Devil May Cry (Xbox360, HD Collection):
Disaster.
As a part of test run for the final mission i beat it and without giving it a thought saved OVER my main save. The game started over on hard difficulty and upgraded Dante and now my save that starts from final mission is gone.
And i worked so hard for it, doing one life run (no yellow orb continues)! And it saved that i used one continue, so i didn't get achievement for doing it in one life.
Thankfully, not all is lost, i found my save from Saturday which is four levels and two bosses before the final level. Better than nothing. I guess i will continue from that.
I tried out hard difficulty, it's rather easy now that i have Dante upgraded with most of the moves. Got S rank on mission 1, just for kicks.
Then started the game on normal and got S rank with "new Dante" (blank slate, no moves except for the most basic ones).
I can see myself doing this, S ranking entire game. I definitely enjoy this game way more than Viewtiful Joe, maybe it's 2d/3d thing. Even with horrible fixed camera angles and a rather limited moveset i just like playing DMC1 more.
Actual ending is surprisingly melodramatic. Dante who before that was a rather generic character with some rare flashes of amusing cockiness, suddenly became all feely-touchy. Whatever. Game is still cool.
Devil May Cry 2 (Xbox360, HD Collection):
Oh wow.
Game still has some of the combat complexity of the first game, but you don't have the chance to use it properly because enemies fall apart if you as much as fart in their general direction. There is no reason to use anything. Just walk around and press sword button from time to time.
RPG levels on swords and guns are baffling. Why would i upgrade them if i already one hitting all enemies in this game? And in general i find that RPG progression where you just boost your stats has no place in action games. It's much more rewarding to get new moves and weapons to diversify combat rather than just get stupid +20% to your attack.
Prince of Persia-style parkour is weird. It's cool that i can run up the wall and jump from it and shoot monsters below me when i am in the air, but what's the point?
I am starting to get why this game is so loathed.
Sengoku Basara 3 (Wii):
Played a bit. Combat system is solid but it feels like it's completely wasted during the main combat where you just mash buttons killing thousands of helpless soldiers.
You have guard, evasive rolls, air recovery, light and heavy attacks but you don't NEED any of that to slaughter armies of nameless minions.
Boss fights at the end of the missions are cool though and definitely feel very well designed.
I definitely like outrageous characters more than sour, serious dudes. The contrast is very striking compared to rather restrained Dante of DMC1 (i know he got way more cuhrrazee in DMC3 and i love it).
Maedas are hilarious.
Cutscenes and graphics are very impressive for a Wii game. Game plays great and smooth. Even local splitscreen looks decent enough.