Devil May Cry 2

Ok I don't know who capcom was listening to when taking feedback from the first dmc game, however I don't think that person have them good faith criticism as we have a sequel that's the antithesis to what made its predecessor such a breath of fresh air from the start of the 00s.

Where to even start? Well, I guess I get to the biggest elephant in the room here which us how boring this game is. Now to be clear, when people say this game is easy, what they really mean is that it's easy compared to the other games in the franchise as there is somewhat of a challenge here even if it puts the first game to shame in that regard (to say nothing of the bonkers difficulty of the third entry.) That said, the challenge comes more from the puzzles as they're very badly designed this time around due to how confusing they are, sort of like how tomb raider 5 dropped the ball when it came to its mission impossible stages but stretched out for an entire game rather than one quarter of that title. The combat is also nerfed here, although that's due to how spacious the level design is, meaning you'll have a hard time pulling off combos in this game which of course results in very mundane waves of enemies to fight off given how you'll often have to chase them around due to sending them flying in an open courtyard rather than them being trapped in a cramped corridor like in the original game. Then there's the enemies that just stand there and are only a threat from a distance due to their ranged weapons, the tanks being the most egregious example of this as they're none threatening as soon as you close the gap between them and yourself. As for the story? Well let's just tell the same one we did before but with Dante now having the personality of a brick wall as opposed to the cocky little shit he was in the other games in the franchise. Every major plot point of the original is recycled here, I won't spoil them but there are no surprises to be found here due to the same story being told a second time.

It's not an awful game as the core mechanics work fine, it's just one that's stripped of its franchise’s best assets likely in an attempt to appeal to more casual gamers.

Combat is very spammy. Some bosses are passable, while some are so bad that I spent whole fight laughing at screen in disbelief. Story was just there and I don't remember anything from it at that point. Music is the only thing about this game that is legitimately good IMO. It goes hard.

Game is terrible but also has its charm. It's not required to play it at all to experience the DMC series but if you do decide to play it then prepare to have a good laugh and probably some big frustrations along the way (some locations do suck big time. Prepare for underwater level and very wonky platforming sections). May be better playing with friends to embrace the jankiness (there is no actual multiplayer that I know of but watching the game with others may be fun).

Its terrible game, but its also very short, very easy and button mashing is fun just enough so I made it to the end without getting bored. It has also absurdly stupid and funny enemy design and sometimes a pretty atmospheric locations so I always wanted to see what will I find in next mission.

No need to skip it when playing the games chronologically, its entertaining even being this bad. But I would be furious playing this at the time of its release - its just terrible sequel which has about 3 hours of gameplay and there is no reason to play it further. It feels like it was assembled quickly by team of random people in a month on previous game engine.

It is difficult for one to even put their finger on why Devil May Cry 2 doesn't work, as at first glance, all the pieces are there, with the mechanical elements of the first returning in a much bigger environment. But the experience is so tepid and boring you'll lose interest even before switching characters, with lame, stiff combat showcasing how much nothing is in every other element of the game. Had a production so obviously confused that the final boss comes out of goddamn nowhere.

There are times I try hard not to dislike this game, but after replaying it in the DMC HD collection when that came out a few years ago, I can see why this wasn't that good, even when I was younger and played this when I was in high school I never thought this was a good game. I mean even if we just look at it from a pure gameplay perspective and trash the entire shitty plot and Lucia being an incredibly dull and uninteresting side character, the game from design and gameplay perspective is just lacking. I mean I just found the design of this game to be plain ugly. The game was just easy and many enemies you could just spam guns and they go down pretty quick and same goes for the bosses. I don't remember much of the levels in this to be honest because they are just so incredibly generic and sort of blend together, and then we get the boring boss rush at the end, sure DMC 3 had one too but DMC 3 had amazing bosses that I didn't mind facing again. DMC 2 just feels like a rushed game that doesn't have the unique design or fun gameplay of 1 and 3 or even 4. Instead this is mostly forgettable and the definition of a forgettable and generic game and is one that can be completely skipped in the series.

In all aspects, DMC2 is the red-headed stepchild of the series. Without even being offered the chance to develop the game, the original team’s talents never touched this sequel and it shows in more ways than one.

Capcom quickly assembled a team to make a sequel that would address complaints some critics had with the first. Instead of elegantly designed corridors, DMC2 presents bland yet spacious battlegrounds. Instead of knocking your head against the wall, hoping for a new power-up, DMC2 starts you off over-powered and only gets easier.

DMC2 is a disappointing sequel, but it’s not a necessarily bad one. The improvements to combat and controls are noticeable, even if the enemies and systems surrounding them are a step back. Furthermore, the game’s drab caves and cityscapes don’t look all that much better in the HD release. Seeing grey and black textures spread across a large building isn’t exactly eye-candy. The little improvements in this sequel mean nothing when compared to other entries in the series but for those desperate for more Dante, you could do worse.