This is a secondary review that is shorter and cut down from the one PSEra will recieve tomorrow from a different writer. I apologize for the short length and lack of info and appropriate scoring. A lot of people said they enjoyed my reviews here so I don\'t see why you guys can\'t read a short one that gets the point across regardless. I hope you enjoy it. (It\'s much better then TShirts\' "Review," trust me. 
Devil May CryJohn Woo is amazing. Even though he is not involved in the development of Devil May Cry in any capacity whatsoever, I felt I should mention that small fact before continuing on simply because he pioneered the akimbo weapon style into films and turned it from a clumsy random style into a beautifully accurate art form, a form so beautiful and deadly in fact that it is faithfully represented in so many different films today as well as one stunningly fun game called Devil May Cry.
For practical purposes, akimbo weapons are utterly useless. Most people on this Earth can barely shoot with one hand properly let alone aiming perfectly with two weapons at a single or even separate targets. However, thanks to an incredibly stylistic control formula and our protagonist Dante, a half devil half human hybrid, taking out all sorts of evil enemies and the like with a pair of handguns and a massive sword that would make the Soul Calibur jealous is only the beginning.
Speaking of swords, the sword Dante carries is called “Woozy” for about the first thirty minutes of the game until he upgrades to the sweet Alastor Sword that is empowered by lightning giving Dante the ability to transform into his alternate devil-ish ego. The alternate form allows Dante to perform special attacks, fly and even regain health, but it is only available on a limited basis. The Devil form, an inherited trait from his father’s side I assume seeing how his father was a devil, allows his human form to sustain loads of punishment. Several times Dante will be impaled by a sword only to rise to his feet and pull it out as if nothing ever happened.
When it comes to Capcom and its survival horror games however, control is not their strong suit. The static backgrounds and turning speeds of the characters make navigating the games a veritable chore and a half even for a concept as brilliant as Onimusha or Resident Evil with the production values to boot. Thankfully, Devil May Cry does not fall victim to any of these short comings and instead brings us gamers a combination of tight control with real-time fully polygonal backgrounds and crisp flowing action that floors us with every press of the trigger.
The problem is of course that even though the backgrounds are not static, in most places the camera is offering an uncomfortable angle that offers plain view of most areas but also shows obstructions as Dante draws closer to the camera’s position. Several obstructions in certain levels such as pillars or statues offer some resistance to the overall camera design as the obstructions depth are difficult to determine from a specific angle. Problematic camera angles are something Capcom just can’t seem to leave behind, even with Devil May Cry and real-time fully polygonal graphics, but the camera problems for DMC are a mere scrape in this games splendorous armor.
I am of course speaking about the awesome graphics in the game representing a varied immense castle full of mile high ceilings, enormous statues and an exuberant amount of highly detailed rooms and textures bringing this stylistic gothic setting to life. Rooms breathe and move as you explore them making the castle appear as if it were alive unlike most of its horrific inhabitants. The plus side to all this is that it all operates in real time with up to fifteen enemies on screen at once manipulating their range of attacks depending on their distance with Dante jumping, rolling and unloading his arsenal at a blistering constant 60 frames per second.
Levels show an immense level of variety ranging from a sunken ship to an outer courtyard and even to the depths of the water surrounding the castle. Later on in the levels, gamers will be treated to a first person area where you spend the entire time exploring in this view and fighting enemies as they come to pass. The effects in that one particular level are utterly astounding bringing a whole new definition to the word “cool” from Shinji Mikami, the games Director.
However, although the graphics are a marvel and now becoming standard with the Playstation 2, the best part of the game is what it is designed for: its gameplay.
You start off with a sword and a pair of handguns as well as a multitude of attacks that are plenty enough to obliterate any and all competition. However, seeing as how this is a game made by Capcom, the weapons or skills do not end there, not by a long shot. As mentioned before, after about a half hour of gameplay, your sword gets upgraded to the Alastor and Dante gains the ability to transform into his devil half. After playing for a bit longer, you gain access to the wondrous Ifrit gauntlets and hand to hand attacks ensue ranging from Street Fighter-esque dragon punches to whirlwind attacks that promote close quarter combat at an incredible pace.
Additionally, at a shop of sorts in the game or castle rather, you can upgrade your weapons to new levels or add new features to them. The weapons range from shotguns to rocket launchers to needle guns and each one has their own specific strengths and weaknesses which can be combined with the sword or gauntlet to create some really devastating combinations.
The game also has an orb system that requires Dante to collect red orbs to "purchase" skills and open certain locked doors. The orbs themselves range in color much like the spirits of demons in Onimusha and offer several different things to Dante including continues, life, devil meter, and money. Also in the game is a rating given to the style and execution of your combos on the enemies. Higher ratings give you more orbs as the enemy dies. A simple constant shotgun blast to a marionette will reward you with a smattering of red orbs, but juggle that sucker into the air with a few slashes and finish him off with an aerial shotgun combo or special attack and the rating will change and spew a dozen more orbs then usual.
The bosses in the game are the best characters hands down leading off each fight with a cinematic scene of sorts all in real-time sporting some of the best voice work in a Capcom game. The bosses themselves sport an uncanny number of effects that bring them to life with a fairly recognizable pattern that begs to be learned so you can jump in there and dish out the pain. Each boss has their own weaknesses and each level you fight them on is completely original and wondrous. The Griffon battle is exceptionally wonderful as he flaps in the sky swooping at you with his claws and long black feathers.
As each boss battle starts, or any battle for that matter, the upbeat techno music starts signifying the beginning of a truly awesome spectacle of swords and gunplay. The techno music is nothing we have never heard before and it most certainly will never get any Grammy nominations, but it\'s enough to get your heart racing at a pace just a bit slower then Dante\'s break-neck speed. The sound effects are quite amazing has well supporting a surround sound effect that is rivaled only by Silent Hill 2\'s simulated surround sound effect. As magical demonic hands and souls block doors, the hands reach out to grab you and damage you a tiny smidge when you attempt to open it, but watching the hand outstretch and obliterate to a beautiful glass breaking sound is fairly amazing once you finally discover the secret to unlocking it.
In total, I would say there is about ten or so hours worth of great gameplay minimum in here that differs with each level or mission you encounter with some awesome graphical effects that make your jaw hit the floor on more then one occasion. The gameplay, albeit slightly derived from Sword of the Berzerk and Onimusha, is something that comes off as very original with a pace unseen in a fully 3D action game. Speaking of action, no game to date on any console even comes close to the new levels that Devil May Cry presents with a pace that just never stops with all the unlimited enemies and Dante\'s case of unlimited ammo.
Final Score: 9.1/10
