I feel bad for Vergil, not because of the whole getting manipulated and eventually possessed because of your own hubris thing but because it must suck knowing that 99% of the people who choose to have you as a pfp on any social media site are annoying as fuck
dmc3 lies in the center of a hinge point in action game design, wedding the linear structures and rigid scenarios of before to a novel, thrillingly expressive combat system. much in the way the original dmc opened the door for nuanced and free-flowing aggression divorced from the three-hit combos of the past, so too did dmc3 give birth to staggering flexibility in combo composition and approach. the buttery smooth interruptible frames on each attack, the instantaneous weapon switching mid-combo, and the subtle additions of so many cute pieces of kit (the crazy combos! riding enemies! swinging on the pole!) comprise just the basics for how rich dmc3's combat can get.
of the updates to the first two games, the most innovative is the style system, which undergirds much of that aforementioned flexibility. this mechanic lets the player select a set of contextual actions to bind to the circle button, where each set fundamentally upheaves dante's capabilities. while the early-game toolkit for each style is restrictive, the fully-upgraded variants of each of the core styles offers a wealth of fresh options to those willing to dig. of these the most interesting are swordmaster and royalguard, the former of which gives dante a full secondary button of attacks (including aerial raves, blessedly rescued from dmc2) while the latter imbues dante with a powerful parry and rage mechanic. what separates dante's parry from many modern implementations is the stricter timing for successful parries versus blocks with chip damage, as well as the ability to release all stored rage at once with strict timing in an extremely potent "just release." the trickster and gunslinger abilities are also equally interesting, although I personally did not invest a lot of time in gunslinger, while trickster mainly serves as additional evasion for those who want to supplant dante's built-in dodge roll and jumping i-frames (which is not to say I didn't use it! I used it plenty, and air trick is cool af).
however, dmc3 still resides within the classic character action structure of item puzzles, interconnected areas, and hidden secrets strewn throughout the demon tower central to the game's narrative. like I mentioned in last year's ninja gaiden black review, this structure still dominated the burgeoning character action genre up through the end of the ps2 era. this essential contradiction between stiff scenarios and loose gameplay systems both makes dmc3 a fascinating relic of its era as well as a harder sell for someone first exposed to the genre through metal gear rising revengeance or one of the bayonettas.
the first place this becomes apparent is in the enemy design. dmc3's main popcorn enemies (the hells) help buoy the game's reputation as a combo showcase while also being formidable foes in their own right, especially the lusts with their hectic pace and dashing slices as well as the teleporting, lumbering sloths. however, the remaining foes veer into requiring stricter strategies for their defeat. the blood-goyles, for instance, mandate that the player shoot their intangible forms repeatedly until calcifying into a hardened form that dante can damage. the soul eaters are another good example of this, where they exist in an gaseous mist until dante turns his back to them, allowing them to gel into a demonic squid and charge at dante from behind. these enemies change the combat from being very player-driven to rather enemy-driven when they appear. the encounters themselves also often avoid being pure combat arenas in favor of including specific objectives, such as fighting on the runaway temperance wagon while enigmas take potshots at you from a separate rail, or the late-game hourglass fight that reverses the flow of time if you fail to clear the room in time. these areas further predicate the player's success on their ability to adapt to a specific context rather than twist the pace of the fight to match their preferences.
this is not necessarily an appealing proposition to those hoping to spend the entire game freestyling to their heart's content, and I sympathize with this point of view. however, because dante is restricted to two guns, two weapons, and a single style, the ordering of fixed encounters with predictable enemy arrangements and locations creates an interesting dilemma for the player when selecting a loadout. the desire to use comfortable tools clashes with the need to select optimal arrangements to deal with these more puzzle-like enemies, but with the vast variety of options at dante's disposal, the choices rarely feel prescribed. the soul eaters may be quickly dispatched by the handguns' backwards shot in the gunslinger style, but the player could also find spots in the environment to trap them in order to combo off of (such as the balcony railing in the altar of evil room), or they can use a few of their devil trigger orbs for a powerful devil trigger explosion. exploiting the environment and synergizing a build to match whatever encounters you're struggling with adds a mindfulness to the otherwise-impulsive combat.
exploring different loadouts for different scenarios becomes even more important when it comes to the game's many bosses. each of the bosses runs the gamut in terms of what skills they require from the player, and with that comes exploring the separate tools that work best with each. beowulf, for example, has a three-hit combo in his first phase that can easily be air parried to store up a massive just release, taking off an excessive amount of health (nearly a third on DMD difficulty!). alternatively, I found that beowulf's powerful phase 2 attacks frequently crushed my guarding, and thus found myself using trickster more often to evade the frequent wooden cages he brings crashing from the sky. cerberus at first glance seemed apt for switch canceling between the rifle and the handguns, but I also found merit in maximizing DPS with the swordmaster style, alternating rebellion and agni & rudra in the air to take out each head as quickly as possible. admittedly these are two of the more robust bosses; fights like nevan and vergil err more on the side of call-and-response, where the player can use basically any tactic as long as they can respond to the movesets of each, while the late-game doppleganger centers environmental interaction with lights on the field that are used to stun the boss. while these bosses rely less on loadout experimentation, they still require attention to detail by the player in order to maximize damage output, locate weak positions, and learn proper spacings.
dante must die, the final difficulty mode, pushes the element of loadout creation and room routing to both its highest and lowest points. unquestionably DMD's balancing is far too skewed in favor of buffing up enemy health to pure sponge levels. when it comes to rooms primarily consisting of the hells, this gives the player some room to breathe in terms of constructing more elaborate combos, but at the same time the length of these encounters and the diminished stagger on enemies that have entered their devil trigger makes repeated jump-canceled moves a safer option. enemies such as the fallen go from tests of aerial mastery to slogging through the same repeated inputs in between waiting for their sword spin to finish. the tedium approaches agony in the latter half of the game, where a boss like geryon with an interesting multi-phase moveset and time-slow traps transforms into a claustrophic nightmare where the only reasonable way to approach it itemless is by stunlocking it in a loop. the chessboard scenario late in the game takes the awesome concept of fighting off a full set of chess pieces (including pawns that respawn as other units if you let them reach the board's end) to an obnoxiously long war of attrition repeatedly spamming killer bee on the king. dmd heightens the contradiction between rigid scenario and expressive gameplay to such an extent that I don't necessarily think it's worth pursuing for most people.
by comparison, very hard was incredibly enjoyable and allowed total flexibility in approach, and its status as the american hard mode and lack of enemy DT made decision-making and routing less of an issue. that's totally fine! the game bursts to its seams with combat features that getting to freestyle more often isn't a detriment in the slightest. however, it must be said that getting to fight for my life through dmd, balancing issues aside, did satisfy that unique sense of routing and pre-planning that few others in the genre can attest to. the sheer difficulty and bulky enemies led me to incorporate techniques I would otherwise ignored, from guard-canceling reverb shocks with nevan to experimenting with artemis' upgrades in the gunslinger style; I still have so much to learn in terms of experimenting with each aspect of dante's toolkit. managing devil trigger as a resource also becomes so much more essential on dmd given the massive power of the DTE and its usefulness both for quick health and as a shield of sorts when mitigating an unavoidable attack. reading and watching the sheer variety of strategies across the game has become a meta-feature of the game's depth that has enraptured me since I began delving more into the game myself over the last few months. even the chessboard has a reasonable quicksilver strat, though to say this makes the fight significantly more interesting may be overselling it. dmc3's status as the harbringer of player-driven combat expression while still remaining entrenched in enemy-driven scenario solutions gives it a unique mechanical blend that cements it as an iconic pillar of the genre.
I certainly wouldn't hold it over anyone if they wanted to try the switch port and how it allows the player to use their entire arsenal simultaneously; the mayhem you can get up to is astonishing. hell, if I play dmd again it might be on that port just to see how it fundamentally changes the experience (I've heard that it evens out much of the annoying shit, especially regarding bosses). there certainly is something worth investigating here in its original form though that hasn't been replicated since; newer titles like astral chain that lean into the adventure elements are doing so having absorbed over a decade of AAA tropes since dmc3's release, and fresh titles like bayonetta 3 compartmentalize their setpieces while dmc3 makes them part and parcel with the combat. although the contradictory nature of this particular flavor of 3D action has unsurprisingly gone out of style, I still feel affectionate to the way it ushered in our modern conception of stylish combat while paying tribute to the RE-derived scenario design all these games owe so much to.
of the updates to the first two games, the most innovative is the style system, which undergirds much of that aforementioned flexibility. this mechanic lets the player select a set of contextual actions to bind to the circle button, where each set fundamentally upheaves dante's capabilities. while the early-game toolkit for each style is restrictive, the fully-upgraded variants of each of the core styles offers a wealth of fresh options to those willing to dig. of these the most interesting are swordmaster and royalguard, the former of which gives dante a full secondary button of attacks (including aerial raves, blessedly rescued from dmc2) while the latter imbues dante with a powerful parry and rage mechanic. what separates dante's parry from many modern implementations is the stricter timing for successful parries versus blocks with chip damage, as well as the ability to release all stored rage at once with strict timing in an extremely potent "just release." the trickster and gunslinger abilities are also equally interesting, although I personally did not invest a lot of time in gunslinger, while trickster mainly serves as additional evasion for those who want to supplant dante's built-in dodge roll and jumping i-frames (which is not to say I didn't use it! I used it plenty, and air trick is cool af).
however, dmc3 still resides within the classic character action structure of item puzzles, interconnected areas, and hidden secrets strewn throughout the demon tower central to the game's narrative. like I mentioned in last year's ninja gaiden black review, this structure still dominated the burgeoning character action genre up through the end of the ps2 era. this essential contradiction between stiff scenarios and loose gameplay systems both makes dmc3 a fascinating relic of its era as well as a harder sell for someone first exposed to the genre through metal gear rising revengeance or one of the bayonettas.
the first place this becomes apparent is in the enemy design. dmc3's main popcorn enemies (the hells) help buoy the game's reputation as a combo showcase while also being formidable foes in their own right, especially the lusts with their hectic pace and dashing slices as well as the teleporting, lumbering sloths. however, the remaining foes veer into requiring stricter strategies for their defeat. the blood-goyles, for instance, mandate that the player shoot their intangible forms repeatedly until calcifying into a hardened form that dante can damage. the soul eaters are another good example of this, where they exist in an gaseous mist until dante turns his back to them, allowing them to gel into a demonic squid and charge at dante from behind. these enemies change the combat from being very player-driven to rather enemy-driven when they appear. the encounters themselves also often avoid being pure combat arenas in favor of including specific objectives, such as fighting on the runaway temperance wagon while enigmas take potshots at you from a separate rail, or the late-game hourglass fight that reverses the flow of time if you fail to clear the room in time. these areas further predicate the player's success on their ability to adapt to a specific context rather than twist the pace of the fight to match their preferences.
this is not necessarily an appealing proposition to those hoping to spend the entire game freestyling to their heart's content, and I sympathize with this point of view. however, because dante is restricted to two guns, two weapons, and a single style, the ordering of fixed encounters with predictable enemy arrangements and locations creates an interesting dilemma for the player when selecting a loadout. the desire to use comfortable tools clashes with the need to select optimal arrangements to deal with these more puzzle-like enemies, but with the vast variety of options at dante's disposal, the choices rarely feel prescribed. the soul eaters may be quickly dispatched by the handguns' backwards shot in the gunslinger style, but the player could also find spots in the environment to trap them in order to combo off of (such as the balcony railing in the altar of evil room), or they can use a few of their devil trigger orbs for a powerful devil trigger explosion. exploiting the environment and synergizing a build to match whatever encounters you're struggling with adds a mindfulness to the otherwise-impulsive combat.
exploring different loadouts for different scenarios becomes even more important when it comes to the game's many bosses. each of the bosses runs the gamut in terms of what skills they require from the player, and with that comes exploring the separate tools that work best with each. beowulf, for example, has a three-hit combo in his first phase that can easily be air parried to store up a massive just release, taking off an excessive amount of health (nearly a third on DMD difficulty!). alternatively, I found that beowulf's powerful phase 2 attacks frequently crushed my guarding, and thus found myself using trickster more often to evade the frequent wooden cages he brings crashing from the sky. cerberus at first glance seemed apt for switch canceling between the rifle and the handguns, but I also found merit in maximizing DPS with the swordmaster style, alternating rebellion and agni & rudra in the air to take out each head as quickly as possible. admittedly these are two of the more robust bosses; fights like nevan and vergil err more on the side of call-and-response, where the player can use basically any tactic as long as they can respond to the movesets of each, while the late-game doppleganger centers environmental interaction with lights on the field that are used to stun the boss. while these bosses rely less on loadout experimentation, they still require attention to detail by the player in order to maximize damage output, locate weak positions, and learn proper spacings.
dante must die, the final difficulty mode, pushes the element of loadout creation and room routing to both its highest and lowest points. unquestionably DMD's balancing is far too skewed in favor of buffing up enemy health to pure sponge levels. when it comes to rooms primarily consisting of the hells, this gives the player some room to breathe in terms of constructing more elaborate combos, but at the same time the length of these encounters and the diminished stagger on enemies that have entered their devil trigger makes repeated jump-canceled moves a safer option. enemies such as the fallen go from tests of aerial mastery to slogging through the same repeated inputs in between waiting for their sword spin to finish. the tedium approaches agony in the latter half of the game, where a boss like geryon with an interesting multi-phase moveset and time-slow traps transforms into a claustrophic nightmare where the only reasonable way to approach it itemless is by stunlocking it in a loop. the chessboard scenario late in the game takes the awesome concept of fighting off a full set of chess pieces (including pawns that respawn as other units if you let them reach the board's end) to an obnoxiously long war of attrition repeatedly spamming killer bee on the king. dmd heightens the contradiction between rigid scenario and expressive gameplay to such an extent that I don't necessarily think it's worth pursuing for most people.
by comparison, very hard was incredibly enjoyable and allowed total flexibility in approach, and its status as the american hard mode and lack of enemy DT made decision-making and routing less of an issue. that's totally fine! the game bursts to its seams with combat features that getting to freestyle more often isn't a detriment in the slightest. however, it must be said that getting to fight for my life through dmd, balancing issues aside, did satisfy that unique sense of routing and pre-planning that few others in the genre can attest to. the sheer difficulty and bulky enemies led me to incorporate techniques I would otherwise ignored, from guard-canceling reverb shocks with nevan to experimenting with artemis' upgrades in the gunslinger style; I still have so much to learn in terms of experimenting with each aspect of dante's toolkit. managing devil trigger as a resource also becomes so much more essential on dmd given the massive power of the DTE and its usefulness both for quick health and as a shield of sorts when mitigating an unavoidable attack. reading and watching the sheer variety of strategies across the game has become a meta-feature of the game's depth that has enraptured me since I began delving more into the game myself over the last few months. even the chessboard has a reasonable quicksilver strat, though to say this makes the fight significantly more interesting may be overselling it. dmc3's status as the harbringer of player-driven combat expression while still remaining entrenched in enemy-driven scenario solutions gives it a unique mechanical blend that cements it as an iconic pillar of the genre.
I certainly wouldn't hold it over anyone if they wanted to try the switch port and how it allows the player to use their entire arsenal simultaneously; the mayhem you can get up to is astonishing. hell, if I play dmd again it might be on that port just to see how it fundamentally changes the experience (I've heard that it evens out much of the annoying shit, especially regarding bosses). there certainly is something worth investigating here in its original form though that hasn't been replicated since; newer titles like astral chain that lean into the adventure elements are doing so having absorbed over a decade of AAA tropes since dmc3's release, and fresh titles like bayonetta 3 compartmentalize their setpieces while dmc3 makes them part and parcel with the combat. although the contradictory nature of this particular flavor of 3D action has unsurprisingly gone out of style, I still feel affectionate to the way it ushered in our modern conception of stylish combat while paying tribute to the RE-derived scenario design all these games owe so much to.
if the stupid spiders from that one level are reading this review fuck you
"Wanna know the name? Devil May Cry"
As someone who has always heard amazing things about this franchise - as someone who even owns the whole series including the reboot - honestly it's still pretty surprising to me that I can finally say I've beaten a Devil May Cry game.
Besides the fact that I have a never ending backlog I tend to gravitate towards games that aren't universally loved as nothing saddens me more than getting high expectations from everyone who swears by a game or not loving a game quite as much and not fitting in with everyone else. I also often don't even finish the games I really love anyways, maybe because I don't want them to be over. Beyond that, I'm not generally fond of playing games known for their difficulty. Even more so I have a hard time adjusting to and being able to play old classics (from the PS2 era especially) and usually that goes hand in hand with the first problem. I gave the first and second games a chance a few months ago and they did not leave very great impressions at all. I was worried that this series would be another beloved thing I "just don't get". So to say I beat DMC3 and really liked it is quite the relief! Now even saying that, DMC3 does fall into some of the trappings that drag it down and stop me from being able to say I love it as a whole, but there is still stuff about it that I love.
In gaming I am usually a story over gameplay kinda gal, and it often annoys me when plots are too vague, convoluted or confusing for me to figure out. I know DMC3 is a prequel but I definitely feel like the larger plot overall was lost on me. Strangely enough this really didnt bother me much this time around and I think a large part of that is the strong cast between Dante, Virgil and especially Lady. Another big factor is the cutscenes are all the perfect amount of cool as shit and utterly fucking ridiculous. The over the top action is by far the best part of the game and if it was strictly story and action this game honestly could of had a 5/5. But it's the stuff inbetween that sours the experience overall for me.
Whether it be fighting games, beat-em-ups, hack n slash games like this or hell even stuff like Sifu and Yakuza I am absolutely terrible at games with combos. I'm a tried and true button masher and Im just never gonna be great at them unless i put a lot of time and effort but I don't really want to do that lol. It's not a genre of combat I particularly care for. Obviously learning the combat and being rewarded for pulling off cool combos is a big part of this game so it was never gonna hit as well for me as others but I still had fun with this games combat. The Special edition blessed me with easy automatic difficulty and gave me the kind of experience I prefer. Blasting through shit and not having to lose more years off my life by stressing and getting angry is much more fun for me. And the combat is still great. A lot of the enemy designs are really cool, and to my surprise a lot of the boss fights felt really balanced and not unfair. Some enemies like the spinning shield dudes are very annoying to deal with, and theres a lot of stunlocking and knockback in later sections that wore my patience a bit. But the real great thing about the combat is there's multiple different weapons and movesets that all play differently. I usually stuck with Agni and Rudra the whole game while dabbling in the others. All the variety plus the scoring system for each mission (not to mention the new playable character in this edition) lends to a lot of replayability and even if its not something I'll take advantage of it is admirable. But, while for me the combat was very easy and fun I still got quite a bit of frustration about the other parts of the gameplay. If i tried to beat this on normal difficulty while dealing with everything else this would be like a 3/5 at best. For one, I really don't like the setting. There are some really cool locations outside of it near the beginning, middle and end but most of the game takes place in this really big tower. I just did not like it at all. It felt a bit boring. There's not really backtracking necessarily but the way the tower is all connected means you'll be going through some of the same locations more than once and it just really wasn't great. The game isnt very clear about where to go most of the time either, and so for me I was running around a bunch trying to find whatever the hell item i was supposed to place wherever the hell else. Idk, there isnt really many puzzles in this exactly but the amount of times I had to look up a guide because the game was being too obtuse was a constant pain in the ass from the beginning. It really doesn't help how so much of it is just the same "find blank and put in blank" stuff either.
So that's all my thoughts on Devil May Cry 3, basically. Too much of the gameplay dragged for me to put it up there with other Nancy Certified Hits but the rest was really amazing. If 5 really is just this but without PS2 jank I think I'll love it. I don't know if i care enough to go back to the original two but I just might.
Man, Lady is epic as hell. And just the way that line (that I quoted at the beginning of this review) is delivered is so raw.
I'm still working on my Balan Wonderland review but who knows what Ill randomly decide to burn through next. Thanks for reading <3
Nancymeter - 83/100
Trophy Completion - 21% (14/34)
Time Played - 10 hours 44 minutes
Game Completion #147 of 2022
Game Completion #1 of December
As someone who has always heard amazing things about this franchise - as someone who even owns the whole series including the reboot - honestly it's still pretty surprising to me that I can finally say I've beaten a Devil May Cry game.
Besides the fact that I have a never ending backlog I tend to gravitate towards games that aren't universally loved as nothing saddens me more than getting high expectations from everyone who swears by a game or not loving a game quite as much and not fitting in with everyone else. I also often don't even finish the games I really love anyways, maybe because I don't want them to be over. Beyond that, I'm not generally fond of playing games known for their difficulty. Even more so I have a hard time adjusting to and being able to play old classics (from the PS2 era especially) and usually that goes hand in hand with the first problem. I gave the first and second games a chance a few months ago and they did not leave very great impressions at all. I was worried that this series would be another beloved thing I "just don't get". So to say I beat DMC3 and really liked it is quite the relief! Now even saying that, DMC3 does fall into some of the trappings that drag it down and stop me from being able to say I love it as a whole, but there is still stuff about it that I love.
In gaming I am usually a story over gameplay kinda gal, and it often annoys me when plots are too vague, convoluted or confusing for me to figure out. I know DMC3 is a prequel but I definitely feel like the larger plot overall was lost on me. Strangely enough this really didnt bother me much this time around and I think a large part of that is the strong cast between Dante, Virgil and especially Lady. Another big factor is the cutscenes are all the perfect amount of cool as shit and utterly fucking ridiculous. The over the top action is by far the best part of the game and if it was strictly story and action this game honestly could of had a 5/5. But it's the stuff inbetween that sours the experience overall for me.
Whether it be fighting games, beat-em-ups, hack n slash games like this or hell even stuff like Sifu and Yakuza I am absolutely terrible at games with combos. I'm a tried and true button masher and Im just never gonna be great at them unless i put a lot of time and effort but I don't really want to do that lol. It's not a genre of combat I particularly care for. Obviously learning the combat and being rewarded for pulling off cool combos is a big part of this game so it was never gonna hit as well for me as others but I still had fun with this games combat. The Special edition blessed me with easy automatic difficulty and gave me the kind of experience I prefer. Blasting through shit and not having to lose more years off my life by stressing and getting angry is much more fun for me. And the combat is still great. A lot of the enemy designs are really cool, and to my surprise a lot of the boss fights felt really balanced and not unfair. Some enemies like the spinning shield dudes are very annoying to deal with, and theres a lot of stunlocking and knockback in later sections that wore my patience a bit. But the real great thing about the combat is there's multiple different weapons and movesets that all play differently. I usually stuck with Agni and Rudra the whole game while dabbling in the others. All the variety plus the scoring system for each mission (not to mention the new playable character in this edition) lends to a lot of replayability and even if its not something I'll take advantage of it is admirable. But, while for me the combat was very easy and fun I still got quite a bit of frustration about the other parts of the gameplay. If i tried to beat this on normal difficulty while dealing with everything else this would be like a 3/5 at best. For one, I really don't like the setting. There are some really cool locations outside of it near the beginning, middle and end but most of the game takes place in this really big tower. I just did not like it at all. It felt a bit boring. There's not really backtracking necessarily but the way the tower is all connected means you'll be going through some of the same locations more than once and it just really wasn't great. The game isnt very clear about where to go most of the time either, and so for me I was running around a bunch trying to find whatever the hell item i was supposed to place wherever the hell else. Idk, there isnt really many puzzles in this exactly but the amount of times I had to look up a guide because the game was being too obtuse was a constant pain in the ass from the beginning. It really doesn't help how so much of it is just the same "find blank and put in blank" stuff either.
So that's all my thoughts on Devil May Cry 3, basically. Too much of the gameplay dragged for me to put it up there with other Nancy Certified Hits but the rest was really amazing. If 5 really is just this but without PS2 jank I think I'll love it. I don't know if i care enough to go back to the original two but I just might.
Man, Lady is epic as hell. And just the way that line (that I quoted at the beginning of this review) is delivered is so raw.
I'm still working on my Balan Wonderland review but who knows what Ill randomly decide to burn through next. Thanks for reading <3
Nancymeter - 83/100
Trophy Completion - 21% (14/34)
Time Played - 10 hours 44 minutes
Game Completion #147 of 2022
Game Completion #1 of December
The equivalent of a cheesy 80s action movie in game format, to this day this game still has some of the greatest action scenes in a game and some of the best and most memorable dialogue and one-liners.
That said, under all that over-the-top style it does have a very profound underlying message of learning how to deal with grief and it's also a great coming of age story.
The gameplay is immaculate too with an awesome arsenal of weapons to choose from and chain together crazy combos with. Amazing industrial rock OST too.
The only reason I won't call this the best character action game is because we live in a world where Devil May Cry 5 exists.
DMC 3 still deserves every bit of praise it gets though and is definitely an iconic masterpiece.
"I can already tell, looks like this is going to be one hell of a party!"
That said, under all that over-the-top style it does have a very profound underlying message of learning how to deal with grief and it's also a great coming of age story.
The gameplay is immaculate too with an awesome arsenal of weapons to choose from and chain together crazy combos with. Amazing industrial rock OST too.
The only reason I won't call this the best character action game is because we live in a world where Devil May Cry 5 exists.
DMC 3 still deserves every bit of praise it gets though and is definitely an iconic masterpiece.
"I can already tell, looks like this is going to be one hell of a party!"
One of those games with no conclusion. In a literal sense, yes, there is an ending, but I mean the actual experience of playing the game and understanding the game. Devil May Cry 3 reels you in with one of the greatest first impressions I've seen in a game, entices you with a story that shows you what you'll become if you master the game, and then asks you to keep going. The game is an endless cycle of improvisation, applying your ideas, usually failing, and trying again. That point the game wants you to get in, the zone in which you are making all these choices, trying all these strategies, playing all these different ways, it never stops moving away from you. This should be frustrating, but the way the game entices you to keep pushing towards that point is what makes it great. It's an endless cycle of discovering new ways to get in that zone, getting booted out, and trying again. Once you're in that zone at the game's apex, not worrying about whether or not you'll have to reach it again, you begin to realize what really defines an action game. It all ticks, like clockwork. Truly a game that never stops giving.
One of my personal beliefs when playing a video game franchise is that the third game should be the point where your series has fully realized itself. Where all the ideas of the previous two entries are refined upon and the flaws fixed or changed.
A few examples of this I can think of are games like Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Kingdom Hearts 2, Metal Gear Solid 3. All three are games that take follow this precedent in how they iterated on the works that came before them.
So, Director Hideaki Itsuno, rebounding with his team after working hard just to fix the mess of Devil May Cry 2 to the condition it is in after the previous Director left the project, decided that Devil May Cry 3 would bring justice back to this franchise...
And it did.
DMC3 is a game that is spectacle in both presentation and gameplay, with the combat feeling absolutely electrifying as you mix and match various combos while switching through your weapons on the spot to build up to that lauded SSS meter. I'm not even a big score guy but when I saw those big red letters and the word "SSStylish!!!", I felt incredible.
The weapons themselves are all very cool, from a triple ended nunchuck to an electric guitar that controls lighting bats. It's all fucking awesome.
But that's not all, with the various styles like Trickster and Swordmaster, you can add even more variety to your playstyle and how you handle the various combat encounters.
I stuck with Trickster for my run because I love the Trickster Dodge, as well as Air Trick, allowing you to teleport above an enemy for an attack, but Swordmaster was also pretty cool with how it adds additional moves in order to increase your combos.
This does lead into one small problem I have with the game, that being that you can only switch styles at the Statues or before a mission. It resulted in me sticking to Trickster not just because of Trickster's moveset but also because it's just a hassle to go all the way back to a Statue to switch my playstyle when I can just stick with one. I have heard the Switch version of the game does allow Style Switching on the fly, but having played the PC Version I had to experience it like this and it resulted in me not fully experimenting.
The story is great, a tale about family and the conflict that comes from that. Vergil in particular is such an amazing character, both with how the narrative handles him and in his boss fights. The way the game introduces him after Dante has fought the first boss (who is not a slouch for the record) is so phenomenally well done with showing what Vergil is all about that I believe it needs to be studied by writers for years to come.
Fighting Vergil is easily when the game is at its peak, though Vergil 2 is my personal favorite. I love Vergil 3 for the emotions it invokes but the arena does not work well around how the Vergil fights usually work and conflicts with the camera.
Each fight with Vergil truly feels like a duel between equals. In a game where you primarily charge at your opponents with lighting fury, Vergil puts you in the opposite position with you on the defensive. It's a really cool way to handle his dominance as the older brother, and only makes it more cathartic when you learn his pattern and punish him with a long chain of combos.
This game has taught me, alongside Ultrakill, that every game should have a Vergil. Characters like him truly test the player's skill and makes them master the mechanics of the game in order to come out on top.
Speaking of Vergil though, there's one other complaint I have specifically about the Special Edition which is his campaign.
I love playing as Vergil, he's cool, but the lack of variety for him with both him having only one style as well as only 3 weapons and not having the same amount of combos as Dante and going through the exact same levels as Dante with no additional cutscenes beyond the intro does make the experience feel hollow.
Also Red Vergil is a little lame compared to actually making a Dante boss fight for Vergil's campaign but in the end it is optional content and small potatoes.
This game's soundtrack is so fucking killer that even as I'm writing this I can't get the words "TO TAKE ME OUT, YOU MUST FIGHT LIKE A MAN!" "YOU'VE YET TO PROVE THAT YOU CAN!"
This game is just coolness personified and I'm glad it managed to save the franchise from the burning dumpster fire that was the last game. The voice acting is great, Reuben Langdon as Dante is incredibly iconic, when he goes up to Vergil and says "How about a kiss from this!" is just so awesome and fits the character so well. Dan Southworth as Vergil is also an amazing choice, his nasally voice fitting the more prideful and snide power-seeking older brother.
I just fucking love this game, its vibes are immaculate. It's challenging, it's engaging, it's Devil May Cry.
And I wouldn't want it any other way.
A few examples of this I can think of are games like Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Kingdom Hearts 2, Metal Gear Solid 3. All three are games that take follow this precedent in how they iterated on the works that came before them.
So, Director Hideaki Itsuno, rebounding with his team after working hard just to fix the mess of Devil May Cry 2 to the condition it is in after the previous Director left the project, decided that Devil May Cry 3 would bring justice back to this franchise...
And it did.
DMC3 is a game that is spectacle in both presentation and gameplay, with the combat feeling absolutely electrifying as you mix and match various combos while switching through your weapons on the spot to build up to that lauded SSS meter. I'm not even a big score guy but when I saw those big red letters and the word "SSStylish!!!", I felt incredible.
The weapons themselves are all very cool, from a triple ended nunchuck to an electric guitar that controls lighting bats. It's all fucking awesome.
But that's not all, with the various styles like Trickster and Swordmaster, you can add even more variety to your playstyle and how you handle the various combat encounters.
I stuck with Trickster for my run because I love the Trickster Dodge, as well as Air Trick, allowing you to teleport above an enemy for an attack, but Swordmaster was also pretty cool with how it adds additional moves in order to increase your combos.
This does lead into one small problem I have with the game, that being that you can only switch styles at the Statues or before a mission. It resulted in me sticking to Trickster not just because of Trickster's moveset but also because it's just a hassle to go all the way back to a Statue to switch my playstyle when I can just stick with one. I have heard the Switch version of the game does allow Style Switching on the fly, but having played the PC Version I had to experience it like this and it resulted in me not fully experimenting.
The story is great, a tale about family and the conflict that comes from that. Vergil in particular is such an amazing character, both with how the narrative handles him and in his boss fights. The way the game introduces him after Dante has fought the first boss (who is not a slouch for the record) is so phenomenally well done with showing what Vergil is all about that I believe it needs to be studied by writers for years to come.
Fighting Vergil is easily when the game is at its peak, though Vergil 2 is my personal favorite. I love Vergil 3 for the emotions it invokes but the arena does not work well around how the Vergil fights usually work and conflicts with the camera.
Each fight with Vergil truly feels like a duel between equals. In a game where you primarily charge at your opponents with lighting fury, Vergil puts you in the opposite position with you on the defensive. It's a really cool way to handle his dominance as the older brother, and only makes it more cathartic when you learn his pattern and punish him with a long chain of combos.
This game has taught me, alongside Ultrakill, that every game should have a Vergil. Characters like him truly test the player's skill and makes them master the mechanics of the game in order to come out on top.
Speaking of Vergil though, there's one other complaint I have specifically about the Special Edition which is his campaign.
I love playing as Vergil, he's cool, but the lack of variety for him with both him having only one style as well as only 3 weapons and not having the same amount of combos as Dante and going through the exact same levels as Dante with no additional cutscenes beyond the intro does make the experience feel hollow.
Also Red Vergil is a little lame compared to actually making a Dante boss fight for Vergil's campaign but in the end it is optional content and small potatoes.
This game's soundtrack is so fucking killer that even as I'm writing this I can't get the words "TO TAKE ME OUT, YOU MUST FIGHT LIKE A MAN!" "YOU'VE YET TO PROVE THAT YOU CAN!"
This game is just coolness personified and I'm glad it managed to save the franchise from the burning dumpster fire that was the last game. The voice acting is great, Reuben Langdon as Dante is incredibly iconic, when he goes up to Vergil and says "How about a kiss from this!" is just so awesome and fits the character so well. Dan Southworth as Vergil is also an amazing choice, his nasally voice fitting the more prideful and snide power-seeking older brother.
I just fucking love this game, its vibes are immaculate. It's challenging, it's engaging, it's Devil May Cry.
And I wouldn't want it any other way.
very polished, but nothing is more discouraging than needing to wander and backtrack through this boring-as-fuck tower
edit: i got through the tower. turns out backtracking through a whale isn't much more exciting
edit: i got through the tower. turns out backtracking through a whale isn't much more exciting
The definitive action game. I wasn't a fan of action games when I started it, but this one won me over, partly due to the style system and partly due to the super memorable boss lineup. Every action game should really have something like the gunslinger style, where you can disrupt enemies that are sneaking up for you in a way other than dodging. Every action game should have rival characters like Vergil, who evolve in their abilities in the same way you do for climactic showdowns that repeatedly escalate in both mechanical complexity and narrative stakes. The weapons should have personality and depth, the enemies and their attacks should be distinct... anything you think an action game needs, Devil May Cry 3 has it. Action games today still struggle to hit this perfect balance, but with this game, even an action game skeptic like me has to admit the potential in the genre.
DANGOAT VS VERGOAT
Lady: ignores Dante
Dante: How cute, she's a tsundere!!
Arkham: Dude, i think she genuinely don't like you
Vergil: I NEED MORE POWER
Dante: How cute, she's a tsundere!!
Arkham: Dude, i think she genuinely don't like you
Vergil: I NEED MORE POWER
Since I wasn't that crazy about the first game to begin with and thought that the second game was astoundingly terrible in ways where I could barely believe the franchise even kept going after its release, I was unsure if I even wanted to go ahead and play Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening, and so I took a bit of a break from the series after playing the first two entries within two weeks of each other. As time went on, though, I heard quite a few people say that it was well worth it, and that made me decided to finally bite the bullet and play through the fan favorite of the franchise. Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening was one of those games that I really looked forward to jumping back into whenever I wasn't already playing it, because while it definitely isn't perfect in some outright frustrating ways, it was a massive improvement on Devil May Cry and especially Devil May Cry 2.
Before I even got the chance to control Dante, I had a feeling that I was going to like this game thanks to its cutscenes, because if there's one thing that Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening has in spades, it's a strong personality. Instead of being vessels for dull exposition, the cutscenes in Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening are loaded with hyperactive camerawork and editing, blood-pumping music, campy dialogue, and some immensely over-the-top action that made my jaw drop multiple times, and I looked forward to every single cutscene to the point where they were my favorite element of the entire game. The stylized cutscenes were complimented by Dante's much more lovable personality, fleshed out characters, and a genuinely compelling story (a first for the series!), and seeing how Dante's relationship with Vergil evolved alongside Lady's relationship with her father Arkham was compelling from start to finish. The gameplay here got a much-needed revamp from the first game's barebones combat and the second game being entirely dedicated to having you spam the square button forever, as the twitchy, fast-paced combat is bolstered by a combo system that rewards speed and a whole slew of weapons and styles to choose from, the former of which you can switch on the fly. Not only did the variety of options to choose from alone make for a lot of experimentation, but the weapons and styles themselves being genuinely really cool made me excited to unlock new items and moves, and I got to try pretty much everything at least once while still clinging onto my favorite playstyle. The bosses are also loads of fun to fight with how hectic and varied they are, and while I do wish that they were spaced out a bit more and I especially wasn't a fan of the unnecessary repeated fights (looking at you, Mission 18), their Gothic designs made every encounter memorable.
Pretty much everyone who has played Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening talks about how difficult it is, and while it is pretty challenging, I don't think it would be half as hard to play as it is if it wasn't for the atrocious in-game camera. I don't know what it is about this series, but I haven't been able to play a single Devil May Cry game with a genuinely good camera system, as it constantly jerks around to the point where you can't even see what you're trying to kill, let alone avoid their attacks. This also ended up impacting the still-clunky platforming, barely functional enemy targeting system, the gimmick enemies that break the flow of combat with how they can only be killed in one or two ways, and practically every boss fight in the game, as attacks constantly come at you from off-screen in ways where you don't even get the chance to react to them to the point where it makes certain fights flat-out annoying to play. Although I wouldn't really call Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening the masterpiece that so many people have crowned it as over the years, it's still a great game that proved to be hugely influential to the character action genre, and while I'm not that interested in playing Devil May Cry 4 or DmC: Devil May Cry, I definitely do want to eventually check out Devil May Cry 5 when I come across a copy of it.
Before I even got the chance to control Dante, I had a feeling that I was going to like this game thanks to its cutscenes, because if there's one thing that Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening has in spades, it's a strong personality. Instead of being vessels for dull exposition, the cutscenes in Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening are loaded with hyperactive camerawork and editing, blood-pumping music, campy dialogue, and some immensely over-the-top action that made my jaw drop multiple times, and I looked forward to every single cutscene to the point where they were my favorite element of the entire game. The stylized cutscenes were complimented by Dante's much more lovable personality, fleshed out characters, and a genuinely compelling story (a first for the series!), and seeing how Dante's relationship with Vergil evolved alongside Lady's relationship with her father Arkham was compelling from start to finish. The gameplay here got a much-needed revamp from the first game's barebones combat and the second game being entirely dedicated to having you spam the square button forever, as the twitchy, fast-paced combat is bolstered by a combo system that rewards speed and a whole slew of weapons and styles to choose from, the former of which you can switch on the fly. Not only did the variety of options to choose from alone make for a lot of experimentation, but the weapons and styles themselves being genuinely really cool made me excited to unlock new items and moves, and I got to try pretty much everything at least once while still clinging onto my favorite playstyle. The bosses are also loads of fun to fight with how hectic and varied they are, and while I do wish that they were spaced out a bit more and I especially wasn't a fan of the unnecessary repeated fights (looking at you, Mission 18), their Gothic designs made every encounter memorable.
Pretty much everyone who has played Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening talks about how difficult it is, and while it is pretty challenging, I don't think it would be half as hard to play as it is if it wasn't for the atrocious in-game camera. I don't know what it is about this series, but I haven't been able to play a single Devil May Cry game with a genuinely good camera system, as it constantly jerks around to the point where you can't even see what you're trying to kill, let alone avoid their attacks. This also ended up impacting the still-clunky platforming, barely functional enemy targeting system, the gimmick enemies that break the flow of combat with how they can only be killed in one or two ways, and practically every boss fight in the game, as attacks constantly come at you from off-screen in ways where you don't even get the chance to react to them to the point where it makes certain fights flat-out annoying to play. Although I wouldn't really call Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening the masterpiece that so many people have crowned it as over the years, it's still a great game that proved to be hugely influential to the character action genre, and while I'm not that interested in playing Devil May Cry 4 or DmC: Devil May Cry, I definitely do want to eventually check out Devil May Cry 5 when I come across a copy of it.
Devil May Cry 3 is the coolest game I've ever played and is packed to the brim with over the top charisma and coolness in every department from the presentation to the gameplay.
In terms of presentation, the game heavily emphasises on the coky personality of Dante from the first game and improves upon it. In this game my man is just too cool to give a fuck about anything, kills of hordes of demons in the most batshist crazy way he can, trash talks the menacing bosses and is in general endlessly entertaining to watch. The other characters are no slouch either with Vergil being one of the best rival characters and Lady's more grounded character and personal dynamic with Arkham making for a good arc. Teminigru with its gothic architecure is easily my favorite setting of the series yet and the industrial rock inspired soundtrack hits hard in combat segments.
The gameplay is the true successor to DMC1's more basic combat system fleshed out much more and captures the feel of the cutscenes effortlessly and player expression takes the center stage here. There's a variety of weapons you can unlock in the game and each of them is distinct enough to stand out on it's own. My personal favorites are Agni and Rudra, Rebellion and Beowulf. The guns are useful for extending combos but not overpowered enough to finish off enemies on their own like the previous entries thus incentivizing getting up close and kicking their asses. The ability to switch weapons on the go is my favorite new feature (you could also switch guns in dmc2 but that did not apply to weapons iirc) even above style system and helps a lot in creating combos. Neat little features like riding on enemies and swinging on poles help infuse the carefree Dante personality into the gameplay.
Most of the bosses here are excellent tho not every boss is equally good imo with the insect boss and the rider having some of the most uninteresting attack patterns and Arkham just being bad in every way possible something which even the game seems to be aware of from what I infer from Vergil's lines before the second phase starts. Though when the bosses are good they go hard af especially Beowulf, Nevan and all the three Vergil fights being some of the most difficult and memorable challenges.
I do have some nitpicks regarding the enemy and level designs, some of the enemies stand in direct contrast to the freeform combat and require a very specific approach which feels very restrictive in comparision to the more basic enemy types which allowed for more freedom of approach by the player. Those wheel-esque and squid-like enemies are the biggest offenders of this crime imo and were massively detrimental to the flow of combat.
Some of the missions have a puzzle or platforming segment too which at best are harmless break from the action but at their worst are annoying af especially the mission where you had to platform on dices and the mission where you had to find the three fragments.
Though, even with all the minor problems I had with it Devil May Cry 3 is still a masterpiece and the point where the series really found it's footing with its combat system and presentation being one of the best I've seen
In terms of presentation, the game heavily emphasises on the coky personality of Dante from the first game and improves upon it. In this game my man is just too cool to give a fuck about anything, kills of hordes of demons in the most batshist crazy way he can, trash talks the menacing bosses and is in general endlessly entertaining to watch. The other characters are no slouch either with Vergil being one of the best rival characters and Lady's more grounded character and personal dynamic with Arkham making for a good arc. Teminigru with its gothic architecure is easily my favorite setting of the series yet and the industrial rock inspired soundtrack hits hard in combat segments.
The gameplay is the true successor to DMC1's more basic combat system fleshed out much more and captures the feel of the cutscenes effortlessly and player expression takes the center stage here. There's a variety of weapons you can unlock in the game and each of them is distinct enough to stand out on it's own. My personal favorites are Agni and Rudra, Rebellion and Beowulf. The guns are useful for extending combos but not overpowered enough to finish off enemies on their own like the previous entries thus incentivizing getting up close and kicking their asses. The ability to switch weapons on the go is my favorite new feature (you could also switch guns in dmc2 but that did not apply to weapons iirc) even above style system and helps a lot in creating combos. Neat little features like riding on enemies and swinging on poles help infuse the carefree Dante personality into the gameplay.
Most of the bosses here are excellent tho not every boss is equally good imo with the insect boss and the rider having some of the most uninteresting attack patterns and Arkham just being bad in every way possible something which even the game seems to be aware of from what I infer from Vergil's lines before the second phase starts. Though when the bosses are good they go hard af especially Beowulf, Nevan and all the three Vergil fights being some of the most difficult and memorable challenges.
I do have some nitpicks regarding the enemy and level designs, some of the enemies stand in direct contrast to the freeform combat and require a very specific approach which feels very restrictive in comparision to the more basic enemy types which allowed for more freedom of approach by the player. Those wheel-esque and squid-like enemies are the biggest offenders of this crime imo and were massively detrimental to the flow of combat.
Some of the missions have a puzzle or platforming segment too which at best are harmless break from the action but at their worst are annoying af especially the mission where you had to platform on dices and the mission where you had to find the three fragments.
Though, even with all the minor problems I had with it Devil May Cry 3 is still a masterpiece and the point where the series really found it's footing with its combat system and presentation being one of the best I've seen
The peak of the dmc series 10/10 game. Everything about this game is phenomenal from the combat, bosses, enemies, osts, art, design, characters, and story. Such an incredibly fun game to replay as well, currently trying to plat it at the moment (yes I know I’m stupid and have dmc3 on my switch and not on my ps4 so technically I won’t get the platinum trophy but I’m still going for the plat regardless)
El mejor juego de la historia.
Imagine creating the best game in the series because you don't want to be remember as the director of the worst game in the same series
vergil cummed on dante's pizza
For the longest time, Devil May Cry 1 was my favorite in the series for its simplicity, aesthetics, and Dante's initial design. This didn't mean that I didn't like DMC3 just as much though, I always enjoyed my playthroughs of the game, watched the cutscenes multiple times, and thought Dante's and Vergil's sibling rivalry made the game's story engaging. After finally getting around to playing the game as Vergil, I think DMC3 is now my favorite in the series.
Dante & Vergil do have some similar weapons and abilities, but enough changes to make them feel different. Right off the gate, Vergil has access to devil trigger which makes the first few missions a breeze to go through. Like with Dante, you still have to buy new moves to unlock his full moveset. I've never fully unlocked either of their movesets, but from what I've played Vergil's is slightly more fun to use and stronger than Dante's. Despite this, Dante is still a blast to play too and I really like the weapons he has too except Nevan, that one didn't really resonate with me gameplay-wise.
DMC3 is a prequel that explains how Dante got the name for his shop and a few other events that happen in the first game. It may not have the most complex or best plot ever, but in this story, Dante and Vergil steal the show. Personality-wise, Dante is at his peak here. His silly quips towards the other characters and the situations he gets in are genuinely funny. His goofy personality with the blend of getting serious when he needs to add that level of realism to Dante which is why he is one of my favorite video game characters. Besides being extremely quotable, Vergil is a fantastic villain whose tragic backstory, more serious personality, and his approach to gaining more power make him a masterclass rival to Dante and a lovable villain. I always looked forward to seeing the sons of Sparda banter with each other and the boss fights you get with Vergil are easily the best parts of the game. The final battle is a very intense, climactic finale that is fun and challenging to fight with an ending that will give you an emotional punch to the gut.
Devil May Cry 3 is a fantastic prequel and character action game that is one of the best in the genre defined by its enthralling gameplay and characters. I'd rank it an SSS.
Dante & Vergil do have some similar weapons and abilities, but enough changes to make them feel different. Right off the gate, Vergil has access to devil trigger which makes the first few missions a breeze to go through. Like with Dante, you still have to buy new moves to unlock his full moveset. I've never fully unlocked either of their movesets, but from what I've played Vergil's is slightly more fun to use and stronger than Dante's. Despite this, Dante is still a blast to play too and I really like the weapons he has too except Nevan, that one didn't really resonate with me gameplay-wise.
DMC3 is a prequel that explains how Dante got the name for his shop and a few other events that happen in the first game. It may not have the most complex or best plot ever, but in this story, Dante and Vergil steal the show. Personality-wise, Dante is at his peak here. His silly quips towards the other characters and the situations he gets in are genuinely funny. His goofy personality with the blend of getting serious when he needs to add that level of realism to Dante which is why he is one of my favorite video game characters. Besides being extremely quotable, Vergil is a fantastic villain whose tragic backstory, more serious personality, and his approach to gaining more power make him a masterclass rival to Dante and a lovable villain. I always looked forward to seeing the sons of Sparda banter with each other and the boss fights you get with Vergil are easily the best parts of the game. The final battle is a very intense, climactic finale that is fun and challenging to fight with an ending that will give you an emotional punch to the gut.
Devil May Cry 3 is a fantastic prequel and character action game that is one of the best in the genre defined by its enthralling gameplay and characters. I'd rank it an SSS.
TASTE THE BLOOD, TASTE YOUR FATE
SWALLOW YOUR PRIDE, WITH YOUR HATE
Looking back, DEVIL MAY CRY 3 was exactly what the series needed at the time. With the mess that was DMC2, the series needed to get back up on its feet. The developers quickly went to work on a new entry that would be more stylish, action-packed, and memorable than the previous entries. Their work of course paid off and here we have DMC taken to its highest of heights. By expanding upon the formula and combining the best aspects of the previous games, DMC3 was that breath of fresh air the series desperately needed.
As soon as the game starts you’re thrown into what is quite possibly one of the best game intros of all time. The thrill of hordes of demons rushing at our half-naked hero while he kills them all effortlessly with the use of pool balls; the stylistic nature of the game is exemplified perfectly in the very first mission. This is where Dante gets his crazy wise-cracking attitude in the way that we now know him for today.
Everything here just clicks. If you’ve played the game you know what I mean. Creating your own combos to achieve that SSSTYLISH ranking feels incredibly satisfying and rewarding to pull off. Timing together attacks and dodging accordingly is all based on your own skills as a player, nothing more, nothing less. I was never frustrated when I had to redo a boss for a second or even third time because I could feel myself improving with each try. Boss patterns are fun to learn whilst you find their opening to exploit and lay on the heat. As the missions go on you gain more and more abilities to put to the test of said skills. By the end you feel like a badass being able to (hopefully) use all your moves to the fullest of their extent. You’re also free to experiment with whatever you want as supported by the ingenious Style system. Wanna go in guns blazing? Now you can. Wanna effortlessly weave in and out of groups of enemies? You’re free to do so! Forming your own playstyle is the key to DMC3’s genius design.
I’ve heard stories of how this game is hard as nails but I honestly had more trouble with DMC1 lol. I think the hard-as-hell reputation was mainly gained from Americans who played the original game on PS2, or people who played this game as their introduction to the series. In retrospect I really do not recommend this as a first DMC game. Yes it’s the best, but that’s precisely why. To fully appreciate this game in all its glory you do need the context of the prior games. You need to feel the combat’s evolution across the games to reach its peak here. It’s also why a lot of people don’t think DMC1 is that great of a game nowadays.
A killer game needs killer presentation and music to top it all off right? With tracks as iconic as Taste the Blood, Divine Hate, and Devils Never Cry, the atmosphere orchestrated keeps you engaged whether you like it or not. The dark gothic corridors and rooms embark a sense of dread whilst the kick-ass stress inducing music keeps you pumped up during a battle.
My expectations for this one were high, but I never thought they would be shattered violently and exceeded. Dante is the homie, Lady is the bestie, Vergil is the bro, and Arkham can rot in hell. “Wanna know what it’s called? Devil May Cry.”
SWALLOW YOUR PRIDE, WITH YOUR HATE
Looking back, DEVIL MAY CRY 3 was exactly what the series needed at the time. With the mess that was DMC2, the series needed to get back up on its feet. The developers quickly went to work on a new entry that would be more stylish, action-packed, and memorable than the previous entries. Their work of course paid off and here we have DMC taken to its highest of heights. By expanding upon the formula and combining the best aspects of the previous games, DMC3 was that breath of fresh air the series desperately needed.
As soon as the game starts you’re thrown into what is quite possibly one of the best game intros of all time. The thrill of hordes of demons rushing at our half-naked hero while he kills them all effortlessly with the use of pool balls; the stylistic nature of the game is exemplified perfectly in the very first mission. This is where Dante gets his crazy wise-cracking attitude in the way that we now know him for today.
Everything here just clicks. If you’ve played the game you know what I mean. Creating your own combos to achieve that SSSTYLISH ranking feels incredibly satisfying and rewarding to pull off. Timing together attacks and dodging accordingly is all based on your own skills as a player, nothing more, nothing less. I was never frustrated when I had to redo a boss for a second or even third time because I could feel myself improving with each try. Boss patterns are fun to learn whilst you find their opening to exploit and lay on the heat. As the missions go on you gain more and more abilities to put to the test of said skills. By the end you feel like a badass being able to (hopefully) use all your moves to the fullest of their extent. You’re also free to experiment with whatever you want as supported by the ingenious Style system. Wanna go in guns blazing? Now you can. Wanna effortlessly weave in and out of groups of enemies? You’re free to do so! Forming your own playstyle is the key to DMC3’s genius design.
I’ve heard stories of how this game is hard as nails but I honestly had more trouble with DMC1 lol. I think the hard-as-hell reputation was mainly gained from Americans who played the original game on PS2, or people who played this game as their introduction to the series. In retrospect I really do not recommend this as a first DMC game. Yes it’s the best, but that’s precisely why. To fully appreciate this game in all its glory you do need the context of the prior games. You need to feel the combat’s evolution across the games to reach its peak here. It’s also why a lot of people don’t think DMC1 is that great of a game nowadays.
A killer game needs killer presentation and music to top it all off right? With tracks as iconic as Taste the Blood, Divine Hate, and Devils Never Cry, the atmosphere orchestrated keeps you engaged whether you like it or not. The dark gothic corridors and rooms embark a sense of dread whilst the kick-ass stress inducing music keeps you pumped up during a battle.
My expectations for this one were high, but I never thought they would be shattered violently and exceeded. Dante is the homie, Lady is the bestie, Vergil is the bro, and Arkham can rot in hell. “Wanna know what it’s called? Devil May Cry.”
I'm motivated...
Masterpiece. Dictionary meaning of the masterpiece.
como olvidar cuando dante al final del juego le dice entre lagrimas a lady "vaya eso a sido muy devil may cry 3: dantes awakening" y esta le responde "no llores, edicion especial"
It's like if a video game was made entirely by a sentient skateboard
mi hermano y yo cuando encontrabamos dos palos chulos
one of the best to ever do it. the goat. THE GOAT. i fucking love Devil May Cry 3. Every morning before i get ready i look in the mirror and say "foolishness dante... foolishness." because I am HER. This game is HIM. i fucking lvoe Devil May Cry 3. i love Devil May Cry 3 so much i dont even even pay other action games any attention. Mid Gear Rising? feels like knockoff Bayo. Bayomidda? Knock off DEVIL MAY CRY 3!!!! if they made a Devil May Cry 3 buttplug i would buy it and wear it constantly. i would seriously never take it out. i couldnt shove Devil May Cry 3's balls up my mouth any furher. If they made a Devil May Cry 3 dildo i would seriously never stop fucking myself with it. WE LOVE Devil May Cry 3!!!!
To put it simply, this game is perfection. Mechanics, movement, combos and weapons have never been blended into a game as well as Devil May Cry 3 has managed to accomplish. This game rewards the player who chooses to spend their time learning the in’s and out’s of this game thoroughly through gameplay.
The game has evolved the combat that was present in the original game to a new standard that can only make every subsequent sequel chase to replicate. The combat feels tight and responsive but not stiff and restrictive. The lock-on system present is perfect, you can change direction in your combo to a snap and the dedicated lock-on button compliments this perfectly. You will never run into the issue of doing a move you didn’t want to do or lock onto an enemy that you didn’t want to hit. The camera is also a big improvement from the original, it isn’t perfect by any means but is almost never a hindrance on gameplay as much as it was in the first game. Weapons are all unique and very fun to use and learn how to effectively use them. On subsequent playthroughs it is always fun to choose which weapons you will carry to optimally eliminate the enemies present in the mission with the elemental weakness system. Rebellion is a great all around tool that allows you to perform pretty much any action you would want from a melee weapon, Cerberus is a fun fast-paced weapon that shreds through enemies in 1 on 1 encounters; the swinging of the nunchucks also allows to protect yourself from projectiles if timed right, Agni and Rudra are a good heavy weapon that is great for tankier and slower enemies, Nevan is the perfect crowd control tool against fodder enemies that can thrown out to easily get SSS combos with Jam Session, Beowulf are very fun gauntlets that have slow startup on moves but can easily dish out the most damage in the game especially paired with jump canceling. The guns are also balanced here to be a keep away tool that can be used to dish out more damage while also not being too powerful to incentivise you to never use the melee weapons. On that note, jump canceling is a great tool that experienced players can use to always stay in the air and keep enemies in the air as a result and deal massive damage. The on the fly weapon switching is also perfected from Devil May Cry 2 and the mission structure, enemies and level design have been perfectly balanced to create a good balance of picking and choosing what weapons to take in while also giving you enough freedom to customize how you want to play each mission. The new style system is also the best thing the game added and creates even more depth in choices already present with the combat. Trickster allows you to move in the air easier and be able to dodge better, this is perfect for keeping your combos in the air while also allowing you to cancel out of moves into a dash that has longer invincibility and goes further than the standard dodge roll. Gunslinger is a great tool to keep enemies away and extend combos. Swordmaster is an extremely fun style to use and is my preferred go-to style; it allows you to use more special moves and be able to create extremely stylish combos and deal more damage. Royal Guard is a tool that gets extremely better with practice, at first the style is relatively limited in use but as you level it up, it easily opens the game up and allows you to obliterate enemies and bosses with correct timing on parrying attacks, it rewards the player who studies the attack patterns and behaviors of every enemy in the game. Quicksilver slows down time, primarily used to make more flashy combos and get more damage in a bosses window of attack. Doppelganger summons a Devil Trigger clone of Dante in Rebellion form, once again used for flashy combos and doing more damage, can also be used to damage with two different weapons at once. Another great detail to note is the taunt system. With a higher style rank, you gain access to a more flashy and flamboyant taunt that also gains tons of Devil Trigger gauge. Everything in this game incentivizes you to play better and more stylishly. Speaking of Devil Trigger, the system is new and improved here. It drops the customization from Devil May Cry 2 in order to provide a more balanced tool that allows you to strategize when and how you use your Devil Trigger. You gain faster movement speed, reduced damage, you can tank through certain attacks. You also gain certain effects from which weapon you are using when you are in Devil Trigger. For example, Rebellion is an all around stat boost, Cerberus increases your attack speed, Agni and Rudra enhances your elemental properties, Nevan allows you to fly in the air and use the exclusive Air Raid move, Beowulf improves your defense. This game's combat system is perfect and is so much fun to explore and improve your game. The game also has insane replayability and experienced players can eventually beat the game in one sitting with no difficulty.
The level design is also the best in the series, the mission variety is vast and creates a unique experience for every mission. It still has the interconnected level design present from Devil May Cry and its roots from Resident Evil while also having a fair share of linear levels that creates a nice blend between both. Whether you are traveling through the Temen Ni Gru solving light puzzles and obtaining key items, or fighting enemies inside of a leviathan's intestines, or defeating enemies in and around Dante’s shop, or fighting chest pieces in hell, every mission is unique and very fun to go through. The game could do without the platforming, it obviously was not made for it.
The soundtrack is also incredible, each track is very memorable. Some standout tracks are the theme that plays in Mission 1(Raising the Devil), Dante’s Battle Track 1 (Taste the Blood), Cerberus’s theme literally saying it wants you dead, Nevan’s theme, the theme that plays while you are making your way through the Underworld, every Vergil fight (especially his last battle), and the classic Devils Never Cry track.
An often overlooked aspect of this game is the narrative and how the characters intertwine with the narrative. It is much deeper in depth than most people give it credit for. The game explores the themes of responsibility, family ties, and sacrifice. Dante evolves from being a typical teenager who doesn’t give a damn about anything going on to eventually realizing that he has an important job to fulfill in society and to protect those who he loves and cares for. Lady and Dante also compliment each other in the narrative, Lady initially believes that every demon is completely incapable of having emotions but after she meets Dante, she realizes that there may be demons out there who do have a soul and are willing to protect humans while Dante realizes the importance of family and fulfilling his purpose has mentioned before. Arkham is also a great villain. He is a master manipulator and should deserve some credit for being able to manipulate Dante, Vergil, and Lady into doing what he wants them to do. Too bad his boss fight isn’t great. Vergil is the best rival character in video game history and enhances the narrative beyond belief. He is power hungry while also not being evil. His quest for power isn’t to rule the world, he is beyond traumatized from his childhood (this event is explained in DMC5 and in the manga) where he was left stranded without power. He vowed to never be powerless again so that is why he will obtain it no matter what. He initially kicks your ass and questions if Dante’s ignorance of his demonic power is right. He also replicates the player's journey in this game, he improves as you improve with each fight, gaining new tools and moves as you gain new tools and moves. It all culminates in the final showdown between them where Vergil, obsessed with power, chooses to deny his humanity because he views it as a weakness while Dante over the course of the game chooses to accept both his human and demonic sides, balancing his soul and is able to beat Vergil.
Speaking of that final fight, it is not just the best final boss fight of all time, but is the best boss fight in all of gaming. Both Dante and Vergil had been learning new skills and obtaining new weapons which all builds up to the final battle where both Dante and Vergil are at the peak of their powers. Vergil is a tough boss fight, you will get your ass kicked until he forces you to learn all of his moveset and where and when you can attack him. The environment and soundtrack that plays during the fight are both impeccable as well, it makes it the most memorable fight in all of Devil May Cry apart from the other fight with Vergil in Devil May Cry 5.
There is so much more I can talk about the game but I believe it is better to experience it first hand. Capcom and Itsuno made a gem of a game that will withstand the test of time as not only one of the best action games of all time, but one of the best games of all time.
The game has evolved the combat that was present in the original game to a new standard that can only make every subsequent sequel chase to replicate. The combat feels tight and responsive but not stiff and restrictive. The lock-on system present is perfect, you can change direction in your combo to a snap and the dedicated lock-on button compliments this perfectly. You will never run into the issue of doing a move you didn’t want to do or lock onto an enemy that you didn’t want to hit. The camera is also a big improvement from the original, it isn’t perfect by any means but is almost never a hindrance on gameplay as much as it was in the first game. Weapons are all unique and very fun to use and learn how to effectively use them. On subsequent playthroughs it is always fun to choose which weapons you will carry to optimally eliminate the enemies present in the mission with the elemental weakness system. Rebellion is a great all around tool that allows you to perform pretty much any action you would want from a melee weapon, Cerberus is a fun fast-paced weapon that shreds through enemies in 1 on 1 encounters; the swinging of the nunchucks also allows to protect yourself from projectiles if timed right, Agni and Rudra are a good heavy weapon that is great for tankier and slower enemies, Nevan is the perfect crowd control tool against fodder enemies that can thrown out to easily get SSS combos with Jam Session, Beowulf are very fun gauntlets that have slow startup on moves but can easily dish out the most damage in the game especially paired with jump canceling. The guns are also balanced here to be a keep away tool that can be used to dish out more damage while also not being too powerful to incentivise you to never use the melee weapons. On that note, jump canceling is a great tool that experienced players can use to always stay in the air and keep enemies in the air as a result and deal massive damage. The on the fly weapon switching is also perfected from Devil May Cry 2 and the mission structure, enemies and level design have been perfectly balanced to create a good balance of picking and choosing what weapons to take in while also giving you enough freedom to customize how you want to play each mission. The new style system is also the best thing the game added and creates even more depth in choices already present with the combat. Trickster allows you to move in the air easier and be able to dodge better, this is perfect for keeping your combos in the air while also allowing you to cancel out of moves into a dash that has longer invincibility and goes further than the standard dodge roll. Gunslinger is a great tool to keep enemies away and extend combos. Swordmaster is an extremely fun style to use and is my preferred go-to style; it allows you to use more special moves and be able to create extremely stylish combos and deal more damage. Royal Guard is a tool that gets extremely better with practice, at first the style is relatively limited in use but as you level it up, it easily opens the game up and allows you to obliterate enemies and bosses with correct timing on parrying attacks, it rewards the player who studies the attack patterns and behaviors of every enemy in the game. Quicksilver slows down time, primarily used to make more flashy combos and get more damage in a bosses window of attack. Doppelganger summons a Devil Trigger clone of Dante in Rebellion form, once again used for flashy combos and doing more damage, can also be used to damage with two different weapons at once. Another great detail to note is the taunt system. With a higher style rank, you gain access to a more flashy and flamboyant taunt that also gains tons of Devil Trigger gauge. Everything in this game incentivizes you to play better and more stylishly. Speaking of Devil Trigger, the system is new and improved here. It drops the customization from Devil May Cry 2 in order to provide a more balanced tool that allows you to strategize when and how you use your Devil Trigger. You gain faster movement speed, reduced damage, you can tank through certain attacks. You also gain certain effects from which weapon you are using when you are in Devil Trigger. For example, Rebellion is an all around stat boost, Cerberus increases your attack speed, Agni and Rudra enhances your elemental properties, Nevan allows you to fly in the air and use the exclusive Air Raid move, Beowulf improves your defense. This game's combat system is perfect and is so much fun to explore and improve your game. The game also has insane replayability and experienced players can eventually beat the game in one sitting with no difficulty.
The level design is also the best in the series, the mission variety is vast and creates a unique experience for every mission. It still has the interconnected level design present from Devil May Cry and its roots from Resident Evil while also having a fair share of linear levels that creates a nice blend between both. Whether you are traveling through the Temen Ni Gru solving light puzzles and obtaining key items, or fighting enemies inside of a leviathan's intestines, or defeating enemies in and around Dante’s shop, or fighting chest pieces in hell, every mission is unique and very fun to go through. The game could do without the platforming, it obviously was not made for it.
The soundtrack is also incredible, each track is very memorable. Some standout tracks are the theme that plays in Mission 1(Raising the Devil), Dante’s Battle Track 1 (Taste the Blood), Cerberus’s theme literally saying it wants you dead, Nevan’s theme, the theme that plays while you are making your way through the Underworld, every Vergil fight (especially his last battle), and the classic Devils Never Cry track.
An often overlooked aspect of this game is the narrative and how the characters intertwine with the narrative. It is much deeper in depth than most people give it credit for. The game explores the themes of responsibility, family ties, and sacrifice. Dante evolves from being a typical teenager who doesn’t give a damn about anything going on to eventually realizing that he has an important job to fulfill in society and to protect those who he loves and cares for. Lady and Dante also compliment each other in the narrative, Lady initially believes that every demon is completely incapable of having emotions but after she meets Dante, she realizes that there may be demons out there who do have a soul and are willing to protect humans while Dante realizes the importance of family and fulfilling his purpose has mentioned before. Arkham is also a great villain. He is a master manipulator and should deserve some credit for being able to manipulate Dante, Vergil, and Lady into doing what he wants them to do. Too bad his boss fight isn’t great. Vergil is the best rival character in video game history and enhances the narrative beyond belief. He is power hungry while also not being evil. His quest for power isn’t to rule the world, he is beyond traumatized from his childhood (this event is explained in DMC5 and in the manga) where he was left stranded without power. He vowed to never be powerless again so that is why he will obtain it no matter what. He initially kicks your ass and questions if Dante’s ignorance of his demonic power is right. He also replicates the player's journey in this game, he improves as you improve with each fight, gaining new tools and moves as you gain new tools and moves. It all culminates in the final showdown between them where Vergil, obsessed with power, chooses to deny his humanity because he views it as a weakness while Dante over the course of the game chooses to accept both his human and demonic sides, balancing his soul and is able to beat Vergil.
Speaking of that final fight, it is not just the best final boss fight of all time, but is the best boss fight in all of gaming. Both Dante and Vergil had been learning new skills and obtaining new weapons which all builds up to the final battle where both Dante and Vergil are at the peak of their powers. Vergil is a tough boss fight, you will get your ass kicked until he forces you to learn all of his moveset and where and when you can attack him. The environment and soundtrack that plays during the fight are both impeccable as well, it makes it the most memorable fight in all of Devil May Cry apart from the other fight with Vergil in Devil May Cry 5.
There is so much more I can talk about the game but I believe it is better to experience it first hand. Capcom and Itsuno made a gem of a game that will withstand the test of time as not only one of the best action games of all time, but one of the best games of all time.
the extreme variance in how much damage a bullet does is the funniest part of this series' lore by far
Why the fuck do the Backloggd mods keep on changing games' covers to significantly worse ones? What's even the point of doing this?
Un gameplay que evoca a la expresión del jugador a través de los desafíos que plantea, incitándolo en todo momento a cumplir el papel del personaje que manejamos; contando también con la mejor narrativa de la franquicia hasta la fecha, que en ningún momento entorpece el ritmo de juego, todo esto acompañado de una cohesión perfecta entre todos sus elementos. Una obra maestra.
Devil May Cry 3 by all means is a great game, however, I feel it has its issues. The combat is fantastic and the bosses such as Vergil and Beowulf are extremely fun to fight. The amount of weapons and styles gives dmc3 a great level of customization. The story is also very cheesy but in a way kinda endearing as we see Dante and Lady going through family issues with their very malicious relatives. The music is pretty hit or miss in my opinion. I really liked the gothic-style orchestra music but the death metal really wasn't doing it for me. Anyway now onto my nitpicks. The game not autocompleting missions in lower difficulties is annoying because it forces less skilled players to replay the entire game if they are stuck on a late-game level. The camera can also get in the way sometimes. Now onto my issue. The game gets significantly easier between the second and third Vergil fights. The bosses as well become really lame at this point. Lady is a joke. Doppelganger is a joke. Arkham is the funnies comedy known to man. To conclude, dmc3 is still a great game with a rather weak endgame. I'd recommend any fans of action and difficult games to give it a shot.