When the fifth installment of the Devil May Cry series was first announced it was met with high anticipation. However when Capcom stated that Ninja Theory would be developing this newest addition to the Devil May Cry franchise, and set in a parallel universe, questions rose of whether the series would maintain the same quality. These opinions became more vocal when the first trailer, in 2010, featuring Dante in his new appearance caused widespread concern. A lot of people were outrage of Dante's new look and wondered if Ninja Theory would do the popular series justice or destroy the beloved series. Now with the release of the DmC demo I can honestly say that Ninja Theory has done an excellent job of maintaining the same genuine feel of Devil May Cry while diverging into a new path for the franchise.

Those who are familiar with Devil May Cry will find multiple changes to this new take. Ninja Theory remains loyal to certain aspects of Devil May Cry lore but changes certain attributes. The biggest change is the look of both Dante and Vergil. Those might be annoyed by the new look of the demon brothers, but this is a different universe and the new clothes fit the persona of these legendary figures. Another change is the classic lore of Devil May Cry. Dante and Vergil are the twin sons of the demon Sparta and the Angel Eva instead of a human mother and demon father. They are called naphilim, born from a demon and angel, and are the only ones who can eliminate the demon king Mundus who killed their mother and imprisoned their father Sparta. Unfortunately the cinematic cuts out before Vergil explains how they can accomplish this feat. The changes might vexed some people but once you start playing the actual game these changes won't concern you.

Similar to all the other Devil May Cry games the core story centers on the conflict between demons and humans. Demons have full control through of the human race through a drink called Virility, the media, and business. A rebel force called The Order, led by Vergil, seeks to reestablish human autonomy by removing demons from the human world. Although the demo doesn't explain much it does reveal that The Order has enlisted Dante to help eliminate Mundus and the demons under his command. Relinquishing demon control over the human race may be the primary goal but Dante may be more focus on avenging the death of his mother.

Demonic is the only word that truly identifies the environments within DmC demo. In the demo you can play two portions Under Watch which is a campaign mission and Secret Ingredient is a boss battle. Under Watch introduces you to the basic mechanics such as combat, exploration, and navigation. It starts with Dante getting caught by a demonic camera and dragged into Limbo after knocking a can of Vitality from a the hand of a bystander while walking with a member of the order called Kat. This area is littered with demons, demonic cameras that lock areas, wicked writing that call for your death, and lost souls calling out for help. The landscape itself wants to kill you and does this by violently shifting the walls and floors around you. The presentation and environmental designs is stunning and I can't wait to see later levels. Ninja Theory has done a stellar job of creating a hellish world and atmosphere using human architecture. This is truly hell on earth.

Secret Ingredient has Dante fighting a disgusting boss called Poison who secretes the prime ingredient in a popular drink called Virility that keeps humanity under obedient. The boss fight is fairly straight forward with Dante attacking the hands of Poison in order to expose the pipes that pump the substance from Poison and then destroying them. You won't participate in the entire fight, which is a shame, but exhibits what is yet to come from the final product.

The combat system in this new rendition is surprisingly loyal to the franchise. Within the demo you have access to Dante's original weapons: the guns Ebony and Ivory; and his father's keepsake Rebellion. New weapons include a demonic axe called Arbiter that delivers heavy blows to eliminate shielded enemies and an angelic scythe named Osiris for lighter attacks are used for both platforming and fighting. Every weapon is accessed by holding down a specific trigger for quick use, forsaking the need to manually cycle through weapons. Each of these weapons have move list and can be combined to create some deadly combos. It's an easy and complicate system that encourages players to maintain a certain momentum while avoiding being hit to gain a higher score and rank. If you want to inflict more carnage, simply fill your meter using elaborate attacks then access the notorious Devil Trigger mode to cause massive damage and slow time. Like other Devil May Cry games you'll get a final score at the end of the stage based on your overall process, resulting in a final letter grade. This is only a taste of these spectacular combat mechanics and I'm hopeful that Ninja Theory will add more weapons to Dante's arsenal.

Combat isn't the only use for these devilish weapons, they are used to overcome obstacles in the environment. The platforming in DmC hasn't change but expect a lot more versatility because Dante has gained the ability to grab onto ledges from a distance, similar to Nero in Devil May Cry 4. Throughout each of the two areas you'll use your both Osiris and Arbiter to pull and climb ledges. Reaching these areas allow you to access hidden items and rip the eyes out of the diabolical cameras that call for your death. Sometimes the floor and walls will shift violently, forcing you to quickly double jump or dash through narrow routes. The platforming hasn't blossomed to anything novel, but the environment does add a dose of needed flare.

The characters are wonderfully voiced and the dialogue has changed. Dante maintains his cocky attitude and Vergil is still confident, but characters now use stronger language. This has been absent in past Devil May Cry titles but isn't a upsetting addition. It might be strange for those familiar to the series to hear such fowl dialogue from Dante's month or Vergil speaking in a much more caring tone but I didn't find it detrimental to the game. Instead it's reliving knowing that I can still connect to these characters despite these changed personas.

After playing through the demo of DmC I regretted saying all those negative remarks. Like many others I instantly assumed the worst when I first laid eyes on Dante in his new attire. After playing this demo I quickly reestablish a connection to the legendary figure. The combat was easy to understand but complicated enough to showcase a intense fighting system. The presentation has similar aspects to original Devil May Cry while shifting the design into a new direction. The new universe, although different, didn't bother me and still felt like the same game I fell in love with back in 2001. It was a fun demo and shouldn't be ignore because it's different. Those who love Devil May Cry or action games in general should definitely try DmC, and this is coming from a Devil May Cry fan.

Adam Siddiqui, NoobFeed
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