Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening

"Oh my god, Vespy gave DMC3 a 7?!?"

Devil May Cry 3 is the prequel to the very popular original, Devil May Cry. Please, when reading this review, I expect you (the reader) to have played at least DMC1... if not DMC2 as well.

---------------Gameplay
This game plays basically like the first two Devil May Cry games that came out: It's 3D, you fight enemies with a melee weapon (sword) and/or a ranged weapon (guns).

Combat
Wow... this game added a lot to the DMC series. First off, they put in more customization through the art of changing styles... there are four of them (well 6, but you start with 4 real ones), each one adds something more expansive you could do from the original DMC. Like for instants... you can do a slash combo, a "high-time" uppercut, and the lunging stinger attack. New things have been added on top of that with your style button... if you choose "Sword Master" as your style, you can enhance your abilities such as a much needed air combo or a sword fling as you level it up.

Same is as if you choose Gun Slinger... more moves for your chosen gun. Trickster for an extra dodge, and royal guard for parrying means.

Now the bad parts... The combat and damage is TOO unbalanced for this game... all though you have some stylish and freaky combos... the strongest is usually just mashing on the regular combos... now this leaves another thing... Style itself. Remember DMC1 were style was killing things? Well in this installment, it is more on doing useless things. One thing comes to mind... the multi-stab attack... does jack damage for how long it takes and usually doesn't get the last hit off to a boss or a standing enemy... but hey, that's style, right?

Also, the thing that made the original DMC good in my opinion, was just going into a battle, then picking off enemies with a strategy... this game, with only letting you use style and only 40% of the weapons you can get total, it's more of a strategy element, rather than relying on pure skill. Seriously, you could only switch styles and weapon (2 guns, 2 melee) at the beginning of the mission or on of them God of Time statues. Nothing is more bitter sweet and hardcore than going in a fight, getting own, because you couldn't change your attire. Where as in the original... you made a mistake... no sweat, just pause the game!

The combat in this game is more like the second game, very very few practical things you could do opposed to many in DMC. There is way too many useless things in this game... hiding in the guise of "style". Especially the Devil Trigger... which is too like DMC2's version. Save for one crappy weapon, all it does is make you faster, regain health, a tad bit stronger, and adds more defense... that's all! 80% of the weapons have nothing new while in DT, while in DMC1, you have numerous. In all forms of it, DTing is just a handicap in this game. It's sad when I find using DT ruins better through non DT'ing ways...

Bottom line: They should of actually made a game focused on a GOOD combat system, rather than a flashy one... style plays too much in this game... even in 1/5 of the grading system. Sure, I will admit, the majority of the moves look friggen sweet, but what's the point your 2nd time through? So unless you actually like wasting time, make sure you have some friends over.

Enemies
The enemies are varied in this game, almost too many. From demons to friggen chess pieces. There is only thing you can never argue, the majority of these enemies are very well designed. The basic enemy are these demons that manifest from sand... weird idea, but even how they enter (sometimes through shattering glass) is well done. They even have little designs on their hoodies, now that's fashion!

The only flaws, and a big one if that, are their lack of attacks... the basic enemies are those sand demons... there are seven of them named after sins... Attacks with a scythe... another dashes with a scythe... another teleports, then attacks with a scythe... then one shoots easy to dodge sand (Oh my god, unique!)... then one summons others with a coffin and whacks with it... oh, and then another one attacks with a scythe. Let's not forget about the one that just explodes... Now... if you remember the original DMC... the puppets could do NUMEROUS things... and they only needed 2 of them! Not 7! I'm not joking, when I say attack with a scythe, I mean they ONLY try to hit you with it with the same attack... OVER, and OVER again...

It doesn't just end there. Devil May Cry 3 is full with more than enough DMC2-like enemies... Like gargoyles that just fling at you... six armed archers that just shoot things and dash away... and lets not for get an enemy that will charge at you... ONLY when you aren't looking at it!

There are seriously TOO many enemies that just do one simple thing... every one of these are only hard to deal with when there is just too much things going on. Just like Capcom's other flop... DMC2...

If they would of given at least the humanoid enemies 3-4 more attacks each, it would of been better... there is no need to have 8 different "hell" enemies when they could of just made four of them with better move sets... even if they kept 8, they still could of gave them at least a few more things...

Bosses
Well, with all the bad things I said about the enemies, at least the bosses are fairly good. I'm not going to ruin anything too much, but lets just say a good chunk of them are really good.

But I will say this, the ones that don't have a story behind them, do in fact, suck... like a long worm that moves back and forth only shorting purple orbs... or a boss that just has slow ass enemies attack you... or a fight against a "shadow"... sometimes I just want to start an anti-drug petition so the creators stop designing things like these, messed up out of their minds. Don't get me started on the Blob...

Although, the main "Villian" you fight through out the game is a very good fight.

Exploring and puzzles
Well, neither of these are better or worse than the original game. There are some times in the game where you might actually have to use that nogin of yours.

There are a few blue orbs fragments (4 increases your health) to be found, along with 12 secret missions, the good, unique kind.

The majority of the puzzles consist of bringing items to certain places... some with a twist...

My only gripe is that they use one item at least three times in the game... you'll see. The beginning to the rusted key :P

---------------Controls

Nothing in this game is hard to do. Let me start by just saying that.

The majority of the things you can pull off are what you are targeting and what direction you press in relation to it. For instants, the stinger is "Lock on + Towards the enemy + Attack." So if the enemy if in front of you, press up... and so on.

One thing that is greatly improved is the timing of these moves, they are pulled off so much more smooth than in the original.

Well there is nothing to complain about, the controls are perfect.

---------------Difficulty

I'll be honest with you, at first glance, this game is very hard. My first time through normal was fun... I had to try. Nothing is too hard, it just may have a steep learning curve for those aren't that great at these type of games.

What do I mean by a steep learning curve? I asked a "friend" where he first died... "The Dog" Then he proceeded to tell me, The Dog, The Dog, The Dog, The Dog, The Dog, and then The Dog. This is coming from someone who I new previously S ranked DMD! (Dante Must Die, the hardest setting in the original) of the first game. Me? I thought it was funny.

If the game is too hard for you, you could always choose the Easy difficulty, which by no means the walk in the park the original was.

Now here is my gripe along with a few other people's... Dante Must Die mode of this game... Yes, it is beyond one of the hardest things I've played in a game... but for not all the right reasons.

Lets just say this... if you can recall, enemies in the original mode could do a "Devil Trigger" of their own. What does this mean? Well, not only did their defense sky rocket (in both health and stability), they could pretty much own you from max health to death from a combo... So who would want to play a game like this? Well, there is one saving grace... all these enemies are on a realistic timer, so it's possible to never see an enemy DT if you are good enough.

Now what does this have to do with Devil May Cry 3? Well, enemies still have that timer, even if it's always hidden... but once you kill one or two of the enemies... the last one or couple will automatically DT! Now what does fighting a DT'ed enemy like? Well, think of it just like a normal one... you knock it down, and it will take you literally a good minute to kill. Gee, that sounds like fun! True they are harder to knock down and take more damage... but the majority of the attacks are easily predictable... unless you get caught off screen.

I'm not complain that it's hard, I just find this mode VERY disappointing and not fun at all. My idea of fun is fast paced action like the first Devil May Cry, or even Shinobi where speed and killing power rewards you with victory... not where taking out things fast will only net you with a long, and very unneeded battle... this my friends is not fun... The original DMC1's DMD! mode didn't feel like a chore... rather a challenge, and a fun one at that.

And one more very annoying things about DMC3... The bosses are generally easier than the majority of enemies you fight in the game... Hell, at least three bosses in DMD! never even touched me! You will see what I mean when you reach an "Enigma" at DMD!... how the most basic of enemies can be the bane of cheap.

---------------Story

The overall story, especially compared to the first two Devil May Cry games, it definitely better, no doubts about that.

Like I mentioned in intro, this game actually takes place before DMC1... For those of you that don't know from getting deep into the original's story, Dante has a twin Brother, Vergil. Both of these white haired half demons pretty much hate either other.

Dante, the stylish, crazy, and immature one only wants a good time... until "something" pops up... Turns out his bro is behind some pretty dirty stuff... who just so happens to be the calm, mild, and mature one.

Their little fights basically unlock all the of answers to why things happened in the first DMC, which is very well done.

The cutscenes in this game are one of the most extreme things I've seen in a video game in a while. Although they obviously were trying WAY too hard to make these over the top, they did well in the long run. Every cutscene either has this over the top action or some dialog.

But one thing I do not like... I read the ESRB rating... it said M... Although Dante doesn't act mature most of the time... What do I mean you ask? My (male) cousin is a kid that wears nail polish and black fish net shirts in public, and just had to make an off color comment about the "Guitar" scene. In other words, somethings you may find embarrassing/hard to watch. I, myself couldn't bare to watch a few things without cringing...

But, the important thing is, the story line is good enough to pass, it's just kind of a little too childish at sometimes... Yes, yes, I know they are trying to show Dante at a younger age... but they may of made him act too childish.

---------------Visuals

From the city streets to the different realms of hell (or was it heaven in this game? It was white...) any ways, they all look great. Everything is detailed, nothing is plain... very good. Along with this, most things are smashable :)

The enemies are also extremely detailed. Although I ragged on them not having enough attacks, they do look good. Even the basic of enemies look so great.

The movies are good as well, hell, their is some pretty crazy things that happen. Hell, even Dante's pistol slides back while he shoots, something I rarely ever see in the 3rd person.

Mostly all of the moves you can pull off are very visually pleasing, even if they aren't effective, you can't deny surfing on an enemy across a room while spinning with your pistols blazing bullets everywhere doesn't look cool!

I can not think of a single flaw in this area.

---------------Audio

The voice acting isn't bad at all... Dante just sounds different. Vergil also sounds like he has a stuffy nose in some scenes... "Why isn't this work!?" to name one... but it's ok. One thing that isn't cool with me, is Dante's limited vocab... Woohoo and party comes to mind... not so much party... but the Woohoo will make you want to be deaf. One more annoying thing... every time you do a lot of select moves, Dante will say the same thing... over and over again... "Blast off" I heard every five seconds... Hey, I like High time :P

The music is debatable... first, I will tell you this, more than 75% of the boss themes are friggen gold to me, especailly Vergil's first two themes (His 3rd seemed to generic...). The two I mentioned really sets a good mood, nothing tells you are in for a good fight like some nice pumped music.

The bad part to the music... the battle theme... not that it's bad, IT JUST IS ALWAYS THE SAME! DMC1, had... like... at least 5? This game, as the first level theme... and the next one you hear for the rest of the game. It really hurts the game...

Other than me complaining about the repetitive stuff, all of the sound effects sound great. I even like how they kept the originals basic noises, like smashing something metal or using an item.

---------------Replayability

This game will last you or not depending on who you are.

First off, if you just like beating a game once, it is fairly worth the paying price. Most of the things that annoyed me weren't apparent in normal, or maybe easy if you don't care about too much of a challenge. The cut scenes, fights, defeat from bosses, and trying many different things will keep you occupied for a long time.

If you decide to actually make it through Dante Must Die!, this game will take you about at least a good week of solid playing, or maybe months... hell, some people are still on DMD! of first game! Just make sure you have a decent job, PS2 controllers aren't that cheap.

Now this game will be a disappointment if you are like me, and like S ranking an entire game. Somewhat like know I started doing so once I S rank DMD! of the first game... it was fun and one of the most challenging things I have ever done. Now this game? Just like the sub par second game, they decided to make Style a rating... Gee... so now not only do we have to be fast and careful not to take too much damage... but now we have to risk using more impractical moves that take longer to kill things? If that wasn't enough, the the grading rubric is compete crap... they like to factor in orbs you can only obtain once (such as orb fountains or orbs from jumping at a secret angle.) into the grading section, nice! It would also seem that they did not accurately test the requirements for S/SS ranks well enough for hard, and definitely not DMD!

Well there you have it... This game made me sick to my stomach, I stopped playing it because of it's ridiculous grading system. I did, however, get my fair share of S ranks after beating DMD! for the hell of it... but for my efforts, I just got a picture with a caption, with the same color as an insult.

But gee, why bother beat DMD! and unlock pictures legit like I did? I mean, you can just use a friggen code to unlock all the modes, costumes, and bonus content...

---------------Pros/Cons

+A lot of different Moves to try and master
+Perfect controls and fluid imputes of them
+Not a one time sit trough and beat game, like DMC2
+Above par graphics and detail
+The Mocap team did good work
+The story is good, and will answer some questions
+Sometimes exceptionally great boss music
+If you like cheapness, this game will occupy a lot of time
+Perfectly implemented Chess Piece fights

-Most moves are just flashy, and thinking otherwise will get you owned in a fight
-Camera controls aren't all that... but I didn't find the camera half bad... (Most games it is...)
-Insanely lame enemies become insanely cheap enemies on hard settings.
-What the ****? Am I the only one noticing you can hold 60 healing items, but any normal person would take about a week to fill them all up? Let's not even start on holy waters...
-Speaking of which, prices are a little too high priced... and seems the god of time statue did a mark up from the suggested retail price...
-Dante acts like a kid...
-Dante sound dumb and redundant
-Most enemies do one or three attacks...
-One battle theme is heard most of the game...
-Unlockables leave much to be desired
-Ranking system is udder crap when you look at other games
-One of biggest story line fights, turns out to be a handicap match between two brothers and a whale's placenta

---------------Overall

This game is still a decent one, but it really pisses me off that it comes off too shallow most of the time... In most aspect, this game simply tried to be cool...
-Fighting and combat may look cool... but most moves were pointless
-Difficulty was hard... but in more of an inflated way and a dull boring way, especially on DMD!
-The story line was ok, but some scenes were just plain dumb... (Dante could shake off a bullet wound in the forehead in a cutscene, yet can die in seconds from getting rammed by a starfish looking demon)

Not only that, the unlockables in this game as in costume wise (since everyone likes them...), seriously is a let down... they are just different skins to Dante, with the exception of Super Dante... which as infinite DT. Like they couldn't make any other characters playable?

Well, this game will start to collect dust as I finish this review... This game gets a nice seven. Yes, a 7! If your fanboymic pride is hurt, I'm sorry for all the pain. Devil May Cry 3 isn't by far a crappy game, it just doesn't deserve one of the best. I always say to myself after a game like this... "Why did they have to try too hard?"

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 04/07/05