Devil May Cry (series)

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Devil May Cry is an action-horror series of video games developed by Capcom and created by Shinji Mikami.

The success of the series has led to the creation of comic books, novelizations, an upcoming anime series, guides, collectibles, publications, and a variety of action figures.

As of 2007 there are three games in the mainstream series with a fourth installment currently under production.

The series takes its name from lead-character Dante's shop, around which the series revolves

1 Common Gameplay Elements
- 1.1 Series Innovations
2 Series Origins
3 Allusions to "The Divine Comedy"
4 Other Media
5 References

[edit] Common Gameplay Elements

Dante does battle with a group of "Hell Pride" demons in Devil May Cry 3. Note the style rank and the three red circles next to the health bars, denoting that the player has raised the Swordmaster style (see "Series Innovations", below) to the 3rd and highest level.

Gameplay focuses primarily on fast and 'stylish' combat; gaining a high style ranking requires long attack and evasion strings while avoiding damage. In later games, the system was slightly modified so players had to actively vary the attacks used, so as to maintain the style rank. The style rank is tracked during combat with letter grades, from worst to best: D, C, B, A, S. They are also represented by words that start with the first letter of the class, "Dull" for D for example. The third game introduced "SS" and "SSS" ranks, which will continue in the fourth. Each game section, or "Mission", is also ranked using these letters.

The game also features some puzzle-solving and exploration elements retained from its survival horror beginnings, but these are downplayed; Devil May Cry games put emphasis on action.

The Devil Trigger ability enables the player's character to transform into a devil-like form with additional powers based on their current weapon, while the character's strength and speed increase and health is slowly restored. In the third game, the energy used to fuel this ability could be "charged" for an explosion attack.

Dante is generally the lead character in the games, though Devil May Cry 2 featured two other characters who could be selected instead of him (Lucia or Trish), the Special Edition of Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening allowed the player to use Vergil, and Devil May Cry 4 will feature a new protagonist named Nero.

[edit] Series Innovations

Each game in the series has added new elements to the gameplay.

Devil May Cry introduced the 'style' meter and ranking, encouraging players to attack and evade continuously while avoiding damage.

Devil May Cry 2 introduced the ability to perform combination attacks in mid-air and the concept of an evasion button. It also introduced a weapon-change button, so the player could cycle through ranged weapons without switching to the inventory screen.

Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening added a selection of gameplay styles, allowing the player to focus on their favorite techniques or weapons, whether it be swords, guns, evasion or defense. Each of the four basic styles gain experience points, which unlock more techniques and abilities without costing 'red orbs', the common currency of the series. A second weapon-change button was added, allowing the player to cycle through the character's melee weaponry as well.

Devil May Cry: 5th Anniversary Collection has DMC1, DMC2, and DMC3 Special Edition in one box.

Devil May Cry 4 is bringing at least one known innovation in the form of lead-character Nero's "Devil Bringer" arm, which will give players the ability to pull distant enemies in to be attacked, push them away, or smash them into the ground.

[edit] Series Origins

In 1998, after the completion of Resident Evil 2, preliminary work on a PlayStation 2 installment of the Resident Evil series began under the direction of Hideki Kamiya, under the name "Team Little Devil". Capcom continued producing and publishing other titles in the series, both internally (Resident Evil 3: Nemesis was originally intended to be a side-story, but was marketed as a true sequel) and externally (Resident Evil Code: Veronica was developed by Nextech Corporation under Capcom Studio 4's supervision). Early R&D work included a trip to Spain to examine various castles as a basis for the game's environments. However, in prototype status, it proved to be a radical departure from the established Resident Evil formula and the survival horror genre in general. Rather than abandon the project entirely, the premise was changed and it eventually became Devil May Cry.^[1]

Although the series is substantially different from its original inspiration, its lineage is still apparent, from the recurring boss characters and tendency towards grotesque adversaries, the need to solve elaborate puzzles to proceed, to the "This Game Contains Scenes Of Violence And Gore" warning at the opening sequence and "You Are Dead" game over screens. The violent finishing moves some monsters can perform are also reminiscent of its lineage.

[edit] Allusions to "The Divine Comedy"

The series alludes to The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri in the structure of many of the series' locations which typically resemble Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso, as well as in some of the character names. Dante is the main protagonist of the games, while the author Dante Alighieri is the lead character in his own book. In the game, Vergil is the name of Dante's rival twin brother, while in the poem the ancient Roman poet Publius Vergilius Maro (called Virgil in English) is the author's guide. Cerberus is another example, and appears as a gatekeeper boss in the third game's third mission, whereas Dante meets Cerberus in the third circle in Canto VI of Inferno.

Much of Devil May Cry 3 takes place within the tower of Temen-ni-gru whose name is similar to the Sumerian E-temen-ni-gur, the main ziggurat of Ur, while its construction resembles that of Purgatory in The Divine Comedy, the mountain that linked Earth and Heaven.

However this is mainly an aesthetic similarity, and the series borrows from a very wide range of sources for inspiration.

[edit] Other Media

Cover of the manga

Dante in the anime

Two "Devil May Cry" novels, both written by Shin-Ya Goikeda, have been published, first in Japan in 2002 and later translated and released in the U.S. in 2006. The first, entitled "Devil May Cry" on its cover and "Devil May Cry Volume 1" inside, was published in Japan in conjunction with the release of the first game, and depicts Dante in an adventure set before the events of the first game. The second novel (entitled "Devil May Cry 2" in the U.S.) was published in Japan to coincide with the release of the second game, and takes place after the events of the first game. Publisher TokyoPop released the books in the U.S. in June and November of 2006, respectively.

Two volumes of a planned 3-part "Devil May Cry 3" manga series have been published in Japan and the U.S. Taking place about a year before the events of Devil May Cry 3, the manga tells the story of how the characters came to where they were at the start of the game. Whether the events of the manga are considered canon by the game developers is currently unknown.

An anime series entitled "Devil May Cry" starring Dante is scheduled to debut on the WOWOW TV network in Japan in spring of 2007. The series is scheduled for 12 episodes.^[2]^[3] The show is being produced by the anime studio Madhouse and is being directed by Shin Itagaki. Bingo Morihashi, one of the writers for the third and fourth games, is on the writing staff. Early artwork features Dante in his garb from the first game, but wielding the Rebellion sword, which was not seen in that game and first appeared in the second.