What Does The DMC Demo Say To You?
DMCThere has been a whole lot of discussion concerning the Devil May Cry reboot in development at Ninja Theory.
And with the game scheduled for a mid-January release, a playable demo has become available for all to enjoy. However, are the long-time hardcore fans pleased with what they see? Or are they disappointed in the new direction?
There's no doubt that Ninja Theory has a specific flair, one that wasn't necessarily seen in past series entries. And of course, the Dante character redesign remains a sore spot for many, although it should've become apparent in the demo that gameplay takes center-stage (as it has always done throughout the franchise). But if you consider yourself a big-time fan of Devil May Cry, do you see a reboot that is faithful to the esteemed action series? Do you see glimpses of that combat brilliance to which we've become accustomed? Is there the requisite freedom and complexity in terms of battle variety?
And what about the setting and style? Devil May Cry has always boasted a very specific artistic style, and DMC kinda shakes things up by presenting us with a more modern feel (not quite so Gothic). Personally, I think it's long past time that Ninja Theory gets their just due, as neither Heavenly Sword nor Enslaved: Odyssey to the West got enough widespread attention. That being said, I can't be sure DMC is the game that will put them over the top... What do you say?
Related Game(s): DMC
Tags: dmc, devil may cry reboot, dmc demo, ninja theory, capcom
11/21/2012 12:55:52 PM Ben Dutka
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Comments (32 posts)
WorldEndsWithMe
Wednesday, November 21, 2012 @ 1:28:15 PM
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1 up, 0 down
Temjin001
Wednesday, November 21, 2012 @ 1:39:54 PM
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On one hand the stylish art direction and character designs are superb, absolutely love the boss. On the other hand the technical shortcomings of UE3 is just really apparent. It has this rough struggling chug feel of earlier PS3 games that aren't really seen anymore, except here. Maybe it's a demo thing. Ninja Theory really needed to design their own engine. It seems most BEST devs program their own engines anymore. Few of the heavy weights rely on middle-ware it would seem.
The art direction is really unique and it feels really different because of it. I think they went a little too overboard on the bright hyper saturated effects. My eyes almost felt like they were straining in that city level due to all of the crazy shifts in tone and value. Looks cool though.
As for the game play, it looks to be solid. I find myself somewhat annoyed having a dodge and grapple whip function mapped to two shoulder buttons, meaning sometimes I'm fumbling trying to get Dante to function naturally up against certain enemy types.
And then there's the 30fps thing. I didn't buy the claim when Ninja Theory stated it would FEEL like 60fps because of how they animated it. And my suspicions were confirmed. The fast nature of DMC really benefits from 60fps. The dip between past and present in fluidity is pretty apparent and I wish they'd scale back the effects for smoother play.
Aside from those feelings, I think it'll be solid enough to be a good game, just not the game I'd probably play right away.
Last edited by Temjin001 on 11/21/2012 1:40:37 PM
2 up, 0 down
xenris
Wednesday, November 21, 2012 @ 2:26:14 PM
I agree you can't say a 30FPS game is going to feel like a 60 FPS game, especially something as fast and frenetic as DMC.
I am downloading the demo right now and will give my own opinion on it but I feel like I will probably feel exactly as you do.
1 up, 0 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Wednesday, November 21, 2012 @ 3:39:52 PM
1 up, 0 down
Temjin001
Wednesday, November 21, 2012 @ 5:30:40 PM
0 up, 0 down
Alejandro562
Wednesday, November 21, 2012 @ 2:20:09 PM
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3 up, 1 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Wednesday, November 21, 2012 @ 3:36:00 PM
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3 up, 1 down
Ludakriss
Thursday, November 22, 2012 @ 9:55:02 AM
Ahh-hahah! Ma man.
0 up, 0 down
DIsmael85
Wednesday, November 21, 2012 @ 3:55:18 PM
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4 up, 2 down
sawao_yamanaka
Wednesday, November 21, 2012 @ 4:32:17 PM
2 up, 2 down
Ninja_WafflesXD
Wednesday, November 21, 2012 @ 4:32:15 PM
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The combat is solid, but doesn't have the same frantic speed that people are accustomed to in Devil May Cry games. I had fun, but at times it did feel a bit sluggish to me.
I will say that I absolutely love the art direction and the level design, my only gripe with that was all the bright colours began to strain on my eyes a little bit.
Easily, the lowest points for me was the music and the graphics. The PS3 really doesn't benefit well from the UE3....I'm almost tempted to say that DMC4 looks better :/
The music was decent, but overall a bit meh. Didn't get me pumped like old DMC tracks, but that is just personal preference.
I will admit, that I was one of the stubborn DMC fans. I still hate the new Dante, but the demo did cHAnge my mind a little bit :)
I probably will pick this up eventually...but I don't think it's pre-order material for me.
1 up, 0 down
sawao_yamanaka
Wednesday, November 21, 2012 @ 4:34:27 PM
1 up, 0 down
trumpetmon65
Wednesday, November 21, 2012 @ 5:14:56 PM
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2 up, 1 down
Temjin001
Wednesday, November 21, 2012 @ 7:48:40 PM
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It doesn't appear to have worked for RE6 and I wonder if DMC will actually sell better than DMC4. In the end no one is happy.
1 up, 0 down
Ludakriss
Thursday, November 22, 2012 @ 10:09:06 AM
I completely agree with the respect to extremely Japanese being turned Western. It's bizzare at best, but you never know. If the pure "intent" of the game and the game design remain, then there should be plenty a happy gamer, yeah?
0 up, 0 down
Temjin001
Thursday, November 22, 2012 @ 1:49:37 AM
I finished the demo, both parts, and I think it's real solid other than the UE3 technical difficulty side of it. What I like most is how artistically realized it all is. I'm compelled to play more of it because of how bizarre and creative the world and it's characters feel. There's also real effort in production. The boss fight was long and satisfying. Not a rush job.
I still disagree with Capcom's decisions to change the franchise, but seeing that it is what it is, I think it'll put on a good show come Jan.
1 up, 0 down
Oxvial
Wednesday, November 21, 2012 @ 8:17:12 PM
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Coffeya
Wednesday, November 21, 2012 @ 8:42:51 PM
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Anyways I am very forgiving of the stupid name title and the fresh westernize look, but it is just a step behind dmc4.
Now capcom, after dmc devil may cry blows over can you give us dmc5? With more styles, weapons, and playable characters than dmc3?
Last edited by Coffeya on 11/21/2012 8:43:45 PM
1 up, 4 down
xenris
Wednesday, November 21, 2012 @ 8:55:03 PM
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The 30 FPS is what does it for me, and the engine. The only company that does good with the UE3 is Gearbox and Borderlands 2. Most other third party companies don't make very well optimized games.
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Temjin001
Wednesday, November 21, 2012 @ 9:44:01 PM
It's rare the best of the best use UE3
naughty dog
Dice
Santa Monica
Polyphony Digital
Quantic Dream
Ubisofts AC teams
343 studios
iD Software
Crytek
Guerrilla Games
That Game Company
I'm probably missing a few but all custom tech for these teams. And many of these teams have best of class representation in gaming.
Last edited by Temjin001 on 11/21/2012 9:47:29 PM
2 up, 0 down
Temjin001
Wednesday, November 21, 2012 @ 9:52:22 PM
2 up, 0 down
YashaZz
Wednesday, November 21, 2012 @ 11:49:43 PM
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Cons for me were - story: sons of an Angel and a Demon? Really...? I don't like the fact that the stylish bar stays on the same level for a long time, but that's probably to do with the whole 30 FPS thin (don't know).
Bring back the taunt!
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Pandacastro
Thursday, November 22, 2012 @ 1:13:54 AM
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2 up, 0 down
Jutter
Thursday, November 22, 2012 @ 1:21:53 AM
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The game is super linear. I wonder if this should be expected throughout the finished product, if so, it's not really a deal breaker for me. I'm not one to get riled up over linearity though, and the other DMC's were pretty linear but not to this extent. Not that big of an issue but really corridor like in that demo.
Other than that, the trailer in the beginning kinda started it off on the wrong foot. The new Dante thing did get on my nerves a bit but after seeing Virgil I really wasn't pleased then they put me in the game and I had some fun. All in all, my reaction was very mixed.
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___________
Thursday, November 22, 2012 @ 3:06:31 AM
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allot slower than what you would expect from the series, and also allot more forgiving in the repetition mark as well.
previous DMC games punished you hard for button mashing and using the same combos over and over again, this though not as much.
unless you pump up the difficulty but thats not a solution, thats just making a problem go away because you have lower health and enemies are tougher.
not because the problem is fixed.
cant wait till this is over, hopefully it flops hard and crapcom will stop tossing their beloved franchises to developers who dont understand them!
that way we can get a true DMC, im still waiting for the worthy successor to 3.
and NT can go back to giving the fans what they really want, enslaved 2!
1 up, 0 down
Ludakriss
Thursday, November 22, 2012 @ 9:45:02 AM
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The style. Personally - phenomenal adaptation of a true sense of, deprivation you know? Stuff that's suspicious and eerie.
Like remember in the training level, one of the billboards has an ad for home lettings. Now when you look at it from a different direction it says "homeless for you" that just brings me back to the film "they live(we sleep)" by Stephen Spielberg.
That is so very appealing. It's like the fantasy Hell and reality Hell collide. And of course the intense experimentation with bass music as a score choice, DEFINITELY does not ail the concept.
Dante himself? - TOO GANGSTA!!!!! Fuck the blond guy and his sword, son! People who had a problem with the "black hair" Dante from the get-go baffled me.
How stubborn must one be to not at least be open to the Very First Trailer that was posted by the dev to show off the design. You know, the one where Dante had the Doll in a headlock, putting out a cigarette on it's head? - Wonderful!!!!
Day, god damn, one! Purchase for me. *sigh* *sigh* Damn. That demo kinda said "remember what a Game is?" and I just felt myself answering with a Keanu Reeves voice - "yeah"...
SMILEY FACE!!!
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trumpetmon65
Thursday, November 22, 2012 @ 2:05:04 PM
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In my opinion Silent Hill 5 was a pretty successful amalgamation of the two countries' development styles (though the ending and use of pyramid head were a little weak in my opinion).
I should elaborate more, but I don't want to take the time, so there's my two cents in the matter.
So what I am trying to say in all of this, is that this game seems to be a very successful union of Japanese imagination and style and overall western stability at its best.
Last edited by trumpetmon65 on 11/22/2012 2:06:43 PM
1 up, 0 down
duomaxwell007
Thursday, November 22, 2012 @ 3:42:57 PM
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1 up, 1 down
Ludakriss
Friday, November 23, 2012 @ 8:18:53 AM
The way the already careless Dante and presumably an Ancient demon just goes at each other with lay-man's insults instead of exchanging poems n such...It just reinforced the whole design of the game.
Damn I'm seriously looking forward to this piece!
1 up, 1 down
DeathOfChaos
Saturday, November 24, 2012 @ 10:49:41 AM
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0 up, 0 down
Bigimpactpooch
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Wednesday, November 21, 2012 @ 1:13:43 PM
!