DMC Is Accessible To New Fans, But Remains Plenty Hardcore

Maybe some of you have been intimidated by what you've seen of the gameplay in DMC. And maybe you combine that with what you've heard of the franchise's steep difficulty in the past, and you're leery about trying the upcoming reboot.

But Ninja Theory says that newcomers to the franchise shouldn't be frightened of the super fast-paced and incredibly intricate-looking maneuvers we've spotted in trailers and videos. Don't worry, you can do it.

Combat designer Rahni Tucker told OXM UK that they've attempted to create a mechanic that will cater to both n00bs and hardcore experts; the former won't be overwhelmed while the latter will find all the depth and complexity they desire. Said Tucker:

"When I looked at videos of pro-players playing the old DMCs, they're always in the air, they're always juggling enemies around, and doing stuff that most of us look at and think 'I have no idea how that works.'

We wanted to take that magic the pro-players could create and give more casual players a bit of that feeling. A bit extra hang-time, more aerial moves, the launch button is a single press without a lock-on."

Dante's launch and grappling capabilities have returned, and the combos look totally insane. However, while the AI won't consist of mindless pushovers, those unfamiliar with the series (and action games in general) shouldn't be scared. Game director Hideaki Itsuno has said that this "commercially necessary shift" has not sacrificed the top end; in other words, you'll need a ton of skill to be really impressive in the ranking category. Yes, practice and patience will be rewarded.

"As the series has gone we've seen new users die out, as it took longer to get into it. When it came time to make DMC 4, with the new hero and new moves, new techniques and skills, not many new fans entered the series."

DMC will be ready on January 15.

Related Game(s): DMC

Tags: dmc, devil may cry reboot, dmc gameplay, ninja theory

1/5/2013 11:00:38 AM Ben Dutka

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Comments (35 posts)

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sawao_yamanaka
Saturday, January 05, 2013 @ 11:58:32 AM
Reply

Bleh, I don't like the "new" mechanics. I enjoyed this game when it was called heavenly sword.

3 up, 1 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Saturday, January 05, 2013 @ 1:52:12 PM

That's unfair, HS was much simpler.

0 up, 0 down

sawao_yamanaka
Saturday, January 05, 2013 @ 6:18:38 PM

Simpler how? Same mechanics nothing new. It was not "simpler", having just recently replayed heavenly sword the mechanics are the same. DMC took skill and patience especially in the harder difficulties. The demo did not sway me at all, I got SSS ranking easily. DMC4 and 3 are harder to achieve that especially in the harder difficulties.

0 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Saturday, January 05, 2013 @ 6:58:27 PM

Watch some of the videos, the demo isn't going to have all available attacks.

0 up, 0 down

sawao_yamanaka
Saturday, January 05, 2013 @ 7:18:04 PM

Yet the gameplay doesn't vary. Strong and light stances have been switched to demon and angel stances here. Gameplay is the same to heavenly sword. Even without all "attacks". DMC3 allowed you to change weapons on the flight without having to press extra button presses to switch to a different stance. That is a staple in heavenly sword and not in DMC.

0 up, 0 down

Knightzane
Saturday, January 05, 2013 @ 12:58:28 PM
Reply

I hope fans of the series are pleased with this one. The dialogue is horrendous and i mean HORRENDOUS. Its funny though, and that may be enough for me to try and get it.

1 up, 0 down

Oxvial
Saturday, January 05, 2013 @ 9:31:50 PM

The boss fight of the demo had to much FU bombs for my taste, feelt like a South Park episode xD

0 up, 0 down

Yukian
Saturday, January 05, 2013 @ 1:35:43 PM
Reply

I played the demo (never played other DMC's) and I would've liked to change enemy as fast as the Batman's game... or is this mechanic a staple of the series?

0 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Saturday, January 05, 2013 @ 1:55:32 PM

not quite sure what you mean by change enemy?

0 up, 0 down

Yukian
Saturday, January 05, 2013 @ 5:21:45 PM

I mean that in Batman's games going from one enemy to the next is incredibly easy, sometimes going across a whole room to attack the next victim effortlessly (which it doesn't look real but it fits the style)... they could've done something similar with this Dante if that wasn't done before.

0 up, 0 down

Temjin001
Saturday, January 05, 2013 @ 5:39:17 PM

They would screw DMC up if they allowed for auto-positioning to your next target with an attack button, like Batman does. Manually evading and positioning has always been a big part of DMC's play. That is something that didn't need to change.

My only complaint is that the speed of the game is simply too fast for the frame rate they have for it. Slower games like GoW and Heavenly Sword got away with it because the camera has more of a bird's eye view and the weaponry is very long, whip like.

UE3 simply wasn't the best fit for a DMC game. It's not a deal breaker but a downer nonetheless.

3 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Saturday, January 05, 2013 @ 6:59:45 PM

yeah the 30fps is noticeable for sure.

1 up, 0 down

___________
Sunday, January 06, 2013 @ 2:42:08 AM

exactly why you get it for PC, and hack the hell out of it!
wonder how long it will take for modders to get it up to 60FPS, like they did with demon souls prepare to die edition.

2 up, 0 down

Lawless SXE
Sunday, January 06, 2013 @ 6:26:31 AM

FYI, PC version has no framerate cap.

0 up, 0 down

xenris
Sunday, January 06, 2013 @ 10:01:21 AM

Yea__________ the PC version is going to run at 60fps out of the box which is going to be a huge deal for fans of the series.

A lot of people might not think it really makes a difference, but once comparison videos come out you will really be able to see the difference.

0 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Saturday, January 05, 2013 @ 1:55:18 PM
Reply

I'm inclined to believe them, you can survive with button mashing but you don't look cool, a little effort and thought and you do look cool, then with lots of practice you can do awesome things. That's what I've got from the demo and watching the videos, obviously the demo doesn't have all the powers so there's more to explore.

0 up, 0 down

homura
Saturday, January 05, 2013 @ 6:53:43 PM
Reply

Take a look at this, Hahaha!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9wth1Wk3EM

0 up, 0 down

Lawless SXE
Saturday, January 05, 2013 @ 6:55:30 PM
Reply

If there's one thing that I feel has been lacking in the previous DMC games, with the exception of 4, it's that it doesn't FEEL as though there's a whole lot of combat diversity. A silly thing to say, I'm sure, but the way that you were locked into one (two in 3) weapons between Divinity Statues and only one style meant that you were stuck specialising in what you were equipped with and didn't give you much incentive to change things up. Sure, there were a number of different combos to unlock but, to me, these didn't seem to add a whole lot. I keep expecting the kind of depth that you find in technical fighters to be in place with DMC, in light of what the fans have said of it but I don't find that. When you watch videos of some people in action though, it really does seem that they working mods or something.

Now, here's the thing. I've watched a few videos on DmC and seen the wild combos that make it look as though there's more to choose from, but I'm not being conditioned to expect that extreme level of technicality that I've been waiting to see from this kind of game. Having access to all of your weapons at any given time is a cool idea though and should help towards that, but we've only seen four of them so far (and Ebony and Ivory). If that's all there is, then I'm worried that DmC won't have what it takes to be as invigorating as it could be, but I'm really, REALLY hoping that we haven't seen everything that's in it.

0 up, 0 down

sawao_yamanaka
Saturday, January 05, 2013 @ 7:22:59 PM

Video are one thing gameplay is another. From having played DMC since its inception I can tell you that all of that is possible. Everything I have seen from DmC doesn't make me hopeful because they made it more user friendly for newcomers to the series. I played the demo through and through and kept hoping that I would be swayed by its mechanics but they turned me off from wanting to purchase it.

Last edited by sawao_yamanaka on 1/5/2013 7:24:37 PM

0 up, 0 down

GuardianMode
Saturday, January 05, 2013 @ 7:54:52 PM
Reply

You can sprinkle sugar on a turd but all you end up with is just a sugar coated turd. This game is a no buy for me since day one.

0 up, 2 down

Temjin001
Saturday, January 05, 2013 @ 8:29:17 PM
Reply

I think the article pretty much sums it all up. DMC4 wasn't showing growth for the franchise. Capcom fearing it was pushing away new users decided to make it more marketable to a mainstream game player. A more generalized gamer who doesn't stay very long on one game.

It's for this reason I hope companies like Sega, SNK, and Tecmo stay loyal to their base and keep production budgets constrained to continue catering to their ardent supporters. I want games like VF, DOA and Kof etc to have me as their target audience.
I'm willing to trade all of those expensive graphics and hollywood'esque fluff for hardcore-centric game play.

3 up, 0 down

sawao_yamanaka
Saturday, January 05, 2013 @ 8:44:51 PM

Amen temjin! Same with me and all those series you mentioned. Funnily enough
I believe that DMC4 had the best mechanics in the whole series. No longer were you tied to two weapons or one style like before. But oh well.

0 up, 0 down

Temjin001
Saturday, January 05, 2013 @ 8:55:26 PM

I'll have to take your word for it sawao. I was never very adept at DMC games.

0 up, 0 down

xenris
Sunday, January 06, 2013 @ 10:07:10 AM

I agree 100% As long as those companies you listed keep making smaller budget hardcore games I'll be fine.

Otherwise I'm switching to PC gaming where people aren't afraid to take risks and make niche games :D

Quick questioni Temjin, I got a bunch of dota 2 keys from valve...are you interested in trying it out?

0 up, 0 down

Temjin001
Monday, January 07, 2013 @ 3:57:15 AM

Yes xenris. Thank you. I haven't done anything dota in years, not since it was a Warcraft 3 expansion mod but the series has a good rep. it seems like youre playing it a lot.
Former Gamespot editor Greg Kassavin dubbed Dota 2 his personal goty as having spent well over a few hundred hours on it this last year.

Last edited by Temjin001 on 1/7/2013 3:58:22 AM

0 up, 0 down

Temjin001
Saturday, January 05, 2013 @ 8:53:23 PM
Reply

another thing. When has broadening an existing franchises appeal ever worked this gen?
No, really. I'm asking
Ninja Gaiden: nope
Resident Evil: nope
Final Fantasy: nope
Splinter Cell: nope
Dragon Age: nope

Will DMC and Dark Souls 2 join this list?

0 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Saturday, January 05, 2013 @ 10:26:12 PM

It never works, Dead Space 3 is gonna hurt too.

0 up, 0 down

Lawless SXE
Saturday, January 05, 2013 @ 10:51:00 PM

That's an excellent point. I suppose a case could be made for Mass Effect, but other than that, you're right.

0 up, 0 down

Temjin001
Sunday, January 06, 2013 @ 2:44:15 AM

Metal Gear is a close one but I don't think it quite qailifies. It's true that it broadened its appeal by allowing for more run and gun play during the first few missions (and last) but it didn't lose anything to its stealthier side of play, gained even. It felt like an MGS in presentation and story with game play that broadened itself but didn't streamline or simplify for idiots.

Much of what I listed experienced wholesale changes to the fabric of their traditional design.

ME is a good argument too, lawless. I'm not sure what to think. I did prefer ME2 over ME for many reasons. It did streamline aspects of its equiptment configurations, but I don't feel it really betrayed the spirit of the franchise's design. I haven't played enough ME3 to have an opinion.

Last edited by Temjin001 on 1/6/2013 2:46:26 AM

0 up, 0 down

___________
Sunday, January 06, 2013 @ 2:45:05 AM

so, how many times does that have to happen before developers get the point?
one thing thats amazed me so much this gen, publishers arrogance and blindness to see whats right in their bloody face!

2 up, 0 down

xenris
Sunday, January 06, 2013 @ 10:05:49 AM

Yeah, I sadly think DS2 will join the list. It will probably be a critical success and sell better than any of the souls games before it.

But I fear its going to be missing the feel of the first two games.

Developers will never learn ________ because in most cases they make more money doing this because for some ridiculous reason it sells better. Its probably a combination of marketing using a lot of explosions/generic and familiar music, and making the games feel like one of the leading sellers in the genre.

It will only stop when casual gamers start wanting more of a challenge and/or the casual gamers just move away from games and that market disappears for some reason.

0 up, 0 down

Deleted User
Saturday, January 05, 2013 @ 10:45:10 PM
Reply

I have yet to play the demo (I downloaded it shortly after buying a new PS3) but the people at the PC gaming site I visit are unanimously giving the DmC reboot a big thumbs down. This is a group of international PC video gamers worldwide. They hate the look of the Dante (saying he looks like Justin Bieber) and they feel that means the rest of the game won't be any better. A lot of people are questioning this reboot. I doubt even strong review scores will change their stance.

Some still are wondering how much work will be needed to get a Platinum trophy or all 1000 achievement points.

0 up, 1 down

Wrote
Saturday, January 05, 2013 @ 11:17:50 PM
Reply

I've never played any of the old DMC games. I wanted to but never did. The demo was super fun and changed my opinion of the game, I may now get it. The controls were weird tho, triangle should never be the main attack button.

0 up, 1 down

___________
Sunday, January 06, 2013 @ 2:52:17 AM
Reply

when will this industry learn you CANT have both!?
i wish they would at least open their f*cking eyes and see what is happening!
almost every well known franchise has been pandered to a new audience, and that title has sold the worst by far of the series!
cough FFXIII, last years syndicate reboot, RE5, RE6, SOCOM4, ninja gaiden 3, DMC4, lost planet 2, bionic commando, crysis 2, RAGE, fear 2, fear 3, dead space 2, ect, ect.
if i had a nickel for every franchise has been simplified to cater to a brain dead audience, id be rich enough to buy out the whole industry and move the world to freaking mars!
what pisses me off the most though is peoples blindness to realize this!
they bastardize their games, they sell well, so they say i know to fix this problem will do the same thing!
sigh.
i always joked that aliens have started removing peoples brains at night, but im seriously starting to believe they actually have!

1 up, 1 down

Ultima
Sunday, January 06, 2013 @ 2:41:29 PM
Reply

Anonymous:

While I won't comment on the quality of entries in a series that pander to more casual audience, I would like to point out that it is NOT true that these titles have sold "the worst by far of the series". Certainly, on your list of examples, RE5, RE6, DMC4 (WTF, how in the world is that an example of pandering?) and FFXIII were definitely not the worse selling in their series. In fact, RE5 and FFXIII improved on their predecessors - you could argue that the former was due to the goodwill built up by RE4 and the latter was because it was the first FF on PS3 (we'll ignore the Xbox version since it barely counts), but the fact remains that these games sold better than their predecessors.

The fact is, companies will continue to pander as long as they see examples of it working, even if it's only short term success (xoughFFXIIIcoughcough). If it never worked companies would stop doing it, but it DOES work... sometimes anyway. Largely I think it depends on the quality of the game: Bionic Commando and LP2 were supposedly just plain terrible (I don't know, because I never played them), so I don't think any level of pandering in those games counts.

And yea, really don't know how DMC4 got on your list. Not only is it a hardcore game, it's also the -best- selling game in the entire series, beating out DMC3 (which is the -worst- selling edition in the series).

0 up, 1 down

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