Shinji Mikami's reputation for producing great 3D action adventures is well deserved. The Resident Evil series, in particular, has established the Capcom producer as a master of the art of cinematic storytelling. Devil May Cry began life as a Resident Evil sequel, but it wasn't long before the tense, shock-a-minute gameplay of the survival horror series made way for something new - a gun-toting, sword slashing action spectacular that has more in common with Tekken than it's survival horror ancestors.
The plot focuses on a young man called Dante, who runs a shop specialising in occult paraphernalia, and sports a comedy 80s haircut. Calling him a goth would be a mistake, though, because Dante is the real deal; the son of a legendary dark knight called Sparda, Dante is a half-human, half-demon fighting machine, blessed with big guns and an even bigger sword. Like his father, Dante has been chosen to defeat a new power rising in the Underworld, and must now head to a mysterious castle to seek his destiny.
Dante's destiny, as it happens, is to fight his way through 23 missions worth of ultra-evil adversaries, in an attempt to first gain access to the Underworld, and then tear it's inhabitants to pieces. There are puzzles to be solved, admittedly, but the majority of the game involves wreaking havoc on anything that gets in your way, using a combination of sword and gunplay. The enemies range from the macabre to the downright nasty, with the chilling Marionettes providing most of the opposition, backed up by a devilish bestiary of gruesome enemies.
Unlike the Resident Evil series, Devil May Cry's main protagonist is an agile and effective combatant. Dante's is able to switch between guns and sword at will, which means you can string together vicious attack combos to dispatch your opposition. The classic move is to knock your unfortunate opponent into the air with an upward slash, and then keep him there by unloading both handguns (which have unlimited ammo) into its prone body from below. Dante begins with an impressive arsenal of moves and weaponry, and can purchase more of each at the end of each level. By the time you've escaped the castle and entered the underworld, a bewildering array of attack combos will be available, and you'll need every single one to survive.
One of Dante's most useful skills is the ability to launch into 'Devil Trigger' mode, which effectively doubles his attacking speed, and enables a number of devastating special attacks. Sadly, Devil Trigger mode requires Dante to be more in touch with his demonic side, and consequently he can only remain in this state for a limited time, adding a welcome tactical element to the gameplay.
Devil May Cry has the sumptuous looks of a Resident Evil title, coupled with 3D action gameplay that borrows heavily from one-on-one fighting games like the Tekken and Virtua Fighter series. Controlling Dante is a delight, thanks to the massive array of moves at your disposal, and the ease of linking them together in devastating combo moves. No other 3D action title can match Devil May Cry's pace and variety of gameplay, and it just happens to be one of the best-looking PlayStation 2 games to date. Highly recommended.
- Vanquish evil with a huge arsenal of combination attacks
- Harness Dante's darkside to unleash demonic vengeance on the enemy!
- Battle through 23 missions, and uncover secret quests as you play
