Devil May Cry: 10 Reasons It's Awesome

Ninja Theory's reboot of the Devil May Cry series was not a game I was looking forward to. Reboots are bad enough in the film world, and to see it now transpiring into video games is certainly more than a little troubling; it indicates that imagination and invention is at an all-time low, that developers are keen to simply rehash old ideas in a new style to rinse gamers of their hard-earned cash. I love the Devil May Cry series, and didn't even really feel like there was anything wrong with the formula, yet this game proves above all else that having an open-mind is a great thing, because this latest entry proves to be one of the best yet. Fixing some of the issues I had with the series as well as a few I hadn't even thought of, the latest outing is a diversion from what we know, but the developers are also smart enough not to change those elements which were most successful. Here's 10 reasons why the new Devil May Cry is awesome and well worth your money.

10. It's Just What The Series Needs

002 As much as I hate to admit it, one has to wonder quite where the Devil May Cry series was going to go after the last instalment, which was released back in 2008, and despite strong sales and critical acclaim, really made it clear that there wasn't much left of the creative well to mine. While some would suggest that this would normally signal the natural end of the series, this reboot, which sets itself in an alternate reality, actually works against the odds, because it fashions itself as a new story that isn't really indebted to the original series but is inevitably going to be something that fans of those games will be interested in. Sure, the gameplay mechanics could have been transposed onto an entirely new franchise, but a) that franchise would be lambasted for just copying DMC's style and b) from a financial perspective, why wouldn't they continue to use the Devil May Cry name? It's depressing when business dictates creativity most of the time, but this is one rare instance where a change of pace, style and tone is actually just what the series needs, especially given that we're not ready for the series to end yet. A fifth straight DMC game would likely have felt a bit bland and also-ran by 2013, but to revitalise the series so radically is a daring, seemingly successful move.
 
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Frequently sleep-deprived film addict and video game obsessive who spends more time than is healthy in darkened London screening rooms. Follow his twitter on @ShaunMunroFilm or e-mail him at shaneo632 [at] gmail.com.