Devil May Cry 3 Updated Hands-On

TOKYO--After a rip-roaring start, the Devil May Cry series hit a rather substantial speed bump when the extremely promising series faltered in its second iteration. Capcom looks intent on righting past wrongs with Devil May Cry 3, however. From the couple of times we've played it, the game seems to revisit the stylish hard action of the first game without any of the detritus that made Devil May Cry 2 a bust. That held true again today at the Tokyo Game Show, where we got to see a new level and a bit more of the storyline in a noisy demo on the show floor.

You may have heard that Devil May Cry 3 is actually a prequel to the original game, and, in fact, at E3 this year we were told that the "3" part of the title may not even be final. The game depicts a younger, brasher Dante, who in his youth apparently clashed with his brother Virgil over something or other. Whether it's a demonic apocalypse or just the dishwashing responsibilities, you can bet any infighting between Dante and his kin is going to be explosive.

At the start of the second mission, we saw a cutscene involving Virgil and a mysterious, hairless man with an angry red scar across his face. The two stood atop a high tower, and the bald man spoke emphatically about fulfilling some sort of prophecy two millennia in the making. Virgil didn't seem to like what was going on, though, and the two seemed to have some sort of falling out. Who is this crazy bald dude? Why is Virgil mad at Dante to begin with? The plot thickens.

As the level opened, Dante was still down in the ruined city where the game's first mission (of which we have written previously) takes place. In the second mission, we could see the ominous tower from the cutscene looming off in the distance, and we had to attempt to approach it. Of course, the creatures populating the streets of the city had other ideas, so we got to work laying waste with style and enthusiasm. Devil May Cry 3 will let you select from multiple fighting styles that confer different abilities that you can improve over time. This time around, we chose the Trickster style, which gave us nimble moves, such as a wall jump-style maneuver that allowed us to evade enemies quickly. Other styles will focus on melee or gun combat, so you'll be able to tailor your move set to suit your preferred method of attack.

The enemies we faced off with were an interesting lot; take for instance the demon who walked around while carrying a giant ball of something that looked like volcanic rock. As this rock began to heat up, its glow intensified until the foe slammed it down onto the ground, creating a rather large explosion. Mixed in with the usual cast of shambling monsters and projectile-hurling enemies who attacked from afar, this exploding enemy caused more than a couple of headaches while we battled.

Devil May Cry 3 seems to be moving in a positive direction, since it plays a lot like the original game at its core and yet offers a good bit more depth and replayability with the different fighting modes you'll have access to as you progress through the game. If you loved the first Devil May Cry but were put off by the second, this prequel installment may be just what's needed to rekindle your interest. Look for more on Devil May Cry 3 soon.

For more updates, be sure to check GameSpot's coverage of the Tokyo Game Show 2004.