Grave Gamer News & Views — dmc

“Vergil’s Downfall, the first substantial story DLC produced for DmC, gives  gamers the chance to again command the other Son of Sparda, wielding Yamato against Hell’s legion, in his own post-campaign narrative.  For those of you that lit up at seeing Vergil’s playable inclusion to DMC3 back when the Special Edition released in 2006…Stow your excitement.”

DmC UPDATE: Bloody Palace Mode and Vergil’s Downfall Hitting This Month

Having effectively driven a rail spike between the critics that dote over it (Hiya) and the jilted gaming public that’s shit on it (check out this hilarious disparity), Ninja Theory’s month-old DmC, regardless of the confusing hate/love surrounding it, is pumping out new content steadfast.

Beginning with the return of the beloved Bloody Palace – Devil May Cry’s horde mode before there was such a thing – players can look forward to a gauntlet of punishment befitting a true Son of Sparda as soon as next week.  The mode comes way of a title update filled with tweaks and fixes including, but not limited to, boss AI adjustment and increased enemy damage for some of the higher difficulties (yikes).  The 360 receives the update Tuesday and the PS3 scores it Wednesday.

The first dose of story DLC, Vergil’s Downfall, is also arriving sometime before February’s out.  As the name suggests, players take control of the other Son of Sparda in his own three to five hour quest.  Fans will be pleased to know Vergil’s mini-campaign wisely opts not to recycle levels or events from Dante’s story and instead offers up completely new environments for you to tear through.

Sadly, the main game’s dynamically choreographed cutscenes are replaced with motion-comic style animations that progress the story a la Castlevania: Lords of Shadow’s so-so DLC.  Guess a penny only stretches so far when it comes to reboots.  Vergil’s Downfall will set you back $7.99/720 Points to download or, better yet, free if you pre-ordered the game.  Give us a visit when we review the add-on in all its hack n’ slashing glory.

When Ninja Theory, a British development house renown for its unique sense of style, was first tasked by Capcom to reboot and rejuvenate Devil May Cry, it was “The Father of Mega Man” himself, Keiji Inafune, who posed the question that would ultimately shape DmC into the game it is today.  What would Dante and his universe look like if imagined as a contemporary film?

The grand result of this thought experiment permeates throughout every inch of DmC with obsessive flair.  From the imaginative art design that morphs the world into the twisted, decrepit otherworld mockery of our reality to the clever, full momentum narrative that barely allows its viewers a breath, Ninja Theory has taken complete ownership of Devil May Cry, offering up an entirely new, almost unrecognizable take on gaming’s beloved devil hunter.

And it’s fucking incredible.

Capcom’s attempt to reboot this relatively fresh hack n’ slash franchise has been met with the harshest of resistance from day one, forcing DmC into the unenviable position of having to prove itself to longtime fans all over again while still managing to bring in a new generation of would-be demon hunters under its wing.  After having most of the year covered with an avalanche of trailers, screens, gameplay previews, and a slew of interviews with people trying to convince you the game is good and that, yes, it really is still Devil May Cry, the general masses are now privy to the one thing both detractors and supporters have been asking for all along: a demo.

Pre-order DmC to Get the “Vergil’s Downfall” Add-On for Free

Oh, lordy.  This brings me back to when Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition released.  At a glance, it was merely a Greatest Hits re-release but, in true Capcom fashion, it had just enough extra content to coerce me into buying something I practically already owned; it let you play as the samurai sword wielding Vergil.

Six years later and DmC is offering fans the ability to play as Dante’s estranged twin once again, except you won’t have to buy the game twice this time around.  Enter “Vergil’s Downfall,” a new downloadable chapter that pits Vergil versus an army of darkness in the recesses of Hell.  Pre-ordering at either Gamestop or EB Canada will net you “Vergil’s Downfall” for the cost of free.  If the reboot-ification of Devil May Cry has you wary until you see a solid review (or until they issue a patch to make Dante’s hair constantly white, if that’s your beef), then you can purchase the add-on after the fact for $8.99 (720 MS).

DmC is still on track for a January 15th release date with “Vergil’s Downfall” being made available afterwards sometime in early 2013.  A playable DmC demo is releasing beforehand for Xbox Live and PSN on November 20th and the 21st respectively, finally giving people that adamantly hate Ninja Theory’s reboot their first chance at having an informed opinion.

Check out the “Vergil’s Downfall” Trailer hereabouts.