Developer: Ninja Theory
Publisher: Capcom
Genre: Action-adventure
Price: Rs. 2999 for Xbox 360
(Also available for PS3, Coming soon for PC)
It might take a while to find a more hated game in recent memory — that too for the most asinine reasons — than Ninja Theory’s DmC: Devil May Cry. Intended as a reboot to Capcom’s long-standing franchise, the game is most famous for changing the look of its protagonist Dante. Such was the backlash, that there’s even a petition sitting in the White House to prevent the sale of the game in the United States.
The cheesy set-up of the previous games is absent, replaced with a more serious plot along the lines of Devil May Cry 4. In an alternate universe, Dante is constantly hunted by demons in Limbo City before learning that he is one of the Nephilim, born from the union of an angel and a demon. This discovery helps him join The Order with his brother Vergil, to fight against the evil Mundus who controls the city. Despite the nature of things at stake, there’s plenty of humour and sarcasm from Dante and the leading cast.
Dante still has his trademark Rebellion sword and twin pistols Ebony and Ivory, but he can now switch between various modes like Angel Mode and Devil Mode.
Besides the aesthetic and storyline changes, the combat is still inherently in keeping with the combo heavy nature of previous titles. Dante still has his trademark Rebellion sword and twin pistols Ebony and Ivory, but he can now switch between various modes like Angel Mode and Devil Mode. The former uses quick, striking attacks with the Osiris and allows Dante to traverse large gaps while the latter emphasizes heavier attacks and enables enemies to be pulled towards the player. Build up enough energy and you can go into Devil Trigger mode, as your surroundings convert to a high-contrast black and white palette and enemies slow down for extended combos and attacks. The controls are almost the same as previous games but it’s easier to string combos and attacks than previous games, making for less of a challenge.
But DmC’s graphics is upsetting. Despite flowing smoothly at 60 frames per second, there are noticeable shimmers in shadows and the texture quality could be far better. The wild art-style helps keep things visually pleasing but DmC could’ve made for a much bigger leap over Devil May Cry 4’s graphics than this.
As an action game, DmC: Devil May Cry is one of 2013’s must-play titles. It scores in just about every department, and whether you like his hair white or black, Dante is ever ready to rock.