How often have you heard the phrase: "You need to come to terms with your demons, and then you will find peace..."? Personally, I've come across this phrase repeatedly—in movies, in games, and in all kinds of songs. And when my mind touched upon the thought of those very demons, I would just sit and wonder: "Is it really impossible to fight them?" But fortunately, there is something—or more precisely, a game—that showed me that very struggle against a world without truth, honesty, or personal opinion. A world full of lies. A world that became the result of the secret, devilish imagination of the developers from Ninja Theory. This world is called Devil May Cry.
Even before the actual release, the game was surrounded by predictions about its future. Some predicted the series' downfall, others—success and glory. Such widespread discussion arose primarily because it was a reboot, and as is well known, most reboots crash and burn into the depths of history. But since the game was published by an external studio, it still had a chance for success. And now, when all bets have been placed, all that's left for us is to get to know the game better.
Story
The game immediately transports us to the fictional city of Limbo City. In this city, nothing happens by chance. This is where our new Dante lives, who will take on the role of the world's savior. His life follows a regular cycle until Kat appears in the game. She is the girl who warns Dante of impending danger and then leads him to his brother—Vergil. During their conversation, we learn that Dante and Vergil are not ordinary people, but Nephilim brothers—the sons of an angel and a demon. It also becomes clear that only a Nephilim can destroy the main villain, Mundus, who controls the masses and pushes people to all sorts of vile acts. That’s why the brothers have no choice but to join forces in this struggle.
It’s also worth talking separately about Dante himself. The folks at Ninja Theory really did create someone who is half devil and half god. The main character is incredibly interesting and attractive. Our hero has a rebellious look, great posture, and quick wit, and his regular lifestyle consists of clubs, alcohol, and random sex. By nature, he is proud, bold, sarcastic, and selfish. With such an unruly attitude, even just approaching another character or demon in the game, you immediately want to yell at him, “Come closer, you dumb piece of meat!”—and just turn him into an ugly pile of dung mush.
Gameplay
Speaking of mush. Let’s not forget that this game’s genre is a slasher, which means long combos and liters of cherry syrup splashed across your screen. The fights themselves, where all this syrup is “produced,” take place in the otherworldly realm called Limbo. And since the developers were aware of the monotony problem typical for games in this genre, they created such a cool and extensive combat system that even Chuck Norris would be jealous. And when it comes to boss fights, you no longer have to sit through long and idiotic explanations and monologues.
The weapons don’t disappoint either: there are plenty of them, and they’re divided into angelic and demonic types. The angelic arsenal includes a scythe and large shurikens, while the demonic list features a massive axe and fiery gauntlets that can break through any enemy block. These weapons differ not only in their stats but also in their origins: angelic weapons are fast and light but deal little damage, while demonic ones are slow, but if you hit someone with them, all that’s left is a furry puddle. Another feature is that some enemy types are immune to certain weapons.
Dante’s arsenal also includes the legendary series sword Rebellion and a pair of pistols. His weapon stash has been expanded with whips, which he can use to latch onto ledges or pull monsters toward him—or vice versa. Some other features worth mentioning are the demon mode and the bonus system (which I won’t talk about, since it’s completely unnecessary). In demon mode, Dante takes on his classic look familiar to fans of the series—red cloak and hair as white as Kate Beckinsale’s teeth. In this mode, you can pull off a ton of combos in a flash, turn the entire army of hell to dust, and satisfy all the old fans of the franchise.
The game’s locations are designed with smarts and a sense of style. The constantly shifting urban environment, reminiscent of the movie “Inception,” is a feast for the eyes and, at times, is even mind-blowing. It seems like everything is coming together perfectly for this game. But that’s only how it seems. Its flaw is the platforming element, which has been present since the original game. But it’s never looked as clumsy and awkward as it does here. It just doesn’t fit in. The platformer sections are slow and tedious, while the main gameplay is dynamic and fast-paced. The same goes for bosses: you’ll be tearing your hair out just to reach them, but when you finally do, the creature will die like a fly after the third hit.
Graphics and Sound
I can't say anything new about the graphics. Yes, it looks good, yes, they played around with the lighting, yes, they chose good viewing angles for the player, but nothing new was shown. As for the style, I have just one word—delight. But there's much more to say about the soundtrack. After all, Combichrist, a young Norwegian rock band, gave the game a bunch of well-known and perfectly fitting tracks. All the sounds and effects, merging together, create an unprecedented level of spectacle for the series' battles. Dante's shouts are precise and fitting, unlike the commentators in FIFA. The voice acting is also top-notch. Each character's voice is chosen perfectly for their personality and communication style. It feels like it couldn't have been any other way.
***
I just want to add that Ninja Theory couldn't please absolutely everyone, even though they really tried. They wanted to attract a new audience to the game while also keeping the old one. But they did manage to inject new blood into the game, and this, without a doubt, only benefited it. After all, it turned out stylish, vibrant, youthful, memorable, and thought-provoking, and when you play it—you enjoy it. Isn't that the most important thing?
