#satisfying combat

[scarlett--dream]

NieR : Automata is officially my favourite game of all time, thank-you and goodbye forever

[8-bit-punching]

Satisfying Combat - DmC: Devil May Cry

The line between playing a game for a difficult challenge and wanting to be walked through the process is a weird one to walk for a gamer. A game can be difficult, but when it stops being a challenge and starts being a frustrating experience, is that on the player or the game? In the case of the Devil May Cry franchise my experience has been that it was a mix of both. In that regard, DmC: Devil May Cry has signaled a great shift in the series for me.

I want to focus on the gameplay presented in DmC: Devil May Cry because while I enjoyed most aspects of the story, it's the gameplay that's stuck with me in this game, so much so that I keep going back to play it days after I completed it. The main reason, I suspect, is the way the combat has evolved with this reboot. The first noticeable difference for me was the ranking system. It was clearly easier for me to obtain a high ranking while playing this game compared to its predecessors. One I knew I could get engaged in the game this way, I felt encouraged to diversify my attacks, attempting different combos with different weapon combinations. The switching of weapons in the middle of a combo attack also feels relatively easy, especially when you consider the reward in terms of great visuals.

It also helps that the combat in this game is just really engaging and fun at its best. The fun of the combat is aided by the fact that DmC has great level design. Previous games left combat feeling like a chore because of repetition. Going through the levels of older Devil May Cry games to move the story along often resulted in fighting the same cluster of enemies again and again. Here the game moves you long at a quick pace most of the time, switching up the locations and leaving you eager for more with each combat encounter.

That feeling of wanting more is perhaps the best thing about this game. After playing the game once on the normal difficulty, I immediately started again on the hardest difficulty available. The combo system was fun enough, and the camera was reliable enough that I couldn't help but want to play more. Extended encounters with harder and more diversified enemy groups on each stage also make playing the game a second time a worthwhile experience.