Devil May Cry 3

The sequel that Dante really deserved. Ready for some style?

After one shaky sequel, Dante is back in form with an action game that positively exudes coolness. PS2

The first Devil May Cry (already three years old, unbelievably enough) has influenced nearly every action game since its release with smooth moves and effortlessly stylish visuals. The second one, on the other hand, fell victim to its own success--it was so similar to all the Blood Omens and Van Helsings of the world that it failed to stick out as any real achievement anymore. Capcom took its time with the third game, though, and it shows because Devil May Cry 3 is one of the sweetest comeback stories the PS2 has ever seen.

Dope!
Taking place before the first two titles, the third Devil has more than ample room to mess around with the formula a bit. As the game begins, Dante is trying to open up a well-dressed, perfectly moussed ghost-busting outfit when he receives an invitation from his brother Virgil after nearly a year of silence. A friendly house party this is not, however: Dante is immediately attacked by scythe-wielding demons, and before long, our white-haired stud is making his way up an imposing tower that has sprouted in the middle of town.

Being a younger, bolder (?) hero, Dante is very flexible with his fighting moves. Besides the sword/handgun combo series that fans should be familiar with by now, playing as the son of Sparda lets you choose from four fighting modes before each mission, which basically serves to change your style move. Powering up these styles lets you run up walls, unlock more special attacks for your weaponry, and even fight barehanded like a Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon villain. It's a lot to pick up at the beginning, but in practice, it opens up a level of depth to the combo stringing and [X]-button bashing that other action games wish they got for Christmas last year.

Crazy!
The depth doesn't end here. For the third Devil May Cry, Capcom has also messed around with the combo system--there's a little gauge that shows how close you are to the next rank, and, just as in Tony Hawk, repeating moves ad nauseam will result in a lower rating. The result: Every fight involves a bit of strategy that's not obvious from the get-go, which is similar to the gameplay in Ninja Gaiden--and just as in Tecmo's game, every fight is both more difficult and more engaging as a result.

Stylish!
Having to worry about more than button mashing is something new for Devil May Cry, and it can make things tricky in the beginning--even on the easiest level, you'll need to fight intelligently from the start or you'll die a quick, painful death. You won't mind the trial much, though, because the audio/visual package is vastly improved--from the widely varied landscapes to the death-metal soundtrack to Dante's snappy dialogue. In short, it's a killer package.

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