The Devil inside. The Devil inside. Every single one of us, the Devil inside.
-- INXS
Well, if Dante had anything to say about it, I think he'd heartily agree.
With the third release in the "Devil May Cry" series, Capcom has corrected the error of its ways since "DMC 2" and has gone back to its kick-tail roots that made the game such a sensation in 2001. Actually a precursor to the original, "DMC 3" opens with the demon warrior Sparda who, after mating with a human, sires twin boys-- one named "Dante" and the other "Vergil." As different as night and day, Vergil was lured by the powers of his evil ancestory, while Dante, as you know, chose the path of good -- sorta.
During one stormy evening under the light of a full moon, an epic battle between the brothers ensues, leaving Dante wounded but not dead. Momentarily victorious, Vergil vanishes into the night while Dante lies bleeding on the damp earth.
Flash-forward to the present. A shirtless and cocky Dante, sits down for a slice of pizza inside his "Devil May Cry" investigative agency when a mysterious visitor named Arkham comes calling. Mentioning that he is a servant of Dante's brother Vergil, Arkham leaves a calling card for proof -- and a deluge of demons to stir things up in Dante's shop. For the rest of the game, Dante seeks revenge on his brother until a final heated melee.
Quickly, gamers will realize once the first mission has ended and you think you have your bearings locked on controlling Dante, the next mission appears and knocks your block off. On a difficulty scale of one to 10, "DMC 3" is an 11. I mean, I've played some hard games in my time -- "Splinter Cell," "Final Fantasy X" -- but this is ridiculous. The game initially starts in the hard setting, and can't be changed until you unlock "easy" which appears only after Dante acquires enough red orbs -- usually by mid second mission. Heed my warning! Switch to easy as soon as you can. It's not that much easier, but you'll understand why after you've died 100 times. Oh, by the way, there's no replay. You have to go back to the beginning of the stage if you get killed. What a pain!
OK, now for the good news. "Devil May Cry 3" is beautiful. The Japanese cinematography and animations are apparent in every acrobatic move. Dante now has three modes of customization so you can utilize three distinct fighting styles: Trickster, a more evasive technique that has Dante running on walls a la "Prince of Persia"; Gunslinger, one sick move where Dante swings shotguns around like nunchuka; or Swordmaster, close-ranged attack maneuvers that will have you slicing and dicing demons up faster than the Iron Chef.
The electronica goth soundtrack rocks, the graphics are sweet, and the moves are smooth. The only reason for a less-than-perfect grade is that it's just too hard to completely enjoy.
Additional Information:
Details
'Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening'Grade: B-
Developer: Capcom.
Publisher: Capcom.
Platform: PS2.
Genre: Action.
ESRB: M for Mature.
Retail: $49.99.
