Few games have received as much hate, controversy, and cause an all out fan war between the optimist and the pessimistic as much as Ninja Theory’s and Capcom’s reboot of the beloved franchise Devil May Cry. 2 years since its TGS announcement the game is finally among us, but has Ninja Theory and Capcom crafted a superior Dante and friends, or was all the condemning just.
To answer that question simply, it would be yes and no. DmC: Devil May Cry is a great attempt at rebooting the franchise that is only held back by a lackluster story, presentation, and annoying game design choices. But even through its minor downfalls, DmC manages to be something that is missing from many of todays games. FUN. Right off the back the game kicks things into high gear with Dante spending a night with the ladies to be waken up, in the nude, by Kat a psychic / medium / witch / rebel with a demon hot on your trail. From there you are thrown into the new world of DmC. Limbo. Limbo is the single greatest improvement Ninja Theory has added to the franchise, and should be carried on from here forth. Limbo takes the normal boring world of DMC and throws it into a hellish playground for demons to affect the real world without their presence being known. It’s concept is typical for handling such situations, but it’s execution in-game is flawless and truly sets DmC apart from every other game in the franchise and every other hack and slash out there.
But as great as the first 10 - 20 minutes are it’s still a standard, but beautified tutorial of the games basic controls and gameplay. And upon beating the first mission, your next mission throws you right back into another 10 - 20 minute tutorial as you gain access to your demon and angel powers. So the first 20 - 40 minutes are literally tutorial for a game that’s 8 - 10 hours long.
However, after completing the first 2 missions of the 20 Mission game, things begin to really develop, as you take on the hoards of demons standing between you and the demon King Mundus. But unfortunately that’s all the story ever really develops into, which is disappointing considering Ninja Theory’s strength in storytelling in it’s previous games. DmC like it’s predecessors is a story about performing a demon hunting job and seeking revenge on demons for hurting people, or in this case breaking up Dante and Vergil’s once happy family. At times it’s interesting and clever, then it’s dumb and vulgar, but it never really gets past that which is truly unfortunate.
The cast is a mixed bag ranging from good to mediocre. The game is at it’s best when Dante, Vergil, and Kat interact with one another. Both Kat and Vergil (although Vergil is vastly different in personality from previous games) are thought out characters and from the beginning their roles are clear. To get this mess of a Dante headed down the right path towards salvation. Dante is a far cry from previous installations as well. He gives his infamous 1-liners with a hint of charm, and innuendo, but he’s also vulgar and extremely cocky which can be unappealing for a protagonist you’re planning on spending the next 8+ hours with. If I had to compare the two I would say Old-Dante is a J-Pop Rocker, while New-Dante is straight up Punk Rock and doesn’t give an explicit about it. That being said New-Dante does grow on you by the end of the game, and it’s a shame that Ninja Theory went to such extents to give the bad-boy look and fell when mowing down armies of demons like nothing was more than enough. The major villains and bosses are all forgettable. Ninja Theory did a great job at conveying how the demons have taken over the world with a contemporary twist, but the characters themselves are completely underwhelming and sometimes flatout ugly in design (Lilith).
The writing doesn’t really fair any better either. For the most part it’s standard game writing, but the vulgarity of some parts of the game seem completely out of place for the typical hack and slash. The phrase “FU” is used at least 5 times throughout the game, and its use is just pointless. One piece in particular stood out where Dante and Vergil shared a brotherly spat about who’s better at what, with Dante saying “I’m stronger”, Vergil replying “I’m smarter”, Dante replies “I’m better looking”, and you think it end there as both smirk, but then it’s ruined by Vergil saying “I have a bigger D!@#”. Its just moments like those that make the game feel dumb and vulgar instead of witty and charismatic. But for what its worth the game does a slightly above average job at telling a decent story.
While the story and writing may have not lived up to expectations, surprisingly the gameplay has. DmC is by far Ninja Theory’s best work in the gameplay department. DmC plays beautifully and is full of depth. Like previous games you start off with the trusty sword Rebellion and the twin pistols Ebony and Ivory, and can unlock new attack and abilities to improve your movepool of attacks. But unlike the previous games instead of using Red Orbs you earn upgrade points to upgrade skills. It’s a nice improvement as it allows you to freely spend those Red Orbs on much needed Health and Devil Trigger upgrades.
Angel and Demon modes are new additions to the franchise and the second greatest improvement to the game. Personally I’m a huge fan of the free combat in the originals (especially DMC 3 and DMC 4). However, the addition of Angel and Demon modes adds a layer of strategy that simply wasn’t in the originals. But not all is good regarding these new abilities. Early on it can be a bit confusing and takes a while to get use to especially coming off of previous games. You’re better off playing a few levels of Heavenly Sword to prepare for DmC’s combat. Later in the game there are also enemies who are completely unaffected by one of your new forms, or one of the new forms and Rebellion which can be annoying when fighting large groups of enemies filled with multiple immune demons. It’s one of the bad game design decisions that make DmC stumble on its way. The whole point of DMC games is to master combos and juggle multiple enemies, but with no lock-on a misplaced attack can interrupt your momentum and cause you to miss out on getting a perfect SSS score. DmC is all about fast and frantic crowd control, but hitting an immune enemy and stumbling back just breaks your rush.
Another thing that break immersion are the after mission rankings. Although rewarding and inspiring replays, they ruin the flow of the story when you end a mission. Instead of taking them out they should be implemented in the say way Bayonetta does to keep things flowing along.
Beyond combat however, DmC is also a platformer at heart. Using your Angel and Demon powers you must traverse through the stages and safely guide Dante through obstacles that are easy at their hardest.
Probably the biggest problem with DmC is the engine running the game, Unreal Engine. For the most part the game looks solid, but for such a high profile game you’d expect better (Gears of War 3 good). There are some annoying graphical errors / choices such as a weird shadow effect that sketches it’s way across the characters faces that mar the game. On top of that there are common Unreal Engine problem such as delayed texture loading, screen tearing, and frame rate issues. It’s expected seeing how Unreal Engine has struggled to run smoothly for most games on the PS3, but unfortunate considering Ninja Theory's history and experience developing for the PS3. There’s also an unforgivable lag in the upgrade menus. But not all is bad. The time in Limbo is some of the most captivating work in the game, and there are times where the game becomes so artistic and Zen-like that it feels like the game is being created by two very different minds (chalkboard).
Overall DmC is a success with some unfortunate, but fixable faults. As I said at times the game feels like it was developed by two different minds. For every great idea there’s a minor annoyance that could and should have been discussed and fixed well before the games release. The combat loading screen is pretty cool, but there’s a lot of loading and the loading screen of Dante and his mother Eva often results in quite a long waiting session. The controls are completely customizable which is great, but the lack of a lock-on button to target enemies is a step back. The weapons are some of the best in the franchise, and you get them by beating a boss like previous games, but why do each boss give you access to a weapon they don’t even use. There’s a training mode and challenge missions to test your develop and improve your skills while offering longevity, but DmC is easier than any of the previous games to begin with, and getting better allows you to blow through the game effortlessly. For those who want the series known difficulty you must play on Nephilim from the very beginning. Then there are dumb ones like the world drinking Succubus juice, and Dante and Vergil being immune to it, but somehow stepping in it burns Dante like a genital rash he may or not have contacted prior to the game... And for all the mention of Dante’s newfound Angel abilities and lineage there’s no sign of Angel’s in the game outside of paintings.
DmC is a good game. It has its share of weaknesses like most games do, but it also has some great strengths. Ninja Theory brings the world of Devil May Cry to life like Capcom never has. Limbo, Witches, Demons, Mediums, Psychics, and Spray Paint spells all sell the lore. When Dante and Vergil share a scene together it’s some of the best moments in the game, but whether that’s because of their prior history in older games is unknown. The new Dante is very rough around the edges and will be a hit or miss with most fans of the franchise. But he eventually grows on you especially when he opens up to his more heroic side, and we get to a glimpse of the old Dante we know and love. The game has a very anti-climatic ending that could have been handled so much better, but after beating it all I could think about was wanting to play more, which proved to me that through all the negatives DmC was a worthy successor to the franchise, and if Ninja Theory and Capcom can take the best of both worlds they've created and blend them together, then they will have something truly special on their hands next go-around. DmC won’t change the minds of those who have already labeled it, but it’s here, it exists, and it’s worthy of the name it has taken on.
Toyama discuss is Slitterhead going to be an action-adventure game and expresses horror while aiming at a wide range of entertainment, also if the trailer on The Game Awards was running on in-game engine or not.
Translated from Japanese to Arabic to English. I'm going to take anything here with a massive grain of salt.
It's not meant to be silent Hill. Their last game was an action game (Gravity Rush) and they want to do a new series rather than try to make another slow paced horror game like silent Hill or Siren. They've already made lots of those games.
They literally said they were "going back to their roots" and cited "Silent Hill" left and right in this project. They never cited Gravity Rush as an inspiration, you can't really blame people for being disappointed. It's like citing the most delicious burger you ever ate as an inspiration for a ham sandwich. It can still be good, but it's not remotely like your inspiration.
@TricksterArrow considering nothing was shown that could be considered gameplay the experience of actually playing the game could be very different than the vibe given from the trailer.
I dunno, like Toyama's definition on "won't focus on psychological horror" could mean going from his usual next tier WTF is going on horror to just normal mind fuck levels.
Hideaki Itsuno almost resigned from Capcom following the release of DmC: Devil May Cry.
I don’t blame him after how bad that game was and how poorly it sold (almost killing the series) I wouldn’t want to be at the company that greenlit that abomination.
The other article won’t let me respond anymore but quit saying it sold the worse and almost killed the series because that isn’t true. I don’t use wiki’s that anybody can put whatever they want the stats I posted were from capcom themselves from just back in August. I’m pretty sure they themselves know better than the wiki you tried to link.
Capcom wanted the original release to sell 2 million. Which was lower than DMC4 sales. When they were not on track for that 2 million they lowered it to 1.2 million. The numbers only went up when they re-released it on everything else and even then DMCHD collection performed relatively better. Get over it. Donte is dead and the real Dante lives. Troll harder and elsewhere kid.
To further add to what Segata said the wiki takes the sales data FROM Capcom, silly boy you can rage all you want but the fact is only a loud minority liked DmC, the game is a faillure and a black mark on the series the fact that we got DMC5 instead of DmC 2 should make that obvious.
@Ak91 lol no it doesn’t what I posted was from capcom and so the poster below can see what I’m talking about ill post them again. 4 sold 3 mil,DmC sold 2.4 mil,3 sold 2.3 mil,1 sold 2.16 mil,2 sold 1.7 mil and the hd collection sold 1.1 mil.
@segata how is sharing my opinion that DmC isn’t bad like the hardcore gate keeping DMC fans try to make it out to be trolling? There’s a reason you see a lot of people on the web wanting a sequel to DmC and there’s a reason it sold well and is one of the highest rated DMC games there is. Trolling is saying hurr durr the DMC series sucks and only DmC is good which I’ve never said. Now I’ve said the series only has one masterpiece with DMC 3 while 1 and 4 are just ok and 2 is straight bad and I’m sorry but that’s not trolling. You don’t share my opinion that’s fine but don’t resort to the trolling accusation because you don’t agree with someone that’s just childish and not a good look.
DMC is the worst selling Devil May Cry game. That is a fact.
DMC is the worst Devil May Cry game; but it still is a good action game.
Yeah, so, the game was actually a pretty good action game bro. Not as good as DMC 1,3 and 4, but a good action game.
In no way, shape or form was it a "bad game", it just wasn't really a DMC game.
Now a bad game would be DMC 2. That one was just a disaster
It wasn't a bad game by any stretch of the imagination.
It was a stylistic reboot that did it's own thing, nodding towards the tone and mechanics of the original.
That's usually how reboots work. It was a solidly made game through and through, thus any opinion of the game is just that - opinion; based on whether you enjoyed the new take on the series.
The game reviewed rather quite well. Fans of the original series just didn't like the take on the reboot. I actually enjoyed the game for what it was. Solid story, good combat/gameplay. But, I was also never a very big DMC fan so I didn't get caught up in the the remake controversies.
This isn’t true this was on resetera and its worded like that to make it sound like DmC made him want to quit and that’s not what happened.
Outsourced development to external team was an insult to internal team, more so if they think they can do that.
I never liked DmC, i tried to like it, but i couldn't. It just didn't appeal to me.
But strangely i liked dmc. I finished it.
Now i am interested in DmC5. It feels so realish/americanish like dmc compared to DMC 1-4 Which felt more fantasy-ish/manga-ish.
Meh. All these cry baby purists can suck a fat one. Devil may cry 5 is the definitive one but DMC rocked and got phenomenal reviews. You guys should just be happy the DMC future isn’t just pachinko.
Yep. I loved it too. dmc has more "mature" atmosphere than DMC, like American TV series. It's more suited to the setting and characters in Devil May Cry universe. The DMC 1-4 was more like a US comic book written by Japanese mangaka.
I haven't played it yet, but it seems DMCV has that "mature" American TV series atmosphere.
This week, the @ARGCast, Robert (@thedcd) from NMOGames, MaroonersRock and SuperHeroHype and David (@DaGiltyMan) from RetroZap join Mike (@AssaultSuit), Tiny (@Tiny415) and ;Aaron (@Ind1fference) to talk about Battletoads, games, movies, low flow toilets and more video games.
This game isn't going to turn any naysayers into believers, but let me start by saying it is a good game.
My final score may seem a bit higher than the review indicates, but I really enjoyed it. The games major failing are Presentation such as frame-rate, screen tearing, lagging menus, graphical glitches, texture loading, and a mediocre story.
That may seem like a lot, but none of that takes away from how enjoyable the game was.
One thing I really wised they had changed was to keep Dante and Virgil on good terms in the end. I really enjoyed seeing the brothers being pleasant with one another, and working together. It really gave them a moment that the older games didn't have.
The DmC reboot is better than the previous DMC games in almost every category. It has better music, Better level design, better story, more enemy types than any other dmc game(new one almost every mission), better controls where you can easily switch between all your weapons in mid combo, No fixed camera so no more awkward level traversing, more believable main character and no more Dante trying too hard to be cool. The only negative i can think of is engine choice(unreal engine) and lack of polish.
The ones that are killing this franchise is not Ninja theory or Capcom, its the so called "fans" that want to bash a perfectly good game without even playing it for the sake of wanting Capcom to continue to push out the outdated game design from last gen.
As a huge fan of the DMC games i have to admit that this new one is simply brilliant!!Gameplay is perfect,story is finally interesting,and Dante is full of life and personality and you can sympathize with him,don't get me wrong i love ''old'' Dante but he was just cool and nothing more.Give it a chance and you will love it!!
Time for a little Rebellion!!