‘DmC’ gives demon killing a fresh look
“DmC: Devil May Cry” is the beginning of a new “Devil May Cry” series developed by
Ninja Theory, the team behind “Heavenly Sword” and “Ninja Gaiden,” with help from Capcom.
As a disclaimer, this review will not compare “DmC: Devil May Cry” to the previous “Devil
May Cry” franchise. This is a rebooted version of the series with a new developer and a new
vision. This game is not “Devil May Cry 5.”
Although “DmC” gained negative hype before it was announced, it quickly became greater
than what most people previously thought.
The game centers on Dante, a young man who enjoys life to the fullest with alcohol and wild
women. Dante, however, also kills demons when they drag him into an alternate reality known
as Limbo, taking care of the “demon scum” by himself until he meets a medium named Kat, who
then takes Dante to The Order, which is an organization tasked with defeating the demon king
who has trapped humanity.
The plot of “DmC” is not the strongest aspect of the game. The story falls flat when compared
to other games, and throughout the game, the plot remains linear and predictable.
“DmC,” however, peppers humor throughout the game, whether it is through Dante’s
dialogue or his mannerisms. In a couple of cases, the game even pokes fun at the previous “Devil
May Cry” series.
Where the game lack in its plot, it makes up for it in visuals. When Dante enters Limbo,
the area is full of color and animation in contrast with the real world, which seems dull and
monotone.
For example, one place in the game looked as if the world went through an Instagram filter,
while another looks like the visualizations that go along to music. Even the enemies and the
bosses have a brilliantly grotesque look to them, and the combos used to take them out are
stunning.
However, the visuals do present better on the Xbox 360 and PC than on the PlayStation 3.
The gameplay perfectly coincides with the visuals. Platforming is diverse in the game, using
different pulls and jumps to reach an objective.
The combat is fast-paced with several different types of enemies on a landscape that
constantly changes. With eight different types of weapons and many different combos for these
weapons, combat is unique.
Although players can just use one combo multiple times, the fun comes in an arcade style
rating system that awards style points for different combos, ranging from D to A and all the
way to SSS. Also, this game has different challenges within rooms that could include using only
aerial combos or time limits in order to add variety.
Even with the great gameplay, it does have its flaws. The attacks use an automatic lock-
on system that, even though it is smart, can be painful to work with if battling a large group of
demons one-on-one. Even shooting can be tricky, as there is no way to aim.
Also, with all the excitement battling a group of enemies is, the boss fights are more of a
letdown. They follow the same formula of dodging an attack until an opening can be found.
Only a couple of the bosses are memorable because they are different from the dodge and attack
design.
Another aspect that stands out in “DmC” is the sound. The musical score only adds to the
gameplay and visuals, with electronic sounds and dubstep creating intensity and excitement. The
voice acting is great, improving Dante’s vulgar attitude in the dialogue.
Similarly, a potential flaw is that this dialogue may be, in fact, too vulgar. In one boss battle
alone, there are more than 10 curse words thrown around, with more peppered in throughout the
game.
This game is fairly short and linear, but included in this game are secret rooms, keys,
costumes and souls that can be collected to complete the game, along with five difficulty levels,
including one where Dante could die with one hit.
There have been two packs of downloadable content confirmed, including a continuing story
where the player controls Dante’s brother, Vergil, and “Bloody Palace,” a free pack of 100 levels
of enemies and bosses for killing and improving style rankings.
Even with a fairly thin story, “DmC: Devil May Cry” is a stunning game that combines great
environments, addicting gameplay and funny, yet offensive, dialogue. This game is not for
everyone, as, according to the ESRB, it is rated Mature for “Blood and Gore, Drug Reference,
Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, and Strong Language.” The game, however, still
deserves an 85 out of 100 percent.
“DmC: Devil May Cry” is currently available on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC, with DLC,
including “Vergil’s Downfall” and “Bloody Palace,” coming soon.