The Son of Sparda Returns

It has been over a decade since Devil May Cry smashed its way onto the gaming scene with fast paced, highly stylized action sequences, and introduced us all to our favorite half-demon, half-human, Dante, with his dual pistols and giant sword. And in honor of the new game that is supposed to launch later this year, Capcom has decided to bundle together the first three chapters of Dante’s video game life and give us the Devil May Cry: HD Collection.

Now, the name obviously denotes that this collection sees the first three games get a new coat of paint and now can all be played in stunning HD graphics. But aside from this, Capcom has also introduced some extra behind the scenes bonus content for the diehard fan base and almost 100 achievements/trophies between the three games that should keep all you completionists out there busy long into the night.

Unfortunately, since the game is mostly just a port though, we also get to see many of those last-generation games’ flaws. Compared to what we’ve gotten in this current console generation, Dante has not aged well at all. The cameras, the controls, and a lot of other very basic elements that may have been on par 10 years ago, are now null and void. Not to say they make the game unplayable, but anyone who hoped to use this as a way to catch up on the series incase you missed a title here or there may be in for a rude awakening and it may take even those who played the games the first time around a little while longer to re-adjust than they might expect.

But once you do get used to it again, all the great action and things that made this series great to begin with will rise up. The style meter, Devil Trigger, combo and mid-air attacks, and Devil Arms are all right where you left them and so if you’re looking for an excuse to replay these games, this is it. Not to mention that with the suggested retail price of $40 for the disc, you’re looking at less than $15 per game, which is the same as a XBLA or PSN title and Dante, even an older, less cutting-edge Dante, is still worth that much. So, even though it may show its age compared to what we’ve become used to, if you are a diehard fan of Devil May Cry or a newcomer looking to see what it’s all about, this is a solid time killer that is worth its price of admission.

SUMMARY: Although the games may not have aged as well as hoped, fans of the series are still going to be getting their money worth with the convenience of having three games on one disc, nearly 100 achievements, and some behind the scenes bonus content.

• THE GOOD: HD graphics, achievements, bonus content, and all for less than $15 per title
• THE BAD: Technically speaking, none of the games have held up as well as we may have hoped
• THE UGLY: My fighting ability according to the style meter

SCORE: 7.0

Devil May Cry: HD Collection is available on Xbox 360 and PS3. Primary version reviewed was on the Xbox 360.