HD collections of older games seem to be all the rage these days. Before the Devil May Cry series sees a reboot later this year Capcom jumps on the HD collection bandwagon with the Devil May Cry series and brings us the first three games in one package.  I had an opportunity to review the Xbox 360 version of the game, which oddly enough, I have never played before. You know what? I’m sure glad this collection introduced me to this series.
Originally released in 2001, the Devil May Cry (DMC) series was a PlayStation exclusive for its first three games. It wasn’t until the fourth iteration that DMC was first available on the Xbox platform. These games have been reviewed enough that I don’t feel it necessary to go in to all of the gritty details about each. In a nutshell the first DMC was extremely well received with a style-oriented approach to combat against hordes of bad guys, a focus on combos, and intense difficulty. A Metacritic score of 94 is a testament to just how good of a game it is. While the second game in the series sold like hotcakes it didn’t fare nearly as well critically and fans of the series complained that the difficulty had been toned down too much. The high level of difficulty that fans craved made a successful return with DMC3 and the game seemed to return to form.
While HD collections are a service for the hardcore fans, and can introduce gamers to a series they may have not played, these collections can also be a fun, almost time capsule-like, experience that let us look back at gaming periods gone by. An example of what I’m talking about is the camera work found in the first couple of Devil May Cry games in this package.  Cameras were often a bit of an issue when it came to many games in the late 90’s and early 2000’s. Unlike user controlled camera angles in games today, they were for the most part part of the issues in the older games. It doesn’t make for the ideal gameplay experience, but it is fun to see just how far games have come since those days.
The action in DMC revolves around the now iconic half human-half demon character of Dante. Wading through waves of foes I cannot help but be reminded of Kratos and the God of War series. I instantly wonder if this isn’t where the creators of God of War got their inspiration. Wielding not just a sword, but two trademark pistols makes you feel pretty badass I must say. The hook to the combat in DMC is that you are rewarded for style.  Varying and linking attacks during combat increases your style points. At the end of each mission level you receive a letter grade/rating based on how well you did. While there’s enough value in playing the game for the story alone this is attractive for the more hardcore gamers and completionists out there as you try to best your score and earn the highest one available. These are fun games to play.
For Xbox loyalists this is the first time any of these games have been available on the platform. This HD collection also touts Achievements (the PS3 version has Trophies support too). If you’re an Achievement point hunter and a fan of the originals, this could be a compelling reason to revisit the series during what is now considered the slower season of game releases. It does not stop there though. Contained in a section of the game called the Vault are the extras Capcom has packed in to this collection.  The extras really amount to collections of concept art and musical tracks for each of the included three games.  The artwork is pretty underwhelming but the amount of music that is there is pretty good. Still, I see only the hardcore fans of the games seeing much value in what’s contained in the Vault.
 
Naturally, the graphics have been completely remastered in high definition with widescreen support. Granted, these are ports of games that are seven to eleven years old, but they look pretty good. I think a lot of that has to do with the art style which, to this day, looks excellent. The environments are exceptionally detailed considering the age of the source material. Capcom only gave the HD treatment to the gameplay itself, leaving the menus and cut-scenes in their original format. It breaks the continuity of the overall experience but it is not a deal breaker by any means. If anything it could be looked at as a little bit of nostalgia.
Voice acting in video games has come a long way in the last several years. A-list Hollywood talent wasn’t always the norm though. In this HD collection, save for Dante himself, DMC features some pretty good voice acting for the time. I’m just not a fan of Dante though, especially in the third game. It sounds to me like they tried too hard to make him sound super cool and it comes across as cheesy to me. As I mentioned earlier, all of the background and boss battle music you hear in the game are available to listen to independently as extras in the Vault. While this is cool for the fans I think it would have been really special had something like this been included on a separate audio CD to listen to.
Games that get the HD Collection treatment are generally pretty good, hence why they are getting the HD treatment in the first place. As hard and challenging as DMC could be, what impressed me most is how well the gameplay stands up after so many years. Unless you are a hardcore fan you might find the included extras a little light, but the entertainment value of the games themselves is value enough for your $40. In this slower season of game releases, this is a worthy pick up especially if, like me, this is your introduction to the Devil May Cry franchise.
