DmC: Devil May Cry - Honest Opinions

[StarStruckStrumpets]

[HEADING=1]DmC: Devil May Cry[/HEADING]

Due to the Tesco in my area selling the game before the release date, I managed to get DmC 3 days early. Having played the thing from start to finish on "Nephilim" difficulty (One up from normal, but to Devil May Cry players, it may as well be called easy), I can tell you that overall, I'm quite impressed. Don't get me wrong, I have my gripes but as a complete package, the thing works. Without running around for collectibles or forcing myself to get a SSS rank on every mission got through the 20 mission campaign in about 12 hours. The game does a good job of introducing new gameplay elements over time and by the 10th mission the difficulty spikes quite harshly. Now we've got the little introductory crap out of the way, let's get into the details.

Graphics/Art Design/Environments

Yes. Just yes. This game is beautiful. Almost all of the missions have their own colour pallet are extremely varied. For those who got pissed off with "Devil May Cry 4's" lazy copy-paste effort, consider this a huge point in favour of "DmC: Devil May Cry". I can't stress enough how good this game looks, and the PC version will blow the consoles out of the water in this department. However, with this game being developed on the Unreal Engine, there are a few recognizable issues. Some textures look like total arse, that is, if they decide to appear at all. Texture-popping is semi-frequent and shadows can be extremely choppy. If you've been following this game even remotely closely, you'll have seen some of the fantastic concept art floating around. For those who haven't, here are some screenshots and concept art.

Spoiler: Screenshot/Concept Art Comparisons

Story

It's good. Not fantastic or particularly memorable, but interesting enough that you keep playing. Ninja Theory's focus on character development means that you won't be just skipping cutscenes to get to the next fight. At least, I would hope you didn't skip them on your first run through. While I appreciate the white-haired 'camp as the rainbow' Dante as much as any Devil May Cry fan, Ninja Theory's Dante is fun to watch in a different kind of way. He starts out as a totally unlikable, misanthropic and selfish bellend, living in a dirty-ass trailer & refusing any help he is handed, but becomes something more akin to the Dante we all used to know. There's something very "Hero's Journey" about this iteration of Dante. I'm going to deal with this issue now though...the dialogue is really annoying. I have no problem with the use of expletives in fiction, but this game overdoes it for the sake of overdoing it. No, I'm not referring to this:

Awful. Just awful.​

While that video is the worst it gets in the game, it doesn't stop throughout. Only once did I find the use of swearing necessary, but also hilarious. A recurring enemy that you never manage to kill appears again in one of the later missions, blocking your path when speed is necessary, to which Dante says "Oh, fuck off!". Couldn't have put it better myself. If you wish to read on about the final mission of the game, do so at your own risk. I'm including this section for those who have most likely already spoiled things for themselves by reading leaked achievement lists and so on.

Spoiler: Mission 20: The End - Spoilers

They didn't fuck Vergil up. He still has his same lust for power, only it is expressed in a way that this universe allows. After defeating Mundus, Vergil claims that the world is "ready for us to rule" ('us') meaning the Nephilim). He goes on to explain how humans are fragile and require protection. Obviously Dante (now having become the Dante we all used to like so damn much) thinks this is a bad idea, and their rivalry begins. My God, it is fantastic. Unlike in "Devil May Cry 3" where you're having badassery overload and can't contemplate anything other than kicking Vergil's ass, DmC: Devil May Cry is damn depressing. The whole game explores Dante & Vergil's relationship, making Vergil a likable character only to turn it on its head and force you to fight him. The whole encounter feels tense. It's cinematic in a way that doesn't deny you gameplay options, and it feels much more like a "duel" than it does in Devil May Cry 3. Neither Dante nor Vergil really want to deal the fatal blow.

Gameplay

This is what you're all really concerned about, isn't it? I'm not going to sugarcoat it. DmC: Devil May Cry is a quite a step down from previous entries. The majority of the game's boss fights fall flat, using cyclical attack patterns that can be learned quickly. The Succubus fight in particular is cakewalk, even on Son of Sparda difficulty. Many are concerned with the "lack" of weaponry in this iteration, but I can assure you that isn't a concern. With so many moves available to you and weapon-switching mapped to the D-PAD of your controller, having any more than 2 angel & demons weapons respectively would be extremely hard to wrap your head around. I mastered everything there was to know on the demo, and believe me I'm still confused at the moment. Another worry is the apparent lack of enemies on screen, which I can yet again debunk. In fact, it is only on the second mission that you are assaulted by a horde of Stygians (Oil Creatures).

This can cause a few clusterfuck issues when enemies above are launching bombs and you're trying to keep away from chainsaw-wielding monsters below. While running at a consistent 30 FPS, some moves feels very clunky. The 'Roulette Spin' for example has forced pauses between every collision. Make no mistake, it has been designed as such, I assume this was to make it easier for more casual players (after all, this reboot was about refreshing the franchise) to swap between moves mid-combo. The PC version looks as if it will eliminate most of these problems though, as the 60+ FPS capabilities make every move look smooth. Jump cancelling is a joke, and hardly contributes to your style. The mechanic simply exists for people like you and I to showboat with. I'd also like to put your minds at ease regarding the platforming. Combat comes thick and fast. Platforming is now your "in-between" part, whereas with previous entries you were rushing to the nearest Divinity Statue to by the 'Speed' skill and make it to the next battle. While only having two platforming options (Angel and Demon grapples), they are designed in a way that has you changing hooks mid-platform to get where you need to go. This, coupled with environmental factors make for an engaging and somewhat challenging little distraction. My apologies for how poorly structured this section is, but there is just so much to cover.

The game is set to feature Bloody Palace mode as free post-release DLC, with the Vergil's Downfall DLC making its way to XBLA/Playstation Store in Q1 of this year. Of course, I'll have to wait a bit longer for that.

As I have no gameplay recorded myself, watch some of the press material and make up your own minds.


I hope this impromptu post of mine has been entertaining at least, if not informative. Feel free to make your thoughts about this reboot known on this thread, as I am probably in a good position to answer any questions you may have. Thanks for reading!

 

[Exius Xavarus]

I have a low opinion of DmC. I really, really don't like the character designs, from what I've seen. Dante's ugly as hell and his hair looks like he forgot how to use a brush or comb. Vergil is ugly, too. That's just me, though. While the concept of being half-devil half-angel is interesting, I'm not buying it. I know Date is a "badass ************" but being half-angel, he could at least act like he isn't 100% demon.

I'm not a fan, but that's just me.

 

[roushutsu]

I've played the demo and I don't think it's bad at all. I like the idea of the city coming to life and trying to stop you, and the action is pretty crazy. Once I got used to swapping between the angel and demon weapons, I had fun. I definitely wanna check out the full game once it's out.

From what you're saying, it sounds like what I figured was going to happen with his character. He's gonna start out emo or a dick, but as the game goes on he lightens up. Since it is a reboot and all, kinda makes sense to see that progression in an origin story.

 

[The_Scrivener]

The thing is, it doesn't matter what the rest of the game is like because they've turned Dante from an interesting, confident, unique badass into the persona of the worst kind of gamers. It pains me to think this is what gaming companies think players relate to. It scares me more that they're partially right.

Dante looks and acts like a self-entitled homeroom cut-up. I'm surprised his special attacks don't involve him fondling cheerleaders at parties against their will and trying to sneak into movies without being caught.

I'd rather actually play a game where the protagonist is a literal log of feces than endure the sexist, masochistic garbage that is this reboot.

 

[Dreiko_v1legacy]

Thematically and as a game, it's alright, I never had any big problems with Ninja Theory's prior games to be honest.


The little (or perhaps not so little) issue is, this is not a DMC game and they're selling it as such. If we go from one game into the next, each one ADDED depth and compelxity. DMC3 had a bunch of weapons you could swipe between and you could pick your style in the statue, in 4 you could swap between styles AND weapons. I'd expect the next one to go in a route of, dunno, fusing weapons and fusing styles on the go? Something! Something that's nuts and hype and over the top stylish. That is the biggest job of a DMC game, to blow the previous one's complexity and depth out of the window.

 

[StarStruckStrumpets]

The thing is, it doesn't matter what the rest of the game is like because they've turned Dante from an interesting, confident, unique badass into the persona of the worst kind of gamers. It pains me to think this is what gaming companies think players relate to. It scares me more that they're partially right.

Dante looks and acts like a self-entitled homeroom cut-up. I'm surprised his special attacks don't involve him fondling cheerleaders at parties against their will and trying to sneak into movies without being caught.

I'd rather actually play a game where the protagonist is a literal log of feces than endure the sexist, masochistic garbage that is this reboot.

This is what confuses me about fan reaction to the game. The only game where Dante has had any kind of character arc was the first. We learned more about him and he showed some kind of emotion. In 2, he was a miserable and silent "badass" all the way through. In 3 all Dante needed to get was his Devil Trigger. Apart from that, he remained the same cocky yet entertaining person throughout. 4 was all over the place, I think by then Capcom had actually started to use him as a parody of himself.

At least in this iteration he has grounded reasons for living the way he lives and changes gradually as he finds himself to be accepted by his brother and human friend.

 

[TehCookie]

I just watched a livestream of it since A: I'm not buying and B: I'm not a pirate. Honestly I think the game would of done much better without the marketing. It's not a good game by any means, but if they stopped baiting the fans there wouldn't be as much hate against it.

"If Dante, dressed as he was, walked into any bar outside of Tokyo, he'd get laughed out." Tameem[footnote]http://www.1up.com/previews/ninja-theory-devil-cry-cool_2[/footnote]

I'll get the praise out of the way: the environments are nice.

I found the story to be terrible. It would of been okay in something like the old games where the story takes a backseat Definitely not Tameem's "you should be seeing a story of Dante that breaks the myth that all videogame stories are trite and will never stand up to the best that theatre and film have to offer." (and remember the game is written, casted, and directed by himself.)[footnote]http://www.nowgamer.com/features/1161217/dmc_devil_may_cry_ninja_theory_capcom_interview.html[/footnote] The dialog is just cringeworthy and not in a good cheesy way. Once Donte defeats Mundus it's pretty much "They Live" with Twitter[footnote]Comparison: http://youtubedoubler.com/?video1=DCGibI2vtWg&start1=360&video2=ePf2GHE8dC0&start2=50&authorName=FAV[/footnote] (and Tameem had another self insert where he uses his real twitter name).

The worst part is the direction. If you look at the first reference this game is written, casted, and directed by only Tameem. He can't even pronounce yamato and Mundus correctly, and makes Donte talk with an American accent yet makes him say lines like "smells of sick". The inflection in some lines are just terrible. In the final fight between Mundus and Dante it sounds like a gay porno. [footnote]http://youtu.be/P3YVSow860s
Optional background music:http://www.youtubedoubler.com/?video1=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DP3YVSow860s&start1=0&video2=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DSbBi2j_HLTc&start2=&authorName=FAV[/footnote]

Onto the gameplay. I have no idea where to begin, so I'll start with some old things. Style is now based on damage and not varying up the moves. It runs 30FPS with extreme slowdowns. Watching the stream you could see if chug, or download the demo and see it for yourself. As StarStruckStrumpets mentions he pauses after a move which makes the entire game feel clunky, and the style meter is based on damage, not style. Though he doesn't understand that unlocking the FPS doesn't mean anything if the game is built in 30FPS, it will still have the jarring 30FPS animations and timing. The lack of a lock on makes things like a launch button and direction inputs necessary, instead of using the buttons for something else and improving on the old game. You can no longer lock on and strafe or use it to keep a tab on enemies around you. Grappling is completely overpowered and can be used for infinite air combat since JC is now useless. They completely removed styles limiting the movepool. While it does have more weapons than DMC4, they're not as distinct and are a poor compensation for removing styles. The game limits you further by forcing you to use certain weapons on certain enemies or certain areas. On the topic of enemies, they don't have an AI. They just stand there and let you wail on them and may throw out an attack every minute after ten seconds of advertising it. Bosses aren't any better and are usually a repetition of attack the boss til it falls down then hammer on the stunned boss for a quarter of their health.[footnote]Larva's boss (Poison) AI: http://youtu.be/eEvZJdkHn24[/footnote] While doing so you have a cutscene every few minutes breaking the flow.

I do find the platforming is more entertain than just running to the next area to fight but it has plenty of edge detection problems and doesn't work if you don't do exactly what the devs wanted you to do. You can angel dash to a platform and fall because you didn't angel grip the the platform.

Well I think I spent more time on this than I needed too, but if I missed anything feel free to say so.

 

[Aiddon_v1legacy]

seen the entire story on YT and...it's not good. It's REALLY not good. For all the Tameem's bragging it's not even as good as DMC3 and 4 which were simple but effective stories. What's really pathetic is that at the end

Spoiler

we're obviously SUPPOSED to side with Dante...but Vergil is the one being logical. He's merely saying they need to watch over the human world. But of course since Dante is "edgy' he must "fuck any system. Even the ones that are good." So not only is the hero a complete ass, the ANTAGONIST is the one who's right

 

[TehCookie]

This is what confuses me about fan reaction to the game. The only game where Dante has had any kind of character arc was the first. We learned more about him and he showed some kind of emotion. In 2, he was a miserable and silent "badass" all the way through. In 3 all Dante needed to get was his Devil Trigger. Apart from that, he remained the same cocky yet entertaining person throughout. 4 was all over the place, I think by then Capcom had actually started to use him as a parody of himself.

At least in this iteration he has grounded reasons for living the way he lives and changes gradually as he finds himself to be accepted by his brother and human friend.

Everyone ignores 2 for being terrible, and he has plenty of development in 1 and 3, while 4 focuses on Nero instead.

In DMC3 the whole game was Dante accepting who he was and taking care of his family responsibility. In the beginning he states "I don't have a father" and shuns his demon side and it's shown in fighting Vergil with his guns (his weapon representing his humanity) in the first fight. After he lost he admitted to having a demon side and jokes about having a father "I have a dysfunctional family too." and slowly becomes more serious about it "A son cleaning up his dad's mess, where have I heard this before?" In the second Vergil fight he uses only his demon power (Rebellion), where they are evenly matched. When it comes to the conclusion he embraces both his heritage and outright says "We are the sons of Sparda" during the final boss and embraces what was important to Sparda, protecting the human world.

 

[The_Scrivener]

The thing is, it doesn't matter what the rest of the game is like because they've turned Dante from an interesting, confident, unique badass into the persona of the worst kind of gamers. It pains me to think this is what gaming companies think players relate to. It scares me more that they're partially right.

Dante looks and acts like a self-entitled homeroom cut-up. I'm surprised his special attacks don't involve him fondling cheerleaders at parties against their will and trying to sneak into movies without being caught.

I'd rather actually play a game where the protagonist is a literal log of feces than endure the sexist, masochistic garbage that is this reboot.

This is what confuses me about fan reaction to the game. The only game where Dante has had any kind of character arc was the first. We learned more about him and he showed some kind of emotion. In 2, he was a miserable and silent "badass" all the way through. In 3 all Dante needed to get was his Devil Trigger. Apart from that, he remained the same cocky yet entertaining person throughout. 4 was all over the place, I think by then Capcom had actually started to use him as a parody of himself.

At least in this iteration he has grounded reasons for living the way he lives and changes gradually as he finds himself to be accepted by his brother and human friend.

I'm not a fan of the games so if my reaction is the same as the 'fan' reaction then it is merely coincidental shared viewpoint.

I don't know the rules on posting links, but in this instance, it is the fastest way to prove my point.

http://www.gamewallpapers.com/previews_480x300/wallpaper_dmc_devil_may_cry_02.jpg


That horse shit is everything wrong with gaming "culture" today and dumb rebooted Dante is right there in the middle of it. I don't want any part of this hypermasculinized crap trash. Regardless of the arc old Dante had, he wasn't conceived as a foul-mouthed high school hard-on jughead. We need characters like Jade from Beyond Good and Evil. We need characters like Lee and Clementine. We need characters that don't set gaming back a year every time they open their mouths for a line of dimwitted dialogue.

 

[Beautiful End]

Shouldn't this be in the Review forum?

Anyway, I played the demo and it was pretty good. Your typical hack-and-slasher but still pretty good. The one thing I didn't like was the cliched plot (Evil and mysterious organization and rebellious and lonely hero!) and Dante himself who acts like a pissy 14 year old. Before, he was just cocky. now he's just an annoying prick full of endless Fuck Yous.

If it wasn't for that, I'd buy it.

 

[The_Merchant]

It's a bad game, end of.
If a game fails to be what it is supposed to be, than it is not a good game.
And this game was supposed to be a devil may cry. Don't tell me to view this from a different perspective. NT had one job and that was to create a DMC and they failed at that one in many subjects. Especially since so many claimed it is on par with 3.
And it what regards is this still related to the DMC franchise? In very few things, and characters in name only.
Reboot/paralel universe or not. You can't name a drunk hobo Bruce and a black loyal mechanic Alfred and still claim it's Batman.
The gameplay is a straight step down from 3/4. No lock on. Which is especially a problem since the game features grappling hooks as a core mechanic. But how the hell do I tell what enemy I am going to hook to me or vice versa?
The angel/demon stance bullshit is unneccessary. Instead of holding the respective buttons you could have made a toggle option since the game often fails to realize that i ALREADY let go of the damn buttons.
The control scheme could have been better. Angel/demon stance could have been assigned to L1 and L2, erasing one dodge button that could have been used for lock on but nope, NT didn't have that in mind.
Mini-cinematics DO NOT belong in a DMC game. The last thing I wanna see after i finish an enemy wave is Donte's ''2edgy4u'' face. And the slow-mo finishers shouldn't even have been considered.
Gimmick enemies that can only be hit by certain weapons. Seriously NT? I thought you were making a DMC game not HS2.
It's limiting the gameplay, additionaly it's annoying since Angel and Demon weapons are horribly balanced.
Never ever did DMC4 or 3 force me to use a specific weapons against a specific enemy which added alot to it's already freestyle-based gameplay. Serious downgrade.
Platforming has been in the past DMCs but those were shortlived, but here they just seem to drag on and on.''The city is trying to get you'' they said. Yeah, through a sequence of scripted environmental changes which would only harm if you were retarded as fuck.
The story is bland and boring as hell. WHICH is exactly hurtful to the game considering the only reason NT was hired was for their story writing. But if the whole game relies on movie cliches and cultural references then I'd rather have the cheesy stories of DMC than inserting Twitter to look cool.
No taunt. Do i need t elaborate on this one?

Difficulty went down the drain. DMD on this one feels like this easy normal in 3.
Style ranking is broken. Nothing encourages you to vary combo moves. Which is reflected in the fact that moves can be repeated 3 times before they stop giving style meter and the meter never goes to the downgrades to the next lower rank.
Demon dodge + ultra OP move and voila you got a 8x score multiplier for the rest of the fight.

 

[King Billi]

I'm really glad I'm not a fan of Devil May Cry... Cause I really wouldn't want to be associated in any way with the people out there bitching about this new game and all its supposed sins... The behavior of some of the "fans" really has been far FAR worse than anything I've seen from Ninja Theory.


Seriously people, amend your attitude.

 

[CellShaded]

Played and loved the Demo, wanted to pre-order but couldn't get it straight from the Capcom Store(which, let's face it, had the best bonuses) because I don't have a credit card. Going to get it next month, though. Read through the OP's review, and even though it confirmed one or two of my worries, I'm still intent on getting the game, after I get the HD remakes of the first three.

 

[Drizzitdude]

I will be getting the game just because I found the demo passable. The combat still felt as great as it ever did and that is what is important to me in a dmc game. During my time in the demo (playing through every difficulty) I found that the only two things I didn't like about the game was 1: running into enemies that are only vulnerable to either angelic or demonic weapons, it limited my choices, my combos, and how I was allowed to approach combat in general during those times. I really don't want to stop mixing and matching moves for the ultimate combo just because some red asshole got i the way and now I have to use the slow ass axe.

The second thing I didn't like was the removal of the lock on system, it limits our combos, makes them harder to use (took me a good 5 minutes to get stinger + million stab down right and on the appropriate enemy)

Other than that I don't really have any other gripes I can think of, sure the boss was easy once you got the tactics down, but that is pretty much what it comes down to in every bossfight, memorizing their movement patterns and finding an opening or gimmick (like stunning a boss to use the devil bringer on as Nero or whatever)in order to defeat them.

 

[StrangerQ]

The major problem is that too many head in the ass fans have targeted this already to be piece of shit and will not change opinion even if you threaten them with an axe.

I had worries when i heard ninja theory was responsible for next game due changing from original devs but after seeing enought gameplay material in from of dev combo guide thingy and other combo vids i am trusting enough to get the game since it caters what i want from DMC game... GOOD COMBAT.

And if we are realistic none of the DMC games have really good story and i am speaking as a fan of series. Its decent but nothing god like what more rabid fans seem to think