Looking at DmC: Devil May Cry as a separate game from the previous installments, it shouldn't disappoint.
After a full playthrough, DmC: Devil May Cry, a reboot of the previous Devil May Cry games, has shown great promise to the hack and slash genre. Leaving the past Devil May Cry games behind, this reboot provides it's audience with a completely new story explaining Dante's origins.
Gameplay- In terms of the gameplay, DmC is a very fluid and fun game. Equipped with a total of 3 ranged weapons and 5 melee weapons, each with their own diverse set of moves, the gameplay has a very dynamic feel to it. DmC's combat system maintains a sense of proper fluidity due to how easy it is to switch between all 8 of your weapons. You are properly rewarded for successfully maintaining combos using a variety of moves from all of your weapons.
Difficulty- This is an issue that needs to be addressed due to a majority of people's reactions to the game. As an individual game, the difficulty seems just right. Maybe, when one inevitably compares this game with the previous Devil May Cry games, people may see the game's more difficult modes, such as Dante Must Die, as easier than the previous games. Although it may seem so, modes such as Hell and Hell, where you die in one hit but enemies maintain their normal strength, still provide the perfect challenge that were presented to players in previous games (Unfortunately, I was forced to compare this aspect of DmC to the previous series).
Story- Warning: Spoilers marked by multiple ***. Being a reboot, DmC: Devil May Cry still maintained certain aspects of the story from previous games, but took a whole new perspective on many aspects as well. Dante is no longer the Dante many are used to. *** He is a half angel, half demon who finds his origin with the help of his brother, Vergil.*** The new Dante is different, but begins to grow on you after you get further into the game. Sure, at first he seems a bit too cocky and immature for players who cling to the past, but after pyingla through the story, you begin to root for Dante and want him to come out on top. Having said all this, the ending may not suit players who are dedicated fans to the old Devil May Cry universe. Even I, unfortunately, was not pleased with how the game ended up turning out, but in the end, the game is properly set up for a sequel and I am looking forward to it. (If you would like to see my opinion about the ending and why I'm disappointed look below. It WILL contain MAJOR spoilers).
In conclusion, after a whole playthrough on the PS3, I didn't find any of the problems people have been reporting about the game not running smoothly enough (although this may vary from system to system). I also know that it runs well on the 360 and am looking forward to how well of a port it is on the PC. Due to fluid gameplay, an overall good story with a few disappointments here and there, and a difficulty which seems to be just right, I feel that this game easily deserves the Metacritic rating it has received. I would recommend this game to anyone who hasn't played a Devil May Cry game and to anyone who truly loves a Hack N' Slash game. I also believe there will be a great deal of replay-ability A. when Bloody Palace comes out and B. if you're willing to take it all the way to difficult modes such as Dante Must Die and Hell and Hell, while aiming for SSS ratings on every mission. Thanks for reading and I hope you all have a fun time hacking and slashing away at demons.
***Major Spoilers Incoming*** Ending & Opinion- The game ends with Mundus being defeated and Dante, Vergil, and (in my opinion) a slightly annoying character named Kat standing victorious. Vergil states that now that Mundus is dead, Dante and Vergil are free to rule over the humans in a more righteous manner than Mundus. After disagreeing, Dante and Vergil battle to the death. In the end, Dante emerges victorious and Kat stops Dante from killing Vergil. Finally, Dante states that he is the new protector of humanity resulting in Vergil departing to an unknown location.
My problem with this, is that it doesn't seem right for Dante to be so powerful in this universe already, that he can overcome, with his brother, the demon-king Mundus and then easily dispatch of his brother. I just don't believe it suits the game to have Vergil immediately appearing inferior to Dante, regardless of whether or not this is a reboot...who knows, maybe I'm wrong, but that's my two cents about the ending.