‘Devil May Cry’ – The Action-Horror Thrills of the Original Three Games

I remember watching Stephen Sommer’s Van Helsing back when I was 10 years old and thinking to myself “I wish I could play a videogame that felt like this.” Naturally, a little while later I found myself inside a Blockbuster and ended up renting a copy of the PS2 tie-in game of the movie (yes, younger readers, renting physical copies of games used to be a thing). While that title wasn’t necessarily a masterpiece, it introduced me to the character-action genre, acting as a gateway drug to stronger experiences like God of War and, years later, the O.G. itself – Devil May Cry.

Boasting five mainline entries, a surprisingly decent anime, and even a couple of shout-outs in other IPs, Devil May Cry has become one of Capcom’s hottest properties, and I think part of that is due to the franchise insisting on a particular brand of action-horror that has long been forgotten in other media. That’s why I’d like to dive into exactly how the series became an icon of edgy entertainment during the past two decades.

While the franchise is best known for breakneck combat and over-the-top characters, the DMC universe has its roots firmly planted in the Survival Horror genre. It’s no secret that the first Devil May Cry was originally meant to be a next-gen successor to Resident Evil, with Capcom positing that some gamers would rather mow down monsters in style rather than deal with the creeping dread of tank controls and constant resource management. With this in mind, Hideki Kamiya’s team began work on a more action-heavy title that would make combat legitimately fun instead of a terrifying chore while also embracing gothic horror tropes.

This proposed sequel was set to follow a mysterious protagonist with biotechnological enhancements that made him basically invincible, justifying a bigger focus on action and a blockbuster adventure story. Naturally, Capcom thought that this idea strayed a little too far from the established Resident Evil formula and axed the project before it got too far into development. Fortunately, Kamiya’s work wouldn’t go to waste, as this canceled game would be updated into an original title while another team took over RE4, leading to two iconic titles that we all know and love.

Filling in the Resident-Evil-shaped holes in their strange little horror game with elements inspired by the Divine Comedy and Capcom’s own Strider (as well as some combat flair influenced by Dino Crisis 2), the renamed “Team Little Devils” released Devil May Cry in August of 2001. The finished game chronicled the monster-hunting adventures of the half-demon Dante as he explores a giant castle and attempts to prevent the demon lord Mundus from re-emerging. Unsurprisingly, the plot here exists mostly to justify players’ exploration of Mallet Island while they murder hundreds of demons and look cool while doing it.

Fans of Survival Horror will be immediately at home in this spooky old castle.

Being the first of its kind, the game contains an odd mix of action and survival horror, relying on fixed camera angles and item-based puzzles while also rewarding players who can take down enemies in excessively stylish ways. This first entry is rather obtuse in its explanation of gameplay and story (you likely won’t get far without a manual or help from the internet), but Team Little Devils somehow managed to craft a highly rewarding experience that felt utterly new back at the dawn of the new millennium.

Of course, the game was still a product of its time, reflecting the then-popular trend of action-horror hybrid media like Blade and Spawn, while also preceding flicks like Underworld and the aforementioned Van Helsing with its exaggerated supernatural mythology. Beyond the world of horror, the title’s thrilling combat encounters would end up inspiring new franchises like Bayonetta and God of War, as well as licensed knock-offs like Ghost Rider and that weird Nightmare Before Christmas game.

The excellent soundtrack and Gothic-Europe-inspired visuals also helped to make the game a landmark in “nu-metal media”, a sub-genre which, according to some online groups, refers to stylish media with an aggressively dark aesthetic accompanied by hardcore music. Naturally, this commitment style extends to our snarky main character, with the quippy demon slayer meant to be the sum of all things “cool” (at least from Kamiya’s point of view). Dante is probably the most memorable aspect of the entire franchise, becoming an iconic figure in gaming with his signature look and endearing take on an early 2000s “bad attitude”.

Unfortunately, when the time came to develop a sequel to the unexpectedly successful title, Capcom chose another team to helm the project. This resulted in the disappointing Devil May Cry 2, a game that even hardcore fans usually skip when replaying the series. Personally, I don’t think that DMC2 is an entirely bad game (though it can be mind-numbingly repetitive), as it features some of my favorite environments in the whole series. The game takes Dante on an urban adventure and feels even more like an interactive adaptation of the action-horror movies of that decade, especially during the first half.

Many features would be streamlined this time around (such as dodging and weapon changing), but the rest remained mostly the same, leading DCM2 to feel a lot more like an expansion than a proper sequel – especially when you factor in the game’s extremely short length. Fortunately, fans wouldn’t have to wait long for a proper successor, as Team Little Devils would soon be back for more supernatural carnage.

Devils Never Cry!

In 2005, the real star of the franchise would be released with Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening. A prequel that expands on Dante’s rivalry with his brother Virgil, with players being forced to climb an impossibly high tower filled with traps, puzzles, and copious amounts of demons, DMC3 simply mops the floor with previous games when it comes to narrative and gameplay. Sure, the plot is still mostly bonkers, but it’s so well-paced and introduces enough compelling characters that it’s hard to focus on the blemishes.

Combat was revamped in the third entry, keeping what worked from the second game while also allowing for different styles and more combinations of weapons and items. Plus, making the game a prequel meant that players could just jump into the experience without having to play the previous games, making DMC3 ideal for newcomers.

From here on out, the DMC games would start to lose some of their “nu-metal” flair as the sequels began to delve into more traditional anime-esque storylines, introducing bizarre locations and mythology that didn’t quite gel with the gothic horror influences of the first few games (unless you count mall goths). Though I appreciate DMC4’s MGS2-style bait-and-switch as it introduces a brand-new edgy protagonist and DMC5’s commitment to Michael-Bay-inspired spectacle, I think it’s easy to see that these games are at their best when having fun with schlocky horror tropes.

And as for Ninja Theory’s DMC reboot… that’s a topic for a whole other article.

Regardless, I’ve always felt that the ideal DMC title should be built like a survival horror experience, with the only difference being that it gives players control over a protagonist so badass that combat becomes more fun than scary. I actually used to have a really hard time getting into anime-inspired media, which is what initially turned me off from the DMC games, so imagine my surprise when I discovered that the first three entries were basically love letters to my favorite action-horror media of the 90s and 2000s. That’s why I’d love to see the series return to that kind of genre-mashing in the future.

For now, whether you’re an old fan of the franchise or a newcomer looking for some demon-slaying fun, I’d recommend revisiting the DMC games if you’re up for a unique gaming experience that turns survival horror on its head while also harkening back to a kind of media that you rarely see these days. Just be prepared for a challenge if you really want to be Stylish!

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