DmC: Devil May Cry Preview – E3 2012
Posted by
Nechrol
on
Devil May Cry has found itself in some hot water over its new developer (Ninja Theory) since their takeover of the franchise and is set for a mid-January release in 2013. Players were concerned with the new direction and aesthetics the game was heading. But aside from how our protagonist, Dante, styles and dyes his hair, what really matters, is if Devil May Cry has promise. To find out what was in store for us consumers, I had some hands on time with the game to explore its mechanics.
DMC has always been about frenetic and stylish combat that’s become a staple of Capcom’s games and is no stranger to Ninja Theory with its back catalogue. To test this out, I dropped into one of the game modes which placed Dante in a plaza with a hooded female friend. Dante passed through the “real” world and enters a “demon” world. The European buildings were transformed and tangled by writhing demonic mass as enemies popped up. We have the staple sword of the DMC games, Dante’s Rebellion, with its familiar strings of button mashing and charge attacks, which by itself makes short work of the grunts. Another familiar set of weapons, Ebony and Ivory, are also holstered by Dante’s side and are used to take out flying cherub enemies, harking back to Dante’s demonic past, but also with the new direction the game has headed.
Speaking of a new direction, this Dante is not the same Dante as previous games, but more of a reimagining of the franchise exploring his formative years. New Dante is not just the child of a demon, but also an angel. So while not totally wiping the slate clean of the protagonist, it rearranges the particles to tell a new story. The new DMC focuses on Dante’s angelic side, which imbues him with new abilities. Abilities such as “Angel Rush,” which is an air-boost ability used to clear gaps that the old fashioned double-jump, simply can’t manage. Another new tool in the arsenal is the context sensitive whip, which allows the player to interact with both scenery and enemies. For the former, you can push and pull yourself toward ledges to clear gaps and reach new areas. It also enables you to yank a rather irritatingly possessed security camera out of the foundations and boot it into a nearby wall. You can also use it to pull airborne enemies toward you for ease of attack, and tear the shields away from troublesome defensive opponents.
Aside from the aforementioned sword and dual pistols, the player also has access to an axe and scythe weapons. These are controlled with the trigger and buttons and allow you to seamlessly switch between killing devices to really rack up the combos. These more powerful weapons, while slower, give you the ability to break down defences, and deliver decisive blows to win battles. These came in handy when duelling with a chainsaw wielding demon, coupled with the new take on the games evasion system. This is done with the close trigger buttons and with a tap of the analogue stick can intuitively transport you out of harm’s way.
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.