got bullied for listening to My Chemical Romance and cuts himself. Definitely a very, very bad look for a main character. I'm channeling the AVGN when I say: "What were they THINKING?"
Whatever though, bring on the PC version. I want to play this game, even if I am controlling a heroin addict.
to ninja theory for hearing so much of this outcry but still sticking to their guns (no pun intended). I still favor the old Dante's look from a visual perspective, but whether or not i like the new Dante more can only come with playing the actual game through. If anything the new guy looks suitably grimy to fit alongside the grimy level design. Who knows, it's on the inside what counts right?
Most likely because, regardless of the producer saying he didn't care that old Dante fans didn't like the look, they don't want to stoke the flames anymore. I remember in the first trailer, Dante looked a lot more gaunt and unstable, which fit more in the context of this story (and his literally tortured past in the reboot).
I feel like their effort to have it both ways--toning that initial look down while still making Dante look a lot different--didn't do anything to convince older fans and ended up muddying their alternate vision of the character. The initial "junkie" look was a much better fit for a story like this, and I feel like they should've just kept it since the hardcore DMC fans aren't down with the look regardless (myself included).
The look is just one of many issues I have with this reboot, though, especially after playing the demo. I can't see myself spending more than $30 on this at most.
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