Now I’m going to start by saying that I very much enjoyed replaying Devil May Cry 3. It evoked all kinds of nostalgia (being that it was the first game I ever played on PS2) and kickassery. Therefore this review probably won’t be as scathing as others I’ve done. This could turn out very good or very bad. So, uh, let’s go.
Firstly, let’s talk about the first thing everybody notices before anything else; the gameplay. The gameplay in Devil May Cry 3 is vastly better than in any previous (or future) DMC game in that it takes everything that made DMC1 great and improves on it while simultaneously erasing everything that was bad, evil and wrong from DMC2. Enemies are perfect; the balance between long range and short range attackers is second to none, although there are a couple of standard OMG-not-this-one-again enemies that have become something of a staple of the Devil May Cry series. To be honest, though, their placement is sparse; this is good because it allows you to make full use of the vastly improved combo system. This is easily the most intricate combat system ever devised by Capcom. Every move feels fluid and, while simple freeform combos are easy to pull off, getting masterful displays of whoop-ass to shine from Dante’s every orifice takes many, many hours of practise.
In the newer Special Edition, you are given the option to play as Vergil, Dante’s brother and arch-rival. This is the single best thing to happen to this game since it was given the green light. Vergil is truly a godsend and I’m actually having more fun learning to play as him that I am kicking ass with Dante at the moment. It’s a welcome new learning curve and he plays just as well as Dante does. If there is one negative about playing as Vergil is that it seems like a wasted opportunity for a more in depth look at his story. All you do is play through Dante’s levels with a different character. All the cutscenes are omitted which is a shame because it would have been funny to see Vergil insulting himself several times during the game.
I’ve heard a lot about the difficulty of the game too, to the point where it became one of the game’s biggest selling points. Buy this game for the ultimate challenge outside of old NES games, I was told. I was not disappointed. I died a grand total of twenty-four times against Hell Vanguard in Mission Two the first time I played it and the amount of time I got my ass handed to me by Vergil in all of his fights was obscene. However I persevered because this game actually gets you pumped rather than pissed off when you die. You just want to dive into that fight again and again. I have now kicked Vergil’s ass many a time just because it feels so good to do it. Then I moved onto hard mode and was stunned by the increase in difficulty again, although at least this time I had some experience under my belt, so I wasn’t owned quite as much. I think now most of the difficulty comes from the awkward camera. I mean, it was good for its time but it just can’t quite keep up with the fast paced action. It seems like the cameraman had had a rough night before he came in for work.
The story in DMC3 is also better than in previous games in my opinion (although that really isn’t saying much being as the last couple of plotlines were basically, go there and kill that because I told you to). It sees a younger Dante trying to find his brother, who happens to want to use the power of their father to gain immense power. However there are a few twists and turns which, predictable as they are, I won’t spoil for you. Dante grows a lot more over the course of this story than he does in other games although this doesn’t happen until the last few missions which makes the marked difference in his personality a little throwing. The pacing is usually quite good and the dialogue written for the characters is better than normal for a Capcom game, although there are a few …somewhat strange lines, one being, and I quote, “Right now my soul is saying it wants to STOP YOU!” …Yeah. Okay, Dante, whatever you say. *pats head*
The graphics in the game are, for the era, quite good, not so much in cutscenes (shovel to the face) but during play they are exquisite (in that they won’t distract you because they’re just that bad). However one thing is brought to mind that constantly breaks immersion for me. Dante really needs a better dentist. Honestly, in some of the cutscenes his teeth are so dark not even light can escape their not-so-shiny surface. That’s about all I have to say on graphics; they’re not brilliant but you won’t notice a lot wrong with them either.
A special mention should be made, I think, for the motion capture crew. They did a wonderful job of getting Dante and Vergil looking like real people. Parts to look out for in particular are:
The first cutscene of Mission Two, when Dante is turning around to inspect his shop after he sneezes and it falls down.
Any fight scene with Vergil in it. They. Are. Insane.
Of course, a DMC game would be a DMC game without heavy metal music and this one is no exception. Personally, I think this is one of the best tracks to play during intense fights ever. It is also the only music outside of the Final Fantasy series to earn a place on my Ipod. High praise indeed.
In conclusion DMC3 is an absolute gem of a game, and one I will play for years to come. If you don’t own it yet, fix that. NOW!
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