The last two weeks I've found myself very focused on the Devil May Cry series. Previously, I had only been familiar with DMC3. I found it to be an above average action game, but not quite what everyone hyped it up to be. My main gripes were how the bosses felt more like endurance tests rather than strategic matches, only being allowed to use 1 of the 4 styles at a time, and an overall displeasure regarding the combo system not being obvious enough to really master. Maybe the game just wasn't geared to newbies like me? Maybe that's where the first game comes in?

So on a whim, I decided to give the original a fair shot. I knew practically nothing about it, besides what I saw from the introduction cutscene off youtube a few years back. I was truly going in blind, not knowing what to expect, but very eager to understand how this game spawned a series that sold 9 million copies.

Presentation: The menus feel pretty basic and dull, but they do offer up some decent art in the backgrounds. Selecting your equipment will play short FMV sequences demonstrating its function. Very basic, but it gets the job done.

Right off the bat, I was treated to some truly awful acting and writing. You expect this from Capcom, who's notorious for such service, but the problem here is the game seems to take itself a little too seriously. I may have DMC3 on the brain, a game which is often ridiculous if only to directly entertain the player, but DMC1 neither reaches that sweet spot, nor is it so campy and half-assed that you get a chuckle out of it (ie: Resident Evil). You'll listen to these characters, and you'll honestly think that Capcom was trying to cater to 13 year old, blood thirsty brats. Almost every time a character speaks, you'll put your palm to your forehead.

The story didn't really have a whole lot to it, as far as I understand. Dante is the son of Sparda, who was a Legendary Dark Knight, and apparently fought against demons for the human's side. Some shit happened, he got sealed away in another dimension, Dante's mom was killed, this new girl Trish is some genetic/mystic clone of his mother made by Mundus who I guess has some beef with your dad. Honestly, that's enough. The story was fucking awful. I just don't care. Even if you're a die hard fan, you must admit that by the time you finish the game, when that antique prop plane crashes through multiple stone floors in the castle and then Dante pulls a Fonzie on that bitch so he and his chick can flaw away into a happy ending....you have to admit they didn't even try to form a coherent story.

The game is structured into 20-something missions. Some missions can last a while, offering puzzles, large maps, boss fights, and so on. Others may literally just be a 60 second romp. These stages came across in a spastic fashion, but at least they were surprising somewhat.

Graphics: You know what? I was impressed. For a 7 year old game, it looks damn fine. The environments are top notch, and the camera work only strengthens the visuals. Characters move perhaps a little stiffly and maybe they could have had a little more detail, but I'm not complaining. For an early PS2 title, this must have been quite a showstopper.

Sound: I felt compelled to crank the speakers up during every gaming session. That should say something. Every gunshot, sword clash, enemy cackle, all of it was top notch. I almost wish I had a sound effect bank rip from this game. So many memorable noises.

And of course the soundtrack, perhaps the most defining characteristic of the series. A perfect blend of dark, creepy ambiance with a great, unique style of synthesized metal. You absolutely must hear the themes for the Griffon and Neo Angelo (see bottom). While DMC3 opted for a grungier death metal vibe, with vocal sniplets strewn about battle music, the original here kept it entirely instrumental all the way through. I do enjoy both albums, but I think DMC1's was much more suitable for the game. I think a wider audience will accept it, and it will not distract you from the experience.

Gameplay: Now you must understand that DMC1 practically invented the whole "Stylish, Over-the-Top" action genre. It has been copied very much in the last 7 years. This unfortunately will make the game feel a little too simple to some of us, especially for the first few missions. Once you get Alastor, and a few moves for it, this is where the combat becomes worthwhile. Honestly, I came very close to never playing the game again just because the first 3 missions or so boiled down to dodging and slicing enemies endlessly. Trust me, it gets better.

I know I'm doing a lot of comparing to DMC3 here, if only to help convince other people that part 3 is not necessary better in every way. To start with, the devil trigger is MUCH more useful and maybe even required for some of these battles. It's seriously invaluable. Yes, the air lightning move is a bit cheap, but that's ok. It's fairly weak on bosses anyway. The most important benefit is the lessening of your damage and staggering. Enemies will often rush or surround you, and you'll need the transformation to push on through.

I found myself reminded of Prince of Persia: Sands of Time when it comes to combat. Both games had fairly innovative, but limited combat systems at the time, and had sequels which added leagues of depth, but there's this certain balance that these first games maintain with the combat. Each move seems to serve a real purpose. You'll find yourself using your entire skillset, whereas in DMC3 and the later PoPs, (and be honest here), you'd beat half a game with just one or two moves, didn't you? That forward + swing move with the nunchucks would obliterate almost anything in DMC3. Very unbalanced, I think. DMC1 had me trying a lot of strategies on new enemies. I like that.

I'm going to go out on a limb here, and just assume that the main things people noticed in 2001 were the lock-on combat system (coupled with the cinematic camera), the air juggling (especially via Ebony & Ivory), and the effortless swapping between shooting and melee. Those three things sum up why this game was so heavily credited in the action genre. I'm not taking it down a notch. I respect what it did. I just don't think it offered quite the evolutionary leaps that some people claim. Still, it works and it's fun. Good for them.

Overall: Guys, it's like $5 and available at virtually any used game store. If you haven't played it, just go buy it. I had a good time, and I now understand its success. Capcom is my favorite video game developer for a reason; they stay consistent. For the last 20 years or so they continue to pay mind to all the aspects of gaming instead of just one or two. They also continue to put out titles that age quite well. It feels good to explore something you missed out on many moons ago.

PS: What was with all these characters around 2000, dressed in red coats, and armed with a big white gun and a big black gun? Vash the Stampede, Alucard, and Dante?



As a bonus, here's some of the best music tracks in trailer form:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNSpcsavsms&fmt=18
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vlg_D_oeH88&fmt=18
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpDiBDEK2G0&fmt=18
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGX_ikfmLHI&fmt=18
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1jVK2zhxDE&fmt=18