Devil May Cry was my biggest surprise at Play Expo, partly because it was there, and partly because I was so impressed with the game.
Devil May Cry, which is now being developed by Ninja Theory seemed to garner some negative criticisms from people when it was announced, due to the changes to the series' main character, Dante.Now although this change intially put people off the new Devil May Cry, fans can be reassured this reboot stays true to the series.
Just to put your minds at rest, Dante may look different, but he is stil the same cocky, hot-headed demonslayer we have all grown to love, and I think Ninja Theory have done a great job in keeping this about him. Sure they've made him look different, (He IS younger afterall) but it's still the good ol' ass-kicking, smack-talking Dante we know and love, now let's get to the gameplay.
Starting off the demo, you are treated to a short cut-scene introducing Dante's dashing new looks and his new companion Kat, a psychic tasked with helping Dante by The Order, however it is not long before things go to hell (quite literally) and you have to battle your way through a city that is trying to kill you.
Fans of Devil May Cry will be pleased to hear that the gameplay remains true to form. Unleashing blistering combos and darting around the battlefield searching for that S rank combo chain has never been more satisfying and with the introduction of two new weapons to the Devil May Cry arsenal, the angel scythe Osiris and the demonic axe Arbiter, the way in which you can maim and destroy demons not only becomes easier, but of course a lot faster.
Outside of combat, these new tools allow you to get about the environment, using Osiris to pull you to marked platforms, and using Arbiter to ull things down and break stuff. In combat, Osiris and Arbiter provide you with some much needed mobilitiy on the hunt for that S Rank combo chain, and increase your demon ass-kicking capacity substantially.
Although getting used to Osiris and Arbiter takes a while, and is initially quite clumsy, once you get the hang of it you'll be darting around the battlefield dishing out pain to all the demonic nasties the games has to offer, and with how fluid the combat seems to be, from switching to ranged to juggling enemies in the air, you will have a blast doing it.
Finally the demo offers a boss segment for you to take a look at. This allows you to put all the skills you learned in the tutorial level to the test as you come up against the grotesque and vulgar Poison, a 1,200 year old succubus demon, intent on destroying Dante, and vomiting all over him apparently. It is in this that Dante's cockiness truly shines, with his opening words to this vulgar demon being that he is her prom date. The bosses are equally as mouthy and are not shy to using the odd curse word here and there to get their point across to the brash Dante.
The boss fight has you utilising Osiris to move you across platforms when she decides to throw up on it, and of course dodging her other attacks consisting of a sweeping attack and a knock back. The fight provides enough of a challenge throughout, and the integration of Osiris and Arbiter into the fight gives promise to some boss fights on a much larger scale.
Devil May Cry left a strong impression on me and converted me to this new style of Dante. The way the combat feels, and the attitude of the game is spot on, and if the rest of the game lives up to this demo, fans of Devil May Cry are in for a real treat as Ninja Theory seem to have hit the nail on the head with this reboot of the franchise making this a title you should definitely keep an eye on.
Keep up with the latest Devil May Cry news at their website here.
DmC: Devil May Cry is due to release on the 15th January 2013 for PS3 and Xbox 360, with a PC version later down the line.
