68| Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition
Released: March 1st, 2005
Definitive Version: Playstation 2; Also on: PC, PS3, and Xbox 360
In 2001 Capcom released a game titled Devil May Cry and thus invented a new genre. The "hard action genre" as I like to call it (no not "character action" that is the stupidest name ever and anyone who calls it that is an idiot). This genre separates itself from the likes of beat-em-ups and typical hack-n-slash games as it is a single player game with the franticness and combat complexity of a fighting game, but with the progression of a typical narrative focused single player game. The last point isn't a requirement, but the former two certainly are. Since the launch of Devil May Cry multiple other games in the genre have been released such as Ninja Gaiden, Bayonetta, and Metal Gear Solid: Revengeance. But like Street Fighter, Devil May Cry is always recognized as the mother franchise of the genre.
There was nothing like the original Devil May Cry when it was released. It was so fast paced and intense there was literally nothing to compare it to. It was as if someone who enjoyed playing the end credits scene of Street Fighter EX 3 decided to make a game modeled after it. Finally people who wanted the complexity, pace, and tension of a multiplayer fighting game can get something similar in a single player package. Obviously everybody who enjoyed Devil May Cry was stoked when the sequel was announced. Unfortunately the game turned out to be infamously bad. Capcom realized this and did the right thing by having the series return to its roots with its next entry. The result is that Devil May Cry 3 is widely seen as not only the best game in the series, but arguably the entire genre as well.
Gameplay wise the game is based of the first game, but improved in everyway. For starters the combat has been refined significantly. As usual the player controls a sword-wielding/gunslinging badass named Dante where they can implement a string of sword and gun attacks however way they please. Dante has multiple abilities such as the ability to double jump, slide on the ground, do back flips, run up walls, and juggle enemies. Combining Dante's fluid movement with the flexible combat system results in pulling off combos that are more than impressive and satisfying. Added to this entry is the ability to choose which class, or "style", Dante will be in. Each class results in Dante controlling a little differently and having different moves more inline with the specific class. For example swordsman results in Dante's combat abilities focused on sword wielding, while gunslinger obviously focuses on using his guns. There a six classes to choose from and they are all unique in their own way.
A game's combat system is only as good as the playable area designed around it, and Devil May Cry 3 makes note of this. For starters, the boss battles are incredible. Each boss pushes the player to their limit as every strategy and tactic will be exhausted to beat them. The sadisticness is a fair trade for the intense tension and challenge these fights present to the player and the pure satisfaction once a boss is defeated. Coming from that aspect, in a way the game's boss fights were Dark Souls before Dark Souls. You couldn't even save before the boss, you had to beat the entire area before you could even save. The bosses were also varied as some specialized in projectile attacks, others used their immense size as an advantage, while others fought up close and personal sword to sword.
It just wasn't the bosses that added to the game's tension. The enemy design was top notch as well with levels adding a lot of creativity of just how to approach them. This includes fighting in narrow spaces to do wall runs or in a strip club to twirl on a pole to launch yourself at enemies. There are also some unique segments such as a chessboard battle where the player's objective is to kill the oversized king and queen chess pieces as a horde of pawn pieces, along with a knight and bishop piece, block their way. It really showed the game had a lot of creativity behind it.
The only a few things bad about the game which mostly boils down to the story. Now I know that Capcom wanted the game to be over the top and self-parody itself, but all things considered it is just too much. The game attempts to mock the action hero trope but instead just makes it self look foolish in the process. The main reason is that it never tones it down. It seems that in every single scene Dante is in he is always showing off somehow and saying something cheesy. Outside of this the story is a bit typical for these types of games. A humongous ancient caste appears in the middle of a city. The rebel protagonist is all but forced to explore it. On his way he meets a young woman who is there for alternate reasons. And at the end the protagonist defeats the person who summoned the city. It is a little more complicated than that but that's the gist of it.
Devil May Cry 3 is a masterpiece of an action game. Gameplay wise it hits all the right notes with a deep combat system, challenging bosses, and experimental levels. The game isn't perfect as the story the stupid and the game's difficulty curve is a little to sharp. The music is also atrocious, I mean just listen to this song that plays throughout most of the game's encounters. But being over a decade old, it is pretty impressive that it could still be claimed to be "the best action game ever made" and few would disagree harshly.
Way too low on the list, like you said it is the GOAT 3D hack and slash action game.
DMC3 is a game I would have liked much more than I did if not for the cheesy way they designed the game to be difficult. I don't mind hard, but this game takes it to a ridiculous level, which is why they had to come out with an alternate version in the first place. But what makes it difficult is not so much the gameplay...its the design. How it costs more and more to buy the items you need every time you buy them...which forces you to replay levels over and over. Not something I want to do the first time through a game. If I remember right, the checkpoints were also kind of sporadic.
It really wasn't anything like the first game. DMC1 was not that difficult or over the top. Felt more like Onimusha mixed with Castlevania. I preferred that one for that very reason.
I said arguably the greatest of all time.
It is funny though. I remember how back in the Gamespot days everyone always talked about how much better Ninja Gaiden was than Devil May Cry. Ten years later it has been years sinc ehte last quality entry of both series and the only series of the two people still talk about is...Devil May Cry.
Which is which I said it was one of the few bad things about the game. People always talk about the boss battle that involved you fighting two enemies at once. I actually found that one not too bad. This guy however was a humongous pain in the ass:
Yeah, but 10 years later only Souls games are allowed to be "hard", so that goes against Ninja Gaiden.
But that game was also pretty annoying in parts.
In my opinion Ninja Gaiden Black is the epitome of the genre followed by Bayonetta 2 then Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition. All are excellent games of course and arguments could be made to change the order in a number of ways.
NG is a classic but I still enjoy the combat of DMC more.