S&S; Review: DmC Devil May Cry

Title: DmC Devil May Cry
Format: PS3, Xbox 360, PC
Release Date: January 15, 2012
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Ninja Theory
Price: $59.99
ESRB Rating: M
Lets face it, the Devil May Cry series was one of the more popular franchises that really needed a reboot.  The game had gotten a little stale, and I had lost interest in the series as a whole.  Thankfully, Capcom gave the keys to Ninja Theory to try and reinvigorate the franchise.  They did just that, the game feels better, and fresh, and it was just a blast to play.  
Story and Presentation:
One of the biggest complaints I always had with the series, was that the game never featured a narrative with any substance what so ever.  The shallow tales of white haired Dante never gave him any depth, even with the prequel, the character just never felt fleshed out.  Luckily, those games had great action scenes, so it just felt like an over the top action flick, and that's not always a bad thing, right? Say what you want about Ninja Theory, they really know how to tell a good story.  Heavenly Sword was one of the first PS3 games, and it was really impressive.  The thing that made HS so good was the cinematics, you felt connected with characters.  When you transfer this to DmC, it works beautifully.  It takes storytelling in the series to a whole new level.  Throughout the story, there are a lot of high and low points, where the characters' backstories get their proper due, and you learn a lot more about these characters.  It's engaging throughout, and it'll keep guessing through each mission.  The visual style was one of the biggest components Ninja Theory revamped, it just doesn't compare at all to previous games.  We all know that Devil May Cry 4 looked good, but DmC really blows it out of the water.  Dante's new player model is cool, and it'll most likely appeal better to the younger crowd.  His whole rebel attitude goes well with look as well.  The enemies can vary, some can look very basic, while others have a lot more detail in them.  The environments and the color palette are visually stunning, it seems that the developers were going for a specific look, and they nailed it.  I know it's early, but this game could easily go down as one of the best looking games this year.  The music is great, when you're platforming, the music is very subtle.  When the action gets really heavy and intense, fast paced rock music blasts in the background as you send demons back to where they came from.  Overall, the presentation is a spectacle, every component compliments each other perfectly.
Core Gameplay:
Even though this a completely new title from a new development team, the gameplay mechanics still feel familiar. Fans of the series will feel right at home with the new Dante. The combat is still heavily focused on playing to each weapons' strengths and weaknesses, and building up your combos. Dante of course has his guns and sword, the Rebellion, but he has a number of other weapons to choose from. Dante can switch between multiple forms, which has it's own features and it's own weapon. His demonic form grants you a weapon that focuses on strength, and heavy attacks. This comes in handy when going up against enemies with heavy armor. Dante also has his angel form, which gives you a weapon that can focus on crowd control. The ability to switch between forms are seamless, you just have to hold down a different trigger. The combat is terrific, it doesn't take long to get used to your different weapons and forms. It's definitely one of the best action combat systems I've played in awhile. When you're fighting, you're always being graded. The big letter at the top of your screen will constantly give you feedback on how you're fighting, and it'll encourage you to try and come up with better combos. There is one minor fault with the combat, and that's the lack of a lock on feature. This may seem like a big problem, but it turns out to just a minor gripe. Trying to attack a specific enemy isn't hard, and it won't cause you any headaches. Ninja Theory went the extra mile and provided a training mode to hone your skills. It's a cool mode, and a great way to learn new combos. During your downtime, there is a pretty big chunk of platforming. The platforming is good, it's smooth, and it's fun to traverse the dilapidated environments. The gameplay is just as good as the presentation, with only a couple of minor technical hiccups found.
Final Thoughts:DmC is a wonderful game to start off the year with, it's more than just a good remake, it'll create a lot new fans for long running franchise.  It's definitely one of the best action games I've played in a while, and it's easily one of the most graphically impressive games to date.  
S&S Rating: 9/10 @whatsPlay