It's not often that a game is criticised for being too easy but that's exactly what happened with Devil May Cry 2. To be fair, the first game is a real challenge, requiring the player to use all of Dante's skills and abilities to overcome the various trials and tribulations of Mallet Island. Devil May Cry 2 can mostly be completed by spamming Dante's pistols which suffice to say, certainly made it an easier ride. It wasn't just the difficulty which disappointed fans though. Devil May Cry is an absolute masterclass in atmosphere and setting; with the Cathedral in which most of the game takes place being very memorable and haunting. Obviously Devil May Cry 2 couldn't simply just recreate that setting but it opts for a more open-world location that didn't really suit the game all that well. Dante himself was a mere shell; his cockiness and constant chatter which had made fans fall in love with him in the first place was all but removed. The weapon system was also a lot less refined; in Devil May Cry, different weapons were suited for different scenarios and enemies, but in DMC 2 certain weapons were clearly upgrades of previous ones, rendering the early weapons obsolete too quickly. A new character also enters the fray, but sadly Lucia's missions largely recycled material from Dante's. For a series which focused so heavily on characterisation and style, Devil May Cry 2 was a major step back. Still, it proved to simply be a blip as the follow-up Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening (a prequel story) is often regarded as the series' finest moment. We can all agree to overlook Capcom's shortcomings here then, as long as we all promise never to speak of this again.
I have an addiction to achievements, a craving for new bands and a dream to become Captain America. I once finished second in a Mario Kart 7 tournament so I'm kind of a big deal.
