I've never been a huge fan of the DMC (Devil May Cry) games. I used to have DMC 3 for PS2, but I didn't get to beat it. Plus, back when I had that game my English was awful and I could barely make sense of the story :D When the DMC collection came out this year for PS3/Xbox 360, I decided to buy it and give these games a shot. As a gamer AND a fan of the action/adventure genre, I felt obligated to do so :PI beat DMC1, and I thought it was a great game. Skipped DMC2 because people say it's awful, and began playing DMC3. I got to the tenth mission, but I got caught up with other stuff and didn't get to finish the game. However, after playing the demo for the newest installment in this franchise (which is basically a reboot), I will go back and beat DMC3, and then buy DMC4 and beat that game too just so that I'm not out of the loop when the new DMC comes out next year. After playing the demo, I am sure that I will be purchasing the game.
As you can probably tell by now, I really liked this demo. It had everything I like in action/adventure games; the speed and intensity that the DMC games are known for, exploration and roaming around the levels in order to find keys, items, or hidden power ups, a kick ass soundtrack that pumps you up during the combat, good platforming, and a number of other aspects such as a very diverse and in depth combat system. It wasn't anything ground breaking, but originality is something that game developers fail to achieve nowadays with their games.All that matters is that based on this demo, it looks like the game is going to be solid.
The strongest aspect of this demo was the combat system. While nothing new, it was still satisfying to launch an enemy into the air, juggle them for ten seconds, then slam them into the ground with a red axe that Dante carries with him as a weapon. Just like the previous DMC games (and a lot of other action/adventure games), the combat is mainly about linking as many moves as possible together, thus getting the highest combo rank possible. Well, that is the goal, but it is difficult to achieve since the enemies in this game are smart. You have to have good timing in order to dodge some of their attacks, especially when surrounded by more than two enemies. Combine that with having to use certain moves on specific enemy types in order to break their guard, and you'll get a combat system that's fast yet requires you to actually think before you attack, rather than letting you win by mindlessly mashing a button. It's really damn fun, and satisfying.
The controls are great as well. Again, it's the standard control scheme for most action/adventure games, but what's important is that they don't feel clunky for the most parts. Just like the previous DMC games, you can shoot by pressing square and use your sword by pressing triangle. By pressing circle, you can launch enemies into the air and start a combo. In order to use your other weapons (in the demo, Dante carries an axe and a scythe in addition to his sword), you hold down either L2 or R2 (depending on which weapon you want to use). While holding one of those buttons down, press square, triangle, circle, or X to perform different moves. This is great because gamers can swap weapons by simply holding down a button, which makes the combat faster and more intense. It also makes it easier for the gamers to link combos together.
The demo consisted of two levels: the first one was an actual level where you had to fight enemies, do some platforming and find keys to open doors, and the second level was just a boss battle. The first mission was mainly for showcasing the new features of the gameplay, while the second mission was there to give the gamers a taste of the boss battles they will be facing in the final game. The question is was the taste left in the gamer's mouth after fighting the boss good or bad? It's a subjective matter, but in my opinion, the boss battle was just okay. The main issue is that we've seen these types of bosses in countless other hack n' slash games. You hit the giant monster with your sword until it's dizzy, then a weak spot pops up on the screen. Now all you have to do is damaging that weak spot somehow. In this case, you had to rip off the monster's tentacles; the tentacles were the weak spots. We've seen this pattern before. It's been done to death. Was the boss giant? Sure. But nothing about it was memorable. Bayonetta had giant bosses, but every single one of those bosses were memorable. Even the mini-bosses in that game are more fun to fight than the boss battle in this demo. Also, Dante has the most bizarre conversation with this boss before the battle starts, which feels forced and unfunny.
Overall, I thought the demo was great. Even the boss battle, despite being very unoriginal, was still quiet fun to tackle. The graphics were extremely detailed and impressive (thankfully, there weren't any graphical errors in the PS3 version of the demo), the art style was a treat to the eye, the gameplay was overall solid (only minor issue being the camera), the soundtrack was intense, and last but not least, it was a lot of fun just to link all the combos and rack up as many points as possible, especially because you're being graded at the end of each level.
I'm not expecting a masterpiece, but what I am expecting is a very solid hack n' slash title. Hopefully, there will be some memorable and epic bosses in the final game.
Score: 8/10
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