DmC: Devil May Cry
Developed by Ninja Theory
Published by Capcom
Release:
Demo will be out on November 20th for the XBL and PSN (U.S) and the 21st on PSN for Europe.
Retail
360/PS3 January 15th US / Euro 14th / JPN 14th
PC version will be out sometime after at an unspecified date
Intro:
DmC: Devil May Cry is a reboot and reimagining of the Devil May Cry lore and seeks to modernize the gameplay and narrative. As an origin story, we see Dante come to terms with his supernatural heritage while facing off against Demons who control humanity through the media and commercial products. When Dante faces off against the demons, he's pulled into their parallel home world known as 'Limbo', which appears as a warped and deformed version of our own world.
It should be stressed that DmC is a reboot and doesn't continue the storyline of the previous games. Similar to how the Batman and James Bond films have changed and altered the tone and story when changing directions. The story takes many liberties with what's been established and should be treated as a new take on the familiar.
Gameplay:
DmC continues the tradition of stylish combat and fluid gameplay, but goes about it a different way. The combat takes its influences from a variety of different action games - such as Bayonetta, God of War, Heavenly Sword, and of course the previous games. In terms of general design and progression, DmC is very much in line with the last entries. You still explore environments, collect items and gear, fight off waves of enemies, and strengthen Dante's abilities and weapons. Ninja Theory has gone a bit further to add much more traversal and platforming action sequences to break up the combat sections.
The combat system is a bit of a departure from the previous DMC games. The combat seeks to streamline a number of the trickier aspects of the combat, while maintaining a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment from pulling off slick moves. DmC's combat places a larger emphasis on the form/style switching than in previous games. You're able to freely change from the three different forms and combine different techniques and attacks together.
Human Form (base form): Dante's neutral form, and takes advantage of his Rebellion sword and firearms. Rebellion and E&I can be charged up for special ranged attacks.
Angel Form (agility form): Dante's speedier form. While holding down the left trigger he can use angel weapons and the Angel Lift ability, which allows him to pull himself towards enemies (double tapping Angel Lift will have Dante follow up with an uppercut attack which sends the enemy upwards). Dodging in the angel form allows Dante to use a phasing teleport move.
Demon Form (power form): Dante's brute strength form. While holding down the right trigger he can use demon weapons and the demon pull ability, which allows him to pull enemies toward him (double tapping the demon pull ability button follows it up with a kick attack that can damage nearby enemies). Performing a perfect evade (last second dodge) while in Demon Form will trigger a demon dodge, which powers up your next attack with a Devil weapon.
While still independent of one another, the combat allows for you to fluidly move in and out of each form while still continuing off the same combo and attack sequence. Beginning a combo sequence in the human form can result in finishing the sequence with an advanced angel form technique. This can be taken advantage of for quicker access to advance moves.
Now to address the elephants in the room. Ninja Theory decided to forgo the traditional hard lock-on mechanic in favor of the soft lock-on combat in the vein of Bayonetta and Metal Gear Rising. Also, because of the Unreal Engine 3, the game runs at a 30FPS instead of standard 60FPS from the last entries. Pointing the control stick in the direction of the enemy will allow you to attack specific enemies. Launchers are now a dedicated the button, and advanced techniques are down by face button combos and pause actions. Shooting, however, still functions largely the same. As for the framerate, the developers have designed the combat system around the change in tech and sought to keep the series' tenants for smooth combat intact. Moreover, players and other veterans of the series who've played the game at conventions and trade shows have commented that the game does feel fluid and responsive.
If that isn't enough for you, then you'll be pleased to know that the PC version will run at 60FPS.
Controls (for PS3 and 360 respectively):
Cross/A button: Jump
Square/X button: Shoot/Angel Lift/Demon Pull
Triangle/Y button: Melee Attack
Circle/B button: Launcher/Secondary attack
L1/Left bumper and R1/Right bumper: Evade
L2/Left trigger (hold): Angel Form
R2/Right Trigger (hold): Demon Form
left d-pad: Angel Weapon Switch
up d-pad: Firearm Switch
right d-pad: Demon Weapon Switch
Left-click + Right-click: Devil Trigger - DT functions a bit differently in DmC. When activated, Dante forces all enemies into the air and time slows down. Similar to witch time, Dante's attack become more effective against the slower and more vulnerable enemies . To balance this out, the DT gauge fills very slowly through combat, and when activated it drains out extremely fast.
Move List (thanks to LHK and Dahbomb)
Note: the developers have allowed the controls to be customized to your liking, just like the previous games, though it remains to be seen if that option is in the demo or not.
Demo Content:
The demo contains two levels, one of which is a boss fight. For replayability, the demo also includes several difficulty modes to try out. After finishing both levels, the Son of Sparda mode (very hard) is unlocked to test out.
Also, there will apparently be some hidden gems and features to find as well.
Media:
Combat Dojo Gameplay
Home Truths
Bloodline
Gamereactor Interview/Playthrough
Playstation Access Interview/Footage
DmC JPN Official Site
Last words:
Be civil, be fair, and come in with an open mind.
