Review: Happy times with 'Devil May Cry'
By Marc Saltzman
Gannett News Service
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One of the characters in 'Devil May Cry 2.'
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Editor's Note: The opinions expressed in this column are solely those of Marc Saltzman, a freelance technology journalist whose reviews also appear on the Gannett News Service.
The devil, as they say, is in the details. It's a fitting adage to describe Capcom's cinematic sequel to its popular Gothic thriller, Devil May Cry. Dante -- a half-man, half-demon -- is back in Devil May Cry 2 with his rock-star looks, and he's joined by Lucia, another playable character. She's a redheaded femme fatale who possesses the skill to slash demons with her scalpel-sharp scimitars.
Like Dante, Lucia has her own set of moves and combos to master throughout this action-heavy, single-player game.
Without giving away too much of this twisted tale, the story begins as Lucia persuades Dante to accompany her to a town to fight demons. When they arrive, an old French woman tells Dante she knew his father, the dark lord, Sparda. The old woman also tells Dante that she'll reveal more about his father if he agrees to help Lucia protect the village from demons.
Bigger game
The gameplay that made Devil May Cry a must-have Sony PlayStation 2 disc remains much the same in this sequel. Players must travel through fantastic worlds to annihilate a host of demons, while solving puzzles and picking up magical orbs to increase their skills. Devil May Cry 2, however, is a much bigger game. Capcom says the environments are roughly eight to nine times the size of those in the original.
In Devil May Cry 2, much of the action takes place outdoors. The first level is in an old European town where creatures can attack in packs, and from any direction, even hovering above the hero or heroine. Later in the game, there's a Gotham-like city to fight through and an underwater level reserved for Lucia's character.
Dante has new maneuvers, including airborne acrobatics, the ability to shoot in two directions simultaneously, and the ability to run up walls — a la The Matrix. He also has new weapons, such as a rocket launcher, to complement his handgun and sword expertise. And with his enhanced "Devil Trigger," Dante can transform into a full demon with special abilities.
Detailed characters
Graphically, the character models, environments and special effects are incredibly detailed: Dante's trench coat ruffles in the wind; the Gothic buildings look eerily realistic and the special effects look as if they're straight from Hollywood sci-fi movies. Fitting rock music replaces the ambient soundtrack whenever combat begins.
As stunning as Devil May Cry 2 looks and sounds, it doesn't always play nicely. While Dante and Lucia can be controlled intuitively, the camera cannot. The problem lies in a finicky third-person perspective camera that swivels around the protagonists. In many cases, it will switch angles right in the middle of combat, making it difficult to stay focused on who or what you're attacking.
Fans won't be disappointed with this two-disc set. The game features plenty of attitude and action that makes for a gratifying walk on the wild side.
