The release of the first three Devil May Cry games on the PlayStation 2 back in the early ’00s redefined the action genre with their flawless execution of action gaming. A decade after the series’ successful release, Capcom has decided to revive the three classic action titles on current consoles to give a new generation of gamers the opportunity to play the trilogy that preceded the creation of the new-reboot Devil May Cry game that is set to release this year.
Just like other revivals of classic games on the HD consoles that have been released recently, Devil May Cry HD Collection offers all three of the PS2 titles on one disc. With its upgraded visuals and the addition of trophies/achievements, is it worth giving the classic series a second chance?
Let’s take a look at what’s HOT and what’s NOT in our review of Devil May Cry: HD Collection.
HOT
Visuals Upgraded to HD
One of the key factors that all HD collections have in their games are upgraded graphics. In the three Devil May Cry games that are packed into one disc, fans and those who are new to the series can expect a visual upgrade. From the grainy environments and character models, the three HD games have now been upgraded to the HD resolution, making everything we used to hate on SD resolution look a lot cleaner. Since the three games aren’t that old, some of the textures within the game are much better.
Three Action Games in One
It would be almost impossible nowadays to find any of the three Devil May Cry titles on the PlayStation 2. At a price of $39.99, those who want to revisit Dante’s epic trilogy that made the series famous can delve inside the HD Collection, which includes the first Devil May Cry, Devil May Cry 2 (where you can play as Dante and Lucia), and Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition. Everything from the classic three games are left intact in the HD collection. No changes have been made to the series that hardcore fans used to love, even the weakest of the three titles, which is Devil May Cry 2.
Also, it’s the first time the three titles have appeared on the Xbox platform, as the series was exclusive to the PS2 platform originally. If you’re one of the original Xbox owners but never owned a PS2 and now own an Xbox 360, this is your chance to play the iconic trilogy . Why and how the series got so popular is due to the three titles that were released and, by playing them, you will know exactly why it rose to such a high level of admiration. Let’s hope this year’s DMC can live up to that standard as well.
Lots of Action Packed Moments
For new generation of gamers who never played Devil May Cry, starting with the HD collection will give you the non-stop action that fans of the series experienced when it was first released. The reason why the series got so influential is due to the action it delivered where Dante, the protagonist of the three Devil May Cry games, not only uses swords to eliminate his enemies, but he also has an arsenal of guns and demon powers that help him be the most powerful half demon.
In the first Devil May Cry, you will follow the story of Dante as he tries to stop the return of the demon who killed his parents when he was a child. Spanning over twenty chapters, you will go through a heart-pounding adventure where you will learn to use and combine both swords and guns to unleash unstoppable power. As for the second game, which is also considered as the weakest one due to the poor story and short gameplay, you will continue to follow Dante’s journey in a fight with demons that are settling in the island he now resides with a new playable character named Lucia. For the last title, the third game in the series brings back what everyone loved from the series with Devil May Cry 3. The story of the third game continues to explore more of Dante’s past where his brother Vergil will be one of the villains in the game. Same action and combos found in the first game can be expected in the third Devil May Cry game.
Between the first, second and third Devil May Cry games, the ones that stand out are the first and third entries as both have the features that influenced a majority of the action games we see today (ex: Bayonetta). A well-crafted story and intense action can be found in the first and third games, while the second one falls short. While Devil May Cry 2 introduced new things such as a new playable character, it wasn’t enough to please fans since the story was forgettable and the combat was too easy.
NOT
Menus Are 4:3
While all of the assets and environments used in the three HD games in the collection are upgraded to HD, one thing that they left out are the menus and certain cutscenes. Instead of making it full screen or 16:9, the menus are left in their original 4:3 ratio. Even some cutscenes suffer from this in all three games. Despite having the 4:3 resolution on menus, the majority of them have visuals that have been upscaled, while others stay at the shoddy SD resolution. Those planning on buying the HD collection can expect these in all three titles.
CG Cutscenes are Standard Quality
Leaving CG cutscenes on the standard quality resoltuion has been a common trend for the majority of the HD Collection titles, and you can expect it with the Devil May Cry HD Collection. Since there are parts of the three titles that are done in CG cutscenes, primarily the beginning and the end, you can expect to see that ugly and annoying SD quality from the old days. Also, some of the textures like the ones on the first game are left untouched, making it show that the series is really outdated. Even current technology can’t upgrade the textures that were present before, unless they do a total overhaul of the visuals.
Problems Within the Game Still Exists; Camera
Back in the early years of the PS2, games such as the three Devil May Cry games had a fixed camera, meaning it wasn’t adjustable. Those who are new generation gamers and are used to action games where you can control the camera, you will find the HD Collection of Devil May Cry a nuisance as the problems everyone complained about back then are still in these the three games. For the most part, you will be annoyed by the fixed camera as most of the time they’re stuck in a disturbing position. There are parts in the game where the camera will be in a location where it’s impossible to see the boss.
VERDICT
Almost a decade old, those who missed Dante and want to revisit the three titles that redefined the action genre today should purchase the Devil May Cry: HD Collection, especially the new generation of gamers. While the worst game in the series is included in this compilation, it’s good that two of the best games in the series are there to make up for the mediocrity of the second game. Those who had a problem with the fixed camera issues from all three games will find it here once again on the HD compilation and, if you have a low tolerance for this issue, it’s best if you skip this title altogether.
[Editor’s Note: Devil May Cry HD Collection was reviewed on the PlayStation 3 platform. The game was provided to us by the publisher for review purposes.]