Ever since Nintendo scored the
Resident Evil license theyve been waving it like a flag and flaunting it as, among
other things, proof of their commitment to please adult gamers. While it certainly does
demonstrate their commitment to a more diverse demographic, its still less of a coup
than they would likethanks in large part to Devil May Cry.The increasingly dated feel of the
RE franchise is holding it back both in terms of sales and innovation. The poor control
scheme and awkward character movement epitomize the increasingly lackluster feel of the
series. The ever-cool, ever-nimble Dante walked onto the sceneactually he back
flipped onto the scene, bounced off of a few walls, hit the ground with a flawless roll,
decapitated the competition with a flaming broadsword, came up blazing with a gun in each
hand, and took killing the undead to a whole new level.
The action and the joyful combat sequences were the draw of Devil May Cry, and fans
rushed to embrace it. If there was ever any doubt whether wed see a sequel, two
million copies sold provided the answer. Can cool strike twice? Lets hope so.
A new
development team is on board, but the same quality game play looks to be sticking around
for the sequel. There wasnt a playable version on the E3 floor this year, but there
was some nice footage running, and Capcom has started giving us the details. Dante looks
to be up to his demon killing antics once again and he should come complete with new moves
and a stylish new look to go with em. Dante also has a new Devil Trigger that allows
him to transform into a demon. This form should give Dante more powerful attacks and a new
aesthetic to keep things interesting. Also look for new weapons to add to the returning
arsenal.
The
environment has undergone a significant change this time around. We know that a lot of the
game will be set outdoors, and according to Capcom, well also see "a
Gotham-like cityscape and an old European town". All three settings sound intriguing
and its nice to hear that well have some variety from the gothic castle look.
Perhaps the biggest news is the announcement that Devil May Cry 2 will feature two
characters: Dante and "a brand new heroine". Theres been no elaboration on
the heroine yet, but a little variety can go a long way, and hopefully this will also add
some replay value to the title.
Fans who
had a tough time with the first Devil May Cry, and there were a lot of us, will be glad to
hear that Capcom is working on refining the difficulty. Devil May Cry 2 will adjust the
difficulty as needed. Its constantly tracking your performance and modifying the
enemies performance to meet your skill level. This excellent feature, if
successfully implemented, should guarantee a great action game for everyone that picks up
the controller.
Fire up your PS2 and shoot the hell out of things in style, Winter 2002.