Zero Punctuation: DMC: Devil May Cry

[Trishbot]

I like Devil May Cry as much as the next person, and while I'm not universally in love with DMC (it's a step down in some areas, a step up in others), you can't honestly say it's a worse game than Devil May Cry 2.... Seriously. People who claim the franchise is ruined apparently have selective amnesia about the utterly bland, piss-easy, emotionally stunted game that was Devil May Cry 2.

I'd even say this is better than Devil May Cry 4, overall.

It's certainly not better than Devil May Cry 1 or 3, but being the "middle" game in a franchise with two objectively worse installments isn't that bad.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

The thing is the aesthetic is obviously done to distract from the fact that the actual level design is completely BORING.

Aesthetics aren't good either. Everything is red and yellow and too fuckin' bright. Which is weird because everything also looks filthy. It's lazy and uninspiring. Original series had a much better environment design with it's Gothic architecture mixed with Japanese atmosphere.

 

[Something Amyss]

Since we're big on acronyms, I wonder if the heros call themselves GROSS: Get Rid Of Slimy Succubi.

Not enough profanity. Unless the periods in G.R.O.S.S are tiny bubbles that scream "fuck you!"

 

[Siris]

I thought this game was very, very entertaining and most certainly worth playing. While I admit I didn't have much of an attachment to the series beforehand (only really played through DMC3 and thought it was alright), I found this game quite enjoyable, with very pretty visuals, entertaining characters, and an enjoyable combat system. While certainly not as good as Bayonetta (all hail the Queen of Spectacle), certainly a great game on its own.

 

[MasterOfHisOwnDomain]

Much as I thought. Probably quite good, but not really DMC. Not really sure why they ever decided the series needed a reboot in the first place.

 

[Callate]

I'll just take a sec to say that, yes, I like boss fights that challenge, but I'm a little tired of "And now that you're down to your last shred of life we'll introduce another form whose attacks you have know way of anticipating or countering, oops, too bad, go back to the beginning of the encounter and fight the first form again you loser." (Or its more obnoxious cousins, "Go back to the beginning of the boss's interminable unskippable monologue" and "Go back to fifteen minutes before the boss fight and try not to lose any health en route because it would be a shame if you were to lose the boss fight before it even began *snort, snicker*") Taken against any of that unholy trio, I'll generally take "a little too easy" and raise a glass in thanks.

 

[Aiddon_v1legacy]

I agree.

The aesthetics and platforming feel the same all the way through the game. Just the same static trod forward from encounter-to-encounter until the level ends. Although I think NT did a good job with the platforming, it starts to feel samey fast, and the quality of levels takes a nosedive towards the end of the game when it abandons the visual coolness of limbo and everything just looks like shit and is even more boring to trod through.

While Dante does have a good number of toys and moves to play with, the cast of enemies often times makes it impossible to have fun with your weapons. Makes me wonder how much these reviewers actually play the game, because I think it starts to fall apart fast when you play it on harder difficulties.

I think playing it through on Nephelim, I could say I might recommend it too. But after playing through the game on SoS and Dante must Die, all of the problems became magnified and impossible to ignore. So I withdraw my recommendation and would rather tell others to stay away from it.

The platforming FUNCTIONS, but that's not the same as being GOOD. It's just too simplistic and rote to garner any actual praise. Even DMC4 had more complex design than that. When I think GOOD level design I think of Mario Galaxy, not NT's Introduction to Platforming.

 

[charliesbass]

I really like the combat, level design and the general aesthetic of the game. The story and character development...well, it's a Capcom game, but New Dante, as he must now be called, looks like one of those annoying Tumblr swagfags crossed with one of those fake-harcore bands that consist of androgynous teenagers. I don't agree with all of the 10/10 being thrown at DMC's way, but it has certainly better combat than God of War and is rather satisfying. I kind of like it.

 

[V da Mighty Taco]

The one positive I come away with in this review or some of the other ones, "At least it looks pretty"

As a game by itself, this probably would have been passable. But given the franchise it's supposed to be rebooting, this is Sonic 06 levels of disappointment.

Lolwut? While I don't play DMC, you cannot say that a game that actually functions is even comparable to how bad Sonic 06 failed. Unless the new DMC is chocked full of game-breaking bugs and who's framerate can't even handle a handful of enemies at a time without completely tanking, it's not even close to being on Sonic 06's level.

 

[1nfinite_Cros5]

I like Devil May Cry as much as the next person, and while I'm not universally in love with DMC (it's a step down in some areas, a step up in others), you can't honestly say it's a worse game than Devil May Cry 2.... Seriously. People who claim the franchise is ruined apparently have selective amnesia about the utterly bland, piss-easy, emotionally stunted game that was Devil May Cry 2.

I'd even say this is better than Devil May Cry 4, overall.

It's certainly not better than Devil May Cry 1 or 3, but being the "middle" game in a franchise with two objectively worse installments isn't that bad.

Exactly. All the complaints that were brought up pre-game release aren't really that valid anymore. I can actually say that the younger Dante is kinda believable as a younger version of a cocky cock from the later games. Granted, he's still a cocky cock, but slightly more restrained.

Also, the people complaining that the easiness of the game ruins it, hear this from a hardcore Demon's/Dark Souls player: It's a game, not a final exam for college-level Calculus. Besides, no one is forcing you to play it on easy. The difficulty option can still be bumped up.

 

[Saika Renegade]

Whilst I am not the target audience of the original Devil May Cry or this reboot, I can understand the frustration of having a game series feel like it's lost its sense of challenge. That aside, I also have a new favorite euphemism now.

 

[duchaked]

actually doesn't sound too bad to me, but then I wasn't the biggest fan of the previous games. wonder what my friend, the one who actually liked DMC, would think. I suppose it hasn't had as huge a fall as Ninja Gaiden did

 

[Darth_Payn]

Since we're big on acronyms, I wonder if the heros call themselves GROSS: Get Rid Of Slimy Succubi.

Oh man, you just gave me a massive Calvin & Hobbes flashback! Perfect for Yahtzee's "kids in a treehouse" analogy.

Thank you Ninja Theory for ruining one of the greastes capcom series ever.

Those knobends.
So. Many. Penis jokes...

 

[Moth_Monk]

I miss the bitter, angry Yahtzee of yesteryear

 

[Mahoshonen]

Sure Yahtzee recommended it, but the recommendation was really tepid, a 'nothing really insulted my intelligence.'

The boss fight comment really stood out to me. It's gotten to the point that the smaller a boss is in an action game, the more likely I expect a challenging fight. And that has pretty much been the case for the last few years.

 

[The_Merchant]

Whilst I am not the target audience of the original Devil May Cry or this reboot, I can understand the frustration of having a game series feel like it's lost its sense of challenge. That aside, I also have a new favorite euphemism now.

Except that DMD in this one is still piss easy. DMD used to tear you into shreds if you were to make one mistake or 2 in DMC1,3 and 4. It's like they give you more enemies with higher HP so you can farm even more points with the utterly broken style ranking system.

Also if the game rewards you with an S in the category ''Number of times died'' with the number being 2, you know that the game has been casualified down right to the core.

 

[shrekfan246]

So is this going to be the next big gaming controversy now?

The harder difficulties are still difficult, it plays like a Devil May Cry game (in fact, I'd say it plays better than all of them with a possible slight exception for Devil May Cry 4), the writing and story are just as good as any of previous games and better than at least two of them, and while the level design may not be as convoluted and intricate as DMC3, it's at least better than other games in the same genre like God of War III and the art direction completely blows it out of the water.

And really, anyone who says the first Devil May Cry was better than this hasn't played that game in a long time. It's got the worst camera angles of the entire franchise, practically a non-existent story, and slow, tedious combat that yeah, bears some resemblance to the rest of the franchise, but was quite obviously the first implementation of the system.

Playing through with the Classic Dante skin is a laugh and a half in itself, though.

 

[GAunderrated]

This sounds like the perfect game for me once it goes on sale for about 7.50 or less on steam.

 

[LightOfDarkness]

There really is a scene where a mop falls on his head, giving him the old look, and then tosses it away? I guess the devs didn't take well to the fans/fanboys complaining about the new look. Rather than just making their new game and see if people appriciate it, they open up by saying "Fuck everyone who prefered the old look, we think it looks stupid and we're making the game, not you, neiner-neiner". Can't deny that it's a funnier response, but I don't think it's a good buisness practice. Plus, seeing Dante's new look on the screenshots, I can't say I find it looking any less stupid.

well, it's not a mop. It's a wig.

 

[Rad Party God]

So, I can be perfectly fine by sticking to Devil May Cry 4. I can live with that, it's actually lots of fun and by the looks of the videos I've watched about DmC, Devil May Cry 4 actually looks a lot much better.