9.0

Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening

The third installment in the Devil May Cry series is finally here and truly takes the series to the next evolutionary stage of gaming in Dante's Awakening. Devil May Cry 3 is a unique blend of the action and RPG genres and from the very first opening scene that has Dante dueling with his brother, your thirst for blood will be provoked. From the beginning of the game, you have the option to choose from 4 different styles that include Trickster, Swordmaster, Gunslinger, and Royalguard.

You can change what styles you use between each mission and as you practice with each style, Dante will gain experience and become stronger. As the Trickster, Dante uses an evasive style of battle, and utilizing ducking and diving techniques will lead you to victory here. Next is the swordmaster, who, as the name implies, wields a sword that you can use to cut off the limbs of your opponents. The Gunslinger style is also self explanatory; Dante will wield dual pistols to blast away him enemies. Lastly, the Royalguard style has you minimize damage inflicted on you by using blocking techniques. All of these styles have their strengths and weaknesses, and over time you'll have no trouble finding the one that best suits you.

The gameplay of Dante's Awakening plays a lot similar to the previous installments that has the playing mashing buttons together in order to purge the world from demons. There is also a "tutorial enable" option that will guide you through the beginning levels. The control system of the game is rather basic that contains a lock-on feature to help you dispatch your foes. For those who are struggling beating levels, there is fortunately some hope for these lost souls because if you die 3 times on the same level, "Easy" becomes unlocked, which takes the difficulty down a notch, but still offering a lot of fun.

For the more advanced players, combos will be introduced that you can use to brutalize the enemy. These combos include shooting while in the air, performing an uppercut with a sword, and also jumping high into the air, bringing down a thundering sword into your enemy's skull. While it might feel as if you are being bombarded with combos to memorize, they are rather easy to perform, and after 10-15 minutes you'll feel right at home.

The only drawback to the gameplay is that it becomes repetitive if you use the same style for a while. You are forced to try different styles and techniques to avoid boredom. However, you are constantly learning new moves to keep the game feeling fresh. Unfortunately, a major drawback would have to be the boss levels. During these levels, the best technique is to stay out of reach from the boss by stepping back and firing your pistols. Dante stands a very little chance fighting sword to sword with the bosses, which is really what the game is meant to be about. The pistols do very little damage, and unless you're a samurai warrior be prepared to tap the "fire" button furiously.

Graphically, Devil May Cry 3 is one of the better looking games for PS2 that is currently available. The character models are detailed, and the textures for buildings, roads, and characters look realistic. In the cinematic sequences, you can see each individual hair on Dante's head, but more importantly, you can see the world around him reflect in his sword. While the game doesn't look like this when you actually play it, it is still impressive. Watching a demon crumble into a pile of dust is rather interesting to watch, but more than that, it looks great. Probably the greatest feature would be the environment, as objects such as tables, chairs, and even a drum set can be broken. While the levels can seem rather cramped at sometimes, the surrounding environment looks very convincing.

The only problem concerning the graphics would be the camera angles and at times you won't be able to see Dante and will most likely get mauled by the enemies. Except for this minor glitch, Devil May Cry 3 is simply a great game to look at.

Devil May Cry 3 features a varied and interesting sound track that also has that campy voice acting that has made the previous games so popular. Dante has the typical "tough guy" voice in the cinematic sequences, but in battles his voice changes. Speaking with a rather high voice, Dante makes rather lame sounding cries when he is struck. While this can be disturbing at some times, it's nowhere near as obnoxious as him shouting out the name of every combo you perform. While some people might not care to much, others might be given a headache from Dante's constant sword cries. The music, although not actual songs or bands, will get you into the mood of the game. Whether it's a wailing guitar, or the booming bass of the techno, you'll become immersed into the game with a desire to kill.

In conclusion, Devil May Cry 3 seamlessly blends the action and RPG aspects that many games in this genre are lacking. Not only does this game contain one of the nicest looking gaming engines in a long time but it also contains an extremely user friendly interface that gamers from all different walks of life will have no difficulties in mastering.