The history of Devil May Cry

With Devil May Cry 4 taking demon-slaying into the next generation, we take a look back at the series' PlayStation®2 origins.

The Devil May Cry series almost never happened. Not the way we know it anyway. In 1998, after the completion of the excellent and hugely successful Resident Evil 2, Capcom started work on a next generation sequel for PlayStation®2 under the direction of Hideki Kamiya, and his newly formed Team Little Devil.

Kamiya's vision for the game was a radical departure from the established Resident Evil formula, and the survival horror genre in general, being much more action-oriented than the other games in the Resident Evil series. Rather than abandon the project entirely however, the premise was changed and it eventually evolved into Devil May Cry.

It proved to be hugely successful, with the series selling over five million copies worldwide, and each release becoming a Platinum title. The first game in the series has also been cited as the first game in the brand new genre of extreme action, which focuses on fast-paced, relentless, stylish combat against endless hordes of enemies.

Demon demolition

The first Devil May Cry game introduced the cocky young protagonist, Dante, a mercenary dedicated to exterminating demons, hoping to eventually catch up to and kill those responsible for the death of his mother and corruption of his brother. He is the son of Sparda, a demon of great power that rebelled against the demonic emperor and defeated his army. As a result of his demonic heritage he possesses numerous superhuman abilities which he uses in combination with a variety of weapons to accomplish his goal.

The character was created to fit Hideki Kamiya's vision of a "cool and stylish" man, with a long coat to make the character "showy", and witty like a "British" guy. The character wears red because in Japan it is a traditional colour for a heroic figure to wear, and his personality was based on the main character of a Japanese comic book series called Cobra. Public reaction to the character was extremely favourable and Dante regularly tops lists of videogaming's coolest characters.

His weapons consist of guns and melee weapons, including Ebony and Ivory, twin handguns that never have to be reloaded, as well as a variety of swords. The guns are hand-made with "For Tony Redgrave, By.45 Art Warks" written on them, for reasons as yet unexplained.

Hunting season

The plot of the series doesn't follow a standard chronological order, with the story really beginning in Devil May Cry 3. This game sees Dante defeating his brother Vergil in battle and setting up his demon hunting agency, known as Devil May Cry in reference to the sadness he feels over the death of his brother.

Vergil would return, however, as the original Devil May Cry tells the story of Dante's battle against a demon known as Nelo Angelo, later revealed to be Vergil in a different form. Dante manages to release the power of his father Sparda that Vergil sought in Devil May Cry 3 and defeat Vergil as well as the even more dangerous demon lord Mundus.

As a result of these victories, Dante had become a famous demon slayer, and as such, Devil May Cry 2 begins with a demon hunter called Lucia asking Dante for help fighting Arius, a businessman who wields demonic power. During his battle with Arius, Dante opens a portal to the demon world and battles a legendary demon known as Argosax the Chaos. After defeating Argosax, Dante finds the exit to the real world closed, and instead drives further into the demon realm on a motorcycle, searching for a way out. The game ends with Lucia hearing the sound of a motorcycle echo through the streets, which she leaves to investigate.

All of which sets the stage nicely for Devil May Cry 4. Starring brand new protagonist Nero, Devil May Cry 4 sheds new light on the series' story, while providing all the extreme-action demon slaying fans have come to known and love. Download the demo from PlayStation®Store (PS3™) to get a first-hand look at the next generation of this awesome series.