DMC: Devil May Cry Review

[MailOrderClone]

Belief in something without proof is something that I'm talking about, actually. How many people are complaining about or defending a game that they have no firsthand experience of?

The game is out now, and people are making more informed opinions of it. Those opinions seem to be highly negative, particularly in so far as their feelings go toward their protagonists administering abortions via high-powered firearms.

 

[deanospimoni]

Belief in something without proof is something that I'm talking about, actually. How many people are complaining about or defending a game that they have no firsthand experience of?

The game is out now, and people are making more informed opinions of it. Those opinions seem to be highly negative, particularly in so far as their feelings go toward their protagonists administering abortions via high-powered firearms.

Yeah, that is rather disgusting. Not going to argue with that. This review was rather positive. Quite a few are rather positive. And yet people tend to ignore the ones that disagree with their preconceived notions.

 

[Dreiko_v1legacy]

What makes me laugh here is that the discussion about this game seems more contentious than most of the discussions in the R&P forum, nearly indicating that fanboyism and anti-fanboyism are religions unto themselves.

Religion is belief in something for which there is no proof. Fanboyism or, as I see it, passionate discourse about topics of fascination, is evidence-based and typically uses factually provable or at least factually-bases criteria for it's maxims.



Just because you're fanatical about something, that alone a religion does not make. It just makes it inspiring, something that religions also can be to some people I guess.

Belief in something without proof is something that I'm talking about, actually. How many people are complaining about or defending a game that they have no firsthand experience of?

Furthermore, you defined faith, not religion. Faith is a component of religion, not it's entirety.

You don't need to actually play the game to see the things with the cutscenes that are thematically wrong about it nor to comprehend what 30FPS will have as a consequence in regards to gameplay.


Faith is what differentiates religion from strongly held beliefs, passions, those kinds of things. It is this aspect which makes something be a religion instead of a passion. People don't seem to just "believe" this game has issues without any basis in fact just because someone they just "believe" knows the truth told them so. They see stuff, they think about it, then they reach that conclusion independently and without proselytizing, lectures or force.

 

[deanospimoni]

What makes me laugh here is that the discussion about this game seems more contentious than most of the discussions in the R&P forum, nearly indicating that fanboyism and anti-fanboyism are religions unto themselves.

Religion is belief in something for which there is no proof. Fanboyism or, as I see it, passionate discourse about topics of fascination, is evidence-based and typically uses factually provable or at least factually-bases criteria for it's maxims.



Just because you're fanatical about something, that alone a religion does not make. It just makes it inspiring, something that religions also can be to some people I guess.

Belief in something without proof is something that I'm talking about, actually. How many people are complaining about or defending a game that they have no firsthand experience of?

Furthermore, you defined faith, not religion. Faith is a component of religion, not it's entirety.

You don't need to actually play the game to see the things with the cutscenes that are thematically wrong about it nor to comprehend what 30FPS will have as a consequence in regards to gameplay.


Faith is what differentiates religion from strongly held beliefs, passions, those kinds of things. It is this aspect which makes something be a religion instead of a passion. People don't seem to just "believe" this game has issues without any basis in fact just because someone they just "believe" knows the truth told them so. They see stuff, they think about it, then they reach that conclusion independently and without proselytizing, lectures or force.

You know, I have no idea why I got bogged down in an argument over a game I have no intention of playing. Just looking for an excuse to bash fanboys I guess.

 

[Dreiko_v1legacy]

You know, I have no idea why I got bogged down in an argument over a game I have no intention of playing. Just looking for an excuse to bash fanboys I guess.

Yep, ironically not unlike how they tend to behave pertaining to DMC. You may have more in common with those so-called fanboys than you'd like to think.

 

[DragonWright]

I've played the demo, and it's competent, could've been fun. If this was a new IP, marketed as a DMC-inspired Capcom/NT collaboration, I might've bought it.

But, taking over DMC, giving us this foul-mouthed, unlikable protagonist? I'm passing.

 

[Lunar Templar]

Still not getting it.

It looks so much slower then the last games for one.

leaving the Nephilim thing a side (which isn't bad per-say, just unnecessary), the plot as I understand is stupid (the governing body is full of demons)and isn't terribly original, or interesting.

They also thought the best way to make him "cool again" was to make him a sweary twat. Yeah, cause cussing is a sigh of 'coolness', or was, when I was 5. though it fits his new, dull, more 'common thug' like character design.

On the topic of design, its pretty boring to look at, the moving land scape thing is neat mind you, but the rest, eh ... it's got the same kinda visual feel to it DMC2 has.

So yeah, still a pass. Might not have been if they'd called it something else though.

 

[Aiddon_v1legacy]

Everyone says the tonal update was necessary, that the old Dante looks silly now instead of badass. Especially Ninja Theory.

Here's the thing: that's the point! He was ridiculous and campy and dated-looking in 2001, too. He looked like an anime vampire who had raided Michael Jackson's closet. That was the tone of the games; it was all ridiculous metal album grimdarkery in the setting, cruised through by a guy who's too "cool" to be taken seriously, especially considering how extremely flamboyant he was at the same time. Trying to make Dante less faboo so he can be "legitimately" badass is a horrible case of missing the point, and if anything just makes him seem dumber for trying to be handled with a straight face. The last thing I want from this series is actual attempts to be edgy; I want effeminate men loudly lamenting their cliched tortured pasts in rooms with all the walls covered in ebony skulls that bleed from the eyes.

(P.S. I'm not a DMC fanboy by any stretch of the imagination. The series had big problems that could have benefitted from a reboot, if handled differently. This one has just seemed to me from day one like its approach to reinvention revolved around converting a hyperglamoruzied parody of dumb action games into a genuinely generic dumb action game, and that's always pretty disappointing.)

To be specific, Dante was actually modeled after the main of the manga (and later anime series) Space Adventure Cobra, the anime of which aired back in 1982, nearly twenty years before DMC started and the manga ran from 1978-1984 in Weekly Shounen Jump. Dante was NOT supposed to be a guy to relate to (though he did have human moments in the series in order to not seem freakishly alien) but instead someone to admire, idolize, and be impressed by (kinda like James Bond, which oddly enough Cobra compares himself to in the anime).

And, I'll be blunt here this reboot...is not good. It's not broken or atrocious, but it's nothing to write home about neither in gameplay (in which case it's TROUNCED by DMC3 and 4 as well as most big name hack and slashers) or in story (dear LORD, it's become obvious why Rhianna Pratchett and Alex Garland were brought on to fix Heavenly Sword and Enslaved's scripts). The actual combat is kinda shallow, mostly because the enemy AI is pretty passive and attack patterns are telegraphed too blatantly. You might find some depth at first when you're able to just wail on enemies with any weapon of your choice, but then in the later stages you get color-coded enemies that can only be damaged by specific weapons. This breaks the flow as you're forced to corral enemies away from one another instead of just getting to the point and figuring out how YOU want to play, like you in 3 and 4 you could either go bonkers with ALL the weapons or be specialized and focus on one or two weapons. Platforming is also pretty lackluster as it's not complex enough to be anything more than just a tedious corridor. Then again, the UE3 isn't exactly known for being a great platforming engine so chances at complexity might have been nil from the start. As for story....hoo-boy, it's bad. No joking, it's just NOT GOOD. Dante is a completely insufferable brat who switches from whining to just being a mean-spirited douche, killing ANY chance to sympathize with the guy and after awhile you want him to shut up. The plot itself is a mess with points coming up and then never being expanded upon, ham-fisted attempts at social commentary that come off as juvenile, and swearing that's SO numerous it's like the writer JUST discovered cuss words. Overall, just another average-at-best game; a rental might suffice as the game will probably last you around 10 hours (most Let's Players are clearing it in seven), but a buy is dubious.

 

[Sheo_Dagana]

I don't know why anyone at this point should expect the long-time fans of DMC to change their minds about this game. They have an opinion and they're going to stick to it. There are also some of us who have also been with the game since the beginning that don't care and our opinions will not be swayed either. We can talk about frame-rates, cutscenes (when was DMC ever known for it's stellar story telling?), and hair color until the world implodes in upon itself, but it's not going to get us anywhere. It's just arguing for the sake of arguing.

I suppose I am just used to reboots, and therefore, changes to a character's appearance or personality haven't bothered me for a while, but I do see how it can bother someone else.

I am rather looking forward to picking up this game today. I enjoyed the demo and most of the professional reviews have been favorable so far. It's worth pointing out that fans of the series who scorn this game should look towards Platinum game's Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance - very reminiscent of the classic DMC games without all the frustrating camera angles.

 

[NerfedFalcon]

I'm interested to see what the difference is between this game's two Metacritic scores. Especially if you go through all the reviews and cross off anything that includes the word 'hair'. On the supportive side, it means you're still demonising complaints about a game and building a strawman (see also: "you're just butthurt that you didn't get a happy ending"), and on the negative, it means that you're still hung up over something that doesn't actually matter.

As for the game itself, I watched a playthrough of the first mission, and I have to say I've moved up from 'morbid fascination' to just fascination. The look of the game hurt to look at a bit at first, and I really didn't like the dubstep themes I'd heard so far, but the gameplay looks at least somewhat fun and Dante made me crack a smile at least once, so... I'm still unlikely to buy it myself, but I've come to terms with this game's right to exist.

 

[Nachtmahr]

"Ninja Theory has shown they know how to weave superb action, biting dialogue and a brilliant visual style into a wonderful, cohesive whole. 10/10" - Telegraph

Dialog from the actual game;
"Fuck you."
"No, fuck you!"
"FUCK YOUUUUUUUUUU -Boss vomits all over Dante-"

"My name, by the way, is Dante. But you can call me Dante the Demonkiller. Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"



Consider me blown away by the sheer witticism displayed by the Ninja Theory writing team.

Vergil was a godawful pussy. He couldn't even take out a few demons by himself. He was one of the biggest badasses in DMC.

The final boss was a giant cutscene with a minimum of interaction.

Limbo was a repetitive mess of level design failure. I cannot describe the boredom I felt when plowing through mission after mission.

The weapons lacked distinguishing features and style. Where's the ability to fight with a demon guitar, like in DMC3?

I am a hardcore DMC fan, but I gave this game a chance. I went ahead and played all the way through it. If criticizing a game for inferior combat mechanics, juvenile storytelling and a complete lack of any character likability make me a "Hater", I will gladly be one. This game deserves a 6/10 in my opinion. Utterly average and failing to live up to any of it's hype.

The scene where Vergil shoots the baby out of the belly of Mundus' mistress, and Mundus explodes into a sad rage, that's the most emotion I felt in the entire game. I know why they did it. It was an incredibly obvious and cheap way to get the player to dislike Vergil, to somehow justify his endgame actions.

Sad to see that all the reviewers seem to have been bought out or smoking drugs. Capcom should have used the bribe money to finance a better game. I'm glad at least the user reviews reflect the true worth of this game.

 

[Waaghpowa]

Undoubtedly you'll get criticisms on this game involving "bad writing". Apparently DMC 1-4 were brilliantly written works of art and in no way cheesy or terrible.

Played the game and finished it last night (Capcom sent my copy almost a week early) and I can honestly say I enjoyed it. It's certainly different than the previous games, to which I played numerous times over, but it's different in a good way.

I will say I was surprised at the ending, despite my suspicions throughout.

 

[StrangerQ]

Oh dear it seems this game is GOOD...
I just cant wait when the haters still try to prove their point that this is an ABOMINATION THAT MUST BE PURIFIED WITH FIRE AND SWORD.

Brb going to buy rum and popcorn to add more enjoyment.

Make that a double order. I'll get some chairs.

OT: Picking this game up once I get the money.


PS. SUCK IT, HATERS.

Here could only find brandless popcorn and couple bottles of good ol' morgans rum.

aww it seems im bit late oh well

*sits down and takes a sip from the bottle*

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

Let's see. The story is terrible and feels like it's written by a single 12 year old. Don't get me wrong. DMC writing was always bad. But this is just embarrassing. They ruined Vergil, they ruined Dante, they butchered the back story of their parents, they removed combat styles from DMC 3 and DMC 4 and on top of that the game even looks uglier than DMC 4. Seriously, how does that happen? How can a 2013 game look worse than a game from 2008?

 

[xdiesp]

Why in the Nine Hells is no reviewer mentioning the abortion thing!? I couldn't ever expect Ninja Theory to pull a CAD on us.

 

[Aiddon_v1legacy]

Why in the Nine Hells is no reviewer mentioning the abortion thing!? I couldn't ever expect Ninja Theory to pull a CAD on us.

A lot of the reviews I've seen for in general seem to ignore a lot of flaws or act like they're not as big as they actually are. Like how one review basically said the story was utter junk (despite Tameem bragging about it for two years), all boss fights but the last one were lackluster, and the game runs out of ideas halfway through and STILL gave it a 9/10. It's actually kinda weird.

@Adam Jensen

I just played DMC3 again (went through as Dante and Vergil) and it amazes me at how a game that's EIGHT YEARS OLD is in fact a better hack and slash than this game. God, the UE3 is terrible for fast-paced games.

 

[natster43]

So apparently it is cool to post spoilers for games that just came out in the forums now. That's cool.

 

[JokerboyJordan]

So apparently it is cool to post spoilers for games that just came out in the forums now. That's cool.

It is when you go to the comments section of a review, and the obviousness that people would be tearing this game apart.

EDIT: Quads, woohoo!!!

 

[Scars Unseen]

Why in the Nine Hells is no reviewer mentioning the abortion thing!? I couldn't ever expect Ninja Theory to pull a CAD on us.

Possibly because it seems like that would be a major spoiler or something. So I would just like to thank all of you wonderful people for posting story elements outside of the spoiler tags The Escapist has so thoughtfully provided for such use. Regrettably, the forum's ToS prevent me from thanking you in the manner I would like, but just know that I feel something from the bottom of my heart.

 

[Scars Unseen]

So apparently it is cool to post spoilers for games that just came out in the forums now. That's cool.

It is when you go to the comments section of a review, and the obviousness that people would be tearing this game apart.

No it's not. That's why we have spoiler tags.