Back in 2002, Capcom gave us a
well-remembered title that frustrated and entertained gamers in equal
measure. That game was
Devil May Cry, and it was good. The combination of a well-defined main
character, plenty of cheesy plot twists, and plenty of demons to beat down
was almost irresistible; adding to the fun was the ability for players to go
back through the game multiple times, keeping abilities acquired in the
previous play-through.
Capcom's mistake came when they released
Devil May Cry 2 on an unsuspecting public; far from being the expanded
adventure gamers were clamoring for, it was better described as an exercise in
masochism. The very mechanics that made the original so rewarding and
replayable had become twisted and distorted, making a mockery of the fun of
the first, and the graphical might of the first one gave way to
repetitively-designed levels with poorly paletted textures and a distinct hint
of rust throughout the game.
The end result is perhaps fortunate for
Devil May Cry 3. Instead of needing to live up to the fun that was Devil May
Cry, Capcom only needed to put out something that wasn't Devil May Cry 2, and
reviewers would see it favorably. The good news is, they succeeded in not
sucking as bad as Devil May Cry 2. The bad news is, despite all the
"improvements", the original Devil May Cry is still more fun. |