Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening

"Carpel Tunnel Syndrome, thy name is Devil May Cry 3!"

“Carpel Tunnel Syndrome, thy name is Devil May Cry 3!”

Devil May Cry 3 is the third installment in the Devil May Cry series, but it actually takes place before Devil May Cry 1. Also, this was the first Devil May Cry game that I ever bought.

Following the atrocious Devil May Cry 2 game, there were some doubts about how this game would play. Since Devil May Cry 1 was such a great game, people never thought something like Devil May Cry 2 could happen. Luckily, DMC3 didn't suffer the same fate as DMC2. One of the reasons why this game is so great is because it takes the best parts of both of the previous Devil May Cry games and wraps it all into one fantastic game.

Capcom managed to meld the kickass swordplay or DMC1 and the insane shooting of DMC2 into this amazing game. They managed to balance everything out amazingly well, and all of the actions were smooth as silk. You can pull off amazing sword combos, charge up your guns, then just as your sword combo ends, whip the guy into the air, blast him around with your guns, then drive him to the ground with the edge of your sword! KEKEKEKEKE ^_____________________^ Combos like these may sound complicated, but they're actually quite simple. Even the newest player can pull off extreme combos once they get used to the controls and difficulty (more on that in a second).

Now, about the difficulty. Yes, it is quite hard, but only when you first start up. If you die repeatedly on Mission 2, don't worry. EVERYONE dies on that mission. Hell, the game WANTS you to die (no pun intended with hell). Once you die three times, they give you Easy Mode. Now, don't feel like the game is giving you charity. Unless you're a veteran, that's how it works. But, once you start playing, you get used to it, and it turns out that the challenge is a major plus of the game, and that it just wouldn't be as great of a game without that difficulty. I believe that the difficulty is fair, and the game never cheats you out of anything. Plus, once you beat that hard boss that took you 50 tries, you have a damn good feeling of accomplishment. NOW, onto the review!

GAMEPLAY – As I've mentioned earlier, it's a great blend of swords and guns together in unison. The action is fast-paced, and the enemies are smart – they'll block, counter, and work together to bring your half-devil behind down. The different “Styles” of the game are quite unique. You can power up your swords, dodge and zoom around like a devil that just had 50 cups of coffee, block attacks and shoot the energy back at the enemy. Everything is well balanced, and the different styles give you a reason to replay the game and try out new strategies, while leveling up all of the styles. Overall, it's great.

GAMEPLAY RATING – 10/10

STORY – It's an action game – there isn't supposed to be a major story there. Surprisingly, though, it's a pretty good story. Of course isn't on the Final Fantasy level, but it serves its purpose. Here's what's going on – You are Dante, son of the great demon Sparda who saved the world from an invasion from Hell. You are only half-demon, though, because Dante's mother is a human. So, as a half-demon you have incredible strength and agility. Any normal human is like an ant next to Dante. So, Dante is opening his new shop up. What is his business? We don't know, yet. That's for you to find out. So, Dante is relaxing, taking a shower, and eating a well deserved pizza, when a few strange...”guests” appear. That's where the game takes off. I don't want to ruin anything or take away from the awe factor, but trust me – it's insane. So, to have a quick review – not the deepest and most intense story, but it serves its purpose. It keeps you wanting to get to the bottom of things and introduces some cool characters. Like I said – it's not perfect, but it's still very good.

STORY RATING – 8/10

GRAPHICS/SOUND – Oh, where do I begin? Oh, no, don't take it as a bad thing. Take as a GOOD thing. I'll start with graphics. From the moment he was eating pizza to the moment he shot a sand-demon's head off, I was just AMAZED. Everything just...flowed. I could rarely find any stutters in movement, clipping, or anything bad with the graphics. Anywho, any thing that I did find was minor, barely noticeable, and expected in any game. Even the in-game graphics are awesome. When you see the bosses of this game, you will NEED to buy some new underwear, because you will be blown away by how gruesome, scary, and even HOTT (yes, with TWO “T”s) the bosses can be. In other words, the graphics are purely astonishing.

Now, the sound. I think the sound quality is just as spectacular as the graphics of this game. Once you hear the first note of the opening, you'll be amazed. Everything just fits so well into place, and makes you hum along or sing along with it. I never found the music to ever get repetitive, and I anticipated battles just so I could hear more great music. From the orchestrated works to the singing, everything was just perfect.

GRAPHICS/SOUND RATING – 10/10

PLAY-TIME/REPLAYABILITY – This game is hard. As you might be able to tell, that would add to the time it takes to play. BUT, that's not the only reason that this game has a fair amount of play time. The levels are long and brilliant – even though it's an action game, there are many puzzles. Plus, the bosses will definitely take you a bit to beat. So the difficulty + amazing, long boss fight + long levels + extras = LONG PLAY TIME. It's definitely a fulfilling first play-through.

Now, let's take a look-see at that replayability. There are harder difficulties, newer styles, leveling up styles, more moves, weapon upgrades, unlockable costumes, improving ranks, unlocking extra bonuses such as artwork and awesome video...Yeah, the list goes ON AND ON. Even me, who doesn't have a habit of going and replaying games, replayed this game A LOT. Hell, even as I was writing this review I had an urge to go back and play it while I was taking a break. After I initially beat it, I went back and leveled up all of my styles, got all of the moves, upgraded all of my...well, you get the point. There's a butt-load of extra things that you can do and unlock after the initial beating of the final boss. Besides the fact that there're cool bonuses, the fact that the game is awesome is also another reason to keep playing. If you look at the DMC3 board, you'll see lots of video of people doing incredible moves and finding new, innovative ways to beat bosses. You'll also see people who SS rank (the highest rating for level completion) EVERY POSSIBLE MISSION ON EVERY SINGLE DIFFICULTY. Also, getting a full Health bar is a challenge, as the last few items you need to get a full bar are scattered and hidden throughout the different levels, along with Secret Missions that give you the items you need. So basically, what I'm trying to say is that this game is incredibly addictive, and has an incredible replayability factor. It's like a drug, except without those minor details. You know, like the Barney demons, Manbearpig, and being illegal and all (b:D)b

PLAY-TIME/REPLAYABILITY RATING – 10/10

OVERVIEW – This game is most definitely worth a buy. All of its features, unlockables, and its high fun factor make it a game any player would want. Just be ready for a hell of a time with the difficulty. If you plan on giving it as a gift, make sure the person has some decent gaming skills and doesn't have anger issues. As long as you follow those guidelines, you should be fine. Good luck in your...“lives”, and happy gaming! ^_^

OVERALL GAME RATING – 10/10

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 06/23/06