Devil May Cry HD Collection (Xbox 360, 2012)

Old, but Refined

For all of us die-hard DMC fans, it is safe to say that bringing three classic games back to life on one disc, is a dream come true! For me it was at least! When I first seen this game, I knew I was going to have it. For $40, and brand spanking new, I couldn't pass this offer up. It would have been selfish to myself to have done so. Which is why I purchased this game the moment it began selling! 

No Major Changes

If you play the original DMC games that were released on PS2, you may remember the gameplay, the storylines, the endless hordes of demons to slay and the difficult challenges the bosses were. You'll even remember the difficult non-bosses that should have been a boss, and the bosses that should have been a non-boss. All the weapons you fought to earn, and you rightfully did so. 

If you did anything like me, it was to have the thrill of starting any of the games over, from scratch, and replay the entire game, as if you've never played before. But because you're a veteran demon slayer, you know exactly how to complete each mission. But you take it to the next level, and you decide it is time to up your gaming experience and play through every difficulty. Starting from Easy, if you're really rusty. Or starting from Normal, if you like to slow increase your gameplay challenge. 

From there, you may have googled or purchased a gamer's guide to find each and every single secret door, secret mission, secret items and so forth. All this a much, now can be done, once again, but on one single disc! It doesn't get better than that. 

Gameplay Difficulty

Yes, the same exact difficulties that existed in the original PlayStation 2 games, still exist in this Xbox 360 HD collection.

There are, STILL, several difficulties a gamer can play on when playing Devil May Cry. There's Easy Mode. Demons are weak compared to Dante, they inflict very minimal damage, and they die easily. Bosses absorb attacks and lose health like no other. Fights won't last more than five minutes at the most. And game progression will fly by.

Normal Mode is the next difficulty for this game, as well as the defaul difficulty, after losing a couple lives in Easy mode. However in Normal mode, enemies and bosses, and Dante or Vergil, have just about equal strength, equal defenses and equal health. Both will take damage based on an attack, as well as the demons and bosses. What type of damage they inflict, depends on how well of a demon slayer you are.

Next difficulty following Normal mode, is Hard Mode. And yes folks, the name implies its difficutly. Both Dante and Vergil are much weaker than his enemies, and takes more damage than normal. Enemies take longer to defeat, and impose a real challenge to inexperienced gamers. 

Dante Must Die Mode is truly no joke! Demons are significantly much stronger than Dante. Some attacks can almost kill both in one hit. Boss battles become lengthy due to the difficulty, and every enemy in the entire game including the bosses can now power up with their Devil Trigger powers, which boosts attributes for demons.

Heaven or Hell Mode may be a let up from Dante Must Die (DMD) mode, since both can kill every enemy with one hit. But beware, both can also die at one hit. So for those who like to juggle demons in the air and rank up your stylish slaying, good luck.

A Bonus (DMC 3)

In the Special Edition version of DMC 3, you will be granted the option to play as Vergil and his moveset. His moves are much swifter and cunning, unlike Dante's strong yet cool style of slaying. 

More Gameplay Difficulty (DMC 3) 

In the Special Edition of DMC 3, you will gain one more difficulty. How the difficulties work is a bit backwards. You have all the difficulties, but for each following difficulty, it is actually the previous difficulty's difficulty, even though it may be named otherwise. So for example, if you're playing on Normal mode, the difficulty is actually Easy, even though you're on Normal.

Vergil gains these difficlties as well, except when playing as Vergil, instead of playing on Dante Must Die, you will play on Vergil Must Die. Yes, it does keep the difficulty as DMD mode, for you challenge loving demon slayers. 

*Hell or Hell Mode (DMC 3), is the most difficult mode in the entire game. Demons retain their diffcutly from DMD mode, but they DO NOT die from one hit. Dante, or Vergil (DMC 3) becomes the sole victim of this one-hit kill mode, while he has to put blood, sweat and tears into tearing these fercious beasts apart, to even make it to Mission 3. Are you up for the challenge?

**Note this**

It should be clear that DMC 3, is STILL, the most difficult game out of all four of the DMC games. Still harder than DMC 4.

However...

Because the original games are so old now, upon Capcom digitally remastering, there was a negative effect that caught my attention. The graphics, were still PS2 quality. It has better quality, but you can still see the original DMC quality. It's nothung majorly horrible, it's more of a minor attempt to make something old, look new again. A+++ for effort though. 

Something Good

Even though the graphics are still PS2 quality, Capcom did manage to make our demonic star look brand new again. It's almost as if Dante got a facial and a time off to relax from his demon slaying job. Even devil hunters need to go on a vacation. 

Lastly

 This one disc containing three great games should be yours if you're new to the Devil May Cry world, or a veteran, who's eager to start their demon slaying journey from the beginning once again.

Recommend this product? Yes