DmC: Devil May Cry Preview - E3 2012
Familiar strings of button mashing and a new look for Dante
Other mechanics have also been taken in a new direction, such as the health bar. Green orbs still regenerate health, and red orbs are used as “currency,” but it is more reminiscent of a classic health bar. There’s also Dante’s “Devil Metre,” which transforms Dante into the more classic looking character we know from previous games, white hair and all. Combat charges the meter, and as you can expect, all your moves are powered up.
Aside from the fast and frequent combat, there’s also a stronger emphasis on platforming. The player finds themselves utilising the Angel Whip to hop up to higher ground and navigate across higher walkways to objectives. Where a number of players came unstuck, was when it came to combining both the jump commands with the Angel Burst, particularly near the end of the demo level, where the interior of a church broke apart into chunky platforms. The player had to draw on all that they had learned in the demo to transport themselves from one side to the other. When players did make it (I made it in one, huzzah), they were treated to ending cinematic in typical DMC style, with Dante leaping through stained glass windows as the church crashes to the ground.
If players wanted to get a taste of a harder challenge, they could attempt the boss fight. This fight was there to show how the new platforming elements combine with an aggressive and large opponent. The opponent in question, a giant demon spider in a pit of lava, had multiple weak points. The best strategy for defeating it, was to utilise you whip to navigate platforms and then unleash your most powerful combos onto its limbs to whittle down its health bar.
The new Devil May Cry has a lot to live up to, both with fans, and with gameplay. It felt like I was playing a classic DMC game with added elements that reminded me of the previous games. The increased emphasis on platforming is certainly a refreshing direction to head, and hopefully it will allow for pacing to emerge from the contrasting levels. Things look promising for Devil May Cry... even though Dante does look like he should be having an empty beer bottle thrown at him while he attempts to front his punk band.
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