Gamers@Play's Understanding Ninja Theory’s DMC Devil May Cry

With the game so close to release, it is saddening to see that many gamers still do not fully understand DMC Devil May Cry – the child formed from Ninja Theory and Capcom Japan’s partnership and re-imagination of a successful and treasured franchise. Since the game’s initial announcement during the Tokyo Game Show back in 2010, long-time fans of Dante (the series protagonist) and his fictional universe have been more than skeptical many reeling with rage and others sulking in disappointment as the soon-to-be fifth installment in their beloved franchise offered everything they did not want in a sequel.

[WolfLeBlack]

An enjoyable if short read.

Ninja Theory have been getting a hard time of it since the announcement, and in all honest they've weathered it pretty well. Some of the abusive stuff they've gotten has been out of hand.

As for the game, controversial is almost an understatement! The article voices the opinion that most people just don't get DmC, and I do agree to an extent: there's a lot of fans who aren't willing to judge DmC by its own merits, which is a shame. Of course they're perfecty allowed to not like it, I just wish they'd give it a chance, but right now many of them feel like they simply want to rip it to shreds because it's not DMC5, which I do find a bit ironic in this age when everybody complains companies aren't willing to take big risks with their franchises. This is why! If they do, they get ripped apart for it. Perhaps Capcom should have done this as a new IP, although then it would have been called out for being a copycat.

Ah well, even as a fan of DMC since day 1 I'm looking forward to giving this a shot. So far it looks like a good action game, but unil I've got the whole game in my console I'll reserve judgement on it.

[zerocrossing]

I think most fans of Devil may cry realise by now that DmC is in no way connected chronologically or canonically to the previous instalments, if not they should do now.

This isn't even really an issue anymore, and neither is the fact that DmC is a "reboot" the problem is that many fans (some of which have supported the franchise ever since it's original release in 2001 on the PS2) are either alienated or insulted by the new direction, to such an extent that it seems oddly stubborn and border line arrogant for Capcom and NT to have continued down this road knowing full well fan reception would be less than pleasing.

Basing my opinion on DmC purely off its own merits, I find it choppy, buggy, ugly, and screaming for attention. A handful of good and original ideas crumbling under the weight of awfully implemented game mechanics and horribly realised, dislikable characters.

DmC is not a game I would consider buying regardless of it's title, obviously.

I know my opinion isn't shared by everyone but what I fail to understand is, how is having strong, perfectly justifiable reasons for disliking DmC in anyway less valid than having reasons for liking it?.

[WolfLeBlack]

In regards to the last part of your reply, having justifiable reasons for not liking it is completely valid! The only thing that bothers me a little is when people don't like it because it's different from the past games, which is sort of the point of a reboot.

If you've played it and you dislike it, fair enough, mate!

Touching upon Capcom and NT being arrogant for still making it, the way I tend to view it is it's their game, they can do what they like with it! As a consumer I like it when companies listen to the fans, but ultimately its up to them. Capcom have already said that they wanted this to be a radical departure for the series, and so they clearly knew it probably wouldn't go down well with the fanbase they have. It's a big risk for Capcom, and in a way I've got to appluad 'em for that considering nobody else is ever willing to take a gamble.

You raise fair points for me to consider. I'd probably put forth the argument that as a reboot it's not intended to please the current fanbase, but gain a new one, although I personally don't agree with that argument it's still one worth consideration, I reckon.

I've not played the demo as I'd rather just try out the entire game. When it comes around I'll form an opinion about it from its own merits and hopefully it'll be a good opinion. If not then it's a shame, but that's what happens and at least Capcom did what everybody complains other companies won't and took a risk.

To be honest, even as a huge DMC fan I'm not sure if I wanted another regular sequel, because apart from graphical upgrades the series hasn't exactly changed all that much over the years. That statement probably got me a few haters, but I think it's fair, really. That's partially why I'm interested to see what they can do with DmC.

I just read this entire comment back and realised that I must be suffering from a lack of sleep! It reads pretty badly, but ah well, hopefully you get the gist of what I'm saying: good be good, wish hardcore fans would give it a chance before blowing it off entirely and then if you don't like it, fair enough.

[fei-hung]

@wolfleblack

I think the point you are missing or you have failed to understand is that the majority of people who dislike the game is because it is different for all the wrong reasons pointed out very accurately by zerocrossing.

NT are also notoriously known for hyping their own product then under delivering, as they did with Heavenly Sword (great game with broken difficulty level and average combat) and Enslaved (claimed it will be better than Uncharted2, but again didn't live up to it in any shape or form).

The other important aspect when talking of a reboot is understanding what you can and cannot do with a reboot. If you change the characters, their history and the history of its universe, can you even call it a reboot?! Currently, it is only by name a DMC game and nothing else.

Journalists fail to understand the whole DMC DmC fiasco. They forget who created DMC and how the person and many of the talent behind it have formed a rival dev company called Platinum Games. How NT have a dislike for the creator of DMC and the game itself. How NT and Capcom together have created a DMC which has been designed to completely go against everything the original was.

Shoddy journalism, shitty devs and a sour grape publisher called Capcom all points at an overhyped game that will get good reviews as journalists hate eating crow.

[AsimLeonheart]

I find nothing wrong with reboots but the problem is that DmC is an inferior re-boot when it comes to gameplay. Reboots are done to rejuvenate a franchise by creating a superior entry that eliminates the flaws of the original and brings new ideas to the table. DmC is inferior in every way especially gameplay which is the core element of a DMC game. The button scheme and controls are overly complicated and ridiculous, enemy AI is stupid, game is very easy, barely runs at 30 FPS and finally gameplay mechanics and ranking system is broken. The lesser important issues consist of abandoning the original characters and the series' lore. It is for all these reasons that original DMC fans are hating this game.

[zerocrossing]

You made pretty good counter argument considering you say you're tired lol, I wish more people could be as open minded about it but well their you go.

I'll still play the game because I want to give it a fair chance but Im really not sure it's for me, and well you said it yourself in a round about way but it probably isn't, I guess I'll find out soon enough.

[VileAndVicious]

I agree with your points completely. You seem to be a very reasonable person.

[Root]

He's defending dmc and you agree with him

I am so shocked /s

[VileAndVicious]

Lol pretty much.
Isn't there a metal gear revengeance article somewhere for you?

[prototypeknuckles]

its not the fact that its not DMC5 but is more so that its a downgrade and the disrespect that NT has towards the fans and the series, like seriously read some of the stuff they have said towards the fans especially the non hostile ones, and the stuff they have said about the franchise, characters, and even other similar yet way better games such as god of war and bayonetta, NT has no respect.

and as gamers when we have a favorite franchise we want things to slightly change in it but not to the point where nothing is even similar, they should have just made a new ip then i think if you have to use an established name to sell a game even though its completly different then your not really trying anything different, like the new tomb raider, its like an upgraded version of the previous games, or prince of persia 2008 very different but similar atmosphere from PoPSoT, and it still has an acrobatic character that is the prince,Legend of spyro, hes still a purple dragon that breathes fire and other abilities, sparx is still there, the gems are still there, they just added combat, DmC guy doesnt act like Dante , the gameplay is downgraded,the lore is completly differnt and is kind of off, they should hve just made it another game.

imo i still think its gonna be an okay game, but it will never be a DMC game, im gonna rent it but i will never buy it new because of the way ninja theory acts,and people just try to throw the hair color thing at people that have general complaints and speaking of which i like the way new dante looks, but you never completly change the way an iconic character looks, i can bet you if they completly changed the way mario, sonic, zelda, kratos, master chief, natahan drake looked then people would complain, just look at cole from infamous fans complained about that and he only had one game.

[J-Killer15]

For argument's sake let's strip this game of the DMC name and judge it on its on merits. What is it about this game that screams innovation? As a fan of action games in general, what makes this one on par or if not better than Bayonetta, NG, God Hand, and Viewtiful Joe? I'm just trying to understand the appeal of this game.

[zerocrossing]

That's the point isn't it, basing DmC off its own merits is a step backwards in regards to action games so why not dislike it solely for that?

Features like scripted morphing environments aren't really all that original its just never been used as a selling point before as far as I know, as for the plot and characters they seem even more cliched and corney than before, "cool and edgy" was probably the direction NT were going with but it just fails miserably at it, trying to be edgy for the sake of being edgy misses the point of being original and in the 1st place.

I know I keep banging on about this but I find it hard to like characters I can't empaphise with and the characters of DmC are poorly realised and generally dislikable...

Solely basing DmC off it's own merits when all it's doing is riding the coat tails of past succes and hiding behind the name of a far superior franchise, is really a hard thing to do.

[Root]

"and in all honest they've weathered it pretty well"

No they bloody havent, the reason people called them in the first place was because NT called us first. They have no respect for the franchise and the fans and everytime they've spoken about the game for the past two years since it was announced they've dug themselfs into a biggerhole.

[blainio09]

Reposted above comments underneath full article

[Hanso]

http: //i.imgur.com/TNNEg.jpg

lol lol

[Elda]

Can't wait to play!!

[fei-hung]

I'm surprised NT didn't call it D'MC (pronounced Da MC). Dante, a Nightclub MC who travels the globe killing demons. The better you perform at gigs, the more respect you earn from the clubbers, the more women and men you get to sleep with (it's NT choice as it shows a more modern Dante who is bisexual). This then attracts demons to your club and whatever venue you have chosen for the orgy. Bosses are fought when going up against rival mC's, who are also demons that own and run nightclubs (nightclubs are the product of the devil) where you have a huge mc battle 1st and if you win, you create enough buzz from the crowds that you can absorb to power up your devil trigger (devil trigger is only used for boss fights as a cool Dante won't need it for every day use, but only for the big ones). Once you go into devil trigger, you transform into Marlin Manson (cue "Sweet Dreams" by Marlin Manson) and do weird funky devil combat with the boss until you beat him.

At the very end after having travelled to 4/5 major locations around the world, taking out the biggest Nightclubs, you learn that Ozzy Osbourne is your father (the dark knight) and Sharon is not your mother. Your mother was a groupy that was later killed by Satan at another gig. Hence why you are into orgies and crack etc. you learn you have a brother called Virgil, named as such as he is forever going to be a virgin. Why you ask? Simple, he betrayed his family and became a opera singer. Yes, Mundus aka Satan is non other than Pavarotti. To be continued.

[Hanso]

xD