Devil May Cry 2 is the game that will be remembered
as the first big letdown of 2003. Talk about a dip in quality; if youve played
the first game, let alone beaten it, youll find this title to be nothing more than a giant friggin cakewalk.
DMC2 doesnt really have too much of a story. A corrupt businessman is in search of a set of artifacts that will help him rule the
world, through the use of demonic powers. Because of this, our hero, the ever-cool
devil hunter Dante, has been hired to take him out and put the demon forces in their place.
He is joined by Lucia, a playable French chick, that was created by the businessman and has rebelled or something. It doesnt matter, she does the same things Dante does.
So yes, the story is rather thin, but as an action
game, thats generally not too much of a problem, as long as all that action is good enough to keep you playing the game. The problem here is, while Dante has learned some new moves since his last outing,
you dont really have to use anything other than basic attacks to get through the game.
Doing combos and running up walls will up your Style rating, earning you extra orbs to increase the level of your skills,
but it doesnt really matter in the grand scheme of things. After all, just finishing
the level gets you more orbs than messing with all that style crap is worth.
Also gone in the sequel are the complex, and oft
awe-inspiring vistas from the original. While larger in size, DMC2s locales are
bland and repetitive, built more for monotony than as a means to draw you into the game world.
I felt more like a spectator in a Hanna-Barbera cartoon than a planet-saving vigilante.
But what exactly makes this game a giant friggin
cakewalk? Well, aside from literally being able to beat the game with basic attacks
alone, it would seem that Capcom listened to gamers cries about the obscene difficulty of the first game, and took it down
about ten notches. This means that any kind of puzzles, secrets, and enemies
(yes that includes boss fights) can be easily conquered on your first outing. This
leads to a three hour quest with both characters, whose games are quite similar (most of their stages are exactly the same,
but in reverse and with a few different waves of enemies).
Oh yeah, and the camera angles will drive you
crazy, too. Is it too much to ask that I be able to see what Im shooting at? I swear, 70% of the time you have to just pray that your auto targeting isnt screwing
you over. The camera is probably the only thing that will get you killed.
Sorry guys, I cant recommend this one. Give it a rental, because its sure to rock your weekend, but a purchase will only leave you with a sour
case of I should have listened to James.
-James Napier
