Instead of them… well, just being there and society moving on regardless. In one swift move, the idea of Limbo allowed Ninja Theory to insert demons into a representation of a modern world. Ninja Theory’s solution to this was the concept of Limbo. I loved to play those games and the deep combat systems they offered up, but the context in which all that fun was found never really added up. Yet Dante was already a badass ready to mess up the demons alongside almost parody perversions of his female sidekicks. They appeared to be showing up for the first time, destroying the world.
When Dante’s origins story was told in Devil May Cry 3, the world appeared to be decimated by a demon uprising. If we take a minute to look back on the world in which Dante lived before Ninja Theory got involved, it was – if we’re being totally honest with ourselves – a bit of a mess. Even the presence of human demon collaborators added a kind of Blade feel to the game. Even Dante’s brother, Virgil, seeks to undermine demon-kind by setting up an activist group that is blatantly based on Anonymous. It made it more relate-able as it played on the widely discussed conspiracy theories of our contemporary world. It made it more intelligent and personal. It turns out the secret ingredient for Virility comes from a demonic succubus that dwells under the Virility factory.Įven as a hardcore fan of the original franchise, I loved this new direction for Devil May Cry. While ordinary humans are kept lazy and under control by the game’s equivalent of Coca Cola – a drink called Virility. The news media in DMC is run by a demon, pushing propaganda that keeps demon-kind safe and concealed. This allowed Ninja Theory to make some strong statements about the state of our real world and the corruption that lies in politics and corporate interests. As we learn very early on, the world’s economies are controlled through debt with the Demon King, Mundus at the head of it all. It’s no coincidence the world looks to be designed by the demons themselves either. As we discover more about Dante’s past, his memories come back to him in the form of exquisite artworks, which undoubtedly started life as late stage concept art phases. Ninja Theory saw an opportunity to lovingly craft a new convincing world with the utmost focus on artistic direction. Buildings are modern yet Gothic with weeping angels of stone atop them and Dante’s new world appears to be designed by the demons themselves, reminiscent of the great tower in Devil May Cry 3.
While it may appear to take place in our contemporary world, look a little closer and you’ll see a fictional world with a modern aesthetic.
Suffice it to say, DMC: Devil May Cry has aged very well indeed and having played through it again through sheer force of nostalgia, I’m happy to report that it still holds up as an utterly fantastic feast for the senses.Īs we play through the game, our brains are treated to a perfectly blended cocktail of music by Noisia and Combichrist as well as fantastic world design. Dante and Virgil appeared convincing as biological brothers and facial animation and lip sync was hard to look away from at the time. As we now know from Hellblade, character models are Ninja Theory’s speciality and DMC was no exception. Visually, DMC was stunning, taking advantage of the Unreal 3 Engine about as well it possibly could have. Developed by Ninja Theory, the incredibly tight knit and capable team that would go on to bring us Hellblade, very few people would have been aware of just how skilled a team was working on this remake.
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