Devil May Cry is one of the best action games ever made - and quite honestly, one of the funnest games ever made.
GRAPHICS === 9.5/10
The graphics are beautiful for a game of its time. Most of the game takes place on an island, which is well designed. You see a good variety of different areas, each presented well. As I stated before, I played this game amidst next-gen games, and this games graphics weren't a huge lag - in fact, I enjoyed them. Throughout the entire game you will enjoy the nice-looking environments at a crisp, smooth rate. Dante will perform awesome combos and the camera will move around extremely fast and change angles constantly to allow you to see - all the while, there is never any slowing of framerate or freezing problems.
The world has a certain dark essence but is still presented in a realistic manner. The graphics of this game are impressive for a late PS2 game, and are especially impressive for its 2001 release date. There are some slight camera angle problems sometimes, and it CAN become tedious if you don't allow yourself to judge, but other than that, there is really nothing I can take away from in the graphics department.
You will also view a variety of cutscenes, most of which are short, but extremely well done and beautiful all the same.
GAMEPLAY === 10/10
This is what makes this game stand out from other action games. This game is flat-out FUN. When I popped this game in, I couldn't put it down for quite a while. It's just so fun, using a variety of weapons and guns to bring down enemies from hell. It never once seemed the least bit repetitive or boring, and Dante's excellent fighting abilities were flawlessly fluent and natural looking.
To add to the gameplay, there are tons of different ways you can play through the game. You can unlock different difficulty levels and try to achieve different ranks on each mission depending on your performance. There are, in entirety, many achievements that will keep you playing this game multiple times through simply because it's fun enough that you will WANT to play it again.
The boss fights are an excellent variety. The easier ones towards the beginning are closer to the hack'n'slash realm. Eventually, you will find yourself facing quite difficult bosses that will take you down quickly if you don't implement some twitch gaming. You will find yourself facing some of the same bosses multiple times, which may feel repetitive, but most of the encounters are different each time. Some bosses will take a little more effort, and possibly more than one attempt which adds fun to the game - figuring out ways to take down the boss at hand.
The ONLY part of the gameplay that sometimes got on my nerves was the platforming. There were times when simple leaping from platform to platform would become ridiculously tedious and waste huge amounts of time that I would have much rather spent fighting. I felt like this was sometimes due to camera angles and just faults in the game, but other than these minor platforming issues, the game was simply flawless.
STORY/MUSIC-SOUND === 9.5
I decided to combine story and music, because I felt they were very closely related.
The story of this game is very short. Don't worry though, you will get enough story out of the game by the end. It just accomplishes what it needs to quickly. You won't spend half of the game listening to story-telling, but witness brief moments of story-telling that are very short and precise. They get everything done that needs to be in an excellent way. You will feel as if you know a lot more about Dante by the end and start to feel his story come alive - something that you may not think towards the beginning of the game.
The music blends excellent with the story; you don't hear a whole lot of this music towards the beginning of the game, but towards the end you can begin to notice it. The soundtrack isn't a myriad of wonderful, lengthy and vibrant songs, but instead an excellent mix of songs that will play in the background and really draw your attention into the events at hand. It is well-done and well-applied, just as the graphics and gameplay.
The sounds of the game are also a highlight. Everything from running to the sounds of the guns and what I like to call the Banshee Cry are all excellent. Some of the beasts you face will emit realistic cries that might make you shiver in your seat under the right conditions.
Overall, the sound and story are a wonderful blend, and though short, they are pristine.
TILT === 10/10
This game is simply amazing. I have never liked an action game this much so soon after getting it. It's the funnest action game I've ever played, beating out God of War in my book. You must understand I know God of War is an excellent game, but it seemed to have a bit TOO much button mashing. Devil May Cry applies button mashing, but limits it, throwing in lots of variety and strategy to the game.
BOTTOM LINE === 9.7/10
Devil May Cry defines the high-end action genre, and should be owned by anyone with a PS2 or PS3 (yes, it's not too late). This is an extremely high-scoring game in my book, and was nearly worth of a perfect 10. I can do no more than recommend you play this game and the others in the series, especially if you plan on picking up Devil May Cry 4. This is among the best games ever made.