There’s variety too, with massive battles against hordes of cannon fodder demons, tough scraps against big or fast enemies, and plenty of fights that mix the two. If you need more of a challenge, then the Nephilim level delivers and there’s a Human difficulty level if you want an easy ride. The difficulty curve in the standard Demon Hunter level is just about right, pushing you to think about your attacks and work on your evade moves without punishing you for any lapse like a Ninja Gaiden would. It’s a brilliant system, and DmC throws up fight after fight that tests it to the limit. Scythes, gauntlets, axes and flying glaives all come into play, each proving useful for crowd control or fighting off specific foes. Along with timing-based fast and heavy sword attacks and dual-pistol/shotgun firing moves, all at a tap or hold of a face button, Dante can switch to special angelic or demonic weapons by holding the left or right shoulder buttons. Dante still has all the sword-swinging, pistol-shooting, monster-juggling moves that one might wish for, and the fighting system is both fluid and rich in depth. None of this would matter had Ninja Theory messed up the gameplay, and while previous effort Heavenly Sword had some brilliant blade-on-blade action, I had doubts that DmC could match God of War or Ninja Gaiden in this department.
very good indeed) and the animation is beautifully done. Creature design is on the kind of level you’d expect from Capcom’s own studios (i.e. If you like to see cities torn apart, giant monsters being battled or strange netherworlds twisting away into the horizon, then this is the game for you. With the Unreal 3 engine providing underpinnings, the detail in the characters and scenery is consistently dazzling, and the use of colour, distortion effects and lighting is masterly, making each trip into Limbo a treat for the eyes. After the awkward semi-fixed perspectives of Devil May Cry 4 we finally have a proper 3D world with a fully controllable camera, and a very impressive world it is too. Otherwise, Ninja Theory has worked on bringing Devil May Cry into the modern age. It’s a great concept, mixing dark fantasy with The Matrix, and the strong story gives the controversial new Dante a depth the original sword-swinging dude never had. Here Mundus is the head of a shadowy organisation that secretly rules the Earth, and lurking beneath our mortal plane we find the hellish world of Limbo, where monsters walk among us and everything is twisted into dark new forms. The plot recasts Devil May Cry and Devil May Cry 3, covering Dante’s battle against a demon overlord, Mundus, with the aid of his long-lost brother, Vergil, and a youthful witch. DmC: Devil May Cry (PS4) at Amazon for £12.85.If old Devil May Cry was the equivalent of Pierce Brosnan’s Bond (or even Roger Moore’s), DmC is the Daniel Craig interpretation. It’s not that DmC can’t be ridiculous at times, but its excesses aren’t so cheesy.
The neo-classical architecture, the fantasy-horror and the convoluted storylines are still there, but they’ve been given a gritty, grungy makeover and a more grounded emotional reality. Where the old Dante gave us the demon slayer as a hair metal rock star, the new Dante is a skinny whelp with alternative leanings, but with the same proclivities for cheap sex and cheaper violence, and the same middle-finger flipping attitude. It’s not difficult to spot what Ninja Theory has bought to the series, or what it has thrown away.