by Kabir Kaler
Hello and welcome to Kontroller. Today I will be talking about a game that brings something new, yet is a little nostalgic, called DMC: Devil May Cry.
Before I go on I need to say that this DMC is a new game with its own timeline that is completely separate from previous Devil May Cry entries.
Like previous entries, though, you control the main protagonist Dante; a nephilim (half angel, half demon). But this time he is an arrogant young man, living in a RV and who lets say speaks a “colourful” language. He is greeted by a girl named Kat who warns Dante that a dangerous demon found him and is going to kill him. With a couple scrapes and bruises he kills the demon and leaves the area with Kat. He is then taken to a terrorist organization called the Order where he meets the leader who he later discovers is his twin brother Vergil. He asks Dante to join his cause to kill the demon king Mundus who killed their mother and banished their father, and free humanity from his clutches to which Dante agrees. The story is darker and edgier than previous installments but ultimately this works out for the best because the story is more focused, with twists and turns everywhere, not to mention meeting twisted characters as you progress.
There are two different styles of art in this game; real world and Limbo (aka Hell). The real world takes place in an unknown city which is the main hub of Mundus and everything appears to be a normal city but it looks nice and detailed. Limbo is where all of the action occurs and is very exuberant. Each area is immediately distinctive from the rest and the way you traverse is just as unique. Both styles were taken with a western approach which is different from the usual Japanese style. One level in particular sticks out for me is when Dante is in a club he gets dragged into limbo and the entire area is a mix of the supernatural and techno, club style. It stands out because the colors are typically seen at raves, the area while twisted still retains that this is a club and you even have to press play to advance certain places. Did I mention that you also see a giant floating disco ball being used as an intercom?
The enemies you fight are all from Hell with some of them having a dark comedic value etched in their artwork. The style is punk rock with gothic elements, each unique and as they are from hell, the twisted look they have is consistent but surprising with each monster as you progress. Basically they’re three types of enemies; regular, fire and frost types. To your surprise the best enemy in this game I believe is Limbo itself. No matter where you are in the game Limbo tries to kill you by whatever means it can and there is nothing you can do but evade and survive.
The gameplay is a lot smoother and more stylish visually, with three types of weapons (excluding Dante’s sword Rebellion): Hell and Heaven, and handguns. Hell weapons (kills fire type) are stronger but slower and heaven (kills frost type) weapons are faster but give less damage. As with every Devil May Cry game you can fight enemies either one on one or in a group and as you are fighting you get stylish points depending on how well you are fighting with D (dirty) being the lowest and SSS (sensational) being the highest. The gameplay, while fluid brings a strategic element to the mix due to the frost and fire enemy mechanic. More than one occasion I found myself getting killed for a lack of a good strategy against the mix of these enemies. Your guns are more or less combo extenders and while they can kill demons it takes a while. There is also a learning curve when targeting enemies due to the lack of a lock on button.
Upgrading your weapons now relies on the grade you get when you finish the chapter and they mainly consist of acquiring new techniques and improving them. Red souls are still the currency but instead of collecting tens of thousands it is now reduced greatly, along with the cost of all the items in the shop. As with every dmc you have access to devil trigger which increases just about everything from damage to your grade but it is not well implemented. When triggered all your enemies go airborne, so you have to decide to either join them or bring them down, which takes precious seconds off.
This game is rated M and for good reason because dmc has everything from gruesome kills to nudity; and the swearing is consistent but colorful and unique so it’s not tedious to hear. The soundtrack was composed by Noisia and Combichrist and it suits the game to a T, having actual songs to just instrumentals. Along with the soundtrack, the audio you hear from everybody talking has been improved to be on par with the soundtrack. The game also has a lot replay value due to many different difficulties, a leaderboard, and Bloody Palace; a free dlc mode, where you survive 101 waves of enemies.
Overall this is a good reboot of the franchise. Game play is fluid and strategic; even though there is no lock on button, visuals are one I have never seen before artistically and visually they are superb, and the story is more dark-edged and serious. The characters themselves are up in the air as everybody has a different opinion on their appearance, their demeanor and the way they present themselves in the story. Personally I do enjoy the appearance of the characters because the way they present themselves is completely fresh and unexpected, which they made work. I give DMC: Devil May Cry 9 trillion stabs out of 10.