Devil May Cry 2

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Devil May Cry 2
Devil May Cry 2 box cover
Devil May Cry 2 box cover
Developer(s)Capcom Production Studio 1
Publisher(s)Capcom
Designer(s)Hideaki Itsuno (director)[3]
Platform(s)PlayStation 2
ReleaseOriginal Release
NA January 25, 2003[1]
JPN January 30, 2003[1]
EUR March 27, 2003[1]

Greatest Hits Release
NA April 26, 2006[1]

5th Anniversary Triple Pack
NA October 24, 2006[2]
Genre(s)Action
Mode(s)Single player

Devil May Cry 2 (frequently abbreviated to DMC2) is an action game developed by Capcom Production Studio 1 and published by Capcom in 2003 exclusively for the PlayStation 2. The game serves as a sequel to Devil May Cry and is currently the last game in the Devil May Cry series to take place chronologically. It has been criticized for a variety of development decisions, which made the game considerably different than its predecessor; chief among these decisions was the lowered difficulty.[7]

Set in modern times on the fictional Dumary Island, the story centers on Dante and Lucia in their fight to stop a businessman named Arius from raising the demon Argosax and achieving supreme power. The story is told primarily through a mixture of cutscenes using the game's engine with several pre-rendered full motion videos.

Gameplay

In-game screenshot showing Dante swinging his sword at a foe

Devil May Cry 2 is an action game where the player guides either Dante or Lucia (the protagonists) through an urban environment, fighting groups of demons in fast-paced combat. The game itself consists of missions with specific goals in the play area of the game itself. The player's performance in each mission is ranked from D (poorest result) to S (best result) based on the time taken to complete the mission, the amount of Red Orbs collected, the overall "style" displayed during fights which occurred, item usage, and damage taken.[8] In contrast to the rest of the gameplay, the style judging system used in the game has been cited as being the most harsh in terms of how it judges the player's performance.[7][9]

Combat itself is based on the "style" the player demonstrates during a fight. The rating the player gains for style is improved by hitting enemies continuously while avoiding damage. This ranges from "Don't Worry", progressing to "Come On!", "Bingo", "Are You Ready?" and peaking at "Showtime". If the player takes damage, the style rating falls to "Don't Worry".[8]

The game's controls are as follows: one button makes the character jump, another makes the character use a melee attack, and the third makes him or her use a ranged attack. Holding the R1 trigger and Up or Down on the joystick when pressing the melee button results in one of several special attacks.[8] New to the series is an evasion button, which allows Dante or Lucia to roll, dodge enemy attacks, or run along walls. Another new feature is a weapon-change button, which allows the player to cycle through ranged weapons without switching to the inventory screen.

File:Dmc2dantedt.jpg
In-game screenshot showing Dante flying while in the Devil Trigger state

The game also features limited puzzle-solving and exploration elements.[10] It also involves the player examining their surroundings to find various items and orbs. Red Orbs are used to acquire new combat powers and abilities for Dante or Lucia, as well as purchasing items that will aid them in their quest. These Red Orbs are "the blood of demons"; enemies drop them when they are defeated.[8]

The Devil Trigger ability enables Dante and Lucia to transform into a devil form. This changes their appearance, increasing their strength and defense, slowly restores health, and enables them to use special attacks. The Devil Trigger state lasts as long as there is power in the Devil Trigger Gauge, which increases by attacking or taunting enemies in the normal state and decreases by attacking in the Devil Trigger state or using Devil Trigger-only attacks.[8] New to the game is the Desperation Devil Trigger, an enhanced form of the Devil Trigger available only when the player is low on health.

Plot

Template:Spoiler Devil May Cry 2 begins with Lucia and Dante separately entering a museum where an important item called the Medaglia is stored. After defeating a group of demons in the museum, Lucia invites Dante to follow her to the Dumary Island, where he is introduced to Matier, her mother. Matier explains that she once fought alongside Dante's father, Sparda, to defend the island against demons. She asks Dante to help fight Arius, an international businessman who uses demonic power and seeks to conquer the world.[11] Dante flips a coin in answer, and decides to help when the coin lands on heads.[12] After Dante leaves Matier and Lucia discuss the Arcana, the items required for Arius to raise Argosax.

Lucia eventually confronts Arius, who reveals that she was his creation.[13] When Lucia moves to strike Arius, he uses his magic to blast her away. Shortly afterward, Dante meets up with Lucia, who gives him the last of the Arcana before leaving.[14] Dante then encounters Matier and tries to pass the Arcana to her. Matier, in turn, asks Dante to take the Arcana to save Lucia, who has gone to fight Arius again.[15] Dante flips the coin again to decide if he will help; it lands on heads, and he departs to aid Lucia.[16] Meanwhile, Lucia enters the Uroboros tower and attacks Arius, who captures her. Dante arrives and trades the Arcana for Lucia, then attacks Arius. To escape, Arius forces Dante to decide between saving Lucia or killing him.[17]

Lucia, worried about the ritual and conflicted about herself, wonders how they will stop Arius. Dante waves her off, stating he will find a way.[18] Dante leaves Lucia to think as he departs to defeat Arius. Matier arrives a short time later, sets Lucia's mind at ease, and decides to rejoin the fight against Arius.[19] Meanwhile, Dante arrives too late to stop Arius from completing the ritual, though he was able to switch one of the items with a fake.[20] Another fight ensues, in which Dante finishes Arius off with his pistols. Outside, Lucia confronts Dante and demands that he kill her because she fears she will become a demon herself.[21] Before the issue can be resolved, a large stream of energy strikes the tower and a portal to the demon world is opened. Dante and Lucia argue over who will enter and close it from the inside; Dante offers to leave the issue up to fate. He flips the coin and it once again lands on heads, leaving Dante to enter the portal to deal with Argosax after leaving the coin with Lucia.[22]

After Dante departs, Arius returns to life bearing demonic power.[23] While Lucia fights Arius, he finds himself injured and attempts to distract her, a tactic which fails; Lucia goes on to defeat him.[24] Within the portal, Dante fights and defeats the partially summoned Argosax. Finding the portal closed, Dante instead drives further into the demon realm on a motorcycle. In the aftermath of the battle, Matier attempts to reassure Lucia about Dante's fate, insisting that Sparda returned from a similar trip. Lucia examines the coin Dante left with her and discovers that both sides are identical.[25] Sometime later in Dante's shop, Lucia muses about Dante. Outside the sound of a motorcycle echoes, and Lucia rushes outside. It is left up to the player's interpretation if this is Dante or not. Template:Endspoiler

Development

Despite the success of the original Devil May Cry, the sequel was not created by Hideki Kamiya or Capcom Production Studio 4. The first notice Kamiya's team was given about any sort of sequel occurred during localization of Devil May Cry in North America and Europe, a move which greatly surprised Kamiya. Since the game's release, Kamiya has expressed disappointment that he was not called on by his superiors at Capcom to direct Devil May Cry 2.[26]

Instead, the sequel was granted to Capcom Production Studio 1 and Hideaki Itsuno, the team responsible for Capcom VS SNK 2. According to producer Tsuyoshi Tanaka, the thrust of the design was to make Devil May Cry 2 bigger than its predecessor; Tanaka estimated that the game's environments were approximately nine times as large as the first.[27] The emphasis on puzzles was also downplayed, with the camera system revamped to allow for better action scenes. Changes from the first game were influenced by surveys distributed by the development team, allowing them to patch any areas identified as weak by the people surveyed. The addition of Lucia as a playable character was a response to player complaints that Trish was not playable in the first Devil May Cry.[28]

Marketing

File:Dmc2diesel.jpg
Dante and Lucia in Diesel-designed clothing

Due to the focus of Devil May Cry 2's action on style, Capcom decided to partner with the Diesel clothing company, which has a history of working with game developers.[29] Dante and Lucia were modeled with specially designed costumes featuring the Diesel brand name and were featured in promotional material in Diesel stores across Japan.[30]

Within the game, Dante features one unlockable costume with the Diesel brand name. Lucia features two separate outfits: one is the costume depicted on the right, and another is a white shirt with a brown coat and blue jeans. The Diesel logo is featured in several screens during the game, and a special edition Devil May Cry 2 bullet featuring the Diesel name was planned for inclusion.[31]

Initially, Capcom was very reluctant to release an officially sanctioned soundtrack for Devil May Cry 2.[32] After an initial test period in which Capcom sought 1,000 pre-orders, the 2-disc soundtrack was released to the public, with Masato Koda, Tetsuya Shibata and Satoshi Ise credited as producers.[33].

Reception

Many fans of Devil May Cry were disappointed with this sequel;[34] however, the game still received decent scores from professional reviewers.[35] Chief among the complaints was that the difficulty was lower than the original game.[36] Series creator Hideki Kamiya has openly expressed his dislike for the game during interviews after the game was released, stating he wished the game had been created under his direction or not at all.[26]

The combat system is considered less refined, with individual weapons being weaker or stronger variants of the same weapon instead of different weapons with their own advantages and disadvantages. Boss battles are criticized for requiring less strategy than the original. The environment was also considered less detailed than the environments of the first game, trading detail for open space.[37] Dante also received a change in his personality which did not go well with players[38] who enjoyed his trash-talking attitude in the first game. The addition of a second disc was seen as a cheap way for the developers to increase replay value since Lucia's missions are simply recycled material from Dante's own missions, with only minor variations.[10]

PSXextreme countered arguments by many critics, stating that the environments only looked worse to players due to the range of environments in the game, going on to state that the only reason Devil May Cry 2 failed to surpass it's origins was due to the lack of challenge.[39] Electronic Gaming Monthly praised the game's control scheme and new ideas, as well as praising the game's decision to feature the two protagonists on seperate discs.[40] Play Magazine called Lucia's side of the story a "a cruel sonnet of self realization wrapped in a story steeped in religious overtones"[41], further stating that the story alone was reason to purchase the game.

References

  1. ^ a b c d "GameFAQs Information Page". Retrieved 2007-03-19.
  2. ^ "Amazon Listing for the Anniversary Pack". Retrieved 2007-03-19.
  3. ^ "Hideaki Itsuno's IMDB page". Retrieved 2007-03-19.
  4. ^ "ESRB Site". Retrieved 2007-03-19.
  5. ^ "PEGI Site". Retrieved 2007-03-19.
  6. ^ "OFLC Australia Database". Retrieved 2007-03-19.
  7. ^ a b Baker, Chris (2004-05-09). "1UP.com Review". Ziff Davis. Retrieved 2007-03-19.
  8. ^ a b c d e Devil May Cry 2 Instruction Booklet. Capcom. 2003.
  9. ^ "GameSpy Review". 2003-02-09. Retrieved 2007-03-19.
  10. ^ a b Bettenhausen, Shane. "1UP.com Review". Retrieved 2007-03-19.
  11. ^ Matier: Son of Sparda... we must ask this favor, of you... You see, there's a man who's transformed our land into a demon's paradise; his name is Arius. And although he is the president, of an international public corporation... he uses the demon power. Please, deal with Arius and his master for us. (Devil May Cry 2) Capcom, 2003
  12. ^ (After flipping a coin and noticing the result is heads.) Dante: ...Looks like it's your lucky day. (Devil May Cry 2) Capcom, 2003
  13. ^ Arius: You are my creation. Lucia: Liar! Matier is my mother. Arius' secretary removes her mask, revealing the fact her face is identical to Lucia's. Arius: She merely found you when you were about to be disposed of, and then raised you as a soldier. Is that what you consider to be a mother? (Devil May Cry 2) Capcom, 2003
  14. ^ Lucia: But... actually... I do not deserve this power... Lucia: Bring this to Matier for me... please... I... I've got something that I need to take care of... (Devil May Cry 2) Capcom, 2003
  15. ^ Matier: There is one more thing I need to ask of you, son of Sparda. My daughter went to face Arius all by herself... Please, take these, and save Lucia. (Devil May Cry 2) Capcom, 2003
  16. ^ Dante: ...If it's Heads. The coin lands, heads face up. Dante: ...Your lucky streak continues, granny. (Devil May Cry 2) Capcom, 2003
  17. ^ Arius: You cannot win... someone is holding you back... Lucia: Ugh, forget about me! Kill Arius! Dante: Don't worry. I've got you... (Devil May Cry 2) Capcom, 2003
  18. ^ Lucia: Why did you save me? I was created... by him... Dante: Every hero has a weakness. Lucia: But, the ritual was activated because of me... (Devil May Cry 2) Capcom, 2003
  19. ^ Lucia: Mother... Matier: Yes, it is true that we are not tied by blood. But our ties are bound by history and experience, which is much deeper than blood. Now go; everything I know, I have passed on to you. You are my daughter... Lucia: Thank you... mother... (Devil May Cry 2) Capcom, 2003
  20. ^ Arius: *laughing* Now, I'll absorb his power. I, will become an all-powerful immortal! Arius: Wh...what?! Wh-what's going on?! Dante Is there a problem? Arius: You!! (Devil May Cry 2) Capcom, 2003
  21. ^ Lucia: I was created by Arius! I could become a monster and attack the humans at any time! Now, kill me! It's your job to hunt devils... (Devil May Cry 2) Capcom, 2003
  22. ^ Lucia: But...! Dante: Let's leave it to fate. Heads, I go; Tails, you go. He flips the coin and it lands as heads again Dante:See ya around. Lucia: Don't you want to hear the story about Sparda from... Matier? Dante: I know... He did the same thing... Hold on to my coin, Lucia. (Devil May Cry 2) Capcom, 2003
  23. ^ Lucia: Arius?! Lucia: It seems I have to finish him off myself. (Devil May Cry 2) Capcom, 2003
  24. ^ Arius: You are not human! You are just a monster... a monster that I created! Lucia: Dante told me... Devils never cry! (Devil May Cry 2) Capcom, 2003
  25. ^ Matier: You must not worry, my dear; I am sure that he will return. Everything is just as it was with Sparda. Lucia: Oh my...! Matier: What is it, my dear? Lucia: Both sides are Heads! He tricked me! That macho... (Devil May Cry 2) Capcom, 2003
  26. ^ a b "Interview with Hideki Kamiya". Retrieved 2007-03-19.
  27. ^ Steinberg, Scott (2002-09-18). "GameSpot Preview, page 1". Retrieved 2007-03-20.
  28. ^ Steinberg, Scott (2002-09-18). "GameSpot Preview, page 2". Retrieved 2007-03-20.
  29. ^ "Revolution Magazine". Retrieved 2007-03-19.
  30. ^ "IGN". Retrieved 2007-03-19.
  31. ^ "Computer and Videogames". Retrieved 2007-03-19.
  32. ^ "Devil May Cry Soundtrack Issues". Retrieved 2007-03-20. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |First= ignored (|first= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Last= ignored (|last= suggested) (help)
  33. ^ http://www.amazon.com/Devil-May-Cry-Original-Soundtrack/dp/B000CBXDTC. Retrieved 2007-03-20. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  34. ^ MacDonald, Mark. "1UP.com Review". Retrieved 2007-03-19.
  35. ^ "GameRankings.com Devil May Cry 2 page". Retrieved 2007-03-19.
  36. ^ "Official US PlayStation Magazine Review". Retrieved 2007-03-19.
  37. ^ Varanini, Giancarlo. "Gamespot Review". Retrieved 2007-03-19.
  38. ^ "Gamespy Review". Retrieved 2007-03-19.
  39. ^ Katayev, Arnold. "PSX Extreme review". Retrieved 2007-03-19.
  40. ^ "EGM Review". Retrieved 2007-03-20. {{cite web}}: |first= missing |last= (help)
  41. ^ "Devil May Cry 2 Review". Imagine Publishing. 2003-03-01. p. 40. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

External links


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