DEVIL MAY CRY 2
There was a time when demons ruled the earth, man enslaved to their power. Sparda, a saviour demon freed humanity. But now, Arius, the president of a large corporation has resurrected a demon paradise, mankind in danger. So, it is up to the son of Sparda, Dante (who inherited his father's legacy), to take up weapons against the beasts. Armed with two handguns and a sword, Dante decimates monsters and freaks across gothic architecture, rooftops, cavernous catacombs and modern locations, blasting and hacking. The game blends monstrous medieval action, with magic, modern firepower and technology. Your Devil Trigger (R1) transforms you into a winged demon to match some of the more feisty opponents and reach higher ground. Perform super jumps or power sword slashes to smash open stone doorways. An auto targeting system and often-sluggish fiends makes it a bit easier than it could've been. Along your trails you'll expect to collect things - besides keys and other essential progression elements there are Orbs (Red - power boost, 4 Blue fragments add up to one, Green - vitality, Gold - resurrection). Moody cut scenes include the obligatory Ghost In The Shell / Matrix styled vertical skyscraper dive. You get two discs, one for Dante and another to play the red headed, short torso'd Lucia. There are hidden Diesel outfits to be unlocked. After each completed mission you'll get a devil hunter ranking, analysis and status report. It's not necessary to recap with the first installment, but if you have played its predecessor, you'll be more engrossed by its continuance.

4 / B
- PB