Balancing the combat in a game designed to reboot a popular series, winning over new players without turning off existing fans, is no mean feat but Capcom reckons it has pulled it off with the imminent Devil May Cry reboot DmC.
Developed in the UK by Enslaved studio Ninja Theory, the game uses the same mechanics as the frantic Japanese titles that launched the saga of demon-slaying warrior Dante, but tweaks them to allow those new to the game the chance to get a taste of the cool stuff that the expert players can do.
"When I looked at videos of pro-players playing the old DmCs, they're always in the air, they're always juggling enemies around, and doing stuff that most of us look at and think 'I have no idea how that works'", combat designer Rahni Tucker has told Official Xbox Magazine. "We wanted to take that magic the pro-players could create and give more casual players a bit of that feeling. A bit extra hang-time, more aerial moves, the launch button is a single press without a lock-on."
This won't, however, mean that there will be no challenge for those with prior experience. "You can take the techniques built up during the old series, and the bar to entry for new users is very low," says Capcom's Hideaki Itsuno who has overseen the game from Japan. He's clearly very happy with the balance that Ninja Theory has struck. "Both old and new fans will be able to enjoy the game, and I'm very proud of them."
DmC: Devil May Cry is out on January 15th for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.