10 Years On, Was Ninja Theory’s DmC Really That Bad?

"Not in a million years."

DMC

If you had to point to a franchise and call it the defining example of the character action genre, odds are that you’d suggest Devil May Cry. Capcom’s iconic action series, Devil May Cry has entertained and challenged players from around the world for the best part of two decades at this point, but after four entries by 2008, Capcom felt that it was time for a change, passing the reins off to Ninja Theory so they could have a crack.

The results have left fans divided ever since, but on the 10th anniversary of DmC: Devil May Cry’s release date, was it ever that bad to begin with?

Ninja Theory’s take on Devil May Cry was undoubtedly different from Capcom’s original vision. The gameplay added a whole new element in the form of light and dark weapons, which players could use by holding one of the triggers and attacking, meaning they could batter demons with three different weapons at once. Even if it was just for building that style meter, it was a solid change.

However, the main difference was the overall style, tone and story, which made some choices, let’s say. From the FOX News allegory in Bob Barbas, or the entire section of the game that felt like the Slurm factory in Futurama, DmC’s aesthetic was perhaps too grimy or edgy for some, and that’s without getting into the fact that they put Vergil in a fedora. Capcom’s Devil May Cry always felt cool because it never shied away from being a little bit dorky and weird, while DmC came across like it was trying too hard.

DMC Dante
Source: Ninja Theory

As for the good or bad debate, a lot of DmC’s reputation has been rehabbed quite effectively by the Definitive Edition, which included a host of changes and upgrades to the core formula that most players would appreciate. One of the more significant changes was the framerate boost on consoles, which finally allowed players to enjoy the game at 60fps, making the combat feel much more fluid as a result.

The Hardcore mode was also a welcome change, which modified the gameplay, difficulty and other settings to bring DmC more in line with the original games. Enemies deal out slightly more damage than usual, and the Style meter is much harder to build, while players are no longer forced to use the light and dark weapons in order to damage the blue and red enemies respectively. Also, DmC: Definitive Edition made the decision to remove Vergil’s fedora, which surely should have earned it some game of the year nominations.

DmC might be more fondly remembered by Devil May Cry fans these days thanks to the changes made by the Definitive Edition, but the truth is that DmC was a pretty good game anyway when it first launched — it just that Ninja Theory’s game happened to be different from anything Capcom produced previously. Sometimes, we just need to remember that different doesn’t necessarily mean bad. Besides, Capcom themselves take the crown for the worst Devil May Cry game thanks to DMC 2.

God, that game sucks.

READ MORE: 10 Best Character Action Games of All Time

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