User Review : Devil May Cry 5

DMC, Welcome to the Series

DMC: Devil May Cry is the newest edition to the Devil May Cry series and is a reboot by Ninja Theory. Dante is back and ready to kick some demon tail with a new look and a new attitude. The game still maintains its humour with Dante continuing to be the never back down bad ass we grew to love in the original series just without the class clown act to his character.

The gameplay is extremely intuitive for both returning fans and new players to the series. There is a close similarity to the controls in this reboot and the controls in the original games of the series. On top of this the overall controls are very basic and extremely easy to get a feel for and the learning curve in this game is spot on. There are only a few moments where the action slows down and the cutscenes seem to go on forever but this is only to emphasise key moments in the story telling so this can be forgiven. When it comes time for action, this game goes full throttle. The pace of the combat is phenomenal and makes it very easy for the player to lose themselves in the battle, especially when trying to rack up the best combo score. Not only is the combat fast but it is very intuitive to get to grips with the basics which then makes it easy for players to work out there own style and combos they feel will be effective against enemies and rack up some style points. The button press response is a god send, the original games of Devil May Cry were no were near as smooth or responsive. Being Nephilim Dante now has access to new angel and devil abilities and weapons, one of which is the angel/devil pull mechanic. This new ability allows Dante to pull enemies closer in order to give them a beating or pull himself toward an enemy in order to give them a beating choice is yours. This adds a nice twist to fighting aerial enemies or enemies that aren't close enough for close quarters, it is also very handy to string combos or escape a sticky situation with the angel/devil pull allowing Dante to grab onto ledges or other objects. The new angel/devil modes allow Dante access to angel and devil weapons that can be swapped during combat very easily. Attack an enemy without holding down either trigger will begin a combination using Rebellion (Dante's weapon of choice) but then press a shoulder button and the weapon will change immediately to an angel weapon (L2) or devil weapon (R2) and will remain as these weapons while the shoulder buttons are held down. The amount of trial and error with different combinations is unreal and is made so much easier by being able to swap between weapon so fluidly.

The DMC storyline continues to remain faithful to the best bits of the original series in that you play as series protagonists Dante while trying to stop the Demon King Mundus' rule over humanity, this involves defeating him just like in the first game of the series. Another key part to the story is that Dante has some catching up to do with his twin brother Vergil which is the main storyline in game number three of the series. Whilst on the run from demons sent after him by Mundus, Dante is reunited and works alongside his twin brother Vergil who wants to put a stop to Mundus' reign. Dante and Vergil are no longer half demon, half human in this reboot, now they are Nephilim, half demon and half angel but both still the Son's of Sparda. Nephilim are the only beings strong enough to defeat Mundus however they still need to weaken the demon king first before a head on confrontation. This is the main goal throughout the game, to weaken the Demon King by taking out his minions that help him maintain his stranglehold on the human world, once this is fulfilled the brothers can then take out the Demon King himself. This seems straight forward but events that will arise in the story will force Dante into quick time events, defuse hostage situations and question his allies. All this before the final battle.

The graphics on this game is a mixture of beautiful level designs and creative surroundings to poor frame rate and graphical glitches in cutscenes and gameplay with a lot going on at one time. This is the games main downfall with how creative it is being ruined by the game not being able to to keep up with the action and world design. Minus these hiccups the level design is amazing as Dante runs through a living and changing level. The Music in the game comes from electronic rock groups Combichrist and Noisia which pounding bass and techno riffs set the tone for the game. From the first time you hear Combichrist's 'Never Surrender' in the opening cutscene you know that this is going to be a hard hitting in your face game. The combination of the beautifully crafted world with the dark colours of red, blue and yellow as the main pallet combined with the aggressive riffs and lyrics from the music sets the darker tone that Ninja Theory were aiming for.

Playing through the storyline start to finish with only a few secret missions completed took just over 8hrs. Luckily there are good reasons to play the game again. One new feature to a Devil May Cry game is the leaderboard. At the end of every level the player is given a score and a rank which can then be uploaded to an online leaderboard, scores are then compared to other players around the world. As with all games on the PS3 there is always achievements to be unlocked and secrets to be unlocked such as lost souls and secret mission throughout the levels of the games. Also available is the return of the popular bloody palace which is a free DLC with the game. In this mode the player will be placed in an arena with multiple enemies, as the player progresses the waves of enemies gets more difficult and even bosses will be included in the waves. This gameplay is also good for practice and this time player's will need to time their attacks and dodges while trying to work on their combos.

Conclusion

With the popularity of Capcom's original series, taking on the job of producing a reboot is a tough challenge especially when it comes to pleasing die-hard fans of the original games. If an action hack and slash game is what you are looking for with fast paced action and combat full of style then DMC: Devil May Cry will deliver. It is a beautiful game which is very quick to get the momentum moving with quick and easy controls to get to grips with. The level designs are amazing, the combat is intuitive and the storyline and characters are incredible. Try to not let graphic disruptions or frame rate lag ruin your experience when there is so much more to the game.