Sans fedora and color keys
WithDmC Devil May Cry: Definitive Editionout now, fans of the series have another title to keep them satiated till the next one is ready. As you’ve likely read,Chris gave his impressions of the gameearlier. He was impressed with the changes and upgrades made to the game, but was still ho-hum about the story. Which is fair — it’s certainly abrasive and in-your-face.
For me, I was a big admirer ofDmCwhen it came out, and experiencing theDefinitive Editionback in January wasa total joy. But one thing many fans have been asking for since its debut was a specific rundown of what was changed and upgraded.
Capcom gave Destructoid an advance look at thecomplete changelog, featuring well over six pages of notes, revisions, and other augments made to the title. For the hardcoreDMCfan looking for a complete rundown of what’s what withDmC DE, this is something you’ll want to see.
With Hardcore Mode being the highlight ofDefinitive Edition, you’ll want to enable that as soon as possible, especially if you’re quite familiar with the game or are otherwise up for the challenge. Though if you enjoyedDmCbefore as it was and just want to be able experience it with a new visual fidelity, you may by all means do so. Ninja Theory’s Rahni Tucker, who was the combat designer on the original title and now serves as the creative director onDefinitive Edition, commented on a number of the upgradesDmCgained.
“The point of HCM is to create an experience that [is] still [Ninja Theory’s]DmC, but with a bit of a throwback to the classicDMCs in terms of balance,” she said. “We didn’t make these changes to the default game, because there are a lot of players who enjoy the current balance; and we didn’t want to alienate those players. This way everyone has the option to play the game with the difficulty/balance that suits them. The hardest felt changes in this mode are those to the style system. Getting a SSS, and keeping it, is a lot more difficult in Hardcore Mode. Devil Trigger also throws-back to originalDMCs with HCM active, so the player will need to stay on their toes after activating it.”
Here are a few examples of what’s been altered for Hardcore Mode.
Balance
One of the biggest changes in Hardcore Mode that I’m sure many will appreciate are the infamous color enemies. With the modifier enabled, players can use whatever weapon they want against these specific enemies, however the like-element weapon is still best for the situation.
Red/Blue enemies
“This was always a controversial point,” said Tucker. “On the one hand,DMCis all about variety and being able to creatively mix combos, and the red/blue enemies deflecting Dante’s attacks went against that; however, we found during focus testing that players were confused about which weapons to use, so for clarity and feedback purposes the deflection was much better. In the end, after seeing fan feedback, we’ve changed it forDEso you can hit any guy with any weapon. Using the correct weapon causes hit reactions (they don’t get interrupted by the wrong weapon) and still deals more damage.”
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. you’re able to find more info about the changelog on Capcom-Unity’s blog, featuring details about parry windows, Vergil gameplay, and the finer benefits of having an increased frame rate to work with. After reading through the changes, and getting a sense of the developer’s view onDMC, I have an even greater appreciation for the game. It’s not often we got a detailed look like this with developer commentary, so it’s definitely something I respect Ninja Theory for.
Also, the launch trailer is excellent. ’80s gothic rock fromThe Lost Boysis such a great fit forDmC.
