Gaming journalist and regular contributor Jon Porter is back with a look at Devil May Cry 3 on the PS2…

When asked what exactly Devil May Cry is by a non-gaming friend, my answer “It’s the most uncool game ever made,”surprised even me. Why would I though, let alone a legion of fans, play a game that’s uncool? Perhaps it’s because DMC is in fact cool, but if you don’t ‘get’ why, it ends up looking a bit weird, it ends up the opposite of what it really is. Which is cool…or not, I’m not really sure any more.

It’s a series which has always revolved around the borderline insane, with giant puppet monsters, scissor wielding reapers and flying whales roaming its levels (or around them in the whale’s case) and an arsenal of over-the-top moves to dispatch them with. You could try and approach Devil May Cry like any other action game, but to do so would be missing out on half of its appeal.

Faced with the staggering list of requirements for a modern action game, Devil May Cry’s provides a story, but it’s never thrust upon you with any great gusto, and nor should it be. DMC is a far cry from the hugely intricate universes of Final Fantasy or Metal Gear Solid, but it does exactly what it needs to do, ferrying you through levels with a one word instruction: ‘kill.’ You’re experience with the game might be heightened by knowing that you play as Dante, the half devil-half human son of the demon warrior Sparda, or that your reason for this demon culling is because of a gothic tower that’s unexpectedly grown in the middle of your city, but it probably won’t be. If it does, good for you, and don’t worry because Devil May Cry 3 is a prequel.

The core gameplay hasn’t changed much over the series’ lifespan. You spend each mission fighting through wave after wave of monsters, with the occasional boss fight or rudimentary puzzle sequence every so often to shake things up a little. Its core structure doesn’t lead to much variation, this instead comes from the player through the staggering depth of the combo system. Creativity is always encouraged when taking care of enemies, and after you get the hang of the initially odd one-button combo system you’ll be throwing enemies around left, right and centre, knocking up your rank on the style meter, and granting yourself additional points to spend at the end of every mission. The game knows that you could probably get through it using the same few moves, but at the same time it knows there’s no fun in that. It’s up to the player to try and find the combo system’s ceiling, and then proceed to exploit it to the full.

People have said Devil May Cry 3 was a hard game, and this reputation was well deserved. When bringing the game to a North American and European audience Capcom took the decision to make the Japanese ‘hard’ mode the rest of the world’s ‘normal’ mode, and in doing so broke a generation of dualshock’s thrown across the room in rage. Fear not though you Devil May Cry newbies, for the Special Edition has fixed this and then some, adding in an extra super-hard difficulty level for all you masochists out there. Never again will you have to dent your pride by playing on the ‘easy’ setting just to make it to the end credits, and for that Capcom, we thank you.

Faced with trying to describe DMC’s ‘hook,’ all that really comes to mind is ’style.’ Dante is a badass, treating the most towering enemies with a nonchalant disdain normally reserved by teenagers for the man, but the cherry on the cake actually comes from the taunt button. Sure, you could spend your time actually progressing, laying waste to an army of enemies poised to cut you into meat cubes, but why not take a moment to step back, flick your four index fingers in your direction, and yell “C’mon!” It’s all very over the top and outrageous, but only when you ‘get’ what they’re doing does it all makes perfect sense.

Falling in love with Devil May Cry is not falling in love with a single-playthrough. You return time and time again, ratcheting up the difficulty with a promise of cooler skins and an increased satisfaction upon reaching the ‘Mission Cleared’ screen. Rewards lie around every corner for those who can master Devil May Cry’s unmatched swordplay, but being rewarded is only half the fun, the rest is all up to you.