Dante
what happened? You used to be cool. But
now you hardly even speak. Did the bozo's
at Capcom tell you that real heroes are
the strong silent type? If so, they lied
to you. Only those that played the original
DMC a year a bit ago will know what I
am talking about. Dante, who dared to
share quips with Trish and some of the
undead beings in the original game, prefers
only to talk when necessary, leaving most
of this game's personality on the cutting
room floor. Unfortunately for fans, the
whole experience can be summed up in one
sentence: Too bland, too easy but looks
good.
Split
up into two playable adventures (Dante
and Lucia) Devil May Cry 2 is one of those
sequels that has you shaking your head
an hour or so into the game. You've wanted
this game since the moment you handed
the devil his ass in the first game, but
now you can't shake that feeling deep
down inside that this game isn't exactly
what you waiting patiently for over the
last 15 months. It's just not all THAT.
Dante (and Lucia) have some new moves
that allow them to run along the walls
(ala Shinobi) but to be honest there just
isn't much call for that - but it sure
is cool the first few times you do it.
Dante and Lucia tackle evil differently.
Dante subscribes to the motto "Happiness
is a warm gun" while Lucia gets up
close and personal with her sword. Either
way is just as effective.
Where
the first game was the right balance of
challenge, skill and making the right
upgrade decision, Capcom has removed the
need for any of it- seemingly listening
to the critics who couldn't play with
any skill at all and who whined that it
was too hard. As far as I'm concerned,
bigger levels, new moves, another playable
character be damned. If the game is too
easy, what's the point? I don't need my
ego stroked. I need to get my $50 bucks
worth. In short, DMC2 is a cakewalk and
unless you are pathetic gamer who loves
breezing through games just to say he
got to the end, a cakewalk is NOT a good
thing.
The
boss battles from the original could be
really tough but they weren't impossible.
Now you'll rarely need a health upgrade.
In fact, I played so long at a stretch
I seriously began to wonder if I COULD
die. I don't know about you, but I need
some tension in my gaming. The camera
is your biggest enemy - much like in the
first game when it would whiz all around
and rarely give you a clear view of what
you needed to see - but even that can't
really make this game that much harder.
Upgrades are still available but they
seem to be more for show now than anything.
Upgarding to Demon Power is complete overkill
but at least it looks fancy. Even playing
as Lucia isn't anything to get worked
up over.
I
wasn't expecting this and I sure as hell
know that you weren't either. As much
as you may want to ignore what I have
to say especially if I'm the only one
who is going to tell it like it is, you
should definitely rent DMC2 first. Play
it through all the way (it's just as short
as the first game) and take it back. The
biggest disappointment of 2003? So far.
OVERALL |
3.0
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GRAPHICS |
4.0
|
CONTROL |
4.0
|
MUSIC/FX |
3.0
|
VALUE |
2.5
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VAUGHN
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Certainly
DMC2 can be viewed as a disappointment
but there are always those "glass
half full - glass half empty"
people. I know many gamers who don't
mind a good mindless shoot em up
and unfortunately for fans of the
first game, that is what DMC2 has
become. DMC2 is at i's best when
you've got a room full of enemies
and you are jumping and flipping
around. It's at its worst when the
Boss battles kick in which take
usually no effort at all. The game
is short (even with the two adventures)
but Capcom tagged on the Dante Must
Die mode for those looking for more
of a challenge. The game camera
is DMC2's worst feature - preferring
to focus on Dante which sometimes
make Dante (and Lucia) seem like
tiny little people down there on
the screen. The game is a fast paced
romp with little thought given to
the story or characters which is
highly disrespectful to the original
- but it can be fun. Definitely
worthy of a rental but may not be
welcome as a permanent fixture in
your collection.
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The
problem with sequels is that they usually
following an act that's hard to follow.
The success of the original is the reason
for the sequel in the first place. Somehow
we want the sequel to be similar to the
original - only better - whatever that
means. Can you imagine having a sequel
to a joke? Since we already know the punchline
the surprise has been spent. Sequels,
whether they be movies or games, run the
same risk of having the surprise already
spoiled. It has to be the same yet different.
If it's not original in its own right
people will complain that it's a rip-off
of the first version. Then there are those
that will complain if the sequel strays
too far from the original. It's a fine
line and one that Capcom should be used
to by now, having produced so many follow-up
games.
You
can probably tell by my tone that things
aren't all well and good down in hell.
Devil May Cry 2 is enough to bring tears
of frustration to the legion of underworld
spawns. The original was a great game.
Not only was the gameplay great but it
was a unique premise with an interesting
storyline. I'm not sure how Capcom would
follow it but clearly this version is
not the answer.
Devil
May Cry 2 should have been the first version.
It's almost too easy, it's as though Capcom
received a lot of complaints from gamers
saying the first one was too difficult.
While it looks the same in most regards
it feels dumbed down. Those looking for
a deep and more challenging battle will
be disappointed. There are some new features
but they're nothing more than add-ons
which have little to do with the actual
gameplay which has degenerated into lots
of repetitious fighting. And the boss
battles are an exercise in boredom. Here's
a spoiler on how to beat most of the bosses
in the game: Stand there and shoot. No
strategy required.
Play
as Dante the demon hunter, who possess
special demon powers in the same way Blade
has vampire powers. Or play as the hot,
new chick, Lucia who prefers to use blades
of her own instead of guns. Dante has
a good selection of moves, some of which
enable him to super-jump off wall and
enemies. He can also fly and suspend himself
in the air by the force of shooting bullets
from his gun - a trademark Yosemite Sam
gag. It would have been great if the moves
would actually have to be used in the
game but instead you just get some points
for mixing them all up like you would
in a snow or skateboard game. You can
get through the game with a few favorite
moves and by using a lot of firepower
of which there is a decent assortment.
It may not be easy but I didn't find it
cerebrally as challenging as the first
game.
The
story is a sordid mess. I didn't pay much
attention to the storyline just like I
didn't when I first played Splinter Cell.
I was much more interested in the task
at hand than the big picture, and besides,
I knew it would all come out in the wash
anyway. The problem with DMC 2 is that
it dissolves in the wash. The story is
lame and embellished with irrelevant cutscenes,
as though adding some dramatic dialogue
would cover it up like lime on a corpse.
Suffice to say that the demons are influencing
big corporations and preparing to take
over the world. I thought that was already
happening in real life?
The
game looks great and still has the same
spooky vibe with Gothic architecture and
gloomy environments, but like that joke
analogy I used earlier, we've already
been exposed to it. The animation is fluid.
There are Xbox games that don't look anywhere
near this good. Some of the environments
are bigger and the attention to detail
does not go unnoticed. The soundtrack
combines tough, Goth-rock and eerie pipe
organ punctuated with scintillating blade
clashes. The gunfire bursts through the
speakers replicating the rapport of pistols,
shotguns, machineguns and missiles with
plenty of authenticity and authority.
You
can't go wrong with this game if you haven't
played the original. In fact, I would
recommend that you play this one first.
That way you will really appreciate how
great the original is. Perhaps we
should call this Devil May Cry: The Pre-quel.
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