Club Retro 2020: October - Horror & N64
Nov 7, 2020 20:19:35 GMT -5
Post by Xeogred on Nov 7, 2020 20:19:35 GMT -5
On balance, I still think it's a good game. But coming off of the sublime DMC, I get how Internet hyperbole kicked in and deemed it one of the worst games ever. It certainly isn't that, but it would have been incredibly disappointing. I'd probably say it took me 7-8 hours total to finish off both discs, and I don't hate my time with it, but I doubt I ever revisit it. I bequeath it a 7/10.
This is the same kind of take I had on it ultimately in the end too. I played DMC1-DMC2 for the first time via the PS3 HD remaster collection (one of the better collections at the time from what I recall, the graphics and everything were upscaled really well). So yeah I played DMC2 detached from all the fever around it... it's still an easy punching bag of a game to rag on for me, but it really is simply because it's a very weak DMC game. If it were a completely different IP with some character swaps, on it's own against other games, it's a pretty alright action game. Good action game, average DMC game. I didn't hate the time I spent with it, but I also agree with Sarge that it's one I never plan to touch again.
Ex : What if I told you DMC1 has a bit of a Souls-esque atmosphere to it? The first game actually tries to be the most serious but much like games of its time, the voice acting is unintentionally hilarious. Outside of that though, the oppressive tone and setting is fantastic. You can definitely see how it and RE4 have some shared development lineage. The first game is a little chunkier too and to me, makes it the hardest DMC in a lot of ways. I had a blast playing DMC1 when I finally got around to it. I weirdly started on DMC4 and DMC3 first with this series.
For my tastes though, it is the Hideaki Itsuno era (DMC3-DMC5, don't let his credits for DMC2 fool anyone. He was last minute and couldn't salvage it) his era is the one that really defines the series for me. The tone is more demon slaying TMNT goofy fun and Itsuno's fighting game background clearly took the combat system to another level from DMC3 and up. I'll give props to Hideki Kamiya for creating the DMC series with the first game, then later Bayonetta, and I wouldn't change a thing about DMC1. But if we're just talking pure combat prowess, I think Itsuno is an even better designer/director, and he's the guy with DMC3 that made Dante the snarky goofball that we all know and love nowadays.