I got into many things later in life: anime, manga, Japanese culture and video games. One of the first video game titles I ever owned was Devil May Cry 2. Playing the original Devil May Cry (DMC) game when it was initially released drew me into the gaming world more than RPGs; more than dueling games; more than any other title I’d played at the time. It’s interesting to note that DMC is now not only a video game series, but has also been transcribed into novels, manga, and an anime as well. DMC also has released game soundtracks and collectible figurines as well as being featured on collectible stamps in Japan.
I own all three Devil May Cry games now and am eager for the fourth installment that’s coming out in Japan; maybe sometime this year (game release dates are iffy). I still haven’t read the manga or novels or gotten the soundtracks (not too keen on videogame soundtracks anyways) but I’m always impressed that they’re out there to begin with.
So, while awaiting for two things to happen…
- Accruing enough cash to buy a Playstation 3
- The release of Devil May Cry 4
…I enlisted the help of Mochi to get me started on researching how the Devil May Cry phenomena began.
The Devil May Cry franchise actually started out, not as it’s own stand-alone game, but as a sequel to the highly acclaimed “survival horror” game, Resident Evil. The structure for DMC turned out so radically different from Resident Evil that the designers turned it from a RE sequel into its own game. They tweaked this RE wanna-be into a more mission-based game, unlike Resident Evil that’s a more open ended game.
Devil May Cry
Devil May Cry received a lot of attention from the gaming world media when it was released in 2001. It was well received but had it’s criticisms:
- Electric Playground commented that “there’s a steep learning curve involved in learning to use Dante’s advanced techniques, and the enemies can be brutally unforgiving even in the first mission.” They also comment on the game’s odd button configuration.
- GameSpy cited the the odd camera angles that “have a mind of their own”, the lengthy self-schooling needed to master Dante’s controls and the on and off again graphics that changed with varying angles.
- GameSpot criticized the game’s conclusion, saying, “…(it) loses its direction, branching into a variety of different genres…” GS also commented on the way the game’s difficulty plateaued at the end.
- Gamecritics criticized that the game lacked character depth and that the emotional impact it should have had was missing.
Criticisms aside, Devil May Cry was lauded as a welcome addition to the gaming world. Sequels followed…
Devil May Cry 2
Devil May Cry 2 hit stores in 2003 but was greeted with mixed reviews. Some thought the game was too dumbed down, others felt that gameplay was sacrificed for style, and many critics felt the game was too easy.
Devil May Cry 3
Devil May Cry 3 was actually a prequel to the Devil May Cry series and was released in 2005. DMC3 was very well received and gathered high marks for not repeating the mistakes of it’s predecessor, for having a well developed story and for installing a system that was highly customizable. However, some critics felt that this latest DMC was too hard. That spurred Capcom to release: Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition; an easier and friendlier version of DMC 3 (read as; game for whiners).
Devil May Cry 4
Devil May Cry 4 is a game that’s been awaited since DMC3’s release. The newest addition to the Devil May Cry lineup will be released, not only on Sony’s Playstation 3, but on PC and the Xbox 360 as well.
That has some DMC and Playstation loyalists howling mad. Some fans fear that a mulitplatform approach like the one producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi is using, might cause an unevenness in gameplay between the platforms, i.e. one will have better features than the others.
The gameplay is being touted as possible only through DMC’s next-gen technology. A truly purchase-inspiring trailer featuring commentary by producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi highlights the games actual play at Gametrailers.com.
One of the biggest departures in this DMC is the initial absence of Dante as a playable character. In his stead is Nero; a dead ringer for Dante and his twin brother Virgil. Nero wields a revolver called Blue Rose and a sword by the name of the Red Queen. He also has a spiffy day-glo arm that harbors his “Devil-Bringer” power. Wikipedia has an excellent article on DMC4 already up.
In between game releases, novels and manga have been published to lead up to the latest DMC game. Two light novels, Devil May Cry, Volume 1 and Devil May Cry Volume 2, have been translated and published in America along with a Devil May Cry 3 two volume manga, Code 1, Dante and Code 2, Virgil.
Now, Devil May Cry is strutting its stylish stuff as an anime. As of June 14th, 2007, the DMC anime has already started airing on the WOWOW network in Japan. Showgate released at Anime Expo 2007 that the DVD will be out in Japan sometime this December. No word yet as to when ADV will be releasing it in the US.
It looks as though the anime will be set up like the games, in the sense that each episode is like a mission from the game. The first episode is rumored to have a small girl as the co-star. I’m confused as to how a child will add to Dante’s ass- kicking abilities. However, if the series is anything like the games, said kid will disappear at the end of the “mission” (here’s hoping).
My one fear is that the anime is just being used to drum up excitement over DMC4’s release later this year. If that’s the case, I don’t know if I hold out much hope for the anime’s visual and story quality. In fact, I’d venture to say that it’ll suck, if, in fact, the DMC anime is just a vehicle to rekindle interest for old fans of the game and to also rope in new fans who’ve never played the games before.
At the end of rummaging through the media properties and briefly glancing at the peripheries (figures, collectibles, posters, etc.) I realized how far Devil May Cry has come from it’s “humble” roots as a Resident Evil castoff. Who knows how far the DMC empire will grow and spread. Could it, in time, become as big as the Final Fantasy franchise? Or will it stay forever a fave only to gamers dedicated to the genre? Only time will tell if this devil will ever cry from lack of interest.
