04/24/05 >> Devil May Cry 3

Genre: Third person action/fighting

Developer: Capcom

Publisher: Capcom

Official Site

 

 

 

 

Unlike most gamers who have ventured into the DMC franchise, I was one of the few who actually enjoyed Devil May Cry 2 for what it was worth, and found it a fun, if somewhat lacking romp in Dante's demon hunting adventures. Still, I was weary if the Devil May Cry franchise would be able to recover from such an admittedly average release, compared to its stupendous start. But when I picked up Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening on a whim, all my worries faded away.

 

The gameplay is simply an absolute pleasure to behold. The game makers smartly retained all the improvements from DMC2 and implemented them neatly into this new venture. The new "Style" feature lets players choose their own unique playing style depending on how you like to handle enemies. Do you like to fire guns in all directions and pump enemies full of lead? Try Gunslinger. You love the many unique weapons and string together as many neat and awesome looking combos as possible? Try out Swordmaster. You love dodging every attack neatly, speeding around as enemies fumble to hit you? Give Trickster a shot. In addition to Royal Guard, a very reflex based style based around blocking and returning giving damage, the gameplay possibilities are endless.

 

 

All the different melee and long-range weaponry makes the Styles fun to play around with, and see which one perfectly suits your unique playing style. While a lot of people complain about the difficulty of the game, I only really found the first few missions to be reasonably difficult, and by Mission 7 I had found my zone and got into the hang of things. Nonetheless the game can be very difficult at times, so expect to die at bosses quite a few times. But remember to save before a boss battle, as every time you save you retain your Style Experience and Orbs; a very useful gameplay feature, in my opinion. The only thing though I find DMC3 faulting, is in comparison to DMC1, its enemies are quite lacking. There's not much variety, and what is there do not really have that many attacks, unlike the Shadows or Frosts from DMC1, who constantly kept you on your toes. Nonetheless, the constant stream of enemies will keep your finger on the buttons, pressing away in this game.

 

Easily the strongest effort in the DMC franchise is putting together the story. Usually action games like this greatly lack in the story department, but DMC3's is surprisingly good, which is accompanied by surprisingly well done English voice acting. The story is simple enough to start: Years before the first Devil May Cry, Dante and his twin brother Vergil are at odds. Vergil wants the power of their father Sparda's sword, while Dante fights to keep his determined twin from obtaining ultimate power. This simple premise is done beautifully through the game’s cut-scenes and dialogue, giving both Dante and Vergil equally fun and engaging personalities to indulge in. Add in the demon slayer Lady, and the mysterious Arkham, you've got a great cast of characters.

 

 

The graphics are beautifully done, to say the least. The game’s environments are beautiful, returning to the original Devil May Cry's gothic environments that are amazingly immersive. Some environments are huge and scaling, beautiful to the eye, while some are small and cramped, adding to the frantic-ness of combat. The cut-scenes that further the wonderful story are done using the in-game engine, and are simply amazing to behold to say the least. As for the sound, Devil May Cry keeps to its heavy metal roots, nearly all the battle themes raging in hard rock. Differently this time, some of the songs use lyrics, but they're neither intrusive sounding nor even badly done lyrics, and only add further to the immersion into the game. Sound effects are spot-on, and as said in the story section, the voices used for the characters are perfect.

 

My first play-through on Normal lasted me about 15 hours. Even then, I hadn't maxed more than one Style, and only a few of my weapons had been maxed/all skills bought for them. If you truly want to experience DMC3 for all it's worth, you'll be playing Hard Mode and the dreaded Dante Must Die Mode, which will definitely keep you playing for some time. I'd estimate over 50 hours. Even I haven't beaten DMD Mode yet.

 

A truly wonderful game that has renewed hope and love for this formerly ailing franchise. Truly a treat for action fans anywhere. If you don't mind a bit of challenge (and who doesn't?) and want to return to seeing the king of badass demon slayers in action as he was during those oh so expressive teen years, do yourself a favor and pick this game up. You won't regret it.

 

 

 

------------------------------------------------------------

 

Game Score: 9.1

3D action/fighting at it's finest. A challenging game no gamer should be without.

 

Developer Grade: n/a

 

 

 

 

Reviewed by Mac Staff