Devil May Cry 2: The Denial of Challenge

 Devil May Cry 2: The Denial of Challenge

Note: If you have yet to read my initial review of the first Devil May Cry game, I implore you to do so, as this review will contain spoilers for the first Devil May Cry. This review of its less-than-stellar sequel expands on the ideas of challenge in video games as explored in my previous review. Please click here if you have not read my review of the first game yet.

In its early days, the Devil May Cry franchise was still attempting to find its footing and root itself into a brand of uniqueness that would make it stand out among other games at the time. This was understandable given the series' origins. First intended to be a spin-off of the popular survival horror franchise Resident Evil, the first Devil May Cry game invokes a more action-adventure style than the other series at the time, something that made it stand out right away. Unfortunately, the direction of the series was muddled at the time, as the company that owned the rights to the game, Capcom, did not put its original director, Hideki Kamiya, in charge of creating its sequel. Instead, a new director was put in place for the game's sequel. While credit for this position would later go to video game developer Hideaki Itsuno--who would also be the lead director for the rest of the franchise's main installments--his involvement in the game's development came after Capcom believed the original director to have missed the mark in what the game should have been. Thus, Itsuno was brought in to try and salvage the apparently lackluster follow-up.

Unfortunately, his involvement in the game was unable to fully bring 2003's Devil May Cry 2 anywhere near the level of quality seen in the first game. Following the events of Paradise Island and his defeat of Mundus, half-demon and demon hunter Dante is seen in a museum gathering an item known as the Medaglia. He is intercepted by a woman named Lucia who is also in search of the item. She ends up taking him to Dumary Island where her mother, Matier, informs Dante that she once fought alongside his father, Sparda, to defend the island against demon hordes. She recruits Dante to help save not only the island, but the world from Arius, a businessman who wants to use an item called the Arcana to raise a demon named Argosax. Arius' hope is that Argosax can help him achieve world domination through his demonic powers, something that requires a rift between Earth and the demon world to form. While at first reluctant--and now flipping a coin for whatever reason to make his decisions for him--Dante agrees to help. And so begins the strange, turbulent experience that is Devil May Cry 2.

The first thing I noticed about the game was how rushed and unfocused the story was compared to the first game. While the initial installment had a rather straightforward story (with a couple of really good and really cheesy parts in between), Devil May Cry 2 plays as a jumbled mess. This is mostly because the campaign is split into two parts. In the first part, the player controls Dante, while the second--and rather optional--part involves playing as Lucia (who I did not play as because after finishing Dante's story and not having as much fun as the first game, I didn't want to take my chances). Unfortunately, their stories do not converge in many meaningful ways throughout the game, nor do the plot developments appear to happen in any sensical order. For the most part, the game involves running around different levels on the island as Dante. Sometimes this is through a city, other times in a building, and still more times in borderline demonic crypts. The end of each level typically features a boss battle. Instead of using skills, timing, and strategy to beat these bosses, however, you can typically get through the game by shooting at them until their health bar drains to zero.

This is made easier, of course, with the upgrade system. Everything about the game is the same as its predecessor with a few minor changes. Blue Orbs and Blue Orb Fragments remain the same, with Fragments being collectable throughout different levels and full Orbs being available in the shop to increase Dante's total health. Purple Orbs are also available in the shop, once again being used to increase the totality of Dante's Devil Trigger, a powerful state built up over time by killing enemies, making Dante move faster and attack with more speed and strength. The only major change to Orbs is the Yellow Orb, now known as the Gold Orb. While still meant as a way to revive Dante after he dies, it's use as a life system is nullified because you can only ever hold one at a time. This wasn't a problem for me, though, because I never died in the game.

Red Orbs are still the currency for both a shop full of health and power items as well as weapons upgrades. They are no longer necessary to progress to certain parts of a level, however, meaning you're able to save more of them up at one time to go toward upgrades. Unfortunately, the upgrade system had been dumbed down drastically. While guns remain as having levels for power as they did in the first game, weapons now also can only be upgraded through levels that increase their power. Gone is the excitement of spending Red Orbs to get new moves for your weapons. So is the reliance on weapons that aren't your standard ones. While I could use the Rocket Launcher, it doesn't have the same firing rate as Ebony and Ivory and doesn't deal as much damage as it should. Sure, it would be fun to swing a big sword like the Vendetta around, but the base weapon, Rebellion, is simply a better choice because it cuts into enemies faster.

Alongside these weapon downgrades, however, are a few new upgrades in the form of amulets. These amulets are additional collectables that can be used to give Dante new abilities. Three amulets can be equipped at one time, each in a different slot: One for Movement, one for Attribute, and one for Support. Movement amulets give Dante different movement capabilities, such as flight in Devil Trigger or enhanced running speed. Attribute amulets give different elemental power-ups to Dante's sword, such as fire or electricity, to increase the damage of his physical attacks. Support amulets add different effects to combat, such as slowed-down time or enhanced healing. While on paper this mechanic sounds like an interesting and unique direction to take the series in, it unfortunately had little practical use given the game's biggest flaw: It's one of the easiest I've ever played, in and out of the Devil May Cry franchise.

Almost all boss battles in the game can be solved by shooting the enemy until they die. There is very little strategy to each fight outside of a few that served as a challenge mostly due to the boss dealing heavy damage. Almost every enemy can be cut down using a few swings of your sword, made even easier upon upgrading. The levels are very straightforward with only a few that require genuine exploration in order to progress via the rather simple puzzles littered throughout. If it wasn't for the fact that I'm crazy and thought upgrading all of my weapons in case I needed them was a good idea, I could have easily beaten this game in two or three sittings--which, not counting sessions grinding for Red Orbs, I did. Everything challenging about the first Devil May Cry barring the same type of save system--one that saves your items and sends you back to the start of a mission should you get a Game Over--is stripped away, replacing it was a very simplistic, cookie-cutter experience that honestly isn't worth experiencing.

Devil May Cry 2 and its heavily-lowered difficulty is a testament to why video games need some level of challenge in them, especially if they're a hack-and-slash that was designed to make players think strategically while also lending themselves to a fast-paced environment. The first game succeeded so well with this, causing frustration because of the high levels of skill needed, expanding the relief and sense of victory at finally getting through another part of the game. The second game, on the other hand, destroys this in favor of a more streamlined experience that doesn't require much skill to pull off. It's a massive downgrade because of how easy it is, making the game boring in comparison to the first. The game doesn't just make it so there isn't any challenge; it outright denies its audience from engaging in challenge at all, making it a rather dull experience.

The necessity for challenge, especially in the hack-and-slash subgenre, can make players have to think on their feet while also honing their skills as a gamer by giving them obstacles they truly have to try and beat. To give players everything they need right away is to make the gameplay unmemorable and to make the game one that players are less likely to replay. A depletion of challenge, especially for the second installment in a series, is the best way to drive a previously-established player base away in favor of what amounts to stale gameplay and too much repetition. Challenge is a necessity in gaming because of how the feeling of finishing a challenging game rewards its players. The absence of challenge is also the absence of a necessary part of what making gaming a worthwhile experience. Kind of like how, in real life, you have to struggle for what you want, the challenges stacked against players in the game are required to progress. The difference being that the struggles in-game will always lead to the reward of more progression, something that feels cheaply negated when difficulty is stripped away.

This is why I cannot recommend Devil May Cry 2, as it reflects some of the most lackluster attributes in gaming. Luckily, Capcom saw this as well, leading to a more prosperous future for the franchise later down the road--and one that does its best to keep its distance from both the gameplay quality and events of the second game. You could very well skip the second game and head straight for Devil May Cry 3 without ever missing an important, story-related development while also not having to suffer through the rather deep bump in the road for the franchise. Given his stellar work on later installments, I'm sure Itsuno did his best in the director's chair to salvage the game as best he could. Unfortunately, this project wasn't one worth saving. However, it does do a very good job at expressing why challenge is important in video games, and why the denial of it can lead to a rather dull, unappealing, and uninteresting experience.

If you're crazy and want to experience the monotony for yourself, Devil May Cry 2 is available for purchase on the Nintendo Switch as a standalone game, or in the Devil May Cry HD Collection for Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The HD Collection also includes the first and third installments--which I would play over this game any day of the week. My advice: Don't deny yourself the experience of a good challenge. Don't play Devil May Cry 2.

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