Devil May Cry: Pinnacle of Combat

 MIRCOTRANSACTIONS ARE APPROACHING

You ever had those games that you play once so very long ago and then could never find again? Maybe you blindly happened upon it at a friend's house and really got into your time with the game, only to then loose track of it once you were finished? That happened to me. Obviously. I'm talking about it here, ain't I? It was this explosive, demonic hack and slash game that I remembered best for it's magical sealed doors and 'special form' mode. Yeah, I was young at the time so those were the things that really stood out to me. "The doors look weird and I think the character looks cool when they go super Saiyan" Not a lot to go on, is it? Yet years later I would happen upon the game again and realise that I had inadvertently dipped my toes into one of the most celebrated hack'n'slash action adventures of all time; Devil May Cry. Why, I could finally sit down at the big boys table and join in with their discussions. All I had to do was tell them that I had experience with the franchise too because I had played DMC 2- oh... that's the one everyone hates... nevermind.

So yeah, I've never exactly been the diehard lover of the Devil May Cry games that some other people are, but that's not because I found any fault with them. Devil May Cry 2's gameplay stayed with me all those years precisely because I thought it was so fun, so I certainly respect the series and those who adore it. (Even more those who master it; some of those combo videos on YouTube are insane!) I've just oddly found myself being around the whole DMC series instead of playing it for years. I've dabbled with them every now and then, but my most substantial experience is with the first game, and even then I didn't finish the thing. (I think I got close) So then why do I care about the series? It's hard to say. Maybe the answer lies in the same the way that gaming royalty tends to get around the zeitgeist for some specific reason, the reputation sells the legend as much as experience. How many people respect Metal Gear without ever having actually touched the games? Whatever the case, I'm certain that this is a series that I will one day get my hands upon, thus keeping my eye on its releases seems pertinent.

That's how I know that the 2013 reboot is widely considered heresy and, as far as I can tell, is entirely non-canonical to the rest of the franchise. (probably a skip, then) And how I know that Devil May Cry 5 boasts some of the best dynamic boss-fight level transitions that I've ever had the pleasure of dabbling with. It is, incidentally, also how I've heard of this new mobile Devil May Cry game, with the dubious title of 'Pinnacle of Combat'. (Sounds like a ropey 'Ace Combat' ripoff to me, but I guess I'm not the marketing guy...) Now when I hear 'mobile' game, there's obviously going to be a few immediate words that also spring forth from my cynical old noggin. 'Cash Grab', 'Microtransactions' and 'half assed' are just a few. (word association is fun!) But I'm willing to halt my pre-conceived prejudices for a moment as I look at the actual game and what is on offer. Because at face value; I'll admit I'm impressed.

So modern Devil May Cry games have obviously followed hardware trends and now operate in this great looking engine with flashy visuals and solid framerates, as one expects from their classic franchises. However, being as old school as this series is, the early games obviously don't boast as great fidelity; however they are still beloved an iconic for their visuals as much as their gameplay because that's just what happens when you make a classic. Well, what if I told you that this mobile game has done an uncanny job of replicating the style of those older games? To the point where it almost looks like there's some high-quality emulator running? Would you be impressed? Would it change your immediate bias towards the very existence of this game? Because that's where I was when I first looked upon this and went 'hang on, this looks good'.

Now to be clear, it isn't totally unbelievable for mobile phones to be able to accurately recreate the visuals and gameplay of a 16 year old game, in fact that isn't even functionally surprising. Mobile phones and their ever increasing capacity are easily the match of old game consoles, so remaking games for mobile users from that era is actually completely feasible. What knocks me for six is that someone actually went and did it. I mean, effort looks like it when into this project and that's so often never the case. Usually there's an ugly easier-to-work-with replacement style which conveys the feeling of the game they were trying to make fit on the mobile phone but lacks the heart. (Looking at you, Just Cause and Diablo) This 'Pinnacle of Combat' looks as good as a port of Devil May Cry 3, and the fact that's it's being made as something of a standalone, with new content to it's name, is actually pretty cool. It doesn't scream 'Look at me, I'm a lazy cashgrab' in the slightest.

As for the game itself, it seems to have been based on Devil May Cry 3 as it's base, borrowing much of that game's aesthetic and systems. (Such as levels, weapon switching, combos and the like.) And as a point towards the dedication involved, some attack animations have been replicated frame-by-frame, which makes all the difference in this sort of game, as any fan could tell you. But where things get interesting is when we start hearing about new locations from other DMC games, such as locations from 4 and even that DMC remake which I'm fairly certain is still non-canonical. There's even going to be a few bosses from the about the place confirmed to make a reappearance such as the giant lava spider; Phantom. (I actually remember him! He was the worst. In a good way) So we're looking at no strictly new content; but even a remix of what we already know but for the mobile market is far beyond the expectations I, and I'm sure many others, had when hearing about this for the first time.

In fact, after all the footage I've watched and articles I've read on the game (Which haven't been many, not a lot is out there right now) my only real concern is something which this platform can't really help; the controls. I've played my fair share of mobile ports, as well as actual emulations, and I know that the 'gamepad becomes touch screen' thing can be a total nightmare. Grand Theft Auto 3 is nigh unplayable for some of the more finnicky moments and considering that an action adventure hacker-slasher game is, ideally, all finnicky moments, I worry a tad. Now I'm sure that this is being taken into account and great efforts are going into how to place each virtual button to be as ergonomic and responsive as possible, but there's only so much real estate to work with; these are mobile screens. How is any amount of finetuned button combos going to be feasible given the circumstances? What can any of us realistically expect?

I suppose the only remaining empty spot in my knowledge that I think really does need to be cleared up before release is monetisation, because that's a prickly issue that hasn't been properly addressed. Although, even as no entry price has been mentioned and the team has a history of questionable microtransactions built into their main games, (charging for extra Continues is embarrassing, guys, come on) I'd be lying if I said I wasn't interested anyway. It's so rare to see someone actually take advantage of the technological offerings of phone hardware and those that do really stand out against their peers. Honestly, if things turn out as well as they look, I might be holding off for an actual full blown PC port, because I think this might be a pretty sweet nostalgic ride for the DMC fanbase. Looking good, Capcom.