Publisher: Capcom, www.capcom.com
Ages: twelve and up.
Parental
Advisory:
Considerable violence
The original Devil May Cry sold some three million units, and Devil May Cry 2, a violent third-person game with constant fighting, is the highly anticipated sequel to Capcom's first "gothic thriller." While the game looks better than its predecessor and features impressive new moves, the gameplay is rather repetitive. It's visually stunning, but doesn't live up to its potential.
As you would expect, Devil May Cry 2 brings back Dante, the half-human, half-demon, devil hunter who battles the underworld. The game also introduces Lucia, a female heroine who is equally powerful. In addition to the new character, Dante now has flashy new moves and attacks that let him run and jump on walls, perform aerial kicks and simultaneously shoot in two directions.
Devil May Cry 2 features a better devil trigger meter that when full, lets Dante or Lucia transform into powerful demons that destroy enemies with ease. Devil May Cry 2 features large outdoor environments that include Gotham-like cityscapes and an old European town. It also offers new weapons in addition to those in the original game.
While the game's enhancements sound good on paper, they don't result in a noticeably stronger game. For example, while Dante's new skills are visually impressive, they aren't needed to beat the enemies. While the new environments are generally good, they aren't as interesting as those in the first game. Also, the addition of a second character should translate into new challenges, but the gameplay feels much like that of the main character.
The game is supposed to adjust its difficulty based on how well a player performs. This should, in theory, make the game more accessible to a wider audience. While it's hard to gauge how well this works, the action in the game becomes rather repetitive. Once you get past the "gee whiz" factor with the flashy new moves, it's pretty much jump and attack, or stand back and use those long range weapons from afar.
One definite improvement, the game looks fantastic and Dante and Lucia look great and move in a realistic manner. Overall, the game features rich visual detail and smooth animation.
Second time around, Devil May Cry 2 offers little that ultimately improves on the original. Fans of the original game will probably be disappointed.
2/18/03 www.daytrum.com Editorial Staff
