Product Description

Shinji Mikami, the creator and producer of the Resident Evil games, and Hideki Kamiya, the director of Resident Evil 2, have teamed up once again. This time, the duo has created a fast-paced game that's one of the best translations of classic 2-D action in a 3-D world. Two thousand years ago the Devil Emperor threatened to conquer humanity, but was stopped by a benign devil knight. The emperor was imprisoned, but now threatens to escape. It's up to the knight's half-breed son, Dante, to follow in his father's footsteps and defeat the Devil Emperor once again.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8092 in Video Games
• Brand: Capcom
• Model: 26004
• Released on: 2006-08-07
• ESRB Rating: Mature
• Platform: PlayStation2
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: .75" h x 5.50" w x 7.75" l, .34 pounds

Features

• Play out the destiny of Dante, a private investigator of the supernatural who has the power of ancient demons within his blood
• A terrifying Gothic thriller from the creators of Resident Evil 2
• Features eye-popping graphics and bone-chilling special effects
• Battle a host of monsters and build up your power to transform into a demon state

Amazon.com Review
Shinji Mikami, the creator and producer of the Resident Evil games, and Hideki Kamiya, the director of Resident Evil 2, have teamed up once again. This time, the duo has created a fast-paced game that's one of the best translations of classic 2-D action in a 3-D world. Two thousand years ago the Devil Emperor threatened to conquer humanity, but was stopped by a benign devil knight. The emperor was imprisoned, but now threatens to escape. It's up to the knight's half-breed son, Dante, to follow in his father's footsteps and defeat the Devil Emperor once again.

In addition to being a fine swordsman, Dante is equally adept with guns. In the first half of the game, players slash and shoot their way through. After acquiring a different weapon, the focus changes to close combat. Weapons can be upgraded and new attacks can be learned, adding to the game's variety. As a whole, the action is immense and flows smoothly. A few things impede it, however. During fights with bosses and multiple enemies, the fixed camera angles can get frustrating. The in-game text also scrolls painfully slow.

Graphically, this is one of the best-looking games Capcom has ever published, and that's saying something considering its impressive visuals in Resident Evil. The hard-rock-style music is nothing to write home about, though. The voice acting is strong, but there's not much of it, which is a shame, as the interesting setting would have made for some great storytelling. However, the focus here is fast and furious action, and this game elevates it to an art form. Parents should note that this game is gratuitously violent and is not recommended for anyone under 18. --Raymond M. Padilla

Pros:

• Outstanding controls
• Topnotch graphics
• One of the best menu systems ever

• Camera angles get troublesome
• Fantastic setting not fully exploited
• Only 7 to 12 hours of gameplay

Amazon.com Product Description
Play as Dante, half-man, half-demon, who's armed with a sword and a wide array of other firearms. You will have full, ultra-responsive 3-D control of Dante as you combat with fist, sword, gun, and a stunning variety of martial arts moves that recall Hong Kong action films. You will have at your disposal many inventive moves: use your sword to pop your enemy into the air, for example, then juggle him with blasts from your gun. You will have unprecedented control of the direction and force of your sword and other weapons. You will battle marionette butchers, carnivorous lizardmen, and scissor-wielding wraiths in a series of responsive, fully realized environments, such as dilapidated courtyards, hanging gardens, twisted mirror realities, ghost ships, and caves.

Amazon.com E3 Preview
In the eye-candy overload department, Devil May Cry deserves the spotlight. Masterminded by Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami, this action-adventure title fits in the gothic mythical swordsman vs. big, bad creatures slot. Though the premise doesn't break any barriers, the quality of the graphics and animations rivets one's attention to the screen.

Dante is a half-man, half-demon with one hell of a persona. Packing his father's powerful sword, Dante slashes through the gorgeous levels with a bevy of incredible moves--flips, leaps, and rolls à la Neo from The Matrix. For greater firepower, Dante rips through baddies with dual pistols and shotguns. The action is fast, very furious, and incredibly smooth. And when Dante collects enough orbs to transform into a devil, the arching blue energy field he creates leaves you breathless at the true capabilities of next-generation gaming systems. With gameplay like this, who needs the linear confines of the movie theater? --Eric Twelker

See more of Amazon.com's E3 Preview.

Customer Reviews

Worth the Embarassment
I think I've mentioned elsewhere that I'm not much of an action gamer, preferring RPGs instead. I do like to try out games in other genre, and Devil May Cry has certainly been the recipient of much critical (and enthusiast acclaim). With the price being as attractive as it is I decided that this would be my semi-annual dip into the world of compulsive destruction.

The story is straightforward. Girl drives into occult detective's office, stabs him with his own sword, then asks for his help in fighting the underworld. It seems that a BIG evil is planning to take over the earth and has set up shop in a castle on Malay Island. Dante, by the way, is the son of the demon knight who originally defeated this particular BIG evil. So revenge is also on the menu.

What ensues is a mad dash through a gothic nightmare that augments normal castle architecture with jungles, ships, airplanes, outer space, and, of course, hell. [I guess the story wasn't so straightforward after all] All of this is an excuse for some of the most detailed graphics that I have ever seen.

The animation is of such high quality that you can't always tell where a cut scene ends and the action starts again. And, lest I forget, an array of weapons, gadgets, and puzzles that kept me busy from start to finish. Very little was spared in making this a spectacular playing experience.

My only complaints aren't about the game, but my own mediocre skills. While I'm not exactly arthritic, my ability to deftly poke and stroke my controller is substandard. And Devil May Cry is a game that requires both pinpoint accuracy and good timing. Which means that the twelve hours of play that ended with me stumbling into the finale did nothing for my self-esteem. But if you have two thumbs (instead of ten) you will find this a delightful pastime - a must play, should own game.

simply well made...one of the true greats.
"they don't make 'em like they used to"...wait! devil
may cry is the industry's answer to that challenge.
"but how do you know that? the game isn't out yet!"
for the few that don't know this already, it's out
in japan, and about 90 percent of japanese games are
in english, with japanese subtitles, of course. rest
assured...this review is based on the full game.
you have to hand it to capcom...making engaging games
is in their genes! take a look at some of the finer
points:
PROS
-graphics- you know, we hear way too much about
graphics these days. back in the day graphics sold
games, but not so anymore. we gamers have "grown
up" we're smarter now...gameplay makes a game. so
why mention graphics? well, the fact of the matter is
graphics do matter. they help devolop atmosphere.
now, many times i've been guilty of taking graphics for
granted, but wait until you get a load of this game in
action! it's as if the ps2 were made for this game
alone. and the graphics do not tax the gameplay one
bit. you'll fight off as many enemies as the game
feels it's capable of cramming onto the screen at any
given time, all high poly with no slowdown...awesome.
-music- i'm a stickler for the audio department, but
capcom seldom lets me down. resident evil-esque music
haunts you, until enemies pop up. the music gets
intense and sets the mood perfectly. the sound effects
and general ambience are outstanding as well. the
atmosphere permeates from this one as grass ruffles and
guns scream out their blasts. superb!
-gameplay- "okay, so it looks and sounds great...so do
so many flops now-a-days." true, so what's to get
all excited about? what makes it unique and stand out?
the gameplay! one of the first combo's you'll be
bustin' out has you using a sword and twin pistols
together. something i haven't read about yet(because not
many have played the full version, yet) is how many
"toys" you can use. believe me, the sword and twin
pistols are the bottom of the barrel...and guns come
with unlimited ammo. think onimusha, another capcom
great, for some of the feel of the combat system. also,
collecting orbs from your defeated foes to "level up"
of sorts, and learn new techniques comes intact. plus,
the silky smooth controls truly consider what gamers
have been complaining about since the time when the term
"3-D" actually impressed. the gameplay makes this game
fun, and that's what playing a game is about, right?
right!
okay, so what could be bad?
well...not much. nothing, really. here are some
nitpicks!
CONS(nitpicking)
-jumping-my nitpick with this is that it's realistic.
crazy, huh? it uses the system from the first
castlevania where you can't change directions in mid-
air. there is nothing wrong with this until you include
platform jumping in your exercise routine. in defense,
the game does help you along in the few platform jumping
moments...
-respect the glass- how many of you gamers
have wasted a bullet or two just to see if the mirror
or glass would break in resident evil, dino crisis,
onimusha, etc.? it didn't work, did it? not here,
either! i can take down the mightiest spider, fend
off the most hideous minion of evil, heck...even give
a t-rex a run for his money, but break glass? huh-uh!
no way! if capcom keeps this up, it could just be
as tradition as a dove in a john woo film!
oh, well. i can't nitpick anymore. this game is a
masterpiece! wait 'til you fight the bosses! face
legions of enemies that fill rooms gauntlet style!
clear your first room of baddies and think you must
be a god! all the detail, all the atmosphere, all
the items, enemies, weapons, secret missions and
attitude! all the time i could have been playing
while typing this! it's violent, so if you're a
concerned parent, keep this in mind, but if you've
played capcom's latest games then you know what to
expect in this department. trust me, get this game...
it's that good!
-ctr3 patrick m. shields iv
(naval crypto-intelligence)

The reinvention of Action/Horror
This game is like Resident Evil, only "cool". You're finally given a character that can walk and chew gum at the same time! Seriously, the range of movement you are given is remarkable, and the ability to lock onto an enemy to attack while you move is a long overdue addition to the genre. The graphics and animations are excellent and combine to form a great atmosphere for the game. There are plenty of weapons and items to obtain throughout your adventure, but to get the most out of the game, you'll want to stick to your twin guns and sword. There is little else in gaming to compare to lifting a demon off the ground with your sword, then switching to guns and keep him floating up in the air until he explodes, with both guns blazing. This is the epitomy of "cool". There are plenty of extra hidden missions and side goals to keep you coming back for more, long after you beat it. This game is reminiscent of thumb-blistering, action-packed games of old, such as Contra and Life Force, and as such, is an instant classic.