PlayStation 2 fans salivating for something a little more entertaining can finally get their hands on something that will make them proud to own a PS2. While there have been a few very interesting titles that were released for the system over the past year, “killer apps” have been few and far between, especially with one of the most wanted games ever, Metal Gear Solid 2, still on the horizon, one of the PS2’s newest releases, Devil May Cry, is starting to fill the void.
Released near the end of last week, the game is already topping the sales charts with retailers around the nation; you’ll be hard pressed to even find a copy available at the local rental stores in town.
There are three predominant reasons why Devil May Cry, developed and published by Capcom, is receiving critical acclaim. For starters, the same person behind the Resident Evil series was behind its creation. The Resident Evil series, spanning over seven systems and more than ten games, is one of the most popular and widely recognized game series around. The Resident Evil license recently went exclusively to Nintendo’s GameCube, but the PS2 is still benefiting from games like Devil May Cry.
In fact, Devil May Cry was originally intended to be Resident Evil 4, the true fourth game in the series, but the designers decided to take a completely different direction with the game, and, after giving the game some play time, you’ll be glad they did.
The second reason why the game has been so eagerly anticipated is because of the phenomenal graphical performance that it offers. Devil May Cry is easily one of the best-looking games on the system so far, possibly only overshadowed by Konami’s Metal Gear Solid 2 or Naughty Dog’s Jak and Daxter.
The game runs at a constant 60 frames per second, which is more frames of animation than the human eye can even perceive; needless to say, the motion on the screen never gets choppy and interferes with the cinematic feel.
Devil May Cry also amazingly overcomes the PS2’s problem of low texture memory. All of the textures in the game (i.e. the game’s visual look) are incredibly detailed and in a high resolution. Nothing ever looks muddy or washed out. Even though the game’s setting is in a dark, medieval atmosphere, the architecture and aesthetics of the game are wonderfully beautiful.
The third and most important reason that Devil May Cry is doing so well is that it is fun. Any game with high production values can be a sight to behold, but if it is no fun to play, then it isn’t worth the money.
Devil May Cry is a pure adrenaline rush from beginning to end with its expert use of sword and gunplay that rivals any other game ever released.
The control of the game is so intuitive that it literally makes playing the game feel like an extension of the hand. Anyone should be able to pick up the game, play for a few moments, and be able to pull off strikingly cinematic action.
Unlike other games of this caliber, there is no excessive button mashing that makes playing the game a frustrating experience. It is extremely easy to switch from gun to sword and back again to pull off impressive combinations of movements that look like something from a John Woo film.
This doesn’t mean that the game is easy; it is actually quite difficult to play through the 20-plus mission available. However, the action hardly feels repetitive, and so playing the game never feels like a chore.
Please note that the violence in the game is purely on a nonrealistic level.
Other than the damage inflicted on your own character, most of the enemies encountered are supernatural, and despite your character’s, Dante, attitude, he is actually the good guy. Devil May Cry is rated Mature by the ESRB for its violent content.