DmC 2: Devil May Cry 2

DmC2: The Awakening is an action-horror-adventure game and a sequel to the reboot/alternate standalone title DmC: Devil May Cry. A large collaborative effort, it is developed by Capcom, its main publisher and IP owner, and Ninja Theory, the company behind its first installment's development; this also introduces two new writers into the new installment, known by their aliases Lordy88Greg and CelesteLunaR53L.

The sequel introduces many new gameplay aspects alongside recognizable staples, such as combat: besides playing as Dante, there are three more playable characters. Free-roaming is now part of the game as exploration helps in expanding subplots and reaping secret rewards, complementing the unique Skill Tree upgrading system. Along with this are the customizable combat and puzzle-solving difficulties.

The Bloody Palace returns, with different challenges that range from combat, traversal, puzzle-solving, boss rush fights and even a mixture of all four in one challenge. Two new mini-games are also added: a rhythm game where Dante must perform in ‘The Sunken Opera House’ and is only done so in the main game; the second is called the Hunters’ Palace, a multiplayer game consisting of four players defeating as many enemies as possible, which is similar to the Resident Evil’s The Mercenaries.

The story is set four days after the fall of Mundus, the self-imposed demon emperor, and after the defeat of Vergil, who revealed his true intentions to replace the fallen monarch. Dante remains as the main protagonist, accompanied by his best friend, Kat, a psychic and witch, as they try to stop an untethered horde of demons who are taking advantage of the power vacuum and other new forces that will either defend or will bring the end to the Human Realm.

Now taking place in a new area, they travel to a county called Wolfhaven, with its three towns, each with its unique setting and enemy encounters: Angelavale, the main hub for where the characters can have respite; Rochenmore, a more suburban area; and Edenville, an older town with a mountainous forest and where the Paradise mansion still stands.

Vergil, the main antagonist, is guided by a mysterious scholar named Dr. Arkham, as they plan to summon the Sky Tower, an ancient and powerful marvel that can be used to direct its power by those who have fulfilled its requirements. Dr. Arkham’s daughter, Mary Ann, seeks vengeance against him as she finds that he committed several murders, including the murder of her mother, and hunts down several demons along her way.

During Dante’s and Kat’s adventure throughout the county, they are helped by a secret but dwindling group, the Vie De Marli, and other entities that seek to eradicate the evil powers surrounding both the county and its spreading malignance. Many of these characters range from humans to gods: Commissioner Gaiman Morrison, an undercover agent of the Vie De Marli who climbed the police ranks to gather intel and has become a de facto leader of the current police group in Limbo City; the prophet Phineas, who had assisted Dante before, continues to convince several demons who formerly serve under Mundus’ court to redeem themselves to build a new world; the mysterious Nemain, a pub manager in the town of Angelavale in Wolfhaven, who shares folklore information in exchange for Dante to perform in her pub ‘The Sunken Opera House’, among many others.

Besides demons, angels are introduced as one of the main antagonists in this sequel. As Mundus’ downfall reveals that a truce was formed during the Ancient War to grant Mundus exception, in exchange to making sure no Nephalem could be born or survive under his dominion, the angels finally find an opportunity to bring Judgment to the world. A seraphim named Beatrice takes the chance to face Dante, wanting to eradicate Eva’s offsprings, condemning his mother as a traitor and a blasphemy. She also plans to assassinate Vergil and patiently waits for the moment to strike even if the Sky Tower is summoned.

Gameplay
Although mainly an action, hack-and-slash combat game, the sequel introduces other video game genres to create a pastiche and complement the overall experience and story of the second installment. The game borrows elements of RPG in upgrading, item management and signifiers in enemy's reactions against the player's attacks; elements of horror, particularly eldritch-horror and survival horror, when it comes to the design of the enemies and certain characters' tactics against them, among other surprising tropes. The sequel introduces four main playable characters, with each playable character mechanically unique in both play style and sub-genre, both a first in the standalone franchise and the entire Devil May Cry franchise.

Dante, as the main playable character, maintains the signature combative nature of the game. However, the two playable characters, Mary Ann and ______, are also combative but each are played with their unique gameplay styles. Kat, also playable, is the only one that plays in a survival horror genre in a specific segment of the game, using stealth and magic, as well as with a fantasy-item management twist when it comes to combat support with Dante.

Throughout the game’s progression, Dante’s combat will sometimes be supported by another character as an A.I. The player can create a combo with that second character and even switch to them from time to time during combat. All four characters will band together in the last arc of the game's story and the player is given that opportunity to switch and play all four characters in combat.

Along with the different combat styles and mechanics, the game also allows players to choose the combat difficulty:


 * from “Tourist” - easy,
 * “Traveller” - normal,
 * “Adventurer” - hard.

The unique aspect of this combat difficulty setting is the rewards reaped from each battle: the harder the difficulty, the higher the number of rewards are given to the player. The higher difficulty also allows players the Bloody Palaces. Most of the Bloody Palaces are hidden across the county and finding one unlocks it automatically. Each Bloody Palace has a unique challenge for Dante, whether as a solo character or accompanied. Besides combative challenges, traversal or platforming, puzzle-solving and boss rush challenges are also found here. Bloody Palaces become available to play outside the main game.

Another customizable asset is puzzle-solving. Players can choose a puzzle-solving difficulty that reveals a myriad of puzzles unique to one difficulty:


 * “Armchair” - easy,
 * “Sleuth” - normal and,
 * “Investigator” - hard.

For example, in an easy difficulty, only the linear/main storyline puzzles are available to be solved. Choosing a higher difficulty tweaks the main storyline puzzles, adds a few more that the characters can find throughout the county and allows players to find more information about the county of Wolfhaven. The normal and hard difficulty in puzzle-solving also increases the rewards given to the player.

Because of this difficulty system, rewards reaped will be smaller in an easy level in both the combat and puzzle-solving difficulties and therefore, upgrading characters will be difficult; however, in an easy combat level, even the most challenging enemies are survivable. In a higher difficulty, more rewards are given to upgrade and purchase items to defeat tougher, smarter and more numerous enemies, with boss fights being severe in the highest difficulty.

To upgrade and purchase, the Divinity Statue, a staple in the Devil May Cry franchise, returns. This time, however, the Divinity Statue is given a prominent lore. Depending on which character’s story, she will not appear until the plot reveals her. Now given the name Nishkara, she provides the characters their much needed upgrades for the character’s Skill Trees and purchasing items, as well as cryptic hints against enemies and puzzles that haven't been solved. By trading Red Orbs/War's Ichor, unique, supportive orb items are purchased. Proud Souls are traded for the character’s unlockable abilities and even unique movesets for a Combat Style to improve their Skill Tree.

Besides combat and puzzle-solving, platforming levels add challenging segments in regular combat, puzzle-solving and boss fight levels. In tandem with this is another major element introduced to the sequel: its free-roam mechanic. Maintaining its linearity, the player can only roam an area as allowed by the story progression. As the story progresses and a new area is introduced, the previous area remains open for exploration, until players reach the final segment and are given one last opportunity to re-explore areas before proceeding. This helps in completing puzzles in higher difficulty and finding Bloody Palaces.

Lastly, there are three minigames available, with the first only playable in the main game but can be returned to before the final segment of the game: the first is a rhythm game, a first in the franchise, where Dante performs with Nemain's band the Imbolc Swing and plays music for her, in exchange for rewards and storyline information. The second minigame is the Bloody Palaces, which requires a lot of free roaming to unlock and become available outside the main game. Rewards given depend on if the score matches or surpasses the required score from a scoreboard.

Lastly is a standalone minigame akin to the Mercenaries of the Resident Evil franchise, the Hunters' Palace. This minigame allows co-op and multiplayer, up to four players. The Hunters' Palace has players choosing from a selection of characters to defeat as many generated opponents as possible.

Besides the main four characters, a few more characters who aren't playable in the main storyline are now available:


 * Nemain
 * Commissioner Morrison
 * Beatrice
 * Vergil
 * Beatrice
 * Vergil

Costumes and specific weapons are also available and matched to each outfit for the character. Up to 10 different arenas are available and a ten-minute timer counts down. Defeating an opponent gives players an extra five seconds while taking a timer littered throughout the arena rewards fifteen seconds. Bonus timers multiply each five seconds on the number of opponents defeated consecutively, until fifteen seconds of the bonus timer runs out. Scores depend on the number of opponents defeated, as well as how quickly and uniquely a boss is defeated in the arena. The score also tallies how much time is still left if all opponents for that arena are defeated.

Plot
Story summary: "A few days after Mundus' downfall, Dante and Kat are summoned by Commissioner Morrison, regarding powerful demonic activity on the mountainous province of Wolfhaven, where it so happens where the twins' old manor stands to this day. As they hunt down the horrific horde responsible for a massacre, they unearth the history of an ancient civilization, a powerful tower and possibly Vergil's new plan."


 * TBA

Characters
Main Protagonists/Playable Characters:


 * Dante - the rough, darkly-humored but carefree main protagonist of the game, Dante is a Nephilim, born of the unique parentage of having an angel mother and a demon father. Besides looking for and wanting to stop Vergil and his schemes, he discovers more of the world now free from its previous demonic emperor and journeys to refine his purpose even more. With emphasis on combative, action-adventure levels with open-world traversal for side missions (side puzzles, demon hunts, Bloody Palaces) and sometimes with supportive elements from Kat on certain situations. He upgrades by trading Red Orbs/War's Ichor for items, unlockable abilities and Combat Styles, whilst trading Proud Souls to improve his Skill Tree. The Skill Tree affects his overall gameplay, from his attacks, to unlocked abilities and weapon handling, to the effectiveness of the Combat Style. Default Skills: Precision 50, Strength 90, Harmony 22, Durability 89, Acceleration 46.
 * Kat - a psychic and "witch", Kat is in a unique position to both defend humanity and fight powerful beings that continue to belittle her kind. Her gameplay is more on survival horror, emphasizing on psychological and supernatural dynamics between her and the demons who prowl for prey. Item management and crafting, stealth, puzzles, Psyche meter and the choice to approach combat wisely. Gives supportive elements to Dante's combat in certain situations. She upgrades by trading Red Orbs/War's Ichor to unlock abilities and for items or ingredients for her craft and item management, whilst trading Proud Souls to improve her Skill Tree. Improving her Skill Tree affects her Skills: Tolerance 24, Mental Stability 48, Crafting 30, Effectiveness 44, Harmony 35.
 * Lady - bore witness to her mother's murder from the hands of her father, Mary Ann "Lady" chases after her father and is indiscriminate with any creature who isn't human that tries to block her path. A blend of action and survival, Lady's armaments are destructive but run on finite ammo and supplies. Using her weapons and skills, she has a choice of directly facing the demons or hunting them down through stealth, picking her prey patiently whilst not becoming prey in the process. Scavenging for supplies and maintaining her motor bike, which serves as a holder of her gear, she at first utilizes a work desk to upgrade, maintain and craft her weapons and first aid. Nishkara, the entity known as the Divinity Statue, soon introduces herself and aids Lady further, by trading the Red Orbs she’s found for Green Orbs and Holy Water, and the Proud Souls to further enhance Lady’s Skill Tree. Default Skills: Tolerance 34, Crafting 30, Harmony 26, Precision 70, Combat 50.
 * ______ - born from very unnatural circumstances and carrying his guilt as his only sense of direction, he nevertheless moves forward to help defend against demonic and angelic opponents. Combative in nature but stylistically different from Dante, he also must survive different environments and navigate his way to his goals (platforming, puzzles and combat). Utilizing speed and long-range attacks, _____ races his way to ensure Vergil’s schemes are foiled. Precision 67, Strength 90, Harmony 48, Durability 89, Acceleration 79.

Main Antagonists:


 * Vergil
 * Dr. Arkham
 * Beatrice/"Trish"
 * Demons
 * Angels

Supporting Characters:


 * Commissioner Gaiman Morrison
 * Nemain
 * Nishkara, The Divinity Statue
 * ...more to come soon....
 * ...more to come soon....
 * ...more to come soon....

Weapons
TBA