Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening [PS2]

When Capcom released the first sequel to their enormously successful Devil May Cry back in 2003, the general agreement was that the company had blown it. But the first quarter of this year has seen the company rectifying past mistakes. Even though Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening isn't as fresh as the original, Capcom has compensated with scads of content and hardcore attitude. It's a challenge that makes Resident Evil 4 seem tame -- this may be the most demanding, infuriating, and rewarding game we see in this last year of the PlayStation 2's life cycle.

Few players were impressed by the reserved Dante that anchored DMC2, so he's returned to his roots. In other words, this hero is more snarky and haughty than ever. His brazen attitude and smack-talking evidently constitute one Japanese vision of urban American cool, and many players will eat it up. Of course, if you've been around a while, Dante may simply come off as tired and irritating. Maybe he just wants to be loved.

Or perhaps the whole thing is just packed with intentional absurdity, the better to complement the unending and very over-the-top action. Dante's evil brother Vergil has come back to settle old scores, and the white-haired hero has to climb a gigantic tower of evil, conveniently sprouted from the center of his city, to confront him. What follows is 32 levels of primary and hidden missions with an array of fighting techniques to shame both the original game and even more accomplished fare like Ninja Gaiden.

The heart of the game's excessive combat is the style system, which eventually offers six different ways to fight, variously emphasizing swordplay, gunplay, defense, flashy moves, and the like. Four styles are available from the outset, offering plenty of time to upgrade the special moves unique to each before moving on to the really advanced techniques. Combined with the new (and incredibly useful) ability to switch out weapons on the fly, Dante now has one of the broadest offensive arsenals in gaming.

Learning all styles isn't necessary, but it can only help, since enemies are now much faster and smarter. Each has a multitude of attack patterns and behaviors, and none show any reluctance to use every trick in the book against you. More than ever, this DMC is about attacking in the opportune moment, and knowing when to bob and weave out of reach. Thankfully, Dante controls fluidly and moves with a brutal grace whether attacking a demonic horde or scaling the side of a building in search of the game's many hidden treasures.

The most gratifying feature to return from DMC2 is the lock-on system, which has been improved immeasurably. Granted, you still have to flick the L3 button to cycle through enemies, but since the lock automatically orients Dante to face the selected foe, it's useful for overcoming some of the lingering camera quirks. (Fighting in the many constrained spaces becomes a lesson in mystical spatial awareness.) Learning how to properly use the lock is a significant part of the game, especially since it's not useful for fighting certain enemies or when you want to attack from behind.

With the game's amazing martial strength comes a downside: Dante's Awakening is incredibly tough. The "normal" level of difficulty in the North American release was Japan's hard mode, and the Dante Must Die setting is enough to leave failed players comatose. No matter the setting, strikes against enemies are rated on a scale from D up through A and three stages of S, culminating in the revered "SSS" combo rating.

Getting such a prestigious award requires mastering the game's many combos, and understanding that true success comes from switching up attacks. Simple hack and slash will pass, but just barely. It's not enough to pummel opponents; in keeping with Dante's winning personality, liberal use of the taunt button brings the ultimate reward within reach. And since the blood-red orbs which purchase new moves and items are directly proportional to damage dealt, real success requires serious study.

Capcom has provided attractive awards for persistence. From cutscenes to the uber-detailed game screens, this is a great-looking game. Sure, widescreen TV owners will cry for progressive support, but even without that bump, DMC3 is beautiful. The 24 enemies are far more detailed and convincing than anything found in the previous two games, and every level uses Capcom's patented cinematic presentation to tantalize players with secrets and destinations just out of reach. But the nifty mission-select feature also facilitates replay of past missions with new abilities intact, the better to ferret out goodies. If only there weren't so many songs cloned from White Zombie's DNA along the way.

Despite the inarguable level of detail and polish, stringing together perfect SSS-rated combos isn't for everyone, and Devil May Cry 3 has little to offer those players. Featuring a continue system that makes Ninja Gaiden look generous, Dante's Awakening can be punishing to those who can't or won't learn.

Neophytes may find the game's imposing difficulty tedious, but fans of the series will think Capcom has tapped into divinity with Dante's Awakening. It's got superb production values, exhilirating action... and besides, what would Dante say to his detractors? "To hell with them."