Best Action Game Ever!!!!!!!!!!!!
Devil May Cry 3's graphics are breathtaking. There is an unbelievable amount of detail in the environments and structures. Every single area within it is rendered perfectly. Ornate details right down to the staircases and paintings which adorn the corridors. Devil May Cry 3 has a very somber and gloomy visual scheme, and Capcom has managed to have created a perfect blend of lighting and shadows. All of the stages have an ominous and foreboding atmosphere that immerses the player in the gothic setting. Needless to say, the effect is done perfectly. The environments in DMC3 are done in full 3D (as opposed to the prerendered backgrounds of Resident Evil) and they are amazing to watch. DMC continues the high graphical standard that Capcom has set with Onimusha. All of the characters in the game are perfectly rendered without a trace of imperfection. Dante moves with a powerful yet smooth grace, and all of his movements ooze of style. Dante's animations are exceptionally smooth and realistic, and his the movements and attacks of his enemies are of the same high quality. Just like in Onimusha 3, there are no jagged polygons or graphical break up in the character models. All of Dante's enemies are exceptionally large with large amounts of detail. The action scenes are truly gorgeous to view, as Dante can be surrounded by 8 huge enemies and the action won't slow down for a second. The boss battles are really something to admire. All of the bosses in this game are HUGE and their attacks are a wonderful display of the PS2's graphical prowess. The lighting effects of Dante's Alastor and Ifrit attacks are a sight to behold, and your jaw will drop when you see the detail on many of the bosses. The in game cutscenes are excellent and are done in real time. DMC3 is one of the best looking games on the PS2, and only a few games can rival it's high quality. From the finely crafted opening sequence to the very last cutscene, you will marvel Devil May Cry 3's aesthetics. Nothing else really comes close to DMC3's beauty.
Sound Effects: 10
Devil May Cry 3's sound effects are eerily realistic and are perfectly suited to the atmosphere. The sound effects have incredible detail, from the sound of empty shells hitting the floor to the recoiling sound of the Grenade gun. When the Ifrit gauntlets are equipped, the sounds of the punches and kicks making contact with your enemies is wickedly satisfying. There are also specific effects depending on which weapon you are using. For example, when Ifrit is equipped, you can hear the roar and crackle of the flames as they consume your enemies in a hellish inferno. When the Alastor sword is equipped, you hear the sound of electricity surging throughout all of your attacks. The sound of sword slashes, guns firing, and beasts groaning in agony are perfectly clear and are excellently recorded. Other effects, such as the subtle sound of Dante's footsteps making contact with the stone floor and the sound of glass and crates being smashed, show the amount of dedication that went into creating this game.
Music: 10
Devil May Cry 3's music is a perfect blend of subtle, low key music and high energy, frantic ''combat'' music. When no enemies are present, the music is incredibly low and almost nonexistent. As with graphics, the music in DMC3 is very somber and ominous. It has a ''gothic'' touch with bells ringing and some other creepy elements thrown in. However, upon confronting an enemy, the music switches up to fast paced techno music that gets you amped for the battle. It is a little reminiscent of the combat music in The Matrix. The music is perfectly suited to the action and the transition from subtlety to frantic music is so seamless that the player won't be distracted. Capcom did a perfect job of creating the music for this game and it's soundtrack is good enough to warrant a purchase.
Voice Acting: 10
The voice acting in Devil May Cry 3 is absolutely great. In Devil May Cry 3, Dante's voice acting is wonderful. He exerts a cocky and arrogant attitude that the designers have intended. The main problem with Dante is that he may be trying a little too hard trying to sound cool and badass. As for the bosses, every one of them is excellent, and they all deliver their lines with the perfect amount of venom and contempt that they have for Dante's character.
Control: 10
Since I played both DMC1 and DMC2, the controls were perfect. There is a somewhat steep learning curve for the controls since Dante has so many new techniques at his disposal. But once you put in some practice, controlling Dante will become instinctive. It is simple to control Dante and to perform direction specific attacks. For example, some attacks require that you press Down or Back on the Analog stick in order to perform a special move, and that was never a problem. By varying pressure on the analog stick you can make Dante walk stealthily or break into a full out sprint to evade enemies.
Gameplay: 10
Devil May Cry is a straight up Action game. End of story.
Devil May Cry 3's gameplay is divided into Missions, and upon the completion of a Mission, you are given a rank. The amount of time it has taken you to complete a Mission and the number of Orbs collected factor into your ranking. Depending on your performance, you may receive a ranking of ''D'' (horrible) to ''S'' (superior). A Ranking ''Bonus'' is awarded at the end of a mission. A ''D'' ranking nets you the least amount of orbs, while an ''S'' ranking gives you the maximum amount. If you happen to do exceptionally well in a Mission, you may also receive a supplementary Special Bonus.
Devil May Cry 3's gameplay revolves around reaching the intended area within the least amount of time while collecting red Orbs. Red orbs can be used to purchase items from Time Statues within the Missions and can also be used to open sealed doors. Missions require the use, collection, or placement of a specific item in a specific area. These objects include chalices, staffs, or other unorthodox items that are required in order to proceed. The placement of these items are straightforward and are in plain view. They do not require a ridiculous amount of searching nor do they require puzzle solving. There are absolutely NO puzzles in this game.
Unfortunately, the gameplay isn't that simple. Enemies are on patrol to impede your progress and to send you to your grave. After every few missions you will fight a boss. Both the regular enemies and the Bosses have deadly attack patterns that will kill Dante in an instant.
Fortunately, Dante is armed to the teeth with a plethora of combat techniques. At the start of the game, Dante is equipped with his default Devil Arms, which include Ebony and Ivory (a pair of black and white handguns) and the Force Edge (Dante's sword). Along the way Dante can collect melee weapons, including the Alastor (a sword powered by the forces of electricity), Ifrit gauntlets (gauntlets enhanced with the power of fire), and the Sparda sword (the most powerful and versatile sword in the game). As for guns, Dante can collect a shotgun, a grenade gun (the most powerful projectile weapon), and Machine Guns.
Devil May Cry 3's combat is a hybrid of close range and distant fighting. With the use of swords and the Ifrit gauntlets, Dante can perform a multitude of combos which rely on timing and a certain amount of button presses. The combo engine is very flexible, and the game allows enough freedom for the player to create their own custom combos, ranging from simple three hit sword combos to the more sophisticated combos involving both swords and handguns. Dante can also perform ''juggle'' combos by launching his enemies into the air and hitting them while airborne for a massive combo. The player is rated on the size and style of the combos performed. Once activated, Dante will enter ''Devil Mode'' and will transform into a demon with enhanced abilities. Immediately after being activated, the gauge will slowly deplete over time. The enormous amount of depth and creativity of Devil May Cry 3's versatile combo engine ensure that the player will be entertained.
Along with special abilities, Dante can also purchase items from the Time Statues to aid him. They include Devil Stars (items which refill his devil trigger gauge), Vital Stars (an item which refills his lifebar), Untouchables (items that grant you invincibility for a limited amount of time, and Holy Water (a special item that heavily damages all enemies onscreen). In addition to the red orbs that Dante collects, there are also Blue orbs which extend Dante's lifebar. Quarter pieces of blue orbs are found throughout the game and in Secret Missions. Purple Orbs add another symbol to Dante's Devil Trigger gauge, and Yellow Orbs allow you to continue.
Overall, DMC3 is a truly difficult game. The gameplay is not aimed toward the casual gamer and is punishing. DMC3's difficulty made me hate the game at first. It seemed near impossible to complete a mission with a decent ranking. It will take many continues for the player to become adjusted to the high challenge this title offers. Even though DMC3 is difficult, don't be discouraged, for it is a very enjoyable game.
Presentation: 10
Devil May Cry is wickedly stylish from beginning to end. The look of the game is absolutely flawless. Dante's character design is pure genius and it is among Capcom's best designs. Dante exudes such cockiness and style that you can't help but like him. The character designs of the enemies and Bosses are 100% perfect.
Replay Value: 10
Devil May Cry 3 has enormous replay value for the hardcore gamer. Upon completing the game in Normal mode, you can unlock Hard Mode. Completing Hard mode unlocks Dante Must Die mode, a true nightmare difficulty that will make Normal Mode seem like a cakewalk. There are also hidden characters to unlock. Players can also attempt to complete Secret Missions, hidden objectives that can be played doing specific actions during the game.
Overall:10
Capcom has once again shut the mouths of the critics and haters who thought they could only make Street Fighter and Survival Horror games. Devil May Cry 3 has revolutionized the Action genre and it simply cannot be touched. I haven't seen another 3D action game on any platform that offers Devil May Cry 3's intricately deep gameplay, refined combo engine, superior character designs and overall beauty. I firmly believe that Devil May Cry 3 is the best 3D Action game on ANY platform.