Devil May Cry HD Collection (Video Game Review)

The Devil May Cry series was introduced in 2001 and instantly became a highly successful series that spawned many similar titles to the action gaming genre. With the release of Devil May Cry 2 in 2003 and Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening in 2005, the series continued to make innovations that allowed it to remain one of the best action series around. These three games that started a gaming revolution are now available with revamped HD graphics and bonus content in the Devil May Cry HD Collection.

The three games follow a half demon named Dante who uses his inherited demonic powers and fighting abilities to defeat evil demons. Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening is actually the first game in the Devil May Cry timeline, and it follows a younger Dante who must conquer a mysterious and ominous tower in order to challenge his brother Vergil--who is after Dante's half of a medallion each left to the two brothers by their mother. Needless to say, Dante survives the challenges presented to him in this game, and the original Devil May Cry takes place in the near future. Dante is now running a shop known as Devil May Cry when a mysterious woman appears and convinces him to accompany her to a remote island in order to stop a deadly demon from returning to their world. After this adventure, Dante teams up with a female named Lucia to stop a powerful madman from attaining world domination with the help of a powerful demon resurrection.

All three titles offer their own legacy to the Devil May Cry mythology, and each should be played for these reasons alone. The main problem with these titles is their age. Even Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening is already nearly 7 years old, and with this age comes camera and control issues. They aren't something that will keep a true gamer from enjoying these classics, but picky gamers should be warned. The improved graphics in the game are a huge welcome. While they still aren't the best around, they have been greatly improved since their initial releases. The main menu is slightly frustrating as well, because switching games requires you to completely reboot your game, as there is no way to return to the game select screen once you've chosen a game to play. Despite these few minor complaints, the Devil May Cry HD Collection contains three tremendously entertaining games for a MSRP of only $40, so you won't find a better deal anywhere. Each game makes vast improvements over the previous entry, and the original gameplay is incredibly fun even before receiving the enhancements of the newer titles. Anyone interested in the history of gaming and how we got to the current state of games should check out this collection. In fact, anyone looking for a good game or a great deal should pick up the Devil May Cry HD Collection today.

Game Features

Single Player

HD Graphics

Bonus Content

Achievement & Trophy Support

Game Information
Developer and Publisher: Capcom
Rating: M for Blood, Suggestive Themes & Violence
Platforms: PlayStation 3 (reviewed) & Xbox 360
Release Date: April 3, 2012

Score: 9 out of 10