DmC: Devil May Cry Review

Posted By Austin Yorski about 4 months ago

DmC: Devil May Cry Review

The opening hours of Dante’s reboot are rough. Half-naked women gyrate across the screen for no particular reason, while the new Mundus chews the scenery like it’s made out of candy. The old, embarrassing themes of evil big business are back from the ill-advised Devil May Cry 2, but the soundtrack seems to be trying to keep up with the times, leaning closer to aggrotech and electro-industrial than the black and death metal that has defined previous scores. As expected, every word out of the new Dante’s mouth is cringe-inducing.

Then something unexpected happens: It gets better.

It probably can’t be overstated that the alienating first act of Ninja Theory’s reboot seem to confirm everything the game’s detractors feared from the start. Far from the cool, self-assured Devil Hunter that originally slew Mundus, the raven-locked Nü Dante has all the charisma of a grease stain. The story trips over itself to explain every last detail of its world, seemingly unaware that it is mining themes and ideas already covered in everything from John Carpenter’s They Live to Futurama. It somehow even manages to botch a basic understanding of concepts like Wicca and Nephilim. In short, it would be too easy to give up on this title before it even begins.

The stinger is still the best technique.

If you can get past the clumsy exposition and bad haircuts of the first act though, DmC opens up into a rewarding hack ‘n’ slash experience. Once you unlock the game’s three main weapons and the two accompanying whips, the combat falls neatly into place. The original Devil May Cry was an aborted Resident Evil given second life with fighting game mechanics. The reboot forges its own path using two triggers to give the player access to three separate “styles” of play. There’s Rebellion, Dante’s trusty sword; Arbiter, a slow but brutally powerful weapon; and Osiris, a weaker tool for quick strikes and crowd control. The interplay between these is easy enough to grasp, but it’s the addition of the grappling hooks that cement the combat style. Just as Nero’s Devil Bringer gave DMC4 a unique gameplay gimmick, the introduction of two separate long-range grabs (one to bring you to enemies and one to bring enemies to you) crystallizes a novel combat system that is as accessible as it is satisfying.

Of course, the question of difficulty still needs to be answered. Admittedly, the default setting is noticeably more lenient than past entries. However, with a plethora of different modes to unlock and choose from, there is little point in mourning the death of challenge. Similarly, the loss of a dedicated lock-on feature seems like a train-wreck on paper, but it is pulled off with surprising fluidity. Channeling previous projects like Heavenly Sword and Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, Dante easily flits between attackers with a simple tilt of the analog stick, rarely ever hitting the incorrect target. The loss of target-specific moves is a necessary compromise, but there is no detectable drop in the quality of minute-to-minute fights.

She’s no trish or lady. Hell, she’s no Lucia.

Speaking of seemingly arbitrary changes, the classic upgrade system has undergone a variety of tweaks as well. No longer content to collect red orbs and spend them between missions and on the pause menu, Dante now has to stop by designated shopping kiosks to buy items and to exchange white orbs for individual attacks. This may seem like change for change’s sake, but the option to re-spec your abilities at no cost gives you the freedom to experiment with different techniques and play-styles. While some may lament the decreased aggression of foes (and their more obvious telegraphs), the fact remains that DmC‘s more forgiving nature does come with some benefits to the rest of the package as a whole.

For example, the streamlined design of the title creates fewer opportunities for exploration than the Capcom installments, and yet it contains a much more addictive sense of replay-ability. The scoring system allows for more wiggle room in getting a SSS Rank, but you still need to hunt down all of the “Lost Souls” and door keys to unlock optional challenges. These simple, finite goals beg for a run on each difficulty mode, which amounts to quite a bit of value over 20 missions. Throw in some strange and memorable boss fights and you have a surprisingly competent attempt at a genre which still hasn’t recovered from the cataclysmic brilliance of Bayonetta.

Certain enemies require specific weapons and strategies.

With all that said, there are some strangely sharp edges on some of the game’s more polished surfaces. The platforming is particularly egregious in its irrelevance, as it is seemingly emphasized despite an apparent lack of purpose. All of the sky-borne platforms and their ominous chains make for scenic backdrops, but navigating them is little more than tedious busywork. This isn’t helped by jumping and jump-boosting mechanics that occasionally refuse to work and the rare case of clipping right through a platform and into the abyss. Combine this with the drama-free chase sequences right out of Silent Hill: Downpour (just go forward to outrun the evil) and you are left with some underwhelming scenes in between the taut action. I also must report that the game crashed on me twice, although there is always a chance that such a failure lies at the feet of the hardware involved.

Another annoyance that comes and goes is the camera. While you thankfully have complete control over your view of the action the majority of the time, getting hit at the wrong moment or walking into certain areas will sometimes suddenly compel the camera to move of its own accord. This seems to be the game’s attempt to help you by re-framing the scene, but it almost always did more harm than good. It’s a relatively minor complaint in the grand scheme of things, but it did end up as a bigger issue than the much-feared 30 frames per second promised by the engine. The effect is barely noticeable unless you are looking for it, unlike the ludicrous dance you can force Dante to perform if you spin the left analog stick (Go ahead! You know you want to try it.)

Uh, is this spoilers?

You may have noticed that a good portion of this review has focused on mechanics and functional minutiae. While it is important to establish the way in which DmC differs from its predecessors, it is also inevitable that we would need to loop around to the style, tone, and aesthetic of the reboot, a.k.a. the most contentious aspect of the whole release. As previously established, the game is often an angst-ridden exercise in trying too hard to be dark and gritty, but it does occasionally get back to the roots of over-the-top spectacle and dumb, self-conscious humor. It never reaches Devil May Cry 3 levels of glory, but it is a serviceable attempt at forging a new path.

The best thing you can say for Ninja Theory’s art design is that it is consistent. Dante’s battle through Limbo may be full of worn tropes and hammy dialogue, but there is imagination to spare in the environment and monsters. The streets stretch and contract, monsters ooze and hiss, and all the while a strange red glow permeates the world, like an alternate version of Silent Hill from an 80′s music video. It’s an acquired taste, but one which grows on you over time. On the other hand, the same cannot be said of Vergil’s wardrobe….

How ya like me now?

It’s only January, but DmC: Devil May Cry may have already secured its place as the most controversial release of the year. 2013 may see other spin-offs, reboots, and developer changes, but it seems impossible to imagine any other property touching such a raw nerve within its fanbase. The reasons for this violent reaction have been clearly stated and reiterated time and time again, but we aren’t here to pass judgement on Capcom for its decisions–this is about one game, and its merits as an entertainment product.

As a third-person, stylish, character-driven, score attack action game, DmC is solid. It doesn’t break new ground or shake up any conventions, but once it comes into its own it is a reasonable amount of fun. Whether or not it is disrespectful of its source material is an argument for another day, but as a stand-alone video game it is a solid weekend rental or Steam sale bargain. However, its name remains redundant and goofy.

A copy of the game was purchased for review purposes and was completed in about 11 hours. The title was played on Xbox 360, but is also available for PS3 and PC.

Also, follow me on Twitter @austinyorski (please).

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