Review: Devil May Cry HD Collection | Video Games, Reviews ...

With Ninja Theory?s controversial DMC reboot lurking on the horizon, it makes perfect sense for Capcom to bring as many new eyes to the franchise by packaging all the old adventures of Dante together at a discount price. The?Devil May Cry HD Collection includes the first three games in the series, although their chronology is not at all consistent with their release dates. The actual order in which events take place goes thus: 3, 1, then 2. Coincidentally, that is also in the order of descending quality. You can always play them in the order they were made, but that?s quite a long wait for the payoff.

The first Devil May Cry is a landmark of action gaming. Originally planned as a Resident Evil title, the dark atmosphere and fixed camera angles are a relic of a simpler time, but the personality it exudes is still first-rate. The game also includes Trish, a character perhaps best known these days for her appearance in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. It?s also hard to not to smile at some of the iconic moments of the?original?title, like the scene in which Dante gets his first new sword, or the ludicrous ending. At its best, the first game is a fascinating history lesson, giving modern gamers a glimpse into a time when ?stylish action? was an a new, exciting concept and it was still acceptable to send the player on a back-tracking fetch quest for a key.

On the other hand, the game is frustratingly dated in a number of ways, some of which I wasn?t expecting. Yes, the camera is far from ideal. Yes, the puzzles are tedious. Yes, this is the graphically weakest of the collection. All of these are expected. But what I wasn?t prepared for?or, what I just didn?t remember?is just how rudimentary the core action is. The controls are?relatively?stiff and awkward, the upgrade system is simplistic, and Dante?s arsenal is surprisingly limited. Perhaps we?re spoiled now, but it is clear that the game has changed quite a bit since Hideki Kamiya raised the bar for action.

Devil May Cry 2 takes one step forward, but then turns around and hurls itself off a cliff. The game boasts somewhat smoother and more refined controls, but sacrifices nearly everything else that made the original game special. The wisecracking protagonist is now a dark, brooding parody of his former glory. The?claustrophobic, atmospheric castle is replaced a string of bland, arbitrarily confined spaces like city streets and office buildings. The highest points of the last game?the boss fights?are now complete jokes, involving blas? challenges like demon-possessed tanks and helicopters. Perhaps most?embarrassingly, the combat usually just boils down to boring wars of attrition with lobotimzed A.I.

The game is bad, make no mistake. But I don?t think it?s quite as insulting as it seemed upon its initial release. Time has allowed for some perspective to seep in, and it is clear now that there are some positive changes that were made in the sequel. The camera is much less of an issue than it was in the first game. The decreased emphasis on puzzles also plays to the game?s strengths, as it further distanced itself from its origins as a Resident Evil title.?The option to play as deuteragonist Lucia is a pretty nice touch, adding some replayability to the proceedings if you stomach it.

Devil May Cry 3 is the crown jewel of the collection though. With a more developed storylines, the best roster of characters in the series, the most intricate and rewarding combat, and the return of the charm that defined the first adventure, Dante?s Awakening is easily the best entry in the franchise. God of War may have topped it with sheer scale, and Bayonetta may have a deeper combo system, but for besides those games there isn?t much that has outshone?DMC3?in the realms of stylish third-person action. The version of the game included with the HD Collection is even the Collector?s Edition, so you can play as through the game as antagonist Vergil. Really, it?s hard to find fault with the third offering.

Obviously, as an HD Collection, the main draw of this bundle is likely the improved visuals. As you can see from the screens, there is a noticeable improvement to the visual fidelity of the games, mostly in the edges of character models. Gone are the jaggies and blurring that marred the earlier titles, while the HD resolution allows for more details than previously possible. That?s about it though. There are no new cutscenes, only minor content bonuses (such as trophies/achievements), and the bugs that shipped with them back on the PS2 are still there. Also, expect occasional frame-rate drops and a freeze or two before you get through the collection; porting is never perfect.

It feels blindly self-evident to recommend this to people who have been interested in Devil May Cry, but never got a chance to play it, but that?s clearly the only market for it. If you?ve already played these games, there isn?t anything new for you here, besides maybe post-traumatic stress disorder triggered by the second game. Dante?s Awakening is still classic, but you can get it for less than half?of this price point?right now. This collection represents an important part of gaming history and an interesting mixed bag from an iconic franchise, but it?s also old and frustrating in a lot of ways. Pick it up if you?ve been wondering what all the fuss is about, but don?t say I didn?t warn you.

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Pros:

• Great series overview
• Devil May Cry 3 is still amazing

Cons:

• Devil May Cry 2
• Some archaic design choices will frustrate modern gamers
• Minor bugs

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This game was purchased for review and played to completion in about 24 hours. The title was played on Xbox 360, but is also available for PS3. Points weren?t taken off for DMC2?s failures, as the score represents the overall value on offer at the MSRP.

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