Hopefully, The Last Demo Review You'll Have To Read

[Railazel]

So, I just got my paws on the demo. My Thoughts? It wasn't that bad. Not great, but still good.

Graphics: Pretty average; not as good as you'd expect from a PS3/360 title. However, the colors and animations were vivid and fluent. 3/5

Music: Well, the music really didn't do anything to pump my blood or get me in the mood. I felt like it was just a bunch of noise in the background. The Dubstep for Poison's boss theme was nice to listen to but it felt kind of distracting and didn't exactly fit the atmosphere of the boss fight. 2/5

Gameplay: The game shined in this area (as expected) but I wouldn't call it "Devil May Cry." The game didn't feel intense to me (at least not like DMC 1 or DMC 3 did), though it could be because I was playing Nephilim and it was Mission 6. However, the mechanics of this game are easy to get into, but the more technical stuff (like Jump Cancelling) were way too easy to pull off (or is it that my experience with DMC 3 made it too easy?), though they are fun to mess around with except for the Auto- Lock (same as DMC 3) which sucked if I didn't keep up with the camera and the direction Dante was facing. Platforming was alot easier than I anticipated and was a challenge only due to the camera and me trying to experiment to achieve different stuff. The Poison Boss Battle was crap though. The camera was acting weird and it even froze at the end of boss fight. All in all, not bad but could've been better. 3/5

Overall Score: 3.7/5, a little above average but nothing note- worthy. Hopefully, the game will be much better.

Other Thoughts: I gotta say, messing around with mechanics in this game was fun. I figured out a few things that I don't think were mentioned before:

1) Auto- Lock is the same as DMC 3's auto- lock which explains why the targeting system wasn't too bad and made guns very effective. However, switching targets on the fly (while shooting) is a no- go and targeting enemies that aren't on the screen was risky.

2) Input system is "Dial- A- Combo" or "Buffered" which basically means you can double- tap the attack button (Triangle/Y) in the middle of the first attacks animation and he would continue to do the second one (much like in DMC 1 and differs from DMC 3/4's time- based inputs). At least it was so for Rebellion; I wasn't paying attention with Osiris or Arbiter.

3) "Improper" Jump Cancelling (or JCing without striking the enemy) is a lot more versatile than doing it properly. It interrupts the enemy's animations (except attack I believe), is easier to cancel out of (since it's so short), and makes parrying in mid- air easier to pull off.

4) I tried parrying the Demon Shards. Does not work.

5) I would recommend customizing your button configuration. It makes your experience much more comfortable. Personally, I just put Angel Mode on R1 to let me JC more easily.

I would definitely recommend this game for newbies to the DMC franchise or action games in general. Like I said, the basic mechanics were easy to get into and the clarity of the Stylish system in the game would make experimenting fun. However, it doesn't seem that the game would provide any benefit to DMC fans or action fans in general.

Oh, btw, I got a C on the Under Watch mission. I think I got an S in damage but the rest was a D and C. How? Because I didn't really care for Style points. It was more fun JCing and juggling enemies in the air (I'm kind of like KAIL that way).

 

[AngelMode]

JC in DmC is pretty easy for me right now and I can manage to JC every air move available in the demo (the right way and actually hitting the enemy) in one single air time, without using chains. But as you said, that also may be because of previous JC experience with DMC games.

The buffering is another thing I actually don't like in this game. I love the timed inputs in DMC3/4 (even though it did have a bit of buffering as well, but very little). I mean, try using reverse rainstorm and instantly try to use a move. Then wait until Dante gets all the way up in the air and you will see him do the move you input like a second ago... it's ridiculous. You can cancel out of reverse rainstorm by pressing jump, and if you input a move beforehand then Dante very quickly will use that move, so it's ok in that regard. Still... those arbiters uncancellable moves are so annoying.

Though I disagree, while a previous DMC hardcore fan may not find this game as enjoyable, they will still have fun figuring out the ins and outs of it. There is a lot of room in this game to create ridiculously cool combos that can wow some people. I mean, I have seen some really cool ones already and the content of the demo is so limited.

 

[Railazel]

The buffering is another thing I actually don't like in this game. I love the timed inputs in DMC3/4 (even though it did have a bit of buffering as well, but very little). I mean, try using reverse rainstorm and instantly try to use a move. Then wait until Dante gets all the way up in the air and you will see him do the move you input like a second ago... it's ridiculous. You can cancel out of reverse rainstorm by pressing jump, and if you input a move beforehand then Dante very quickly will use that move, so it's ok in that regard.

I only buffered combos for Rebellion and I didn't use any moves for E&I, so I can't really say much on that regard other than the fact that it felt smooth and great (again, only for Rebellion. I think I did it for Osiris as well but I wasn't paying too much attention). Though I do agree that Arbiter's moves being uncancellable was awfully dumb. I hardly used the weapon, though it had its moments (like breaking enemy shields), I inevitably found alternatives for such situations.

Though I disagree, while a previous DMC hardcore fan may not find this game as enjoyable, they will still have fun figuring out the ins and outs of it. There is a lot of room in this game to create ridiculously cool combos that can wow some people. I mean, I have seen some really cool ones already and the content of the demo is so limited.

Of course, of course. I never said that DMC fans will not enjoy it (I had my fun), what I meant was that it didn't have much too offer in terms of testing our skill. The mechanics are really easy to get into; the amount of time it would take for a person to get a good handle on JCing is a good amount shorter given the timing doesn't need as much precision and Training Mode lets you practice without interruption. Basically, the game probably has a lot more to offer than what I'm giving it credit for, but any new techniques that it does offer won't be as much of a challenge to master as it would've been in past DMCs given that the game was meant for those of us who aren't very skilled.

 

[ReRave]

So, I just got my paws on the demo. My Thoughts? It wasn't that bad. Not great, but still good.

I actually agree and if you remember me at all, you know that I am one of the most avid defenders out there.
The demo just didn't really satisfy me.

Graphics: Pretty average; not as good as you'd expect from a PS3/360 title. However, the colors and animations were vivid and fluent. 3/5

Nah, graphics are very nice. Textures are well done and detailed, little visual effects like dust being whirled over the streets just make my day.

Music: Well, the music really didn't do anything to pump my blood or get me in the mood. I felt like it was just a bunch of noise in the background. The Dubstep for Poison's boss theme was nice to listen to but it felt kind of distracting and didn't exactly fit the atmosphere of the boss fight. 2/5

Yup, the Poison fight reminded me of Dagon in DMC4: The music was completely out of place. I do like dubstep though and the standard combat music in "Under Watch" was quite good.

Gameplay: The game shined in this area (as expected) but I wouldn't call it "Devil May Cry." The game didn't feel intense to me (at least not like DMC 1 or DMC 3 did), though it could be because I was playing Nephilim and it was Mission 6. However, the mechanics of this game are easy to get into, but the more technical stuff (like Jump Cancelling) were way too easy to pull off (or is it that my experience with DMC 3 made it too easy?), though they are fun to mess around with except for the Auto- Lock (same as DMC 3) which sucked if I didn't keep up with the camera and the direction Dante was facing. Platforming was alot easier than I anticipated and was a challenge only due to the camera and me trying to experiment to achieve different stuff. The Poison Boss Battle was crap though. The camera was acting weird and it even froze at the end of boss fight. All in all, not bad but could've been better. 3/5

Dito, though I didn't find the Auto-Lock to be badly calibrated. It worked just fine for me, bt you really do have to adjust the camera a lot, especially fighting those cherubs. Son of Sparda does add a little difficulty, so try playing that. You get to try a little more of the crazy stuff, because the enemies can pack more punches before going down.

Overall Score: 3.7/5, a little above average but nothing note- worthy. Hopefully, the game will be much better.

That's a little much. 3 of 5 at best. Maybe it's because I know the footage by heart and the demo showed (understandably) nothing of the new weapons, but I just didn't care for that stage anymore.

Other Thoughts: I gotta say, messing around with mechanics in this game was fun. I figured out a few things that I don't think were mentioned before:

1) Auto- Lock is the same as DMC 3's auto- lock which explains why the targeting system wasn't too bad and made guns very effective. However, switching targets on the fly (while shooting) is a no- go and targeting enemies that aren't on the screen was risky.

As stated above, this is something that either takes time to "master" or it just comes to you naturally. Auto-Lock isn't the issue either way, I'd say. Can't properly argue about the point with the gun-lock, since I rarely ever use them.

2) Input system is "Dial- A- Combo" or "Buffered" which basically means you can double- tap the attack button (Triangle/Y) in the middle of the first attacks animation and he would continue to do the second one (much like in DMC 1 and differs from DMC 3/4's time- based inputs). At least it was so for Rebellion; I wasn't paying attention with Osiris or Arbiter.

The most disappointing point by far! Why can't I cancel out of the arbiter combos, like, at all? I do like the handling of Rebellion, but the angel- and demon-weapons are very clunky.

3) "Improper" Jump Cancelling (or JCing without striking the enemy) is a lot more versatile than doing it properly. It interrupts the enemy's animations (except attack I believe), is easier to cancel out of (since it's so short), and makes parrying in mid- air easier to pull off.

I'm a dodger. Not a parrier.
JC in this game is too easy.

4) I tried parrying the Demon Shards. Does not work.

Dodging the first shard is impossible, the second is way too easy to dodge.

Oh, btw, I got a C on the Under Watch mission. I think I got an S in damage but the rest was a D and C. How? Because I didn't really care for Style points. It was more fun JCing and juggling enemies in the air (I'm kind of like KAIL that way).

 

[Railazel]

not seeing this lock-on thing you're talking about though.

I was referring to the auto- lock.

In the demo I had weird situations where I'd let off the stick and dante would finish his combo on someone behind him, it was kinda weird

I remember, in the Poison fight, I would mistakenly Angel Lift out of habit of pressing R1 while shooting. What sucked was that I would Angel Lift to other platforms despite the fact the targets weren't in the camera at all. They really need to fix that.

I actually agree and if you remember me at all, you know that I am one of the most avid defenders out there.
The demo just didn't really satisfy me.

Like I could ever forget you, ReRave. I think the demo was disappointing because we already knew the level. I think if they let us play one of the later levels like Devil's Dalliance or Overturned, it would've had a better impression.

I
Nah, graphics are very nice. Textures are well done and detailed, little visual effects like dust being whirled over the streets just make my day.

The detail was nice, I just didn't like the look of it.

Yup, the Poison fight reminded me of Dagon in DMC4: The music was completely out of place. I do like dubstep though and the standard combat music in "Under Watch" was quite good.

I liked the first Under Watch theme, but the other two didn't do it for me.

, though I didn't find the Auto-Lock to be badly calibrated. It worked just fine for me, bt you really do have to adjust the camera a lot, especially fighting those cherubs. Son of Sparda does add a little difficulty, so try playing that. You get to try a little more of the crazy stuff, because the enemies can pack more punches before going down.

I will make sure to do that when I get the chance.

The most disappointing point by far! Why can't I cancel out of the arbiter combos, like, at all? I do like the handling of Rebellion, but the angel- and demon-weapons are very clunky.

For some odd reason, Arbiter had the least cancellable moveset out of the three weapons. I hardly used it at all since it was too risky and served little purpose for me. I think Rebellion was good because its attack speed was well- balanced, so the swings flowed nicely together.

What I wish for is that they expand on pause combos and timed inputs instead of sticking with the generic "two hits then pause" pattern.

'm a dodger. Not a parrier.
JC in this game is too easy.

I thought parrying in mid- air was fun, though I didn't do it on the ground.

Dodging the first shard is impossible, the second is way too easy to dodge.

Call me Sucky McGee for not noticing the second one and getting hit by it.

 

[ReRave]

Call me Sucky McGee for not noticing the second one and getting hit by it.

I won't.
You need to know it's there to be able to dodge it, but it's easy if you do. I got hit the first few times, even though I knew it was going to hit me soon.