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I know what you’re thinking. “What, that’s not an RPG!?!” Yeah, you’re right. It’s an action game, and probably one of the finest we’ll ever see on the PS2. Still, there were some nice RPG elements thrown in, and Devil May Cry features a little bit for all gamers.
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2,000 years ago, a dark knight named Sparta rose up against the Devil and saved mankind. He married a human woman, and they gave birth to a half-demon half-human child, Dante. Years pass and Dante has grown up to become a headhunter of sorts, but when Trish, a mysterious young woman, shows up and tells Dante that the Devil is making a comeback, the two head off on a mission to stop him. As the story progresses you’ll discover more about both Trish and Dante and details about their dark pasts. There are a lot of interesting revelations in the plot, and overall the game has a very interesting story. Still, the story isn’t relayed through the game very well, and a lot about that plot is discovered from scrolling text at the beginning of the game. For an action game the plot is just fine, but we RPG fans often have higher expectations from our games and some may be disappointed…especially by the ending, which I’ll admit was stupid.
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You play as Dante, the son of Sparta. Along the way you’ll meet up with Trish, but she mysteriously disappears constantly and for whatever reason, Dante thinks nothing of it. The character development wasn’t bad, and by the end of the game you know a good amount about both main characters. The character backgrounds are interesting, and I’ve got to say that Dante is just plain cool! Throughout your journey you’ll encounter hordes of monsters to fight, but for some reason the game has a very low variety of enemies. You spend much of your time fighting the same enemies, but even worse is the boss fights. There are only a few bosses in the game and you’ll be fighting each of them multiple times. Still, they’re all pretty cool so even thought it got dull, I didn’t mind seeing them again.
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Dante has all sorts of different ways he can kill the armies of darkness. He’s equipped with swords, guns…and lots of ammo! Throughout the game you’ll pick up quite a few different weapons, each having its own use. Some really interesting RPG elements were thrown into the game and Dante can be upgraded with all sorts of new moves and abilities. There are several different colored orbs that can be found throughout the game, such as the red orbs, which can be exchanged for items or new abilities. Dante can transform temporarily into devil mode where he gains access to certain abilities and becomes super powerful. The time you are allowed to stay in this mode is increased by collecting purple orbs. You’ll also find plenty of green orbs that restore health and blue orbs that increase your max HP. You’ve got a couple different swords, different guns and a pair of fiery gauntlets that you can wield in the game, and each weapon has its own abilities that Dante can unlock.
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Devil May Cry isn’t really an RPG though, and the point isn’t to collect orbs…it’s to beat the crap out of some bad guys! There are all sorts of insanely cool moves that Dante can perform while fighting, and combat turns into a splendor for the eyes. Combat is fast paced and super fun, and slashing an enemy into the air and unloading tons of ammo at him causing him to levitate is really quite enjoyable (although that’s just scratching the surface of what Dante is capable of doing). The game has enough action to keep anyone interested combined with a decent story and some cool RPG-like abilities to satisfy those looking for depth in their games. Personally, I would have liked to see even more RPG goodness in the game (obviously because I’m an RPG fan), such as more weapons and even more abilities, but hopefully the sequel will give us that. Devil May Cry is a relatively short game, and can be conquered in 10 hours or less, but those are 10 very enjoyable hours!
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The graphics in Devil May Cry are top notch. The backgrounds are dark and gothic, but still very deep and detailed. The depth of the graphics is really amazing, but since the game is so fast paced it’s easy to overlook. The characters are also highly detailed, and even when performing insanely complex moves, they still move convincingly. Combine all this with some gorgeous cut scenes and Devil May Cry is easily one the PS2’s prettiest games. Like many action games though, the camera angles could have used some work, and it was easy to lose track of enemies or jump right off a cliff because the camera angles change suddenly.
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The game has a pretty good soundtrack that changes songs constantly when you enter or leave combat. The music fit the game petty well, but again, the fast pace of the game made it difficult to notice. The sound effects are spectacular, and the clashing of weapons, burning of fire or roaring of monsters adds a lot to the feel of the game. The game has a bit of an eerie feel to it, and the sound and graphics enhance that a lot. The voice acting is also pretty good, and all of the voices fit the characters very well. The giant spider named Phantom had an excellent voice and remains one of the most memorable I’ve heard in any game. Some of the dialogue could have been better, but the voices were convincing nonetheless.
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Devil May Cry is one of the PS2’s better games. The story has its weak points, and the game could’ve used some more length, but it’s easy to get addicted to and loads of fun. It’s now a greatest hit, which means you can find it for pretty cheap nowadays, so this is a game everyone should play!
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