Devil May Cry 2
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Vazor
- Joined: Tue Sep 04, 2001 5:20 pm
- Location: Minnesota
- Contact:
Devil May Cry 2
I was just wondering if any of you have picked up the game and could tell me how it is. I've been hearing some pretty bad reviews, but those are mostly from the hardcore fans so I don't know what to think. Thanks!
"Am I a butterfly dreaming I'm a man? Or a bowling ball dreaming I'm a plate of sashimi? Never assume what you see and feel is real!" -Doreen (Chrono Trigger)
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leathelanime
- Joined: Thu Aug 30, 2001 12:52 am
- Location: Da Mitton
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drakesyn
- Joined: Tue Jan 28, 2003 3:35 pm
- Contact:
It sucks from what I've seen and heard. Unresponsive controls, usless maneuveres (forget walljumping as a thing you need), and other atrocities. Just my opinion, but thats what I've heard.
E ruba oui ymm caa ryda vun fryd ed ec; dra jedymedo uv naym meva. Aspnyla ouin yhkan yht ryda ymm druca fru lnucc oui, pid hajan ytsed du dryd ryda. Gaab ed vun y cbaleym ullyceuh frana oui lyh rynjacd dryd ryda yht gemm fedr ed...
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Vazor
- Joined: Tue Sep 04, 2001 5:20 pm
- Location: Minnesota
- Contact:
Yeah, I've been hearing the same thing, that's why I posted this topic. Hey Lethel, can you tell me when and where that review is gonna be up, I'd really like to read it.
"Am I a butterfly dreaming I'm a man? Or a bowling ball dreaming I'm a plate of sashimi? Never assume what you see and feel is real!" -Doreen (Chrono Trigger)
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FirestormXIII
- Joined: Sun Nov 04, 2001 6:22 pm
- Location: Cherry Hill, NJ
I just got it today, and I after playing it I think it still rocks.
I do still have complaints though...
My biggest problem has to do with continuity issues in gameplay when a new person takes over the development of the game. There's quite a few things that don't work the same in DMC2 as they did in DMC. Yes, the graphical style and representation is great, and in many ways cooler than the first, but that's kind of useless when you (sort of) have to re-learn the finer points of combat.
Swordplay=downplayed (at least so far as I've played the game). There's a much greater emphasis on using your ranged weapons in this game than in the last one. Now that wouldn't be such a problem, but the reason ranged weapons are more emphasized is because hand-to-hand (or sword-to-demon) combat is less effective than ranged weapons. In my experience in the game so far, there's no enemy that you can't defeat (almost too easily) by using ranged weapons. Sadly, this ranged over up-close-and-personal combat tilt applies even to Lucia, who was presented as a close range character.
Swordplay is also not as effective because it has gone from a medium-to-close range thing to just a close range thing. Dante's old Stinger? Forget about it, because it's almost useless for diving into the thick of battle. Why? Because the range it once had is gone. This may or may not change later into the game, but nothing points towards being able to purchase new or updated skills (as you could in the first one).
Also, the combo system is still in tact from the first game, but now it's more defined, and also harder because of the changes in the combat system. Because swordplay is so short range it's harder to just move from one enemy to another quickly and keep your combos going. Now you have to shoot/throw knives at an enemy until you can move close enough to use close range attacks to continue combos.
This partially takes away one of the best things DMC had going for it: the freeform style of combat. You decided how you wanted to take things on; 'Will I get up in this guy's face? Will I pop him full of holes from a distance? Will I do both while jumping around like a maniac and looking cool as hell doing it?' The choice is still there, but earlier on in the game if you want earn those extra orbs so you can power up you have to go about it a certain way.
For the most part that sums up my complaints, except for a few odd and end things.
A couple of things that are neither here nor there:
-Buying abilities is gone, now you buy upgrades for weapons & guns
(This has the potential to fix the combat system, because purhasing upgrades in the beginning for swords costs less than it does for ranged weapons. My assumption is that the power increases for the weapon upgraded, but there's a possibility other things improve, like the distance of attacks with close-range weapons. If there are any other effects of upgrades they don't really make themselves apparent, though. This does, however, open up customizing your character for the style of play you like best.)
-Characters can now kick in mid-air, adding some aerial combat to the mix. Problems with this:
1)The kick attacks aren't useful against airborne opponents, it's far easier to use guns/knives
2)The kicking thing is pretty dumb looking, especially for Dante. And the first rule of being a badass devil hunter is that you don't ever look stupid, especially kicking your legs like you're in a freakin' floating cabaret!
-The uber cool-looking 'no look' shot that we've all seen in pictures having to do with DMC2? It's really not a new technique, since there's no secondary targeting (which would've been a good idea, come to think of it). It is useful for getting a demon off your backside (because it does knock them back a distance), but it's not something you have to perfect, because it's an unwritten move like the Sashimi from the first DMC.
For the record: It is very badass when you can start pulling it off on a consistent basis.
-There is now an evade button, rather than using jump as an all-purpose evasion tool as in DMC. It's not really a good thing, it's not really a bad thing, but dammit if I try to dodge one more using jump... *shakes fist*
Good things:
The funny thing is that the game improves on a lot, but for now I'm only going to touch on these...
-Devil Trigger is a good deal more effective in DMC2, and cooler looking.
(In the first DMC, your devil trigger gauge took quite a bit of work to fill up manually, and it got used up so fast that until you had a ridiculous number of DT gauges you got put in a bad place during a lot of boss fights, especially on hard mode. The DT gauge is quicker to fill up now, especially if you go at it swordplay style - score one for close-range combat! \m/>_<\m/ - and it also depletes less quickly, especially if you're in combat with an enemy. This make Devil Trigger a useful commodity in DMC2, rather than a gimmick. Also, instead of getting just a hazy aura around your character when you enter DT mode, you get a clear representation of their Devil form without you having to do anything, which is a cool bonus. Devil forms also look a good deal better in this game as well, but like I said before a lot of things improved graphically.
-Levels are more open now, rather than being placed in narrow hallways and such.
(This is both a blessing and a curse. It was actually the lack of space in DMC that gave a more intense sensation of action in combat, due to the close quarters of you to your enemies. In DMC2 there's a lot more room to show off your moves - and avoid cheap hits - but due to the toning down of the close range aspect of combat it becomes harder to take out enemies effectively in such a wide space. *see complaints about combat at top of page for more griping
*)
-Lucia is actually a lot of fun to play as.
(This may be because she's new, and therefore no one really has any prior expectations of her, but she's actually very cool in her own right, and very much her own character. She also doesn't suffer from quite the severity of problems in combat that Dante does ((note the 'quite')). She also seems to earn more red orbs, thereby allowing her to power up quicker than Dante, which in turn adds to her appeal in playing as her)
Random Stuff:
-Yes, the wall run really isn't a necessary move insofar as combat is concerned. It does however add some height to your jump when done correctly.
-How the hell does Dante float up when he's shooting at something above him in the air?!
-Exactly who decided it would be a good idea to take Alastor, make it look like a bigger version of the Force Edge, and rename it Rebellion?
-Dante must have hit the gym a bit in his absence; he's beefed up a bit
Conclusion:
Yes, there's things wrong with the game, but they're mostly the effect of the project being run by someone new. I realize that my complaints about combat may make people go 'dear god, is it that bad?', but keep in mind that I haven't played far into the game, and there is still room for the certain things to correct themselves (as was mention before). The game is still a whole lot of fun, it's just that it's different in some ways from the first. Once you can look past its differences with its predeccesor it begins to shine in a whole new light.
Let's Rock, Baby. 8)
I do still have complaints though...
My biggest problem has to do with continuity issues in gameplay when a new person takes over the development of the game. There's quite a few things that don't work the same in DMC2 as they did in DMC. Yes, the graphical style and representation is great, and in many ways cooler than the first, but that's kind of useless when you (sort of) have to re-learn the finer points of combat.
Swordplay=downplayed (at least so far as I've played the game). There's a much greater emphasis on using your ranged weapons in this game than in the last one. Now that wouldn't be such a problem, but the reason ranged weapons are more emphasized is because hand-to-hand (or sword-to-demon) combat is less effective than ranged weapons. In my experience in the game so far, there's no enemy that you can't defeat (almost too easily) by using ranged weapons. Sadly, this ranged over up-close-and-personal combat tilt applies even to Lucia, who was presented as a close range character.
Swordplay is also not as effective because it has gone from a medium-to-close range thing to just a close range thing. Dante's old Stinger? Forget about it, because it's almost useless for diving into the thick of battle. Why? Because the range it once had is gone. This may or may not change later into the game, but nothing points towards being able to purchase new or updated skills (as you could in the first one).
Also, the combo system is still in tact from the first game, but now it's more defined, and also harder because of the changes in the combat system. Because swordplay is so short range it's harder to just move from one enemy to another quickly and keep your combos going. Now you have to shoot/throw knives at an enemy until you can move close enough to use close range attacks to continue combos.
This partially takes away one of the best things DMC had going for it: the freeform style of combat. You decided how you wanted to take things on; 'Will I get up in this guy's face? Will I pop him full of holes from a distance? Will I do both while jumping around like a maniac and looking cool as hell doing it?' The choice is still there, but earlier on in the game if you want earn those extra orbs so you can power up you have to go about it a certain way.
For the most part that sums up my complaints, except for a few odd and end things.
A couple of things that are neither here nor there:
-Buying abilities is gone, now you buy upgrades for weapons & guns
(This has the potential to fix the combat system, because purhasing upgrades in the beginning for swords costs less than it does for ranged weapons. My assumption is that the power increases for the weapon upgraded, but there's a possibility other things improve, like the distance of attacks with close-range weapons. If there are any other effects of upgrades they don't really make themselves apparent, though. This does, however, open up customizing your character for the style of play you like best.)
-Characters can now kick in mid-air, adding some aerial combat to the mix. Problems with this:
1)The kick attacks aren't useful against airborne opponents, it's far easier to use guns/knives
2)The kicking thing is pretty dumb looking, especially for Dante. And the first rule of being a badass devil hunter is that you don't ever look stupid, especially kicking your legs like you're in a freakin' floating cabaret!
-The uber cool-looking 'no look' shot that we've all seen in pictures having to do with DMC2? It's really not a new technique, since there's no secondary targeting (which would've been a good idea, come to think of it). It is useful for getting a demon off your backside (because it does knock them back a distance), but it's not something you have to perfect, because it's an unwritten move like the Sashimi from the first DMC.
For the record: It is very badass when you can start pulling it off on a consistent basis.
-There is now an evade button, rather than using jump as an all-purpose evasion tool as in DMC. It's not really a good thing, it's not really a bad thing, but dammit if I try to dodge one more using jump... *shakes fist*
Good things:
The funny thing is that the game improves on a lot, but for now I'm only going to touch on these...
-Devil Trigger is a good deal more effective in DMC2, and cooler looking.
(In the first DMC, your devil trigger gauge took quite a bit of work to fill up manually, and it got used up so fast that until you had a ridiculous number of DT gauges you got put in a bad place during a lot of boss fights, especially on hard mode. The DT gauge is quicker to fill up now, especially if you go at it swordplay style - score one for close-range combat! \m/>_<\m/ - and it also depletes less quickly, especially if you're in combat with an enemy. This make Devil Trigger a useful commodity in DMC2, rather than a gimmick. Also, instead of getting just a hazy aura around your character when you enter DT mode, you get a clear representation of their Devil form without you having to do anything, which is a cool bonus. Devil forms also look a good deal better in this game as well, but like I said before a lot of things improved graphically.
-Levels are more open now, rather than being placed in narrow hallways and such.
(This is both a blessing and a curse. It was actually the lack of space in DMC that gave a more intense sensation of action in combat, due to the close quarters of you to your enemies. In DMC2 there's a lot more room to show off your moves - and avoid cheap hits - but due to the toning down of the close range aspect of combat it becomes harder to take out enemies effectively in such a wide space. *see complaints about combat at top of page for more griping
*)-Lucia is actually a lot of fun to play as.
(This may be because she's new, and therefore no one really has any prior expectations of her, but she's actually very cool in her own right, and very much her own character. She also doesn't suffer from quite the severity of problems in combat that Dante does ((note the 'quite')). She also seems to earn more red orbs, thereby allowing her to power up quicker than Dante, which in turn adds to her appeal in playing as her)
Random Stuff:
-Yes, the wall run really isn't a necessary move insofar as combat is concerned. It does however add some height to your jump when done correctly.
-How the hell does Dante float up when he's shooting at something above him in the air?!
-Exactly who decided it would be a good idea to take Alastor, make it look like a bigger version of the Force Edge, and rename it Rebellion?
-Dante must have hit the gym a bit in his absence; he's beefed up a bit
Conclusion:
Yes, there's things wrong with the game, but they're mostly the effect of the project being run by someone new. I realize that my complaints about combat may make people go 'dear god, is it that bad?', but keep in mind that I haven't played far into the game, and there is still room for the certain things to correct themselves (as was mention before). The game is still a whole lot of fun, it's just that it's different in some ways from the first. Once you can look past its differences with its predeccesor it begins to shine in a whole new light.
Let's Rock, Baby. 8)
Everyone is not the same as you.
Get over it.
And lighten up.
Get over it.
And lighten up.
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Vazor
- Joined: Tue Sep 04, 2001 5:20 pm
- Location: Minnesota
- Contact:
Well, I ended up buying the game after work and put some time into it tonite, and I have to say I completely agree with Firestorm on pretty much all of his points. I'm also happy to say that I'm pleasantly surprised at how well it turned out (I deliberately tried not to expect something as amazing as the first one, it really is a rather high mark to hit). I haven't put any time into Dante's section yet, but from what I've done with Lucia my only two large complaints are diffculty and control. Is it just me or is this game way easier than the first? If the difficulty does pick up later, please tell me, because that was one of the reasons I loved the first as much as I did. The other thing is I dunno about the rest of you, but the controls are really throwing me off (I really wish they woulda either stuck with the old controls or made them customizable). I find myself attacking when trying to jump, and dodging when trying to attack, it's a bit frustrating. I was just wondering if I'm the only one who has this problem or if you guys are experiencing it too.
Anyway, main point: Firestorm's review is really accurate, but the game still rocks. Oh, and Lucia kicks ass. ^_^
Anyway, main point: Firestorm's review is really accurate, but the game still rocks. Oh, and Lucia kicks ass. ^_^
"Am I a butterfly dreaming I'm a man? Or a bowling ball dreaming I'm a plate of sashimi? Never assume what you see and feel is real!" -Doreen (Chrono Trigger)