02/09/2006>> Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition (PlayStation 2)
Genre: Action / Fighter
Introduction
Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening, one of the best games of all time, was as saturated with incredible gameplay as it was with sadistic difficulty. Only those with the patience to master the game were able to derive the ecstatic excitement out of it. Those who understandably gave up under the sheer difficulty of the third level on easy mode threw their games into the back of their closets and never touched them again. Well, if you are one of those people, it's time to start digging in that closet. You will definitely want to trade it in for this game. If you are one of those godly pros who can finish the last mission on Dante Must Die! mode in only a few seconds, you'll still want to grab a copy of this game just to play as Vergil, the antagonist of the original version. Beware that your rankings do not transfer over. This means that you will have to start Dante's story from level one and build up your rankings again. Finally, if you are one who has never touched a Devil May Cry game before, this is the one to get.
Gameplay
This is what the original version of the game did well on, and there is not much difference in the Special Edition. Whether you play as Dante or Vergil, you have a vast arsenal of attacks that you can almost effortlessly release due to the fluid and responsive controls. However, some aspects of the controls can still be confusing for those who are new to the game. This especially includes rolling. The quickest and safest way to avoid enemy attacks is by rolling. However, to roll left, for example, you must tilt the control stick to Dante's or Vergil's left. If you tilt the control stick in the direction you want the character to roll, he may end up jumping straight up, leaving him wide open to the attack that you were trying to dodge in the first place. As mentioned before, the insane difficulty of the original game has been toned down to the point where normal people can finish the campaign without destroying the disk in a rage of frustration. For one, the difficulty levels do not lie; easy mode is finally easy. Not only this, but on one mode, called "Gold Mode," you can unlimitedly continue from a checkpoint when you die, so you do not have to worry about starting the stage all over again just because a boss killed you after a twenty-minute-long mission. For the masochistic players, there is still the impossibly difficult Dante Must Die! (as well as a Vergil Must Die!) and you can still set it on the "Yellow Mode" which requires that you find or buy a yellow orb to continue from the last checkpoint.
Story
The plot is still the same as before; a tower rises out of the ground with Vergil standing at the top, ready to open the door between the human world and the demonic realm. Dante ascends the tower to face his brother. But now, you can discover Vergil's side of the story. Well, not really. Basically, you get a new cut-scene right before mission 1. Then, you play through all of the missions, which are identical to those of Dante. However, during most of the game, you do not see any cut-scenes. You simply play through the level, see your ranking, and play through the next. The creators did not even bother to replace the Vergil boss fight with Dante. In other words, you, as Vergil, face Vergil wearing a red coat. You do not fight Dante at all. Vergil's Mode is pretty much just for the gameplay since it almost absolutely lacks a story.
Graphics
Not much can be said about the graphics. It is neither spectacular nor terrible. All parts are clear and you never have trouble distinguishing anything. On the other hand, there are games for the PlayStation 2 that look better. On a side note, although extremely rare, I have encountered one very brief period of slowdown while playing.
Sound
I just love the music in this game. It fits the mood very well and, in my opinion, is not annoying in any way. Some of the voice acting can be strange, but it shouldn't take away this category's perfect score.
Replayability
There are just too many things to do in this game. Once you beat a difficulty, another is unlocked. After you have finished the game on all difficulties on both Vergil's and Dante's sides, you still have to try to get perfect rankings in them. After that, you can try out the new survival mode, called Bloody Palace, which consists of 9,999 levels filled with enemies. When you reach the top, you get a special reward, so it is not a complete waste of time.
Game Score
9.2
Reviewed By: Contributed
