When making a sequel, developers usually look at the original to see what did and didn't work. This does not mean the newest product is better than its predecessor by any stretch of the imagination. Still, it can establish a solid foundation that can produce an enjoyable experience. Devil May Cry 2 looks at that concept and completely ignores it.

To give the game some credit, there are excellent additions. Wall running, a button press for weapon switching, enemy health bars, a brand-new playable character, and a few other features are great upgrades compared to Devil May Cry 1. They had the foundation to develop a good game, so how in the world did Capcom manage to fumble the bag?

Plain and simple, the combat is not that engaging. It's surprisingly easy, especially compared to the first game. The player can easily win most battles by pressing and holding the fire button. Very rarely did the sword ever feel that useful throughout the game. A stagnant combat system will result in a boring game as a consequence.

These woes are ever-present in boss fights. The fights themselves are laughably easy for the most part. Even the final bosses are fairly simple. There will be the occasional "challenging" fight, but what makes them challenging are the game mechanics. Either the camera is so poor you can't find the enemy until it's too late, or the game's lock-on system will target someone else entirely.

Devil May Cry 1 struggled with bad camera angles. Logically, one would think the devs would address this issue in the sequel. They did not. Maybe there was some improvement during the occasional combat segment, but not during the platforming segments. The camera is still utter garbage.

Devil May Cry 2 had all the right ingredients to cook up a good sequel. Unfortunately, what came out of the oven was a burnt mess of a game instead.