Devil May Cry: HD Collection (Video Game)
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Developed and Distributed by Capcom
Rated M for Blood, Suggestive Themes & Violence
Available for PlayStation 3 (reviewed) & Xbox 360 (reviewed)
KENNY KING: Typically when we do a review for Dread Central, we’ll tackle the job solo to give you the most information and honest opinions about games, so that you’ll know whether or not you’ll want to make the purchase on the game. However, the Devil May Cry HD Collection contains three separate games–Devil May Cry, Devil May Cry 2 and Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening–all on one disc. Receiving three classic titles for less than the price of one is reason alone to pick up this collection, but Amanda Dyar and I are going to go ahead and breakdown each game in the whole collection for you anyhow.
The original Devil May Cry will always remain one of the most influential and iconic games in gaming history. The game not only started a highly popular franchise that would be enjoyed for many years to come, but it also created a whole new subgenre of action titles whose gameplay focused primarily on chaining together quick attacks and combination moves to take down rooms full of enemies in the most stylish way possible. Although the game’s graphics and camera angles are outdated at this point, gamers can still find the core gameplay for this title incredibly addictive and the storyline still as quirky and entertaining as they may remember from years gone by.
Devil May Cry originated the story of the half demon Dante, son of the legendary demon Sparda. Dante has not lived up to his family name and instead makes his way through life as a mercenary for hire, killing demons, ghouls and other nasty beings while running his shop appropriately named Devil May Cry. After learning the plan of the evil demon Mundus, who killed Dante’s mother and brother, to return to Earth, Dante sets off with a mysterious new protagonist to thwart Mundus’ return. Many important characters are revealed throughout the game, and this is still one of the strongest storylines in the Devil May Cry series.
These three classic titles combine to make a collection so hot it may melt your system. Trust me; I would know. The games’ controls, camera angles and graphics may not stack up to their modern competition; however, they are still a ton of fun to play and a nice trip down memory lane. The addition of 99 new trophies and achievements–33 for each game–gives the collection really nice replay value as well. You won’t find a better deal around, and my only real complaint was the lack of bonus content, as the game only offers up concept art on the main menu of the game.
AMANDA DYAR: Devil May Cry 2 is the 2003 sequel to the original Devil May Cry, and it allows players to resume the role of Dante only this time he has some help. At the beginning of the game, Dante meets up with a woman named Lucia, then the duo decide to team up in order to stop a man named Arius from resurrecting the powerful demon Argosax and taking control of the world. We are shown a nice storyline as the two team up like their parents did many years before them, and you are rewarded with a fitting end to the Devil May Cry series, as this title is chronologically the last in the series for now.
Devil May Cry 2 made many questionable changes to the successful formula it used in the original, and this ultimately made it a fun game but the weakest in the series. You are allowed to play through the game as either Dante or a new protagonist named Lucia in the sequel. The game also decided to go with a considerable drop in difficulty in order to appeal to the more casual game.
Still the game retains many elements that made us fall in love with the original. Combat remains roughly the same with the added ability to cycle through weapons mid-combat, use a variety of evasive tactics and string together better combo attacks. The classic camera angles and controls still persist in the HD remake, but then you can’t expect these to be vastly improved, since the main innovation the collection makes is in the HD graphics which do make the game look considerably better despite its age.
The third game in the series is actually a prequel to the original Devil May Cry. In Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening, a younger Dante sets off on a quest to confront his brother Vergil after being attacked by demons claiming to be sent by Vergil. It is revealed that Vergil is after Dante’s other half of a magical amulet left to the two brothers by their mother. The game offers great insight into the history of the Devil May Cry universe, and contains the best storyline and some of the best gameplay the series has seen yet.
Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening retained most of what made the original games so great and then added in some really innovative new features to boot. The most prominent new mechanic was the addition of combat styles that allowed Dante to unlock and utilize special moves designated to that specific fighting style in combat. Combat was made more simplistic with an improved ability to switch weapons at any time. The game also featured the best camerawork and offered more control of your vision than did the first two games. The third game in the collection is also the best in the series, and it actually stands up pretty well against the test of time.
If you’ve never played these classic titles or simply want to relive them, you’ll be hard pressed to find a better deal than the Devil May Cry HD Collection. The collection offers three great games on one disc, and you even receive concept art as a bonus incentive. Switching games within the collection requires you to reboot your game and then select which title you want to play, but the overall improved presentation of the three games more than makes up for this minor annoyance. At $40 for the entire collection this deal couldn’t be sweeter!
For more information on the Devil May Cry HD Collection, check out the official Capcom website.
Game Features
4 out of 5
Categorized:Reviews
