DAY 243 / GAME 243
Wipeout Fusion
Wipeout Fusion was yet another title that I grabbed cheap since I purchased the PlayStation 2 somewhat late in it's lifetime. In fact, I still remember purchasing it at EB and it rung up at about half of the sticker price, which was already only $18 or so. It was easily one of the best deals I've ever gotten next to the pricing error I received on Grim Fandango.
Wipeout Fusion was the 5th addition to the incredible futuristic racing franchise. It was also the first of the series to be released on the PS2. For me, it was a breath of fresh air as I was somewhat disappointed with Wipeout 3 on the PS1. The sense of speed wasn't quite there and although it did continue the trend of a fantastic soundtrack it lacked some of the quality ship designs that populated the majority of the series. Wipeout 64 also didn't feel as full and fleshed out as the rest of the series, as if Liverpool Studios had a hard time running the content which included about a dozen full audio tracks onto a cartridge.
Wipeout Fusion was a serious jump up from the previous Wipeout titles on the original PlayStation. Speed and framerate were no issue and the visuals took a huge jump up in quality. Horizon pop-up was a thing of the past and the tracks themselves were more fleshed out and featured more detail. The soundtrack featured the same choice tracks from various electronic artists and the rest of the audio was considerable clearer and more diverse. It drew me in almost as much as Wipeout XL, capturing easily the same amount of my time if note more.
Fusion added new ships, slightly altered gameplay which included the ability to fire weapons backward as well as upgrade your ship over time. It also added one of my favorite new Wipeout game modes, Zone mode. Available on Wipeout HD as well, Zone mode feels simply synonymous with the entire Wipeout philosophy. In this mode, you start racing on a track, which is rendered in a somewhat wireframe mode, as if it were the VR missions from Metal Gear Solid. You start out slow, flying through lap after lap and as you progress your ship continues to increase it's top speed. The goal is to survive as many laps as possible before you inevitably destroy your ship when you loose control. It's the kind of fun that prevents you from blinking.
Wipeout Fusion came very close to being my favorite in the series until the release of Wipeout HD for the PS3. It had become very perfected within it's own right and easily retained what was important to being a true Wipeout title. It was another exclusive that reminded me how important it was that I finally bought a PS2.
DAY 242 / GAME 242
Afro Samurai
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I'm not certain that Afro Samurai was ever a very popular film; hidden in a sub-genre of a once niche market that is anime within western culture. With that, I can't imagine that the game based off this film was lucky enough to gain the same amount of exposure, but what do I know. In the end, I loved the anime. It was very well done, somewhat crass and over-the-top, but a great watch and the same goes for the game. It came out at a time when technology was there to back up the visual style and gameplay that best represented the film. And although I'm not sure it was every a very popular game at any point, it sure had the guts to be as it really was solid in-and-out.
Afro Samurai was a fairly great looking title, using an advanced cel-shading technique the game engine renders out the assets so they appear quite similar to their original 2D designs. And although I find cel-shading can feel like an overused gimmick at times, when it's well presented as it is in this game it seems as if any other choice would have been a very silly one.
It was also featured a brilliant score directed by RZA who worked on the original anime score. Though not directly composed by RZA due to time constraints it certainly holds up and has a nice unique feel separate of the movie's.
Afro Samurai is a solid, fun brawler that lets you control Afro who is the 'number 2' in the world and his revenge-filled fight to find and kill the 'number 1'. The story borrows mostly from the anime, but this is really one of those games where the story takes a step back because all you want to do is enjoy the brilliant sword combat. Before Metal Gear Rising did it, Afro Samurai introduced a slow-motion combat mechanic that allows you to control how you slice with your sword. Rotating a red line through your enemies can allow you to slice off specific limbs or cut them right in half at whatever angle you choose. There are also a few special combat moves that allow you do deflect bullets and even carve them in half, sending fragments towards nearby foes.
I loved Afro Samurai for it's visuals, score and it's super fun gameplay mechanics. It may not be the best game I've ever played, but it may be one of the finest game adaptations of an anime I've ever played.
DAY 241 / GAME 241
Jurassic Park (Sega Genesis)
When Jurassic Park came out in theaters back in the 90's, it really was a big deal for every kid that wasn't suffering from some bizarre dino-hating disposition. My brother and I had toys, owned the movie (which was watched frequently), recreated scenes from the movie on video and generally enjoyed most movie based merchandise. I even went so far as purchasing a Jurassic Park screen saver for Windows 3.1 which unfortunately ran poorly on my system. (Back when screen savers often required more resources than some games and practically acted as a benchmarking tool.) So, after all this, when a Jurassic Park video game was released, the both of us were quick to purchase it without a second thought.
Turns out it was a pretty cool game. (So far as I can remember.) You had the option of playing as either a Velociraptor or Dr. Alan Grant, each of which play out very differently. As grant, you navigate your way through the island to the eventual helicopter rescue point. You're armed with a number of different weapons including grenade, darts and a taser. It also included a ridiculously tough level where you navigate waterfalls in a motorboat. It quickly became the bane of my existence..
Turns out this is yet another great game that we can hold Doug TenNapel responsible for. In writing these posts, I find more and more of my favorite games included art, animation and game code from TenNapel and Doug Perry. TenNapel, who was best known for his work on Earthworm Jim and The Neverhood.
It was a pretty cool game at just the right time. It borrowed elements from the movie and the book to create a unique side-scroller that stood out from the rest and ended up as a pretty solid 16-bit movie tie-in.
DAY 240 / GAME 240
Super Monkey Ball
When a game has a title like Super Monkey Ball you have to wonder just what it's all about. Is it some kind of ball-oriented sport featuring monkey players? Is it a giant ball-shaped monkey that rolls around, destroying cities? In the end, the result is similarly obscure. Super Monkey Ball is much like the classic Marble Madness game from the early 90's. The game features a number of simple-to-complex courses that you have to navigate your 'monkey ball' from the start line to the finish line, all within a stringent time requirement.
Your ball is more like a hamster ball; your chosen monkey character runs around inside the clear ball which moves it about the circuit. There are also a number of sections where you roll down a steep hill and launch into the air. Your ball opens up into two halves and acts has a hangglider, at which point you have various objectives including gliding through rings or landing within a target; which is usually quite difficult since when you land you become a ball again and roll to a stop.
Though it's popularity has launched it onto a number of different platforms from the initial GameCube version right up to a recent release on the Nintendo 3DS, I've only ever played the original Sega released Super Monkey Ball on the Nintendo Gamecube. This was one of those games that I never actually bought, but instead was simply happy enjoying the multiplayer element whichever of my friends owned a copy.
Monkey Ball was a blast. It was easy to learn, required only one button and an analog stick to control. Press forward to move forward, back for back and so on, plus an action button to open or close the ball when needed. At the levels progressed, the courses become more and more complex, requiring more precise maneuvering and less room for error as rails get removed and pathways become narrower.
Super Monkey Ball really was great for me because it was yet another fantastic party game that was good to produce between the hoards of shooter titles that were played quite often. Especially when not everyone I played with was necessarily amazing at FPS games, so it really gave those people a chance to get ahead for once.
Plus, Monkeys in hamster balls is simply silly.
Super Monkey Ball is downright fun. It's got solid controls, decent quality graphics that are stylish and don't fall apart over time. In fact, all this Monkey Ball talk makes me want to pick up the 3DS version, I'd bet the stereoscopic 3D would look great.
DAY 239 / GAME 239
Bastion
With the marvel of digital distribution comes a whole new generation of independent developers who can afford to get into the game without relying on AAA publishers who will most likely just tell them their pitch needs to be dulled down to appeal to the masses. Back in 2011, SuperGiant Games released a downloadable title on various platforms that we really may not have seen otherwise.
Bastion is a unique little title that is full of some fantastic art and an even better soundtrack. SuperGiant Games' Darren Korb created an incredible moody score that I almost enjoyed more than the game itself. In fact, I pre-ordered a signed copy of the soundrack long before I ever bought the game and I had listened to it repeatedly almost to the point of exhaustion before I had even played the game beyond the demo.
Bastion not only sounds great but also looks amazing. The fixed angle isometric camera means most objects don't need a rotation and instead can appear to be painted in. The multiplaning backgrounds contain some gorgeous artwork which you can't spend much time looking at since you're typically keeping your eye on the world around you which builds itself as you walk forward.
The story, interestingly enough, is one that surrounds a post-apocalyptic future. Not one in any world we recognize, but one nonetheless. It's still bright and colourful, filled with remnants of a flourishing world and hints of the depressing reality. That everyone you once new is now lost due to the Calamity.
Bastion is just great all-around. Looks fantastic, sounds fantastic and plays sharp. It's cheap, available of most platforms and can really appeal to a wide crowd. I've been so impressed with it I was super excited to get my hands on SuperGiant Games' latest addition, Transistor, though sadly I haven't gotten around to purchasing it yet. Soon though.
DAY 238 / GAME 238
Wetrix+
Another obscure game I discovered from owning a Dreamcast was the tech-demo turned puzzle game, Wetrix. Originally available on the Nintendo 64, which I had no idea was the case until just now, Wetrix started as a water simulating demo developed as a test for physics simulation in a larger game Vampire Circus.
Most of the time my mindset is that puzzle games are not of much value; both monetary and content wise. But as soon as I get into a good one I am reminded of the truth. Puzzle games may be simple, may require much less resources to create and less power to run. They have little or no story and sometimes feature no characterized protagonist or antagonist. And yet, they often provide as many hours of entertainment if not more than most other genres of video games.
Since the storytelling element is such a huge part of what I enjoy in videogames, I tend to forget about the simple fact that all games are at their core, a puzzle. And though, most puzzle games have now adopted the now popular mobile platform as their home; what with cheaper initial pricing, touch controls and completely digital distribution, puzzle games use to feature the same price point (or close to it) and home console disc distribution of all other games.
This meant a few things for puzzle gaming, the lack of the money-grabbing 'freemium' distribution model for one (Where distributors sell the base game for 'free' and then charge in-game for extras.) and secondly, the inclusion of local multiplayer.
Of course, multiplayer Wetrix with my old friend Mike is always the memorable sort. In fact, most oddball multiplayer games were enjoyed between the two of us. I suppose we simply had enough of the same tastes in these kinds of games.
Wetrix was a fairly unique puzzler, so far as I remember. Functioning at it's base like a 3D game of Tetris. Blocks containing arrows pointing either up or down fall slowly from the sky into a ground plane. You are given time to position these blocks in order to shape the landscape in order to capture all the water blocks that will eventually start raining down. If the water starts overflowing, a gauge starts to fill and if it fills to the top it's game over. Ideally you can manage your water into 'lakes' so that when a fireball appears you can position it to evaporate as much water as possible, extending your watery battle.
Wetrix was apparently available on both the Nintendo 64 platform as well as Windows 95/98, Gameboy Colour and of course, the remade version on the Sega Dreamcast that I owned. Turns out a sequel called Aqua Aqua was released on the PlayStation 2, though I've never tried it now I want to keep my eye out for it.
DAY 237 / GAME 237
TimeSplitters: Future Perfect
It's always a sad thing when a series that has consisted of such perfect games as what constitutes the TimeSplitters series meets and early end. While working on the latest title, TimeSplitters 4, Free Radical Design in the UK shut down due to financial reasons, leaving what we can only imagine would have been the best TimeSplitters game yet, lost in the ether.
Before everything did go out with the bathwater though, Free Radical did make three TimeSplitters games, each of increasing quality. The third title, Future Perfect, was pretty close to it. Following all the trends of the previous title this game contains fantastic animation, a great soundtrack, super solid local multiplayer and is generally one of the better FPS games of all time.
Free Radical of course had quite the head start. Composed of ex-Rare employees who worked on GoldenEye for the Nintendo 64, Free Radical had an already ample handle on how to make a great First Person Shooter. All they had to do was refine what they already knew and with that, Future Perfect ended up quite polished.
Moreso than TimeSplitters 2, Future Perfect contained a much better story with much better characters. Where in 2, you were a different character in each time period and so there was little time to build them up. But in Future Perfect, the story follows a Sergeant Cortez, who jumps around time, bumping into other interesting protagonists who help him in his journey to stop the TimeSplitters from being created.
Although I ended up buying Future Perfect for the original Xbox and didn't get a chance to enjoy the local multiplayer as much as I did the previous title on the GameCube, I did play it enough to be reminded of just how fantastic a job FRD did on this game. It contains a huge list of playable characters, each with their own animations and in some cases, special advantages during combat. The multiplayer contains a nice selection of different game variations and some fantastic level designs. When you can't just keep playing GoldenEye forever, having a game like this pop up a decade later really solves that problem.
In conclusion, TimeSplitters = Good. But seriously, if you've ever seriously enjoyed GoldenEye or Perfect Dark in the past and somehow missed out on the TimeSplitters series, you owe it to yourself to see where it has been succeeded. Future Perfect is simply FPS gaming refined and we can only hope that one day someone will pay the right people to sit down and complete TimeSplitters 4 so we can all continue our lives as they were intended.
That or at least re-release the series in HD. That would be just perfect.
DAY 236 / GAME 236
Final Fantasy VII
I feel as if there are a certain group of people, like myself, who's first introduction to the world of Final Fantasy was with the much different take on the already-aged property, released for the PlayStation in 1997. Trouble is of course, that there never was another Final Fantasy game quite like it, nor was there one before it and so if it was the one title that hooked you into the series, you may have walked away disappointed.
I remember I hadn't heard of the series at all until my brother was trying to make a decision between purchasing this and one other PS1 title. FFVII was reviewed as offering a considerable of hours worth of gameplay and so at a time where both of us were trying to get our 'money's worth' it seemed that Final Fantasy was the obvious choice.
Final Fantasy VII was an interesting game for me. Whereas there were a number of titles that were primarily played by my brother while I simply watched, most of those I eventually got around to playing for myself. But with Final Fantasy I'm fairly certain I have never played it for even a second. I've watched my brother play countless hours of this game and enjoyed it immensely and yet I've never gotten around to experiencing it on my own terms. Which also means I've only ever seen bits and pieces of the entire game. Since it's such a long game I've simply gotten a very shattered idea of the entire story and it's extensive characters.
Final Fantasy VII captured my attention so well with it's incredible steam-punk atmosphere. It's fantastic pre-rendered video cutscenes, which were gorgeous and seemingly advanced at the time, it's beautiful pre-rendered background and it's incredible soundtrack. FFVII was simply unlike anything I'd ever seen before and really unlike anything I've seen to date. It was yet another game that was released at just the right time and inspired me to pursue a career in computer based art and animation. Even though I took a slight detour, this certainly drilled a hole in my brain where all kinds of other great 3D animations sat and dwelled and pushed me to spend my spare time during high-school tinkering in TrueSpace and 3D Max to try and replicate some of the stuff I saw.
So in the end, I may not have actually played Final Fantasy VII, but I felt like I experienced a nice chunk of it. And even thought it was only a portion of the whole game, it was potent enough to stick with me for years, inspire me and even started me playing some of the other games in the series. Though I haven't successfully played many aside from Final Fantasy Online.
DAY 235 / GAME 235
Super Mario 3D Land
I didn't wait that long to purchase a Nintendo 3DS handheld console, but when I did it seemed as if there were are ton of fantastic games out for it already. Of course, not only did it play the extensive library of Nintendo DS and DSi games from the older generation which I never owned or played, but Nintendo had already published a great list of 3DS titles that I couldn't believe I missed. This includes one of the finest Mario games I've ever played up until the release of Super Mario 3D World on the Nintendo Wii-U, Super Mario 3D Land.
I was extremely happy when they released a sequel to this on the Wii-U because this was easily one of the most fantastic Mario titles I've ever played. It made the effort to combine the gameplay of the newer 3D titles such as Super Mario 64 with the gameplay of the older titles like Super Mario World on the SNES. The overall effect is much nicer than their attempts with the New Super Mario Brothers series which instead tries to recreate Super Mario World with a 3D engine but stuck to a 2D plane. For me, something about the overall controls and lack of tight-tight pixel accuracy you found in the older games felt sloppy overal. Though perhaps that's something that only bothered me.
Instead, Super Mario 3D Land eliminates the idea of a full free-roaming world like in Mario 64 and sticks you on a more linear set of levels like you'd find in the older games. The gameplay and level design however take full advantage of the idea that you are moving in 3 dimensions and the end result is a set of levels that are fresher, newer and possibly more creative that any of the previous sets of games. This is exceptionally apparent when you use the stereoscopic 3D mode the console provides. The enhanced depth perception means certain platforming puzzles are much more visually coherent and the whole thing simply looks that much better. This is really noticeable when you've first played 3D Land and then purchase and play 3D World and find yourself wishing for that 3D slider on your screen.
All this and Super Mario 3D Land contains some of the best elements of all the Mario games in terms of controls (wall jumps, etc.), music (some great remixes of the best tracks) and items. 3D Land was the first (that I know of) introduction of the Boomerang pickup which is extremely handy as both a weapon and for reaching switches and other pickups. Overall, I simply can't say enough about how much I enjoyed this game. If for some reason you own a 3DS and don't own this game I'd say you are silly and then I'd say 'purchase it already'. Unless you hate Mario, but who hate's Mario?
DAY 234 / GAME 234
Fallout: New Vegas
Fallout 3 was something special. In fact, I've just recently started it back up again and simply cannot put it down. Fallout New Vegas follows the same rules but now with a new location and is equally difficult to part with. Fallout is just this special kind of game, an RPG with a FPS point of view and an inbetween kind of pacing. You can truly take any moral stance on the matters you become involved with and use whatever means suit your desires. The missions you come across can be dealt with by a wide range of solutions each which may cater to the kind of character you choose to be. You can talk, sneak, confront, shoot, lie or muscle your way though most scenarios each of which can dramatically change how the world sees you and what you walk away with.
Where Fallout 3 was set in Washington, New Vegas is set in, well, Las Vegas. The 'Strip' is the major center of the game and although I've never been there myself it feels as if some landmarks may have been represented here. Though some have been repurposed as gang hideouts, some remain as gambling centers and otherwise hubs for lewd conduct.
Though Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas seem very similar, they were different enough in terms of the overall story and environment that I found myself plugging in just as much time with both games. For me, New Vegas did very little different in terms of the gameplay. Though, the gameplay improvements were big changes, I was more interested in the big new story, the optional 'companion' (be it a dog, person or robot), new weapons, armor and a big new environment. New Vegas was less confusing to navigate than the rubble of Washington and had a wider range of areas that were restricted to you simply because you were to low-level to survive in them.
I'm not sure what it was exactly; maybe it was the characters, the less bland appearance of the location, the wider range of weapons or the kinds of missions available. But with New Vegas I spend a lot more time exploring the entire game whereas Fallout 3 I stuck mainly with the main story and missed out on a lot of the world on my first playthrough. Everytime I think back to Fallout I always find myself reminiscing about the New Vegas elements much more than the Fallout 3 elements. I suppose overall it simply struck a chord with me that much more. In fact, I may put down Fallout 3 very shortly to go back to New Vegas. Which is a terrible idea since I may never put it down.
DAY 233 / GAME 233
FarCry 3
FarCry 2 was a bit surprise for me. It turned out to be so good in my books that when FarCry 3 was announced, I was a little hesitant. Hesitant because I wasn't certain exactly what it was about FC2 that was so enjoyable. I mean, it all was, but I couldn't pinpoint why I just couldn't put it down and if I couldn't, who's to say Ubisoft could?
So with that in mind, my concern was simply that FarCry 3 could very well end up being FarCry 2 without all the fun. However, the initial response from people I trusted was that the game was easily comparable to the later one and if anything suffered only from being too short. (Which I am not sure I understand.) So, when presented with a half-decent sale price of $20 I grabbed this without a second thought.
I settled down into FarCry 3 just as I had in 2. It was like putting on an old pair of shoes, the whole thing just felt right. Ubisoft managed to make a whole new game that was comfortable close to the old one but still fresh and new. They added a new hunting and crafting element to the game which really expanded it. Now, on top of blowing up arms convoys, collecting an arsenal and lighting fields on fire, you were pushed to hunt certain animals during special missions which provide you with the resources to craft particular items. Items like improved ammo pouches, arrow quivers and rucksacks to help you out in your missions.
Ubisoft really just made this superbly enjoyable, free-roaming game set in a wild location that allows you do drive, hangglide, swim and walk through. Graphically it's impressive, the characters are fantastic (most of them) and overall nothing bad can be said about the general gameplay or controls. It another game that I couldn't wait to get back to and another game that I stayed up late playing because it's much to easy to just play 'one more mission' or unlock 'one more radio tower'. Ubisoft won be over with this series and I am very excited to pick up FarCry 4 when it's released in the near future.
DAY 232 / GAME 232
Mickey Mania
More proof that the Sega CD was essential add on for the Sega Genesis; albeit an expensive and unpopular one. Mickey Mania was one of many titles that were available as both a cartridge and CD-ROM, where the CD version was either significantly more feature heavy or graphically more impressive. So, owning one, if I had the choice I would always push to buy the CD version, which was also more convenient since they were priced cheaper, being on CD and all. Such was the case with the Sega CD versions of Earthworm Jim, Batman the Animated Series, Out of the World and amongst others, Mickey Mania. In this case, the Mickey Mania CD version featured slightly richer graphics and a few special levels special only to this disc release. Special levels that included what seemed like 3D elements which I suppose must have required the extra storage space.
Mickey Mania really was a fantastic game for Mickey fans. The entire game revolves around the concept of modern Mickey re-visiting his cartoons throughout the years. Each level is an homage to a specific classic cartoon from Steamboat Willy to the Mad Doctor to Prince and the Pauper. (The most recent Mickey cartoon at the time.) Mickey Mania was also yet another 16-bit title that actually featured classically animated frames from Disney animators. (Over 1500 of them, which could mean be anywhere from about a minute of animation and up depending on the framerate.) Of course, this made a huge impact on the overall look and fluidity of the game and it's characters.
Believe it or not this game was also primarily designed by David Jaffe who also directed the God of War and Twisted Metal series oddly enough. I guess it's no more bizarre than Warren Spector creating Epic Mickey after his major successes with Deus Ex and the Ultima series. But then again, that was in the opposite order.
Mickey Mania really ended up as one of those solid platformer titles of the mid-90's. Unique enough to stand out from the hoards of other side-scrollers and yet not so off-track that it didn't catch on. It also struck at just the right time for me, back when, as a young teen I was primarily concerned with games that were based on cartoon properties I was already familiar with. Which was a fine place to be at the time since there were a ton of great games like this one hitting the 16-bit platforms regularly.
DAY 231 / GAME 231
Vanishing Point
Unrelated to the movie by the same title, thought they do both center around driving, Vanishing Point was a unique racing title that seemingly came out of nowhere and then disappeared without a sequel. I was, in fact, at EB looking for an entirely different game; Metropolis Street Racer I believe, which turned out to be delayed, or I got the date wrong or something. This was when I saw Vanishing Point on demo; a title I had never heard of but was completely entranced by.
It looked genuinely spectacular, boasting virtually unlimited draw-distance and therefore no pop-up whatsoever. Which some of us can recall was a big issue with early racing titles, especially the likes of Cruisin' USA and even the first Gran Turismo and Wipeout games. Though more of an actually detriment for some than others.
So as the story goes, I shrugged off my disappointment and bought this game instead. Vanishing Point turned out to be not only a visually stunning racer, but also a very challenging game that I poured hours into without question. VP was not your typical race title. Instead of your standard trophy races where you complete a circuit or point-to-point map against other AI players, you were always racing against time. Even on tracks where there were AI players, they really were only there to get in your way; time was your real opponent. Since that was the case, unlike other racers you had to learn to run the track perfectly. Simply pitting a lead opponent's car, then leaving him in the dust as your claim first won't do. In order to place podium, you have to do so under the strict set times. Which was frustrating at times as there was traffic in most maps that could easily throw of your perfect lap.
Vanishing Point also featured a very unique stunt mode. This was where all the replay value was at. The time restrictions on laps in the tournament mode was one thing, but the stunt mode was a whole new level of difficult. With dozens of challenges to play and unlock, stunt mode has you crossing tracks full of jumps, dips and bumps in various vehicles between point A and B error free. You have to learn how to position your car to land a jump perfectly, perform that clean drifting U-turn and master the slalom or risk losing too much time to complete the challenges. Most of the challenges require you simply try them over and over and over again until you nail it with perfection. This was easily where the majority of my time was spent and I've yet to find a game that offers a mode that was quite as much fun and still skill testing.
Vanishing Point was definitely one of those one-offs that I would love see return. It still stands on it's own over a decade later as offering unique racing gameplay and some well designed fictional tracks. The short car list offered a great range of licensed cars that included everything from a BMW 3 series, Volkswagen MiniBus, Lotus Esprit, Toyota Supra and a Ford Ranger. It was great fun and I still can't understand why anyone hasn't picked up this property for a sequel.
DAY 230 / GAME 230
Devil May Cry
During the development process for Resident Evil 4, Capcom ended up inadvertently creating a completely new IP that has since seen quite a bit of success. Apparently this original version of RE:4 was such a departure from the original series of games, but still a great design in and of itself; so rather than tossing it out altogether it became what we now know as Devil May Cry. A fast-action third person shooter, Devil May Cry puts you in control of Dante, a stylish demon hunter who wields two pistols Ivory and Ebony alongside a sword. In the end, there is very little to connect what we now see as Devil May Cry and what we now see as Resident Evil 4. The closest connection would be the setting since both take place in European castles at one point or another as the dev team initially traveled to Spain to research castle settings for the original concept.
When Devil May Cry was initially released, there was nothing out there like it. Although I was never clear on exactly what was going in the game I was overjoyed by the fresh new design, tight, fun gameplay and the unique style of it all. As Dante, you make your way through what was I believe to be a modern day setting; only you do so as a descendant of a god, or a demi-god or something of the like. You are powerful, but also a sulky emo kid or something who is exterminating demons on a path to avenge your mother's murder. I think there are a number of books out there that explain it more fully.
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Devil May Cry introduced this fantastic blend of shooting, slicing and powerful special attacks set in a tight, third-person perspective with some cinematic cameras thrown in as needed. You are rewarded for stylish attacks and combos as you leap into the air, firing down at your enemies and otherwise take on groups of demons like some kind of Cirque du Soleil performer that also trained under John Woo. The settings are full of atmosphere and the enemy designs are really well done. It really is yet another title from Capcom that sets itself apart from the rest.
Devil May Cry is another one of those special games that tried something new and got it right the first time. This is one of those few titles where I wasn't actually more impressed with the sequel. In fact, I've only ever completed the first game and up until the release of the new re-envisioned part 5, I haven't had any interest in any of the games in the series after the second one. Games for me aren't like movies; sequels aren't so often a guaranteed failure. With games, there is so much room to add polish and quite often the second game is where it truly comes into itself. That is, if the IP is strong enough to make itself so far as a sequel.
I really should pick up a copy of the latest one. Now that I'm particularly in the mood for it.
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