An impressive action-adventure game that shouldn't be missed.
The big question here is if Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition is better or worse than the original. That question won't be answered in this review; rather, the review will be based on the game, not the comparison. However, the comparisons will be put in.
First, Jester is now a semi-optional boss (required the first time, optional the second and third times). This can be rather annoying, but also, at the same time, more challenging and fun. SS ranking Dante Must Die mode on this version of the game isn't an easy task (not that it's easy to begin with).
Second, players who have beaten the game once with Dante or have original Devil May Cry 3 data will be able to play with Dante's twin brother, Vergil. Vergil plays a little differently than Dante, but the levels are the same, as are two new cutscenes at the beginning. Unfortunately, playing with Vergil doesn't show another side to the story, which is very disappointing.
Bloody Palace has been added to this version of the game. There are 9999 levels in Bloody Palace, but you can skip a hundred at a time, or ten, or just go level by level. Bloody Palace is a great addition to the special edition and is quite hard.
The remaining things seemed tacked on and really don't make a difference. Turbo mode makes the game go 20% faster. The other little things added don't even come to mind.
Devil May Cry 3 is a great looking game, though not the best around. The visuals are nice and dark (morbid dark, not pitch black dark), and the characters look quite real. The problem with the graphics of this game is that there are some slowdowns whenever a lot of stuff goes on at once (Kalina Ann killing an enemy and the rest Devil Trigger for example), which, in a high pace action game like this one, cannot happen.
The sound is the poor part of the game. It is the same looped songs (about three), and it gets really boring to hear after a while. A more diverse soundtrack would have been nice, but in the midst of all the action, it's hard to tell. The sounds of the weapons and characters, however, are quite good.
Devil May Cry 3 has a better story than the first two games, which is really nice. This is only when Dante is used. The story when playing with Vergil is gone, as mentioned above. Without giving too much away, Dante gets an invitation from a man named Arkham. It was a message from Dante's twin brother Vergil. This was when Dante was just opening up his shop. He didn't even have a name for it yet.
The gameplay that Devil May Cry 3 offers is very fluid and a ton of fun. The controls are quite simple, yet there are some moves meant for more advanced players since they involve timing.
There are six styles to choose from: Trickster, Swordmaster, Gunslinger, Royal Guard, Quicksilver, and Doppleganger. There are five guns to choose from: Ebony & Ivory (you might recognise them from the first two games), Shotgun, Artemis, Spiral, and Kalina Ann. There are five weapons to choose from: Rebellion, Cerberus, Agni & Rudra, Nevan, and Beowulf.
With all that to choose from, there are a ton of combinations that can be utilised, and some combinations are better than others in certain situations. It all breaks down for a more entertaining gameplay.
The main that that will turn off a lot of people is that this game is HARD. Even with the rebalanced difficulty, it's a very hard game. Dante Must Die mode is considered to be one of the hardest games around. It's definitely the hardest game this century.
Another thing that might annoy people is that the camera is mostly fixed. It's sometimes movable, but most of the times it isn't. It shouldn't matter too much for such a high-paced game. There isn't really any time to adjust the camera whenever it can be adjusted. Taking the time to adjust the camera will result in an ass-kicking.
The replay value is what stands out in this game. It's very high. There is so much to do after beating the game. Going through the higher difficulties is an accomplishment in this game, plus there's the option of playing the game with Vergil, and there's also getting through Bloody Palace, which is very hard.
All in all, Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition is a game that no action-adventure fan should miss. It's a lot of fun, looks great, and has a lot of replay value. It's not an expensive game, especially now that it's only available used.