Devil May Cry Review

Still, the camera issues are not overbearing on you and are generally dealt with quite ingeniously. Usually, the camera is positioned farther from the action than in the Resident Evil games, for example, so that you are given a greater field of view. Also, Dante is quite adept at auto-aiming, which means that even if enemies are not visible onscreen for a few seconds, they're still being battered by the rapid fire from Dante's dual handguns. Besides, the fixed camera angles let you appreciate Dante's fluid and ultracool movements and are useful in showing panoramic views of the game's gorgeous environments.

Devil May Cry is no one-trick pony, and its outstanding gameplay is complemented adeptly by some of the most stunning visuals yet seen on the PlayStation 2. In terms of the game's environments, once again, the Resident Evil influence is vaguely visible. The castle in particular, with its spiral staircases, open courtyards, and stone columns, is reminiscent of the mansion in Resident Evil. Still, in Devil May Cry, the environments have received a healthy dose of texture detail, as the stone walls of the aged castle show cracks and subtle hints of wear and stained glass windows are adorned with elaborate designs. In fact, some of the locations in the game are almost awe-inspiring. Much like in Sony's ICO, there are some areas in Devil May Cry, like the deck of an intricately detailed submerged pirate ship or the black-and-white décor inside a church setting, that you will want to revisit just to gawk at the magnificent scenery. Environmental visuals aside, the characters, although a bit ragged around the limb joints, are generally nicely modeled. Plus, they all move with a graceful fluidity.

In fact, the animation is perhaps the glue that coagulates the convincing synergy between the gameplay and graphics in Devil May Cry. Dante's transitions from one animation to another are done convincingly and with the utmost of ease. The game's signature move, which involves Dante slashing his opponents up in the air with his sword and keeping them suspended with the rapid fire of his handguns, is a perfect example of the game's ultrasmooth animation. But Dante isn't the only character gifted with effortless animation. The variety of demons also moves at a fluid pace. For example, the shadowy feline--which appears near the beginning of the game--twists, turns, and contorts its body into a variety of shapes, all the while moving freely and naturally through the battle area.

Much like the animation, the game's music is quite adaptive to your actions. While engaged in battle, the music transitions to a faster, guitar-heavy vibe, but as Dante swiftly explores the game's environments, the music becomes understated, as the sound of Dante's footsteps and demonic wails fill the air. Still, although the game's soundtrack matches the in-game action and its general visual theme, the guitar-heavy riffs may not be to the liking of some.

Devil May Cry isn't the type of game that will provide countless hours of gameplay--in general, it will take a little less than 10 hours to complete on the harder difficulty levels. And other than the challenge of the increasing levels of difficulty, there really isn't much replay value to speak of. Still, for those hours that you will play Devil May Cry, you will enjoy every second of it. Those able to look past the overly dramatic voice acting and superficial story will find themselves being utterly enveloped by the stunning visuals and, in particular, the engrossing and satisfying gameplay. Devil May Cry generally lives up to its considerable hype and is one of the PlayStation 2 must-haves for fans of the action genre.