Level Design

[AngelMode]

Here's a good argument worth talking about.

The new art style of DmC is very beautiful and creative, with environments that break apart around you and react and do all sort of crazy, mind-bending stuff. But sadly, I have one complaint: They are too linear. It's like playing DMC2 all over again.

Yeah, I know there are different paths you can take and some paths reward you by giving you an item or something. But I'm talking about the levels as a whole. As far as I have seen, there is no backtracking, none. Once you go and pass a certain area you are done with that area, never to return, unless you play the level over again. Heck, In the demo they even lock the area with a huge black stone looking thing if you try to go back... or when the walls close, etc.

One thing I liked about DMC1... that was also included in DMC3 and 4 (4 being a little too annoying since you literally HAD to backtrack all the damn way) is that you could actually walk around relatively (emphasis on relatively) freely around rooms and even revisit rooms from past levels, completely optional.

DmC seems to have taken the DMC2 style. You move forward, you get to the next stage, oh look variety, but you are in Canada, and the next thing you know you are in downtown Hong Kong.

 

[Erian1Mortal]

I really like the level design so far, and in case of backtracking, I think in the level with phineas, there was a little of that, but all in all I like my levels to be seperate.
I wasn't really annoyed by it in DMC1 since the rooms changed here and there but in later games I thought it was quite badly done.
I mean it made sense in DMC1 because you were only in the castle, hell it even made sense in DMC3 because you were in the tower but in DMC4 I really think it got annoying, since it wasn't really clear in which rooms you had to destroy objects and stuff if you went for a specific ranking.

I don't really mind the closing of finished areas, since I normally explore them before I traverse (did I write that right?) to the next. I mean it's not like I'm playing Dark Souls, where I can find tons of stuff in every corner of the world. Still I think a Devil May Cry with a world like Dark Souls could be interesting... ah well a man can dream right?

 

[Dominus]

I'd say that's a bummer, but can't really change that noww. It seems the game will be longer though so you'll have more variety in that sense. In all honesty I always hoped since DMC1 that they would try an open world dmc approach or a castlevania dmc approach where you had complete freedom to choose where to go.... One can still dream though can they (and imagine that one of my favorite games is Super Metroid)?

 

[Dominus]

Still I think a Devil May Cry with a world like Dark Souls could be interesting... ah well a man can dream right?

Just as I post something similar lol...

 

[AngelMode]

I really like the level design so far, and in case of backtracking, I think in the level with phineas, there was a little of that, but all in all I like my levels to be seperate.
I wasn't really annoyed by it in DMC1 since the rooms changed here and there but in later games I thought it was quite badly done.
I mean it made sense in DMC1 because you were only in the castle, hell it even made sense in DMC3 because you were in the tower but in DMC4 I really think it got annoying, since it wasn't really clear in which rooms you had to destroy objects and stuff if you went for a specific ranking.

I don't really mind the closing of finished areas, since I normally explore them before I traverse (did I write that right?) to the next. I mean it's not like I'm playing Dark Souls, where I can find tons of stuff in every corner of the world. Still I think a Devil May Cry with a world like Dark Souls could be interesting... ah well a man can dream right?

Fair enough. I hope the longevity of the game and stuff to do will rid my mind of the lack of freedom XD

I'd say that's a bummer, but can't really change that noww. It seems the game will be longer though so you'll have more variety in that sense. In all honesty I always hoped since DMC1 that they would try an open world dmc approach or a castlevania dmc approach where you had complete freedom to choose where to go.... One can still dream though can they (and imagine that one of my favorite games is Super Metroid)?

LOL The thought actually never crossed my mind much. I always pictured DMC as a more linear thing. But a free roam DMC would be really interesting. It would be like Dark Souls or Darksiders but with much better gameplay options to do on the fly.

 

[Erian1Mortal]

Just as I post something similar lol...

lol, true, a castlevania approach could work too^^

Fair enough. I hope the longevity of the game and stuff to do will rid my mind of the lack of freedom XD



LOL The thought actually never crossed my mind much. I always pictured DMC as a more linear thing. But a free roam DMC would be really interesting. It would be like Dark Souls or Darksiders but with much better gameplay options to do on the fly.

I think they could base it around the town Dante lives in, so that you have the shop to return too, if you need something (like Devil Arms, Upgrades etc.). If it was to be a sequel to 4 they could even give you the option to use DA's of past games, or let you unlock them at least via stuff to do. couple that with the 3 way weapon system of the new DmC and you're good to go.
Oh god I'm letting to many thoughts slide my brain...

 

[TheNoHeartedBeing]

I like the levels just being simple. Most of the time i don't really feel like revisiting areas. Like in DMC3. Some of the back tracking i could stand but, others i just don't like. I don't know. Maybe im just a little lazy.

 

[AngelMode]

I think they could base it around the town Dante lives in, so that you have the shop to return too, if you need something (like Devil Arms, Upgrades etc.). If it was to be a sequel to 4 they could even give you the option to use DA's of past games, or let you unlock them at least via stuff to do. couple that with the 3 way weapon system of the new DmC and you're good to go.
Oh god I'm letting to many thoughts slide my brain...

It's definitely possible. DMC2/4 were basically side stories of Dante taking on some sort of job. So that's why their stories were lacking so much, since they tried to put too much content into something as simple as "another day in the life of Dante" thing. So it would be great if you could roam around and come back to the shop to upgrade/buy stuff/take on missions to do. But sadly, that doesn't seem to be NT's style.

Capcom may learn from Dragon's Dogma though... and make like a DMC5 that way... who knows.

I like the levels just being simple. Most of the time i don't really feel like revisiting areas. Like in DMC3. Some of the back tracking i could stand but, others i just don't like. I don't know. Maybe im just a little lazy.

Too much backtracking = bad. But a little of it doesn't hurt.

 

[DragonMaster2010]

I'd say that's a bummer, but can't really change that noww. It seems the game will be longer though so you'll have more variety in that sense. In all honesty I always hoped since DMC1 that they would try an open world dmc approach or a castlevania dmc approach where you had complete freedom to choose where to go.... One can still dream though can they (and imagine that one of my favorite games is Super Metroid)?

Do you have a video of Castlvania's world setting? I'd like to see it to know what you mean.

Also, I think the reason back-tracking's so linear is that they wanted to get a little tranversal in, but they didn't want to focus on that too much, because DMC is a hack n' Slash franchise, not an "Uncharted" copy franchise.

 

[Paexie]

I really like the linearity. I despise backtracking in the usual sense. I hate having to retread my steps just to go somewhere new.

It's slows the pace imho especially in action games. RPGs and Sandbox-like games are fine with me if they use that because it give you liberty, they give you a hud and freedom of movement.

Some huds are annoying though. Like Darksiders1 over worlds are just too empty once you clear them up, it gets boring when you have to retread certain areas.

I'm sorry, I might be the minority on this, but I really didn't like the central hud for the Temen ni gru either. It was so confusing the first time I played through it. Most of the steps look the same too. Nothing is extremely distinguishable and everything was pretty much colored in brown palettes. Ugh.

 

[DragonMaster2010]

I really like the linearity. I despise backtracking in the usual sense. I hate having to retread my steps just to go somewhere new.

It's slows the pace imho especially in action games. RPGs and Sandbox-like games are fine with me if they use that because it give you liberty, they give you a hud and freedom of movement.

Some huds are annoying though. Like Darksiders1 over worlds are just too empty once you clear them up, it gets boring when you have to retread certain areas.

I'm sorry, I might be the minority on this, but I really didn't like the central hud for the Temen ni gru either. It was so confusing the first time I played through it. Most of the steps look the same too. Nothing is extremely distinguishable and everything was pretty much colored in brown palettes. Ugh.

Yeah, I hated that too. Especially when you've had no experience with DMC before that, and you ended up having to run all around the place like a chicken with your head cut off. Bare-annoyin'.

 

[8BitHero]

I love the level design of the new game. Adding an environment that shifts around you makes the level(Limbo) a character in the game. It's unpredictable and adds a level of fun when taking enemies down with the shifting environments.
That being said, DMC4 had pretty appealing graphics

Plus they added a crap ton of variety to the stages.
Your gothic-esque city
Jungle
Ice Caverns
Dusty ghost towns which were then set on fire
Metallic science labs

 

[nightrunner_ks]

Just as I post something similar lol...

Perhaps DMC5 will be an open world game following Dante's normal demon-hunting business, no crazyness involved.

 

[Dominus]

Do you have a video of Castlvania's world setting? I'd like to see it to know what you mean.

Also, I think the reason back-tracking's so linear is that they wanted to get a little tranversal in, but they didn't want to focus on that too much, because DMC is a hack n' Slash franchise, not an "Uncharted" copy franchise.

I guess I should say the Metroidvania Castlevanias, but basically like Castlevania Symphony of the Night (PS1) where you have more freedom to explore a castle (or world) and get power ups, etc (like Super Metroid). But it seems other people would want say an open world rpg feel where you select to go on missions in a larger world.

 

[Gbraga]

The level design is horrible, but it's not really what I'm looking for in a DMC game, so I won't really complain.

 

[MegaMad9]

Just to put this out there, I hate backtracking, unless I'm going back to find something in a previous room. But my biggest complaint about DMC3 and DMC4 was the lack of new areas, not to say that the art style of the levels were bad or they had poor graphics (because DMC4 had some sweet graphics), but, especially in DMC3, you are forced to revisit the same areas from before, and it was really annoying for myself

 

[darkmanifest]

I kinda dig backtracking, when you retrace your steps in areas that have been drastically altered by evil forces since the last time you were there. It's a classic horror staple, taking what's become familiar and twisting it to induce a sense of unease, and was especially effective in DMC1. And, like you said, it was fun to explore. Not so much in the later games, though, once they started drifting away from the horror roots.

That said, I'm thankful if DmC won't have us retracing our steps much. I managed to get turned around constantly in the old games until I memorized everything, and DmC has this massive, dramatic cityscape/dreamscape covered in fatal drops. Not a place you want to get confused.

 

[Sieghart]

I guess I should say the Metroidvania Castlevanias, but basically like Castlevania Symphony of the Night (PS1) where you have more freedom to explore a castle (or world) and get power ups, etc (like Super Metroid). But it seems other people would want say an open world rpg feel where you select to go on missions in a larger world.

Try lament of innocence instead of SOTN. Since lament of innocence was closer because it's on 3D.

 

[TyIquan_DmC]

Lament of Innocence is fantastic...

 

[Goldsickle]

On the bright side: No backtracking = no enemies respawning when reentering a room.

Meaning you can't "cheat" in Leaderboards by grinding for Stylish points for hours by backtracking over and over again.