New protagonist? No, thank you. This is the simplified reaction hardcore fans roared about all around the world, including myself. What I was expecting was a try-hard emo looking nephilim. What I received was a demon-killing rebel with a dark and twisted attitude. Despite a few cheesy one-liners, I liked him.
The new Dante proves he's simply not a replacement. He is his own character with his own characteristics and I have to admit, I like him a bit more than the old Dante. He seems more human and grounded than the previous Dante, someone you can relate to sort of. During the first few missions, a white wig that is similar to the old Dante's hairdo falls on the new Dante's head. He then looks in the mirror, and says "not in a million years". I felt that was a personal and directed specifically for myself and everyone else who disapproved the new protagonist. Although, Capcom will release an alternative costume pack featuring the classic Dante costume.
As far as the gameplay goes, you'll still be pulling off those crazy over-the-top moves and you'll fingers will be struggling to keep up. The action is fluid and with a plethora of different weapons, the combinations are endless. Dante is a nephilim, the spawn of an angel and a demon. This duality is seen all over the game. Weapons are either demonic or angelic and certain enemies can only be killed with certain weapons. Mostly, if the enemy is glowing in red than he can only be killed with Demonic weapons and vice versa.
This duality also spreads onto the platforming aspect of the game. Grapple points are also split between the two, hurling yourself towards the platform with the angelic grapple and pulling the platform towards you with the demonic platform to get from point A to point B. Certain grounds that are covered in fire will force you to equip a demonic weapon in order not take damage.
The story itself is pretty great. Despite the game being drenched in demons and angels, a lot of the issues in the game are pretty close to our actual problems. The big huge news network spitting propaganda with every report, brainwashing and controlling the people's opinion, a hugely consumed soda drink poisoning the people and debt controls the world. Sounds familiar right? The idea is that the general population sees the news network and the mind-controlling soda drink as just a regular establishment. Whereas Dante enters an alternate reality, kind of like the matrix, called Limbo. In Limbo, Dante can see the real threat in these establishments, in their demonic form. This is where all the action takes place.
That's one of the things I liked about it. Going up against the global elite, who in this case are demons, who control the world with debt. A small minority of people with too much control over the world. I'm a conspiracy buff and with the growing popularity of the Illuminati, if you believe in such things, is the main ground here. The demons representing the Illuminati and you, Dante, are the one and only force out to take them out.
The art in the game is great too. Although most of the time will be spent in Limbo, you can't not appreciate the torn cities and crazy cinematics that come with it. There is a vast array of enemies and they come in packs. Chaining together your kills in the best possible way to get through them and if your fast enough, linking them up in one huge combo is extremely rewarding. Just like the previous installments, style is a big thing. The bigger and less repetitive the combo, the more points you'll get. These points add up and allow you to unlock upgrades for Dante and his weapons.
DmC: Devil May Cry is not at all what I had thought it would be, surpassing my expectations and more. Fans of the genre and fans of the franchise alike will enjoy the latest installment bringing back the classic gameplay with a fresh new face with an attitude. The combat system alone is something to pay for especially with the new Bloody Palace mode coming soon for free where Dante will take on waves and waves of enemies.