'Devil May Cry 3' is fast and furious
By Marc Saltzman
Gannett News Service
Not all action games are so intense that players need to lay down the controller every few minutes to take a breather.
But such is the case with Capcom's stylish "Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening," an exhilarating Sony PlayStation 2 exclusive.
This gothic thriller reintroduces the mysterious Dante, a half-human, half-demon with a ridiculous assortment of guns, swords and acrobatic moves at his disposal. The white-haired hero, whose style and swagger make him look more like a rock star than a ruthless warrior, has vowed to rid the world of demonic creatures and stifle the sinister efforts of his twin brother, Vergil, who has fallen to the dark side.
The story in this third "Devil May Cry" game is a prequel to the original 2001 title and is a bit hard to follow. It pits the young Dante against Vergil's minions and a few other interesting key characters.
The numerous enemies are pretty smart, too, as they will adapt to your fighting style. For example, if you tend to keep your distance and rely on your long-range weapons, the creatures may disappear into a portal and pop up right beside you.
"Devil May Cry 3" offers a new twist to the franchise with something called Styles, which offers some customization and replay ability.
Changing Styles means you can tweak the way Dante fights against enemies, and each of those has its own advantages. You can even change Styles in the middle of a mission to fit the situation.
The four Styles are: Swordmaster, which lets Dante excel in close-range combat; Gunslinger, which focuses on firearms and marksmanship; Trickster, which helps Dante dodge attacks with crazy acrobatics; and Royal Guard, which is the best all-around defensive pick out of the bunch.
Dante's moves and abilities may depend on the weapon and the chosen Style. Players are then graded with a letter score after each mission, such as a "B" in Style, "C" in Time or "A" in Items used, such as healing orbs.
The game is visually gothic and gorgeous, as are its cinematic cut-scenes. While "death metal" music may not appeal to all gamers, the soundtrack is a fitting one.
Nimble-handed gamers with serious stamina should pick up a copy of this dark and cinematic title that retails for $49.99 -- the action is fast, nonstop and memorable.
