Devil May Cry 2

"Worth your money!"

First I would just like to introduce myself. Sort of. This is my first review so dont slam it too hard. I will try to be as to the point as possible but....tilt may get a little on the strong side.

Obviously the first one just plain rocked. It had everything an action game lover needs; Swords, Guns, Demons and more demons. It was a great inovation in the action genre world so when the second came out expectations were high. In this review I will grade it on the usual with a couple of my own ratings; Graphics, Sound, Controls, Fun Level, and Replay. Plus since this is a sequel I will give it a kind of second review comparing it to the first. But enough chat....ON TO THE REVIEW!

Graphics:
Towers loom in the background, the sky changes in dazzling colors, and streets are a perfect example of how many ways you can blend different shades of brown.....OK, so maybe it was lacking a little contrast and the textureing could have been a bit better but the character and enemy models along with outstanding frame rates and some of the best damn fire I have ever seen give these graphics a solid...
~9~

Sound:
A lone warrior walks down a desolate street. In the background a theme that sounds like it should be in the Lord of the Rings plays to set the perfect mood. Footsteps are perfectly timed and when an enemy dares get near its time for the Heavy Metal guitar to get you a-hackin and a-blastin. Battle grunts are realistic instead of cheesy and a shotgun sounds neither like a 22. or a cannon...it sounds like a shotgun! (What a creative idea!) The voice acting is fair and doing backflips can sound a little like a freight train passing by, but no one can really say it effects the gamplay itself. The sound deserves all of a exellent...
~~10~~

Controls:
This game brings out all the aspects of the comfortable PS2 controller. Almost all buttons have a use and you never really get lost in the world of triangles and R2s. The new idea of flipping to dodge instead of jumping or running keeps the pace of the battle and running on walls isnt only cool but can get you out some of the hairiest situations the demons can throw at you. Flying is tricky at first but then just adds to the realistic effect. Set combos are beautifully choreographed and making up some of your own is just a blast. My one biggest regret is that Capcom had the brilliant idea of being able to switch guns without accessing the menu, but left an extra button empy that could have easily been the ''switch sword button''. With one minor flaw this too deserves a...
~~10~~

Fun Level:
Any game designer can give a silver haired demon slayer a sword and a couple pistols...but can they make it fun? Well Capcom sure can...somtimes. Knocking and enemy into the air, kicking it, landing on the ground, shooting and then skewering all before it hits the ground is at least fun. But some would argue that its pointless. You may find yourself thinking ''I could slash its brains out with this hyah sword and risk getting hurt...or i could sit in a corner and blast it into oblivion with these hyah guns'' The PROBLEM is the latter gets boreing around the third time doing it. Thus the 'Dont Worry'-'Show Time' rewards are born! The better the combo the better the phrase (d-s) and the higher the level the more currency and when they say more they mean more! It saves the boredom rate to a certain extent, but it could be improved. Puzzles are few (if you call them puzzles) and the platform jumping can be confusing but it never realy makes you throw the controller in frustration. In the end it deserves no less than a decent...
~8~

Replay:
So you have beaten it with Dante once...You aint seen nothing! The game itself may be short but 3 difficulty ratings, dozens of secret levels, new costumes, leveling up equipment, Bloody Palace and *inhale* extra characters gives this game some outstanding replay. Unfortunatly none of the above alters the semi-weak story line so it gets a not so perfect...
~9~

The Final Word:
This game is worth every cent of that there fifty, although some of you may want to rent it first. Players of the original may experience a bit of the ''They screwed this up big time!'' blues, (different enviroment, different controls, different devil stuff etc.) but toss aside DMC1 and you got your self an ''I'll be damned, tar lickin(?), butt kickin, knee slappin, heck of a game'' game. So Devil hunters, pick up them pistols and start shooting cause your in for one hell of a ride!

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 02/12/03, Updated 02/12/03