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Devil May Cry 2

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Devil May Cry 2
Devil May Cry 2 box cover
Developer(s)Capcom Production Studio 1[2]
Publisher(s)Capcom
Designer(s)Hideaki Itsuno (director)[3]
Tsuyoshi Tanaka (producer)[4]
SeriesDevil May Cry
Platform(s)PlayStation 2
ReleaseOriginal release
Greatest Hits release
Genre(s)Hack and slash, Action
Mode(s)Single-player

Devil May Cry 2 is an action game developed and published by Capcom in 2003 exclusively for the PlayStation 2. The game serves as a sequel to Devil May Cry and is, chronologically the fourth game in the Devil May Cry (series) series with Devil May Cry 3, Devil May Cry, and Devil May Cry 4 taking place before. Set in modern times, in the fictional city of Vie de Marli,[8] the story centers on Dante and Lucia in their fight to stop a businessman named Arius from raising the demon Argosax and achieving supreme power. The story is told primarily through a mixture of cutscenes using the game's engine with several pre-rendered full motion videos.

Unlike the previous title, Devil May Cry 2 received mostly mixed reviews and has been criticized for a variety of development decisions, which made the game considerably different from its predecessor; chief among these decisions was the lowered difficulty.[9] Nevertheless, it was a commercial success.

Gameplay

In-game screenshot showing Dante swinging his sword, Rebellion, towards a Goatling.

Devil May Cry 2 the player guides either Dante or Lucia (the protagonists) through an urban environment, fighting groups of demons in fast-paced combat. The game itself consists of missions with specific goals in the play area of the game itself. Like the first Devil May Cry, the player's performance in each mission is ranked from D (poor/Don't Worry) to S (excellent/Showtime) based on the time taken to complete the mission, the amount of Red Orbs collected, the overall "style" displayed during fights which occurred, item usage, and damage taken.[10] In contrast to the rest of the gameplay, the style judging system used in the game has been cited as being the most harsh in terms of how it judges the player's performance.[9][11]

Combat itself is based on the "style" the player demonstrates during a fight. The rating the player gains for style is improved by hitting enemies continuously while avoiding damage. This ranges from "Don't Worry", progressing to "Come On!", "Bingo", "Are You Ready?" and peaking at "Showtime". If the character takes damage, the style rating falls to "Don't Worry".[10]

The game's controls are simple, converting short sequences of button presses into complex on-screen actions.[10] New to the series is an evasion button, which allows Dante or Lucia to roll, dodge enemy attacks, or run along walls. Another new feature is a weapon-change button, which allows the player to cycle through ranged weapons without switching to the inventory screen.

File:Dmc2dantedt.jpg
In-game screenshot showing Dante flying while in the Devil Trigger state

The game also features puzzle-solving and exploration elements.[12] Gameplay involves the player examining their surroundings to find items and orbs. Red Orbs are used to acquire new combat powers and abilities for the characters. These Red Orbs are "the blood of demons"; enemies drop them when they are defeated. Dante and Lucia can also opt to instead purchase items, which allow them to restore their damaged health or even instantly revive should they be killed by an enemy's attack.[10]

The Devil Trigger ability enables Dante and Lucia to transform into a devil form. This changes their appearance, increases their strength and defense, slowly restores health, and enables them to use special attacks. The Devil Trigger state lasts as long as there is power in the Devil Trigger Gauge, which increases by attacking or taunting enemies in the normal state and decreases by attacking in the Devil Trigger state or using Devil Trigger-only attacks.[10] Unique to this game is the Desperation Devil Trigger — an enhanced form of the Devil Trigger — available to Dante when he is low on health.

Plot

See also: Characters in Devil May Cry
File:Dante & Lucia.JPG
The protagonists: Dante & Lucia

Devil May Cry 2 begins with Lucia and Dante separately entering a museum where an important item called the Medaglia is stored. After defeating a group of demons in the museum, Lucia invites Dante to follow her to the Dumary Island, where he is introduced to Matier, her mother. Matier explains that she once fought alongside Dante's father, Sparda, to defend the island against demons. She asks Dante to help fight Arius, an international businessman who uses demonic power and seeks to conquer the world.[13] Dante flips a coin in answer, and decides to help when the coin lands on heads.[14] After Dante leaves Matier and Lucia discuss the Arcana, the items required for Arius to raise Argosax.

Lucia eventually confronts Arius, who reveals that she was his creation.[15] When Lucia moves to strike Arius, he uses his magic to blast her away. Shortly afterward, Dante meets up with Lucia, who gives him the last of the Arcana before leaving.[16] Dante then encounters Matier and tries to pass the Arcana to her. Matier, in turn, asks Dante to take the Arcana to save Lucia, who has gone to fight Arius again.[17] Dante flips the coin again to decide if he will help; it lands on heads, and he departs to aid Lucia.[18] Meanwhile, Lucia enters the Uroboros tower and attacks Arius, who captures her. Dante arrives and trades the Arcana for Lucia, then attacks Arius. To escape, Arius forces Dante to decide between saving Lucia or killing him.[19]

Lucia, worried about the ritual and conflicted about herself, wonders how they will stop Arius. Dante waves her off, stating he will find a way.[20] Dante leaves Lucia to think as he departs to defeat Arius. Matier arrives a short time later, sets Lucia's mind at ease, and decides to rejoin the fight against Arius.[21] Dante arrives to find Arius in the middle of his immortality-inducing ritual. Apparently not at all fazed by the completion of the ceremony, Dante stands confident.[22] Another fight ensues, in which Dante finishes Arius off with his pistols. Outside, Lucia confronts Dante and demands that he kill her because she fears she will become a demon herself.[23] Before the issue can be resolved, a large stream of energy strikes the tower and a portal to the demon world is opened. Dante and Lucia argue over who will enter and close it from the inside; Dante offers to leave the issue up to fate. He flips the coin and it once again lands on heads, leaving Dante to enter the portal to deal with Argosax after leaving the coin with Lucia.[24]

After Dante departs, Arius returns to life bearing demonic power.[25] While Lucia fights Arius, he finds himself injured and attempts to distract her, a tactic which fails; Lucia goes on to defeat him.[26] Within the portal, Dante fights and defeats the partially summoned Argosax. Finding the portal closed, Dante instead drives further into the demon realm on a motorcycle. In the aftermath of the battle, Matier attempts to reassure Lucia about Dante's fate, insisting that Sparda returned from a similar trip. Lucia examines the coin Dante left with her and discovers that both sides are identical.[27] Sometime later in Dante's shop, Lucia muses about Dante. Outside the sound of a motorcycle echoes, and Lucia leaves to investigate.

Development

Despite the success of the original Devil May Cry, the sequel was not created by Hideki Kamiya or Capcom Production Studio 4. The first notice Kamiya's team was given about any sort of sequel occurred during localization of Devil May Cry in North America and Europe, a move which greatly surprised Kamiya. Since the game's release, Kamiya has expressed disappointment that he was not called on by his superiors at Capcom to direct Devil May Cry 2.[28]

Instead, the sequel was granted to Capcom Production Studio 1 and Hideaki Itsuno, the team responsible for Capcom VS SNK 2.[2][3] According to producer Tsuyoshi Tanaka, the thrust of the design was to make Devil May Cry 2 bigger than its predecessor; Tanaka estimated that the game's environments were approximately nine times as large as the first.[4] The emphasis on puzzles was also downplayed, with the camera system revamped to allow for better action scenes. Changes from the first game were influenced by surveys distributed by the development team, allowing them to patch any areas identified as weak by the people surveyed. The addition of Lucia as a playable character was a response to player complaints that Trish was not playable in the first Devil May Cry.[29]

Marketing

File:Dmc2diesel.jpg
Dante and Lucia in Diesel-designed clothing

Due to the focus of Devil May Cry 2's action on style, Capcom decided to partner with the Diesel clothing company, which has a history of working with game developers. Dante and Lucia were modeled with specially designed costumes featuring the Diesel brand name and were featured in promotional material in Diesel stores across Japan.[30][31]

Within the game, Dante features one unlockable costume with the Diesel brand name. Lucia features two separate outfits: one is the costume depicted on the right, and another is a white shirt with a brown coat and blue jeans. The Diesel logo is featured in several screens during the game, and a special edition Devil May Cry 2 bullet featuring the Diesel name was planned for inclusion.[32]

Initially, Capcom was very reluctant to release an officially sanctioned soundtrack for Devil May Cry 2.[33] After a test period during which Capcom sought 1,000 pre-orders as a proof of demand, the Devil May Cry 2 soundtrack was released to the public on October 15, 2004, as a 2-disc set, with Masato Koda, Tetsuya Shibata and Satoshi Ise credited as producers.[34]

In Europe there was a small print of Limited Edition copies released as promotional copies of Devil May Cry 2 that came with a different boxart and a card sleeve. There was also a limited edition promtional 4-pack of artcards (2 of Dante and 2 of Lucia) available upon its release, each packet containing the cards was numbered on the back.

Reception

Upon release, Devil May Cry 2 achieved a great deal of sales, including being one of the top ten best-selling games in the United Kingdom for the first half of 2003.[35] By March 2003 Capcom reported selling a total of 1.4 million copies worldwide,[36] and as of September 2006 has shipped over 1.6 million copies.[37]

Many fans of Devil May Cry were disappointed with this sequel;[38] however, the game still received mixed scores from professional reviewers.[39] Chief among the complaints was that the difficulty was lower than it was in the original game.[40] The combat system is considered less refined, with individual weapons being weaker or stronger variants of the same weapon instead of different weapons with their own advantages and disadvantages. Boss battles are criticized for requiring less strategy than the original. The environment was also considered less detailed than the environments of the first game, trading detail for open space.[41] Furthermore, Dante received a change in his personality which did not go well with reviewers[42] who enjoyed his trash-talking in the first game. The addition of a second disc was seen as a cheap way for the developers to increase replay value since Lucia's missions are simply recycled material from Dante's own missions, with only minor variations.[12] GameSpot chose Devil May Cry 2 as the "Most Disappointing Game of 2003".[43]

PSXextreme countered arguments by many critics, stating that the environments only looked worse to reviewers due to the range of environments in the game, and that the only reason Devil May Cry 2 failed to surpass its origins was due to the lack of challenge.[44] Electronic Gaming Monthly praised the game's control scheme and new ideas, as well as the idea of featuring the two protagonists on separate discs.[45] Play Magazine called Lucia's side of the story a "a cruel sonnet of self-realization wrapped in a story steeped in religious overtones",[46] further stating that the story alone was reason to purchase the game.

References

  1. ^ a b c d "GameSpot Information Page". Retrieved 2008-07-20.
  2. ^ a b "IGN: Capcom Production Studio 1". Retrieved 2008-07-20.
  3. ^ a b "Hideaki Itsuno's Moby Games page". Retrieved 2008-07-20.
  4. ^ a b Steinberg, Scott (2002-09-18). "GameSpot Preview, page 1". Retrieved 2008-07-20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ "ESRB Site". Retrieved 2008-07-20.
  6. ^ "PEGI Site". Archived from the original on 2007-04-11. Retrieved 2008-07-20.
  7. ^ "OFLC Australia Database". Retrieved 2007-03-19.
  8. ^ Official US Devil May Cry Site. Retrieved on 2007-05-15.
  9. ^ a b Baker, Chris (2004-05-09). "1UP.com Review". Ziff Davis. Retrieved 2008-07-20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  10. ^ a b c d e Devil May Cry 2 Instruction Booklet. Capcom. 2003.
  11. ^ "GameSpy Review". 2003-02-09. Retrieved 2008-07-20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  12. ^ a b Bettenhausen, Shane. "1UP.com Review". Retrieved 2008-07-20.
  13. ^ Matier: Son of Sparda... we must ask this favor, of you... You see, there's a man who's transformed our land into a demon's paradise; his name is Arius. And although he is the president, of an international public corporation... he uses the demon power. Please, deal with Arius and his master for us. (Devil May Cry 2) Capcom, 2003
  14. ^ (After flipping a coin and noticing the result is heads.) Dante: ...Looks like it's your lucky day. (Devil May Cry 2) Capcom, 2003
  15. ^ Arius: You are my creation. Lucia: Liar! Matier is my mother. Arius' secretary removes her mask, revealing the fact her face is identical to Lucia's. Arius: She merely found you when you were about to be disposed of, and then raised you as a soldier. Is that what you consider to be a mother? (Devil May Cry 2) Capcom, 2003
  16. ^ Lucia: But... actually... I do not deserve this power... Lucia: Bring this to Matier for me... please... I... I've got something that I need to take care of... (Devil May Cry 2) Capcom, 2003
  17. ^ Matier: There is one more thing I need to ask of you, son of Sparda. My daughter went to face Arius all by herself... Please, take these, and save Lucia. (Devil May Cry 2) Capcom, 2003
  18. ^ Dante: ...If it's Heads. The coin lands, heads face up. Dante: ...Your lucky streak continues, granny. (Devil May Cry 2) Capcom, 2003
  19. ^ Arius: You cannot win... someone is holding you back... Lucia: Ugh, forget about me! Kill Arius! Dante: Don't worry. I've got you... (Devil May Cry 2) Capcom, 2003
  20. ^ Lucia: Why did you save me? I was created... by him... Dante: Every hero has a weakness. Lucia: But, the ritual was activated because of me... (Devil May Cry 2) Capcom, 2003
  21. ^ Lucia: Mother... Matier: Yes, it is true that we are not tied by blood. But our ties are bound by history and experience, which is much deeper than blood. Now go; everything I know, I have passed on to you. You are my daughter... Lucia: Thank you... mother... (Devil May Cry 2) Capcom, 2003
  22. ^ Arius: *laughing* Now, I'll absorb his power. I, will become an all-powerful immortal! Arius: Wh...what?! Wh-what's going on?! Dante Is there a problem? Arius: You!! (Devil May Cry 2) Capcom, 2003
  23. ^ Lucia: I was created by Arius! I could become a monster and attack the humans at any time! Now, kill me! It's your job to hunt devils... (Devil May Cry 2) Capcom, 2003
  24. ^ Lucia: But...! Dante: Let's leave it to fate. Heads, I go; Tails, you go. He flips the coin and it lands as heads again Dante:See ya around. Lucia: Don't you want to hear the story about Sparda from... Matier? Dante: I know... He did the same thing... Hold on to my coin, Lucia. (Devil May Cry 2) Capcom, 2003
  25. ^ Lucia: Arius?! Lucia: It seems I have to finish him off myself. (Devil May Cry 2) Capcom, 2003
  26. ^ Arius: You are not human! You are just a monster... a monster that I created! Lucia: Dante told me... Devils never cry! (Devil May Cry 2) Capcom, 2003
  27. ^ Matier: You must not worry, my dear; I am sure that he will return. Everything is just as it was with Sparda. Lucia: Oh my...! Matier: What is it, my dear? Lucia: Both sides are Heads! He tricked me! That macho... (Devil May Cry 2) Capcom, 2003
  28. ^ Mielke, James (2006-08-18). "The Kamiya Touch". Retrieved 2008-07-20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  29. ^ Steinberg, Scott (2002-09-18). "GameSpot Preview, page 2". Retrieved 2008-07-20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  30. ^ Goddard, Charlotte (2003-04-01). "Revolution Magazine". Retrieved 2007-03-20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  31. ^ "Dante, Meet Diesel". IGN. 2003-01-10. Retrieved 2008-07-20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  32. ^ Minkley, Johnny (2003-01-10). "Computer and Videogames". Retrieved 2008-07-20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  33. ^ Niizumi, Hirohiko (2004-08-10). "Capcom considers Devil May Cry soundtrack". Retrieved 2008-07-20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  34. ^ "Amazon.ca Listing for DMC2 OST". Retrieved 2008-07-20.
  35. ^ Reed, Kristan (2003-06-11). "UK Charts 2003: Summer Report". Retrieved 2007-03-22.
  36. ^ "Capcom Financial Year 2002 Report" (PDF). Retrieved 2008-07-20.
  37. ^ "Capcom Investor Relations". 2006-09-01. Retrieved 2008-07-20.
  38. ^ MacDonald, Mark (2004-05-09). "1UP.com Review". Ziff Davis. Retrieved 2008-07-20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  39. ^ "Game Rankings Devil May Cry 2 page". Retrieved 2008-07-20.
  40. ^ "Official US PlayStation Magazine Review". Ziff Davis. 2003-03-01. Retrieved 2008-07-20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  41. ^ Varanini, Giancarlo (2003-01-30). "GameSpot Review". Retrieved 2008-07-20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  42. ^ "GameSpy Review". 2003-02-07. Retrieved 2008-07-20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  43. ^ "GameSpot's Best and Worst of 2003 - Dubious Honors: Most Disappointing Game". GameSpot. Retrieved 2008-07-20.
  44. ^ Katayev, Arnold (2003-02-16). "PSX Extreme review". Retrieved 2008-07-20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  45. ^ Shane (2003-08-01). "EGM review". Electronic Gaming Monthly. Archived from the original on 2006-03-02. Retrieved 2008-07-20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  46. ^ "Play Magazine's Devil May Cry 2 Review". Imagine Publishing. 2003-03-01. p. 40. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

External links

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