Devil May Cry 3 marks an incredible return to form for the demon slaying Dante. This game is frenetic, fun, and filled with blissful combat. It is a mighty fine effort, and the HD remaster is an excellent way to relive this game, which would make it notably better than the original PlayStation 2 version.
Apart from the fact that the cinematic sequences are still low resolution, the narrative is far better in this game, and it is remarkable that this originally ran on the PlayStation 2. There's so much going on under the hood.
Between the different fighting styles you can choose from, the quiet experience system, and the combo system, there's lots to keep you busy as you juggle enemies.
In this game, audio is not a drag like the second, and the personality of Dante is given more opportunity to shine than both prior games.
He's all about one liners, talking a lot (especially when others aren't interrupting him) and cheesy dialogue.
There's ostentatious action sequences throughout this game, and it is all beyond over the top. From using a motorcycle as a melee weapon, to ... wielding a scythe that's also an electric guitar, there's layer upon layer of absurdity abounding in this game's cut scenes.
Too bad they look like they were rendered on a mashed potato.
This game is all about the sibling rivalry between Dante and his brother Vergil. They fight throughout the game, and the limited cast of NPCs that surround them only add marginal elements to the plot.
The game isn't so much about the narrative though, this is something that is all about the game play, doing cool stunts, and slaying demons like they're nothing more than melting better under your sword blade.
This is an exceptionally fun title, and an excellent redemption after the truly awful second game in the series. This is probably the best one yet - especially given how smoothly the thing runs - and on the PC, it delivers wonderful frame timing, with zero stuttering.
Not hard for a game released over a decade ago, but the fact that this is remastered to work on a modern operating system is something that I'm grateful for. I probably won't play this again, but it was wonderful to play.
My recommended order for the Devil May Cry series so far:
- DMC: Devil May Cry
- Devil May Cry
- Pretend Devil May Cry 2 doesn't exist
- Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition
I've got two more games left in this series, and it will be interesting to see what modern gimmick the next two in the series add when I manage to get through them.