DmC (11/20/12 demo) Review

For those interested, the DmC (aka the Devil May Cry reboot) demo is up on XBL/PSN now.

I given that I've played every DMC title to date, along with Hideki Kamiya's newest title since leaving Capcom - Bayonetta, my expectations weren't very high going in with this title being made without his feedback/creative input at all. That being said, if you've played Bayonetta then you're not going to be surprised in the slightest that Capcom pretty much rips off a LOT from that said title - from the plot/story to some of the mechanics. 

OVERVIEW

The demo includes 2 stages. The first is a recommended tutorial of the basics and the second is strictly a boss battle against the Succubus boss that you've prolly seen in the many gameplay trailers by now. Sadly, both stages aren't anything new if you've been keeping up with the trailers for this game since it's initial announcement.

The demo features multiple difficulty settings for you guys who may not be as versed in the DMC series but want to give a go or you're a series veteran and want to be tested at your limits going in. Beating both stages of the demo unlocks "Son of Sparda" difficulty, which I'm guessing is the "Hard" setting for this game as "Dante Must Die" was one hit and you're dead in the older games.

For those concerned about the controls, they are FULLY customizable to your liking. That was a relief for me as I have two different schemes for Bayonetta and the DMC series in my head. 

GAMEPLAY

Regardless of Dante's emo-teen angst new appearance, this is STILL the Dante we know gameplay-wise. That's one thing that Ninja Theory has managed to make right. You can still juggle and beat up foes with ease while making it stylish as always. My concern is it's a bit TOO easy now and it's a bit cumbersome to be stylish with all of these hotkey commands to switch weapons on the fly or reel them back in for more damage. Another thing is that the controls aren't as responsive or as crisp as I would have liked. Call me spoiled by Bayonetta's controls, but this Dante is as sluggish as Nero felt to me in Devil May Cry 4.

The new Angel/Demon mechanics for weapons and skills are a nice touch to change up the variety, but the novelty wore off fast for me. The same goes for the new reel-in/dash-in skill. IMO it comes off as what Nero's Devil Bringer should have been able to do in DMC4, but now it's more refined. What that means is that if you knock enemies away mid-combo, you can yank them back in for more damage before finishing them off.

The enemies shown in the demo were rather intelligent for DMC fodder, but the plain as day attack cues and taunts before their special attacks is completely God of War baby mode. The DMC series is known for being harder than those cakewalk battles in God of War. I was rather disappointed at the lack of originality too. Sure, there's a few guys who have armor and shields to make you change your offense but it really gets old fast. Launch the guys up into the air, juggle into oblivion, rinse, repeat. IMO this game would REALLY benefit from a lock-on button to know who I'm singling out in a fight. Otherwise, you're just guessing who your attacks are going to hit.

Lastly, let's talk about that fancy new evade button. From my experience, it's just the same default commando roll Dante used to do in DMC1-4 when you hit away from the enemy + Jump button. It's not even that effective either as by default Dante just moves in whatever direction is free to evade, but this can be remedied slightly by holding the desired direction you want to go in unison with evade button. You have the option to use this move in the air as well, but it does absolutely NOTHING in the air. Completely pointless IMHO. They could've at least given you the option to use the air dashes like Trickster style in DMC3 for evasion in the air. 

GRAPHICS

I wasn't disappointed in the least by Ninja Theory's amazing visuals. They did a bang-up job on the sleeper-hit Enslaved: Odyssey to the West and the PS3 exclusive Heavenly Sword, and they continue that trend here. Wonderful motion captures and jaw-dropping backgrounds and environments galore. This is the best Dante's world has EVER looked. Yeah that's saying a lot as DMC3 pushed the PS2 hardware to it's limit.

There's a few questionable parts on the graphics though, such as during the boss battle where it looks like you can jump onto the platforms but you can't even walk on top of them without phasing through and falling into the lava below. Better design here would have emphasized the Angel Grapple points better.

COMPARISONS TO BAYONETTA

• Dante seems to be directed towards the 'right' path by a fellow warrior in the Order (Vergil) = Jeanne D'Arc guides Bayonetta to the right path of acquiring the Left Eye for the Umbra Witches' order

• Limbo is a realm that cannot be seen by mere mortals and ordinary humans; this is where Dante battles the demonic forces in their 'true' form = Paradiso is the realm unseen by humans, and is where Bayonetta battles the Angelic demons that are the mortal enemies of the Umbra Witches 

• You are aided by a human girl named Kat, who can see the horrors of Limbo. = Kat is comparable to Luka in Bayonetta, who initially can't see what goes on in Limbo but manages to acquire the means to assist her where he can. 

• Dante is labeled as a villain for the acts he commits since humans can't see what really goes on in Limbo = Bayonetta is seen as a villain to the masses for the acts that humans can't see what goes on in Paradiso 

AFTERTHOUGHTS

Overall, this isn't as bad as I initially thought it was going to be. Dante does what he does best - kick some serious demonic ass and makes it look cool at the same time. Ninja Theory managed to avoid dragging the Devil May Cry name into the mud, with an entry in the series' lore that looks to be better than Devil May Cry 4 was and possibly open the door to further sequels.

That being said, I'm still in the majority that believes that there was no reason at all to reboot the series. Sure, Kamiya's gone from Capcom but Capcom could've at least let the man have his creation when he left. Damn, bastards at Capcom...

Does it score the investment for a pre-order though? No, not really, even though that exclusive Vergil content and DLC is tempting but Dan Southworth isn't playing him in this reboot so I'll pass for now. I'll end up renting this down the road, but there's not anything really new here to deserve a purchase.