Few things are more controversial than change, doubly so in the world of gaming. The latest game to raise hell, literally and figuratively is DMC: Devil May Cry. Released on Jan. 15, DMC is the latest entry in the Devil May Cry series and serves as a complete reboot of the series’ story and characters. Ninja Theory, the developer behind the reboot, gave series protagonist Dante a more realistic and modern look, styling him with a more human appearance and removing his iconic silver hair.
When fans found out that Dante’s glistening locks were swapped out in favor of a trimmed brown haircut, in addition to his radically altered design, many immediately balked at the sight. Now, I will admit. I too was reluctant, when I first saw the new design for Dante, but in the end, since the game was a reboot, I felt it deserved a chance to prove itself.
After spending some time with the game, I have found that while it’s not the best Devil May Cry game yet, it isn’t a bad one either. For the most part, it’s a competent title with fast-paced action gameplay that follows in the traditional style of the previous games, allowing players to juggle demons in crazy combos, using multiple weapons in combat.
Dante’s new look has proven to be one of the most controversial changes in the series. Image courtesy Google Images.There are a few bugs and the inability to lock-on to specific targets is frustrating at times. Especially since this was a feature present in the previous Devil May Cry games. Also troubling is how easy Ninja Theory made it to rack up combo points. Instead of operating on how long you can keep a combo chain going in combat, combo chains in DMC don’t decrease until you take a hit from an enemy. Not only that, but it is far easier than usual to rack up combo points all the way to the rare SSS rank during regular combat.
The story of Devil May Cry has also seen a significant makeover to match the new gritty, realistic world that Ninja Theory has crafted. Dante is no longer half-human; instead his new backstory has him and his twin brother Vergil cast as nephilim, angel and demon hybrids whose angelic mother was murdered by the Demon King Mundus.
Dante, who managed to escape, has been hunted all his life by Mundus’ minions and has become a formidable young demon slayer. However, reunited with Vergil and his assistant Kat, Dante sets off to put an end to Mundus and set humanity free from his tyrannical grasp.
Limbo, the in-between world where Dante fights demons, is an artistic marvel of twisted reality. Image courtesy Google Images.For the most part, the story has been well put together and Dante and Vergil maintain the core aspects of their personalities as seen from previous games, but this time have a more human and relatable side that has never been seen before. It’s a refreshing change to relate to Dante more as a person in addition to admire him for his demon-hunting prowess.
There is one major moment in the story, where one of the characters (kept anonymous in order to avoid spoilers.) acts completely outside of his previous characterization as honorable no matter what. It was a shocking choice by the writers that really left a sour taste in my mouth. Apart from that, however, the story does an excellent job of distinguishing itself from previous titles with its new realistic setting.
All in all, DMC is not the Devil May Cry game we were all waiting for, but it still is a decent action game worthy of attention. I only wish it could have done better.
So gamers have you played DMC yet? If you are a fan of the series, what do you think about the new Dante?
What to get in touch and talk gaming? Contact the reporter at preston.sotelo@asu.edu or via Twitter at @p_sotelo
