Developer(s): Capcom Production
Studio 1
Publisher(s): Capcom
Release date(s): February 17, 2005 (Japan)March
1, 2005 (U.S.)March 24, 2005 (Europe)
Genre: Third-Person Action
Mode(s): Single player
Rating(s): ESRB: Mature (M)
Platform(s): PlayStation 2
Media: 1 DVD
Input: Dual Shock 2
Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening (3)
is the second sequel to
Devil May Cry, starring
the cocky hero Dante. This is a prequel to the first game.
Dante confronts his brother Vergil.
Capcom, stating that they had learned much from the flop of the
first sequel, announced
Devil May Cry 3 at E³
2004. Its first trailer, promising a return to the hallmarks of
the original, such as spooky, Gothic stylings and Dante's flippant
personality, was well received by fans. Upon release, it was widely
lamented for its high level of difficulty, but most fans and critics
still agree that it is equal, if not superior, to the first.
Devil May Cry 3 is a prequel, taking place before
the establishment of the Devil May Cry agency and before Dante is
aware of his devil lineage. The game focuses heavily on the dysfunctional
relationship between Dante and his twin brother Vergil, unlike the
first game where Vergil played a negligible part.
The development team consisted of staff from both of the previous
two games. Yuji Shimomura is the action director, who also served
the same position in Ryuhei Kitamura's cult action movie Versus.
It has been announced that a "
Devil May Cry 3: Special
Edition" will be released. The new features include
a "Very Hard" Difficulty, and a "Demo Digest",
essentially a Cutscene Viewer. But the biggest addition of all is
the addition of Vergil as a playable character once unlocked and
play through the story through his point of view.
Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.
Contents[hide]· 1 Allusions in the Devil May Cry series o
1.1 Castlevania similarities· 2 Weapons o 2.1 Gunso 2.2 Devil
Arms· 3 Styles o 3.1 Trickstero 3.2 Swordmastero 3.3 Gunslingero
3.4 Royal Guardo 3.5 Quicksilvero 3.6 Doppelganger· 4 Difficulty
modes· 5 Manga· 6 See also· 7 External links
Allusions in the Devil May Cry series
Lady and Dante's relationship gets off to a rocky start.
Exactly like the first game in the series, this part has allusions
to The Divine Comedy, written by Dante Alighieri. Dante Sparda is
the main protagonist of the game, whilst the author Dante is the
lead character in his own book. Vergil Sparda is a good example
of how Dante in the book is close to the Roman poet Virgil; whereas
in the game, he is his evil twin brother. In the book, Virgil was
not evil, but his soul guided Dante through Hell, which can be seen
as an aesthetic metaphor with the game, where Vergil chooses to
live in Hell, and later confronts Dante in battle there. Cerberus
being the gatekeeper of the Temen-ni-gru (in the game) in the third
mission, is also an example wherein comparison, Dante meets Cerberus
in the third circle in Canto VI of Inferno. Although briefly mentioned
in the book, Mary is a character called by Dante Lady.
Vergil and Arkham.
Not to mention the character Lucia who, in Devil may Cry 2, aids
Dante. In The Divine Comedy, it was St. Lucia who told Beatrice
about Dante, and subsequently Beatrice asked Virgil to aid him.
The three women in Devil May Cry: Trish, Lucia and Lady (Mary),
are all based on the three women who watched over Dante in The Divine
Comedy. All these characters are not based in an accurate way on
their historical counterparts. The seven deadly sins are mentioned
in the game as well. There are allusions to many other sources,
but The Divine Comedy stands as the most prominent one. Other examples
are Agni and Rudra, Beowulf Ambrosia, Devils, Ifrit, Alastor et
cetera.
Arguably, the Devil May Cry series has many connections to Christianity,
but they are not in a strict and canonical way. The complete absence
of God and Jesus (as well as crucifixes) is an example of that,
and it is more likely that the Devil May Cry series will be further
based on demonology, mythology and The Divine Comedy, rather than
religion. Beatrice is also included in the DMC series. In Devil
May Cry, a female character named Trish is present in the game.
She guides Dante to a castle in Mallet Island, and later on, in
the Underworld. In the game, Trish is basically short for Beatrice,
because in italian, the trice part is almost pronounced Trish (Bay-ah-treech-ey).
Castlevania similarities
Dante taking on some minions.
There are many similar traits between the Devil May Cry series and
the Castlevania series. Both games have been accused to be spin-offs
of each other in terms of gameplay, locations and stories. The most
notable Castlevania game from which Devil May Cry series take inspiration
from is Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (SotN). That was the
very game Devil May Cry was compared to when released. Ironically,
when the prequel to SotN, Castlevania: Lament of Innocence (LoI)
was released, it was generally
compared to Devil May Cry. A few examples are:
· Alucard and Dante are both of human heritage, and vampiric/demonic
heritage, they both wield swords, and hunt their respective non-human
heritage. Both have white hair. Both are more or less immortal and
can use magic.
· Maria Renard and Lady. Lady's real name is Mary (which
is another form of Maria), and Alucard/Dante run upon them every
now and then throughout the course of the game. They are both non-playable
characters, and serve as bosses in the game (Maria Renard appears
as an opponent only in the Saturn version of SotN, but she is also
playable in that version) as well as potential love interests for
the male protagonist. Both Maria and Lady seek to destroy the evil
castle/tower, and they are both looking for a relative that has
embraced evil.
· Cerberus and Doppelganger serve as bosses in both series
and games. Although some might consider DMC3 to be imitating SotN
with the presence of Cerberus, Capcom's intention was most likely
to remain faithful to the Comedy roots and underworld mythology
more than Castlevania in this case.
· Bosses that have once been good but for some reason converted
to being evil. These are Vergil and Richter Belmont, both of whom
share some history with the protagonists.
· Nevan and Succubus are bosses that are both very sexually
attractive female demons. They both are nearly naked, showing breasts,
and are familiar with Dante's/Alucard's fathers.
· Slogra and Gaibon/Agni and Rudra are four bosses, which
co-operate against Alucard/Dante.
· Holy water can be used as a powerful and fiery weapon against
enemies. In this case, common intellectual ancestry is probably
the cause of the similarity.
Weapons
Devil May Cry 3 features a large arsenal, comprised
of both guns and melee weapons.
Guns
· Ebony & Ivory - Dante's two handmade
pistols with an unbelievable rate of fire. Have to press square
really fast though.
· Shotgun - Powerful sawn-off shotgun with
a large spread. Good at knocking enemies back.
· Artemis - Demonic laser weapon that can
target several enemies at once.
· Spiral - Very powerful sniper rifle with
a slow rate of fire.
· Kalina Ann - A huge rocket launcher.
Devil Arms
Dante in Agni&Rudra DT
· Rebellion - Dante's massive sword. It
was a memento from his father; its power remains dormant until awakened
by Dante's blood. Dante begins the game with this weapon.
· Cerberus - Ice powered, three-pieced flailing
weapon similar to a Nunchaku. Dante earns this weapon by defeating
the ice guardian.
· Agni & Rudra - Two swords Dante wields
at once. They are two Scimitars with serrated edges. Agni is fire
elemental and Rudra is wind elemental. Dante earns these weapons
after defeating the Fire Room guardians of the same names. They
appear as supposedly headless senitels of the Temen Ni Gru tower
that the game mostly takes place. Before the fight they are depicted
as highly talkative and fairly annoying in the eyes of Dante. He
then must fight both of them at the same time in a Two-on-One battle.
After the battle, the swords that they have been using turns out
to be the head, with the faces located at the end of the Pommel
of each one. They beg Dante to take them along his journey, as they
claim to be waiting for some one stronger than them for "A
Very Long Time". After a moment's thinking, he decides to take
them, on the grounds that they remain silent. They follow this rule...
for the most part.
· Nevan - A demonic electric guitar that
summons bats when Dante plays it. It is the weapon formed from the
demon Nevan's acceptance of Dante's cause.
· Beowulf - A powerful set of gauntlets
and greaves blessed with sacred power.
Styles
The biggest change is the new combat system, which allows Dante
to choose one of six different styles of combat in each mission,
which enable him to use special techniques related to the style's
focus. The four default styles, with moves, are:
Trickster
Focuses on dodging and agility.
· Dash - A quick dash in any direction.
At higher Trickster levels, this can be done several times in a
row.
· Wall Hike - Run up the wall, then kick
off.
· Sky Star - A mid-air dash.
· Air Trick - Disappear and reappear above
an enemy's head, ready to strike.
Swordmaster
Focuses on techniques for the Devil Arms.
· Rebellion Abilities
o Prop Shredder - Spins the sword, repeatedly striking
whatever's in front of Dante.
o Aerial Rave - Slashes an enemy in mid-air, during
a jump.
o Sword Pierce - Throws the sword at an enemy;
without the sword, Dante fights hand-to-hand.
o Dance Macabre - Unleash a massive number of slashes
at breakneck speeds.
o Crazy Dance - Stick your sword into the ground
during Dance Macabre and spin around it, kicking all enemies near
you.
· Cerberus Abilities
o Flicker - Whirl the flail around, hitting enemies
in the immediate vicinity. Can be used in mid-air.
o Crystal - Thrust the flail into the ground to
create huge ice pillars.
o Million Carats - Thrust the flail into the ground
to creat a huge ice glacier surrounding Dante.
o Ice Age - Encases Dante in a thick shield of
ice, protecting him from all attacks.
· Agni & Rudra Abilities
o Crossed Swords - Destroy enemies with an X-style
sword slash.
o Sky Dance - Swing both swords in mid air, then
descend to the ground, spinning like a saw blade.
o Crawler - Plunge your swords into the ground,
unleashing a carpet of flame in the enemy's direction.
o Twister - Spin your swords to create a vortex
of fire and wind.
o Tempest - Generate a flame vortex that burns
everything in its path.
· Nevan Abilities
o Slash - Attack enemies with the bladed section
of your guitar.
o Air Slash - Attack enemies with your guitar's
blade while in mid-air.
o Feedback - Whirl your guitar around your body,
hitting nearby enemies.
o Crazy Roll - Generate electricity while slashing
enemies with your guitar.
o Distortion - Attack enemies with a barrage of
bats and blasts of lightning.
· Beowulf Abilities
o Zodiac - Emit a charged ball of energy from your
fingertips.
o The Hammer - While in mid-air, smash your enemies
to the ground.
o Volcano - Slam the ground with your fist to create
a small super-nova.
o Real Impact - A highly focused, incredibly powerful
uppercut that obliterates enemies.
o Tornado - Knock the enemy into the air, then
follow them, kicking hundreds of times at lightning speeds.
Gunslinger
Focuses on techniques for firearms.
· Ebony & Ivory Abilities
o Twosome Time - Fires pistols in two different
directions.
o Wild Stomp - Fires pistols at a downed enemy,
then kicks it away.
o Rain Storm - Jumps into the air, blasting pistols
down in circular motion, knocking down all enemies.
o Charge Shot - Charges weapon, then fires off
a magically imbued burst.
o Rapid Shot - Quickly clicks off a large number
of shots in a short period of time.
· Shotgun Abilities
o Fireworks - Swings the shotgun around like nunchaku,
firing in different directions.
o Charge Shot - Charges weapon, then fires off
a magically imbued burst.
o Rapid Shot - Quickly click off a large number
of shots in a short period of time.
o Gun Stinger - Rams the shotgun into an enemy
and fires a concentrated burst of buckshot.
o Point Blank - Fires the shotgun while standing
right next to the enemy, doing massive damage.
· Artemis Abilities
o Multi-lock - Locks on to a single enemy and fires
several lasers at them.
o Sphere - Fires a giant orb of laser energy.
o Acid Rain - Shoots multiple laser beams into
the air which come raining down on enemies.
· Spiral Abilities
o Trick Shot - Ricochets bullets off walls to hit
multiple enemies.
o Sniper - Targets an enemy's weak point and fires
a high-damage shot.
o Reflector - Fires a bullet that ricochets off
nearby surfaces, then hits the enemy for massive damage.
· Kalina Ann Abilities
o Hysteric - Fires a barrage of mini-missiles at
the enemy.
o Grapple - Fires the bayonet at an enemy, impaling
them, then pulls them towards you.
Royal Guard
Focuses on absorbing enemy strikes and projecting the energy back.
· Block & Charge - Block enemy attacks,
building up anger and adrenaline.
· Just Guard - By blocking at the precise
instant just before an enemy's attack hits, Dante suffers no damage
and gains more rage for release.
·
Release - Release pent-up anger charged
from blocked enemy attacks, dealing great damage.
· Just Release - By releasing at the precise
instant just before an enemy's attack hits, Dante executes a counter
attack that deals approximately three times more damage than a normal
release.
· Air Block - Block in mid-air.
· Air Release - Release in mid-air.
· Ultimate - Block enemy attacks and convert
the energy into health for yourself.
Quicksilver and Doppleganger styles must be unlocked in order to
play with them.
Quicksilver
Allows Dante to slow down time while attacking at normal speed.
· Time Lag - Slows down time for enemies
while you will still be able to move in real time. Devil Trigger
consumptive. Ideal for taking down harder enemies, when surrounded
or for earning extra Style Points.
Doppelganger
Allows Dante to utilize a shadow to double attacks.
· After image - Spawns a second shadow version
of Dante. Also Devil Trigger consumptive. When active, this also
allows a second player to control the shadow version of Dante for
as long as the effect lasts. If inserting a second controller, and
pressing start, 2 player mode will be available.
Difficulty modes
"Dante Must Die" is the hardest difficulty mode in
Devil
May Cry 3. In it, the demons gain an attack boost, many
number, a defense boost, in places an AI boost, and get to Devil
Trigger. When one enemy is killed, every other enemy in the room
Devil Triggers, for health regeneration, more attack, and more defense.
Consequently, this is the mode where Devil Trigger Flux shines for
its ability to kill many enemies at once. Bosses gain defense, attack,
and speed, though they lack the Devil Trigger. While Heaven and
Hell mode is unlocked after beating the game on Dante Must Die!,
it is made far easier due to the fact that while Dante dies in one
hit, the enemies do too, allowing you to kill them effortlessly
by rapid Ebony&Ivory gunfire. This also works on all bosses.
Manga
The DMC3 manga is to be released in 3 parts, Code 1: Dante, Code
2: Vergil and Code 3: Lady, each supposedly putting the focus on
the title character and their story. The manga is known to be a
true part of the DMC story and serves to flesh out the background
of the Devil May Cry series and fill a few of its plot holes and
is not a remake of DMC3 but an all new prequel story. Most speculate
that the mangas events are set 1 year before the events of
Devil
May Cry 3 based on a comment made by Dante in the game
that the last time he and Vergil met was one year ago, but the manga
is definitely set before DMC3 itself.
Code 1 has recently been released in Japan and America so we now
know some of the basic story behind the manga. When Code 1 starts
Dante has recently purchased his demon hunting "shop"
but has yet to name it, and Vergil is meeting with Arkham for the
first time, all setting up the characters for
Devil May
Cry 3. Dante is forced into a missing persons case promising
a 4 million reward by his business partner Enzo and sets off to
find a young girl called Alice, but the "boring" case
takes a disturbing twist when Dante discovers that Alice isn't all
that she seems and he ends up a guest in a warped parody of the
mad hatters tea party hosted by a pair of demons. The story teaches
us some all new things about the story of Devil May Cry but most
importantly gives us the first ever insight into Evas death through
a flashback to Dante as a small child of around 10. As well as giving
that event a place in the timeline we also learn Dante went into
hiding during the demon attack and when it was over believed both
Eva and Vergil to be dead, only realizing his brother is alive during
Code 1. How Vergil survived is unknown but japanese scans of Code
2 reveal we might get that answer also through Vergils own rather
nightmarish flashback.
External links
· Capcom's Official Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening website
· Devil May Cry 3 at Capcom Japan
· Devil May Cry 3 at Capcom Japan
