Devil May Cry - The Video Game
Created | Updated May 23, 2005
About 2000 years ago, a fierce devil prince was born deep in the darkest pit of the netherworld.
Within a short time he gained his full powers and took over the Devil Throne. Hist first act as ruler of all devils was to declare himself emperor of the Devil Kingdom. His next feat was an invasion of the human world.
But a powerful devil-knight known as Sparda took pity on humans for their brief, transient lives. Leading a revel force, he defeated all the Devil ruler's armies and finally imprisoned the emperor himself in a sealed vault.
Having achieved his victory, Sparda abandoned the Devil Kingdom to live in the human world. He married a human woman and soon fathered two half devil, half human sons. But beware, mankind. After 2000 years, the cursed Devil Emperor will be released and will return to invade the human world once again. The Son of Sparda must be our protector
- From Devil World History, (age unknown)
In Devil May Cry You play Dante, son of Sparda. You run a private detective agency, specialisng in the supernatural. One night are paid a visit by a woman known only as Trish, you looks eerily like your mother, killed by Mundus ten years ago along with your twin brother, Virgil. She tells you that Mundus is preparing to open a gate between the Human and Demon worlds on Mallet Island. The game begins with Dante forcing open the main gates of the castle of Ardor, perched on the cliff of Mallet Island.
The Game
The idea of gameplay is very simple - You hit stuff. If it gets back up you hit it again, or maybe shoot it. Occasionally you pick stuff up and use it to open doors, before the shooting and stabbing recommences. Dante is very athletic - he can jump high, bounce off walls, dodge out of the way of fireballs and knives and, most impressively, leap over huge holes, all the time with his red cloak flowing behind him.
What makes the game different from other similar games is the Devil Trigger. Whilst holding a devil weapon, Alastor, Ifrit or Sparda, if Dante gets angry, either by being hurt or causing damage to devils, he can transform into his devilish alter-ego by "pulling the Devil Trigger". When he does so he glows brightly, becomes stronger and faster, can do extra attacks, and, when transformed into Alastor, fly. You can remain as a devil until your anger runs out.
Weapons
Dante can hold one of the Devil Arms (Swords) and one gun (or a pair) at a time, and can use both to attack. For example, you can stab the enemy, do a backflip, and as you land, let off a shotgun round into its chest, knocking it over. Then lunge forward and knock it into the air, and so on.
Devil Arms
Force Edge
Dante's own sword, a memento of his father, the devil-knight Sparda. It has no magical power in its current state.
Alastor - The Devil Of Thunder
Alastor is a long broadsword with the head of a dragon as a handle. If you pull the devil trigger whilst holding it, you will transform into Alastor, the devil of thunder. Alastor has increased speed and agility, and can also fly.
Ifrit - The Devil of Flame
Ifrit is a pair of flaming gauntlets. When worn, Dante fights using his own brand of martial arts. If you wear them and pull the devil trigger, you will be transformed into Ifrit. Ifrit has increased strength and the power to set the surroundings on fire.
Sparda
The huge sword weilded by Dante's Father when he defeated Mundus. It has a blade along its entire length, and glows with a red flame. It has three forms - A Curved Sword, An Axe and a Pike, and switches between the three depending on how Dante attacks. Dante cannot use its Devil Power until he reaches new levels of anger.
Guns
Ebony and Ivory1
Dante's pair of handmade handguns, made of Ebony and Ivory. They fire rapidly and, if you are skilled, the recoil can keep Dante suspended in the air. They work just as well at any range, but are the weakest weapon in the game.Shotgun
A double-barrelled shotgun that Dante fires with one hand. It is very powerful at short range and can even knock weak enemies. It needs to be reloaded after every shot, which takes a short time.
Grenadegun
A small, portable grenade launcher that fires explosive shells. It takes a long time to reload, but the blast it serves to enemies is huge. Good to use against the bosses.
Needlegun
A rifle that shoots sharp needles towards the enemy. It is the only gun that can fire underwater, and conversely, it can only fire underwater.
Nightmare-Beta
A strange weapon formed in the underworld. Shoots a powerful beam of energy that rebounds off the walls and scatters around the room. Can be charged up by draining energy from Dante's Devil Meter. It is the most powerful gun in the game if used properly.
Enemies
Here are a small selection of the enemies encountered in the game.
Marionettes
Low class spirits that have to inhabit the bodies of puppets to exist in this world. They attack slowly with blades and daggers.
Sin Scissors/Sin Scythe
Reminscent of "The Death", they fly around, black cloak trailing, attacking with scythes and scissors. They can only be defeated by hitting their masks.
Bosses
Phantom
The first boss of the game. A Gargantuan Devil General in the shape of a spider, with lava for blood. It attacks Dante with fireballs and its front claws.
Nelo Angelo
His name means the Black Angel. He is a Devil-Knight that wields a massive black sword. It is said that he fights squarely and fairly, which is uncommon among the ranks of the Dark Army.
Orbs
When Dante destroys an enemy, it leaves behind red orbs. When Dante collects enough of these he can buy power ups at the beggining of every level. These can be extra moves, more life, more Devil Trigger meter, or special stars that can help you in battle.
Green orbs refil Dante's life slightly. These are occasionally deposited by the stronger enemies. Blue Orbs make your vitality bar longer, but are hidden in places around the castle. Yellow Orbs allow you to restart from the last door you went through should you die.
How the game scores2
| Catagory | Score (/10) |
| Playability | 8 |
| Fun | 10 |
| Graphics | 10 |
| Sound | 9 |
| Durability | 8 |
| Total | 9 |
1The gates of the underworld are made of Ebony and Ivory, according to the greek legend, the Aenead. A nice little touch not explained in the game.2Taken from rough averages of various games websites scores
