Approach it with an open mind and you will be rewarded

User Rating: 9 | DmC: Devil May Cry PS3
When I first heard that one of my all time favorite video game series was getting a reboot of all things and by someone other than Capcom, I was needless to say, a little leery of what the future might produce. Then I saw Dante. I was very, very unimpressed to put it mildly. But it was Devil May Cry and when it comes to a game that has defined my video gaming experience from a very young age and continued to do so throughout my life, I left my mind slightly open and kept up with the reports on how the game was proceeding. As time went on, with a skeptical eye, I began to come around but never without serious hesitation. I played the demo and was still unsure but knew I would still buy it anyway; like I said, it is Devil May Cry and that means something to me.
I hardly played the game past the first level and realized that Ninja Theory had very clearly done something separate from the original series but at the same time they were not trying to write a big, bold void over the past ten plus years of Devil May Cry. The game apparently takes place before Devil May Cry 3; by looking at Dante that might be difficult to imagine but hey, he is a demon so we really have no idea how the guy ages, not to mention the age of the characters in DMC has always been a shaky thing. I have also heard a lot of negativity concerning the end of the game but without spoiling anything, let me just say that the end makes a lot of sense to fans who understand the relationship between Dante and his brother.
As for the characters themselves, the "good guys" Dante, Vergil and Kat all seem likable to me. I did have and still do have some difficulty in reconciling this Dante with who we all have gotten to know and love over the years. It seems to me that Ninja Theory wanted Dante to seem younger and more immature than he was in DMC3 as well as somehow recapture what some gamers, me included, liked about Nero's attitude- mainly his fiery temper. The old Dante never got too worked up over anything, he usually gave everyone opposed to him a sigh or a chuckle, threw a cocky joke and then neatly did away with them. In style of course. However, this change, while it does not create an unlikable guy is a bit of turnoff since he is more of a melding of two characters than just a slightly younger version of the video gaming world's biggest badass. None of that is to say this Dante is terrible, he just does not seem like he will turn into the kind of disinterested bad boy that could kill anything in less than five seconds that our old friend did. Vergil is much more of an issue. This version of the character seemed quite a bit more accessible than the original. I have always thought of Vergil as a sort of demonic nobleman, someone who shunned everyone around him as lesser beings, unworthy of his presence and cared little for the world. In this iteration, he is still distant but not overwhelmingly so and while he seems to be refined it is to a much lesser degree in both his appearance and his skills. Vergil was the biggest letdown for me. Kat was not a bad character but seemed too much like an Ellen Page clone that lacked the splendor of Trish or the emotional pull of Lady.
Now onto the game itself. Ninja Theory certainly had their hands full with the fast paced gameplay of Devil May Cry and in many respects they pulled things off nicely but there are some missteps as well. I believe that Ninja Theory was influenced largely by Bayonetta when they designed the fighting system. Much of the way the game feels when you are engaging the demon hoards reminds me of our witch friend's battles. The action has a slower pace than it had in the old days, and the style system is completely gone, which I found most unfortunate. Even the Devil Trigger is a shadow of what it once was, enemies are now lifted into the air and stay there for as long as the DT lasts. BORING! Whatever happened to smashing your way through enemies in whatever way you pleased while in Devil Trigger? Well that is out. That is not to say the fighting system is uninspired, it is a blast to pound your demons into oblivion with a plethora of combos from a host of "sensational" devil arms. Though one wonders what happened to Dante's angel weapons in the later years. Oh yeah, he was half demon, half human in the old days. Oh well...
It might seem that I am finding fault at every turn with this game and that might actually be true. Even the world around Dante- called Limbo in the game is cool looking and while not totally original still seems rather marvelous in its own decayed, falling apart sort of way, but it is a far cry from the brilliant gothic castles and demonic temples of old. The demons themselves are a high point though, with grungy villains spewing from the dirt of Limbo, to portal hopping Dreamrunners clashing swords with Dante, there is a cornucopia of fun to be had at hell's expense. The boss battles, while fun and intriguing, are as with the game itself, much easier than any previous entry in the series with the exception of DMC 2. Still, even with all its faults, DmC did not disappoint me- a diehard and longtime fan of the series. The game is different from its predecessors, much easier and many, many things are changed, usually not for the better but certainly not to the game's detriment. DmC is a hell of a good game and will likely keep openminded vets or newcomers glued to their seats and ready for the next go at a higher difficulty. I have noticed a great many fans have been harsh on the game and that is their choice but I find that the game is still Devil May Cry at its heart and that is what matters most going forward.