Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening is a 2005 action-adventure game developed and published by Capcom for the PlayStation 2. The game is a prequel to the original Devil May Cry, featuring a younger Dante. Set a decade before the events of the first Devil May Cry in an enchanted tower called the Temen-ni-gru, the story follows Dante as he attempts to stop his twin brother, Vergil, from opening a portal to the Demon World. The game introduces combat mechanics with an emphasis on combos and fast-paced action. The story is told primarily in cutscenes using the game's engine, with several pre-rendered full motion videos.
Devil May Cry 3 was released in February and March 2005 for the PlayStation 2 and ported to Windows in June and October 2006. It received highly positive reviews from critics, who saw it as a return to form for the series and praised its combat, level design, music, and characters, although some criticized its high level of difficulty in the North American release. It was re‐released in 2006 as , featuring retooled difficulty levels, the addition of mid-mission checkpoints, "GOLD mode", and Vergil as a playable character. Combined sales of both versions were over 2.3 million. It has been cited as one of the greatest video games ever made. It has been called the game that established the combat formula for 3D sword action games, from hack-and-slash or character action games, to action RPG games, and is credited with saving the series and establishing the Dante archetype for Capcom male leads.
A 2005 manga prequel to Devil May Cry 3s storyline was published in Japan and later the United States.
Gameplay
The gameplay in Devil May Cry 3 consists of missions, in which players battle enemies, carry out platforming tasks and solve puzzles to progress through the story. The player's performance in each mission is graded from D through C, B and A, with top marks of S and SS. Grades are based on time taken to complete a mission, the number of red orbs (currency obtained from defeated enemies) gathered, "stylish" combat, item usage and damage received. The games tracks stylish combat by an on-screen gauge, which is the performance of a series of attacks ("combos") while avoiding damage. The longer a player attacks without repetition and evades damage, the higher the score. The gauge registers "Dope" after a few attacks, progressing through "Crazy", "Blast", "Alright", "Sweet", "SShowtime" to peak at "SSStylish". If Dante receives damage, the style rating falls; if the gauge is "Crazy" or below, it will reset. Devil May Cry 3s battle system allows a player to link attacks, with each weapon having a set number of attacks.
Devil Trigger is a mechanic which enables the player's character to assume a demonic form. This alters the character's appearance, increases attack and defense, restores health and enables special attacks. This is a departure from the previous titles, where Dante draws power from weapons and items he procures throughout the game. The Devil Trigger state lasts as long as there is energy in the Devil Trigger gauge; the gauge rises by attacking or taunting enemies in normal mode, and falls when using the Devil Trigger transformation or other abilities using Devil Trigger power. The Devil Trigger mode is not available to Dante until one-third of the way through the game, while Vergil, playable in the special edition, has the ability at the outset.
The other major difference from previous Devil May Cry games is Devil May Cry 3s combat system, which allows a player to choose one of Dante's four combat styles; each style has a different focus and techniques. Dante can switch between all four equipped weapons (two guns, two melees) on the fly, allowing for far greater combat freedom and variety than in previous Devil May Cry games. Style selection is available at checkpoints and at the beginning of each level. The styles are "Trickster", for dodging and agility; "Swordmaster", with abilities for swords and other weapons; "Gunslinger", with firearms techniques; and "Royal Guard", which allows a player to repel attacks with a button press (storing energy for retaliation). Later in the game, two additional styles become unlocked: "Quicksilver", slowing enemies, while the character attacks at normal speed; and "Doppelgänger", which creates a shadow double who fights alongside Dante. A second player may control the shadow double by pressing "Start" on a second controller. A two-player mode, similar to the Doppelgänger style, is accessible while Dante and Vergil battle Arkham. In the special edition Vergil has another style, "Dark Slayer", which is similar to Trickster.
The Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition version of the game makes some changes to the gameplay. Along with making Vergil a playable character, other changes included an additional survival mode called "Bloody Palace" (which originally appeared in the second game) with 9,999 levels; a Jester fight early in the game, with optional fights later; a "Turbo Mode", increasing game speed by 20 percent; an easier GOLD mode "continue" feature, allowing a player to revive a character or restart a lost fight, and rebalanced difficulty levels. Vergil's gameplay differed from Dante's; although Dante was weaker than Vergil in terms of skills and combos, he was easier to control. Because of the game's space limitations, not all of Vergil's moves were included in the special edition.
Vergil has one style, "Dark Slayer" (similar to Dante's "Trickster" style), with evasive maneuvers which can be leveled-up twice like Dante's four styles. He has three weapons: a katana known as Yamato, Beowulf gauntlets and greaves and the Force Edge broadsword. Vergil has two ranges of attack: "Summoned Swords" (creating magical swords for a variety of effects) and "Judgment Cut" (creating spheres of force). The new boss is Jester, a character encountered several times in first-edition cutscenes but not fought. In Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition, he is a boss who may be fought three times.
The Nintendo Switch version of Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition added the ability to switch between styles at any point during combat.
Plot
Devil May Cry 3 starts with Dante's yet-unnamed shop in the early 1990s. A mysterious man, Arkham, arrives with an invitation from Dante's brother Vergil in the form of a demonic attack.Dante: Damn it! you guys totally wrecked my shop and I haven't even named it yet! (Devil May Cry 3) Capcom, 2005Arkham: Is your name Dante? Son of Sparda? Dante: Where did you hear that? Arkham: From your brother. He sent this invitation to you. Please, accept it.. Dante: Invitation huh? (Devil May Cry 3) Capcom, 2005 After Dante defeats a group of demons, a huge tower erupts from the ground nearby.Arkham: Well? Doesn't it excite you? The Temen-ni-gru has revived. The Great One who once ruled this earth as the medium between the Human world, and the Demon world. Isn't it a magnificent view? The greatest minds of their time, those who revered Evil, constructed this glorious edifice. Now after two millenniums of confinement it can at last fulfill the purpose for which it was intended - Vergil: That's... none of my concern. Did he have it? (Devil May Cry 3) Capcom, 2005 Sensing that Vergil is on top of the structure, Dante interprets this as a challenge.Dante: It's been nearly a year since we last met. Where does the time go? No doubt you've got some fun planned for me. Right, Vergil? (Devil May Cry) Capcom, 2005 He begins fighting more demons during his journey, some of which become his weapons once defeated.Cerberus: You are not a human, are you? Dante: Who knows? I'm not even sure myself. Cerberus: Regardless, you have proved your strength. I acknowledge your ability. Take my soul and go forth. You have my blessing. Dante: Too easy! (Devil May Cry 3) Capcom, 2005 Dante is attacked by a woman on a motorcycle who turns out to be Mary, Arkham's daughter, who wants revenge on her father for causing her mother's death.Vergil: Why didn't you kill her? Perhaps, because she is your daughter? Did some pesky fatherly love get in your way? Arkham: That is none of your - Vergil: To further your study of the black arts, you sacrificed your loving wife, to become a devil as well. Knowing this I thought you'd be more useful to me, but I was wrong. No wonder your attainment of power is incomplete. (Devil May Cry 3) Capcom, 2005Mary: Shut up! He was obsessed with becoming a devil, so much he killed his own wife. For that, he butchered innocent people too. He's the vilest kind of creature. To top it off, that filthy scum... is my father. Dante: Well, we have something in common. I have a dysfunctional family too.Mary: And what would you know about family? You're a demon! This is my father. My family! This was all supposed to end by my hand! (Devil May Cry 3) Capcom, 2005 It is revealed that Arkham works for Vergil; they plan to take Dante's half of their mother's amulet and use its power on the tower to connect the human and demonic worlds.Vergil: Why isn't this working?! is there something missing? Must more blood be shed? Dante : You seem to be in a bad mood. Vergil: Dante. Dante: So my mother's amulet is the key that unlocks the door to the Demon World. Good Plan, Pop. Vergil: Just the opposite actually... Originally it was the key to the Demon World but was given to humans as a gift. Dante: It doesn't matter to me one way or the other. More importantly, I've come all this way. I'm sure you have time for one more game, right? Vergil: Why not? After all, we share the same blood. I'll just use more of yours to undo daddy's little spell. Dante: So you want a piece of me. literally. Okay, bro. come and get it, if you can! (Devil May Cry 3) Capcom, 2005