Tsuyoshi Tanaka speaks on Devil may cry 2 and RE:O

[Guest Renegade]

Devil May Cry was an instant and deserved success when it first released on PS2. With jaw-dropping visuals, great imagination, a brilliant combat system and a truly great hero, it received across-the-board praise and to this day is still one of the finest action games on the system.

This naturally creates immense pressure on the team responsible for the sequel, headed by new producer Tsuyoshi Tanaka of Capcom's Production Studio 1. But with a brand new playable character, all-new moves and a massive new adventure, the team has certainly come out all-guns blazing.

 

And in anticipation of the European launch, we were fortunate enough to sit down with Tanaka-san to get a deeper insight into this massive project. Translation assistance was provide by general manager of new business division, Yosuke Yoneda.

 

Devil May Cry is a game that received universal praise. When you came to create the sequel what did you originally have in mind, in terms of what you wanted to keep/change?

 

Tanaka: We had to ensure that it is still "stylish-hard action" and we had to make sure to keep Dante's personality cool. This time there is also a second character called Lucia, and the player can choose to start as her.

 

These two points are obvious, but to enhance the way Dante moves and how stylish he is, we had to think very hard and come up with many things to add to the character. For example, Dante can now shoot in different directions at the same time, or run up walls.

 

As far as we were concerned, Devil May Cry was very difficult to play. We found that some people would only get so far and then stop playing. It doesn't mean we wanted to make an easy game, but we wanted to make one that anybody can get into easily.

 

We have three general modes: Normal, Hard and Dante Master Mode. Hard mode is almost the same as DMC's Normal mode. Hard is unlocked by clearing Normal. Clear Hard and then you get Dante Master.

 

Why did you include Lucia instead of just focusing on Dante, who is already a great lead character? It seems a very Resident Evil thing to do...

 

Tanaka: Basically, the character designer came up with the idea. If you look at the Resident Evil situation with hero and heroine, they fit very obvious Western stereotypes. This particular character designer wanted to make a hero embracing many different cultures in one. That kind of thinking generated Lucia.

 

Do you see a future for Lucia beyond DMC2? Perhaps in her own game?

 

Tanaka: That isn't easy to answer. Capcom is famous for making very nice characters one after the other, therefore there is no particular plans for this character right now.

 

Maybe she'll crop up in Capcom Fighting All-Stars...

 

Tanaka: [laughs] If I make a fighting game she would be good, as she's a great fighter! She has many combos on DMC2, so it's almost like she's in a beat-'em-up already. That makes sense, yes, but there are no plans.

 

Devil May Cry 2 is part of a Capcom tradition that began with Resident Evil and also includes Onimusha - is there much competition between the various teams or do you all help each other out?

 

Tanaka: As an example, Mr. Kobayashi of Production Studio 4 is from the division which originally made Resident Evil. Now I am making Resident Evil Online as part of Production Studio 1, but am always consulting and exchanging information with Mr. Kobayashi. And we are also talking about the Devil May Cry series.

 

Devil May Cry 3?

 

Capcom PR: No, Devil May Cry series!

 

Yoneda: Devil May Cry 2 Tactics! [laughs]

 

Different team members have worked on DMC2 than worked on the original - how has this changed DMC as a franchise?

 

Tanaka: There is no problem continuing the series with a different team. DMC was made in Production Studio 4, and the director Mr. Kamiya made DMC and DMC2, and he has a very characteristic touch. So even though DMC2 has been created by Production Studio 4, it's still similar in feel. It's the director that counts in this respect.

 

For Mr. Kamiya, Dante is the main thing in the game, but for Production Studio 4, Dante already exists so we wanted to do different things to make it more interesting as a game.

 

The game has received a rather mixed reaction from the US and Japanese press so far - what's your reaction to this?

 

Tanaka: It's the same situation in Japan as the US. People who think that Devil May Cry 2 should be exactly like the original are saying it's bad; whereas people who like games in general are saying this is good.

 

Everyday we receive mail from users from the US and Japan. Some have said it's a really nice game; others have said it's just not Devil May Cry.

 

So the people who don't like it are just resistant to change?

 

Tanaka: You can look at it from a technical point of view. In the game Dante has a sword. In the original DMC, the movement was a very simple movement from top to bottom. In DMC2, the same move covers an arc, which means you can hit maybe three or four enemies at the same time.

 

Speaking of which, the new moves are fantastic and ultimately cool - what gave you the idea for them?

 

Tanaka: Basically, what my team felt they were unable to do from playing the first game, we've added to the sequel - that's where the moves stemmed from.

 

Let's face it, Capcom is sequel crazy; therefore, another DMC game seems highly likely. Do you personally want to be involved in that project and is there much more you want to do with Devil May Cry?

 

Tanaka: Personally, I would like to do another if time allows for it. On the other hand, I would like the challenge of making something totally new, so it's difficult to say. But I would prefer a new challenge. Saying that, with the same DMC2 engine, I should be able to make a totally new game.

 

Do you find this challenge in Resident Evil Online, then?

 

Tanaka: Resident Evil Online is a very good example. It's doing stuff that's never been done before, while offering a story within the Resident Evil universe. It retains the atmosphere of Resident Evil but offers a different experience. I just want people to say: "Ah, the producer did a nice job!" [laughs]

 

Anything else you can tell us about Resident Evil Online? What stage are you at in development?

 

Tanaka: We're gonna show the playable version at E3. That's all I can say! If I said more, maybe Ben [Le Rougetel, Capcom's lovable Euro PR guy] would kill me! [laughs] Then the other divisions of Capcom Japan would have to kill him. [laughs].

 

OK, we spoken about the US and Japan. But Europe is still waiting patiently and getting very excited - do you have a message for these gamers?

 

Tanaka: This is a game that must be played over and over again to experience all of it. There is normal mode which everyone can clear, then there's hard mode and Dante Master Mode. When you clear all these, you get the ultimate character - Trish - who originally appeared in Devil May Cry.

 

The movements of Trish are the same as Dante in the original DMC. It's important to bear in mind all these aspects when judging the game. The there's a mode called Bloody Palace, which is a game that is just about killing enemies. The stages run from one to around two thousand!

 

You can play this as Dante, Lucia or Trish and you just kill, kill, kill enemies. If you haven't got a lot of time, you can just play this mode for a short while and kill like crazy.

 

And how long would it take to do all 2,000 levels?

 

Tanaka: Hours... I've only managed around 600... [laughs] My Dante didn't die, but I almost did! [laughs]. We have many secret stages, secret missions and secret characters.

 

Devil May Cry 2 is an action game predominantly, but also has a story. Do you actually care about the story when making a game like this, or is it just something you have to do.

 

Tanaka: You can care if you want to, but if you just want to get on with the game then you don't need to think to much about it. At the end of the game you may understand it suddenly, but it wasn't a focus.

 

But when you've cleared the game, you will automatically want to play Devil May Cry 3... When you finish the game, you'll understand this.

 

And how long will we have to wait for devil May Cry 3?

 

Tanaka: [laughs] [Tanaka-san begins to speak but Capcom PR swiftly intervenes.]

 

Tanaka: Rude question! [laughs] No comment!

 

Credit: Computerandvideogames.com