Doji Grovesai

Capcom: an open letter

re: Devil May Cry 3

I would like to start off by saying that I loved Devil May Cry, and I purchased Devil May Cry 2 solely on the merits of its predecessor. I was very disappointed in the sequel, and having learned of the release of a third installment, I would like to make very clear what I expect out of this new game.

Having read opinions and previews from various groups that attended the E3 Press Release, I understand that this game is going to "return to its roots" in a manner of speaking, as well as add new fighting styles and such.

This is all well and good, but there are some expectations that I have regarding this system:

• I want seamless transition between fighting styles. I want to use my firearms, switch to a sword combo, and then run up the wall to the next enemy without having to pause the game, switch to a menu, or cycle through options. Use the shoulder buttons, that's what they're there for. Yes, this will force you to constrain the number of fighting styles you may or may not want to add. I prefer a solid game to 400+ different ways to kill a demon.
• I want different weapons that actually make a difference. I want Alastor, Ifrit, and Sparda back (or something like it): three distinct weapons with distinct qualities. All Devil May Cry 2 offered were three swords with different names that behaved almost exactly the same in actual gameplay. On top of that, the switch between weapons should be seamless (again, like the original Devil May Cry) where tapping a button switched between the melee weapon used.
• Whether or not you perfect a "behind the back" camera shot makes no difference to me. I do, however, request that the action be up close, personal, and intense like the first game. Not, as in DMC2, far off and removed, where you can only identify Dante among the fray by his red coat.
• I want Dante to have an attitude problem. I want his opponents to have attitude problems. I want the banter that occured in the first game with all of its smarmy, sarcastic overtone; not the forced, apathetic whining in the second game.
• I want the "sidekick" to have a personality. If there is even a sidekick or supporting character at all (playable or not), I want them to be hard-core and solid, like Trish. Lucia, with her muddled Balkan/French/Afrikaans accent and lack of a personality did nothing for DMC2.

That really sums it up. Make a better game. Improve on what was good, and throw out everything that didn't work. If you make Devil May Cry 3 a good game, I promise to forget you had anything to do with Devil May Cry 2. Honest.