Gaming Target - PlayStation 2: Devil May Cry

Written by Omer Ali on May 17, 2001

First Impressions: Capcom didn't make me cry, just wet my pants!

Move over Resident Evil, make some room Parasite Eve, because here come Devil May Cry. The newest survival horror game from the master of survival horror Shinji Mikami. Shinji Mikami is the brain behind the Resident Evil series. It's because of this guy that gamers are afraid of the dark, except for me. Nothing scares me.

The concept for Devil May Cry came about during the development of the Resident Evil version for PS2. As the game was being designed Shinji Mikami did not like the path the game was taking and decided to give the game an entire overhaul. The concept moved from killer zombies to demons from hell.

The story revolves around a half-demon half-human warrior named Dante. Dante is the result of a demon warrior who turned against hell and drove away the demons that were trying to take over Earth. Sometime in the future Dante's family is killed by the demons and the apocalypse begins. Dante with his superior strength, agility, and intelligence takes up the fight for human kind, ultimately leading him to a battle with Satan himself.

The player will have a whole arsenal from which to fight the demons with. Dante comes packed with two guns named Ebony and Ivory and a long sword that resembles the one in the movie Blade. The sword comes with its own powers that will change throughout the game. In the beginning the sword has a lightning element attached to it that deal lightning damage to your opponents. The sword also has some connection to Dante's transformation ability. Dante can at times transform himself into a winged demon that can deal tremendous amounts of damage to all opponents on the screen. The transformation only last for a small period of time, the players health bar changes when Dante transforms. When the transformation bar depletes Dante converts back into his humanoid form.

The atmosphere of Devil May Cry is very detailed and gothic in nature. The castle, in which the game starts, is amazingly detailed with beautifully rendered backgrounds that send chills down your spine. The lighting effects truly give you the feel of being in a haunted castle. The monsters look so real that you'll have to keep reminding yourself that it's just a game. This game makes Onimusha look like the teacups ride at Disney World. Prepare to be scared.