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| PLATFORM: PLAYSTATION 2 |
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| AND GAMERS MAY WEEP |
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 ust when it appeared as though Capcom had struck gold with another franchise that could be serialized until the end of time, Devil May Cry runs headlong into the feared sophomore slump. Not only is the low quality of this sequel uncommon for Capcom, I can honestly say that this is one of the worst follow-up games I’ve had the displeasure of playing in my tenure at the magazine.
In theory, it should be a far greater game. The environments are much more expansive and diverse in atmosphere. Dante’s arsenal of moves has expanded tenfold as well, as he can now perform acrobatic feats such as running up walls and shooting blindly over his shoulder. Longevity also emerges with the ability to play through the quest with the new character, Lucia. As you’re probably gathering, the new features sound fantastic, but in reality, these elements don’t make enough of an impact to keep gamers interested, as the rest of the game reeks of poor design.
The nonstop, motion picture-quality action from the first game has been replaced with obscurity and dreadfully boring moments of nothingness. You’ll find yourself running aimlessly for minutes on end without encountering a single foe. Some of the boss battles are so poorly designed that you can achieve victory by simply holding down the fire button. Believe it or not, there are some encounters in the game that are never actually represented onscreen. Without the ability to move the camera, a flying creature may never make contact with the TV screen. You may see its shadow, and get a glimpse of a wing, but that’s about it. Furthermore, there doesn’t appear to be a rhyme or reason as to why Dante and Lucia need to save the world.
The storytelling is even worse than it was in the first game. Since the plot was tied to a curse and the mansion, you could kind of make sense of what was going on. This time around, it’s impossible to piece together. Within the span of an hour, I was battling a large moth in a cave, helicopters with eyeballs in a city, and flaming monkeys in a factory that was about to explode.
The only part of DMC2 that is commendable is the intricacies of the gameplay. The new moves are easy to manipulate and visually magnificent. Unfortunately, since the overall design of the game is of a much lower grade, these innovative maneuvers will basically go to waste.
If you were a fan of the original title, I’m sure Devil May Cry’s fall from grace will come as a shock. Believe me; I stared at the television in disbelief for a good hour wondering how Capcom could have messed up this bad. Devil May Cry 2 is not only a grave disappointment, it’s a painful one.
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Being cool isn't all it's cracked up to be, kids. We know Dante's a bad mofo – now what? This sequel's primary asset is that you get to play as Lucia (who's more fun to play, by the way). Apart from that, however, old and new problems still remain. The game's camera is still a stick in the mud. The new upside-down gunning is cool, but you can't see what you're shooting at, or where that enemy is going to be when you land. Overall, DMC 2 just didn't get the juices flowing like the original did. I think that the game's easy difficulty has a part in this, but so does the fact that the larger, more open levels aren't conducive to great action. Their expansiveness requires you to do more running around looking for orbs, which takes away from the suspenseful, hemmed-in fights of the original – in favor of larger areas that allow for cool midair combat. Devil May Cry 2 is one case where bigger isn't necessarily better. |
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7 |
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| CONCEPT: |
| Capcom expands upon Dante’s combat prowess, yet neglects to create a compelling or polished game |
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| GRAPHICS: |
| The beautiful animations are rarely seen as the camera is panned out way too far. The environment details are also quite minimal |
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| SOUND: |
| Slaying in the name of cheesy ‘80s hair rock |
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| PLAYABILITY: |
| Over-the-top moves with spot-on play mechanics |
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| ENTERTAINMENT: |
| Even the amazing gameplay can’t save this game from the horrible design |
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| Copyright
1991 -
2008
:: Game Informer Magazine
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