Below is the text of an email, that I sent to Capcom around May 2012.
Hi!
I hope I'm sending this to a right man in "Capcom" (well, I doubt that, because there is no e-mails of high-ranking "workers" found in the net), if not - resend it, please. It'd be appreciated.
Well, with what shall I start? Guess with the reason I'm sending this.
I'm a PC-lover (not in naughty meaning) and a real fan of Devil May Cry series. I've played both DMC3:SE and DMC4, which were ported to PC. I've seen the anime (not as good as I expected, but still worth-watching), read all the comics I could grab (expect for the manga: don't like the manga-style much).
I've only hadn't played the first two games, because I’ve got no PS2. I like Dante. And I like Nero. And Trish, and Lady (Mary), and even Vergil (though not that much as others). I like the "universe" you guys have created. That's the first reason I'm writing all this stuff now.
The second one is criticism. I've read a great number of posts both in English and in Russian (my mother-language), criticising DMC-series in one way or another. And some of the statements I've read are... True. And I'd like to try and help you in solving problems of the series while maintaining its uniqueness, but still making a better game for much larger audience. So, I'd like to make some points and suggestions, mine or others' or using others.
First one is the plot. Probably the biggest problem of the series. It's not that bad, you know, assuming how good it's shown (given, represented? Dunno what word would be more suitable). But there are TONS of missing pieces or contradictions, and the characters, in fact, are not that... Deep. So, if you don't mind, I'd like to write here something... Well, it's not like a script or anything, but still, it's not JUST wishes. Hope you'll like it (or at least something in it) and maybe use it in the forthcoming DMC5. And this game should be made, I assure you.
One of the statements, found in blogs\forums\whatever is: "Nero sucks, give us Dante". I understand all the reasons you've made this character, but in DMC4 you haven't explained who he is, why he looks like Dante\Vergil and where he's got that demon-hand. So, I suggest starting the next game with a dream:
Somewhere near the town, where the DMC4 starts Nero with two NORMAL arms (no demon arm) trains with someone (it doesn't matter with whom). He has not white hair, let it be... Black? Guess that'll do it. So, he's training with his teacher' using a standard katana (maybe even a wooden one). It doesn't matter how exactly they train, who's taking the upper hand (though it would be more dramatic if the teacher is taking the upper hand). What matters is that they're training in a field covered with grass 'bout 2-3 inches long and some yellow and pink flowers, met here and there. They are so into the training, that do not seem like to notice that the blue as Dante's eyes sky is getting covered with black storm clouds, that move unnaturally, and they don't notice how the grass changes its color to the bloody red one, and the flowers... They just die on eyes. Those two are so into fighting each other, that they stop only when a giant claw (fang?) pierces the teacher to death. The demon (can't depict it, my fantasy in this area is not that good as that of your Capcom artists) eats the teacher, while Nero is just watching him in like O_o expression. But as soon as the demon tries to pierce Nero, our hero dodges the attack, grabbing his sword tight to the whiteness of his knuckles. Then they fight. Can't describe it either, but 'because my English is still quite limited. Besides, it doesn't matter. What matters is that in the end of fight (Nero wins) the demon desperately tries to attack Nero for the last time. And being too exhausted, Nero is seriously injured: he loses his right hand, exactly the size of his future demon hand.
Then... Dunno how it's called... A flash? Well, when the scenes change each other very fast, and each scene is just a few frames...
He is like on a bed, which rides through the corridor to the operation room. Then Agnus face over him, smiling in excitement. Then darkness...
And he wakes up on train, with Kyrie near him, asleep on his left shoulder (they sit, like looking toward the trains motion, Nero near a window). The train is going to a place where... Dante lives and works. It's going to Devil May Cry.
Then we see Dante, who's fighting 3 demons, that look like Doppelganger in DMC3. A bit of mocking, a small movie and then the game. Like a tutorial, where it describes ONLY the main things: movement, firing, swinging the sword, styles (basic moves only), using DT and that kind of stuff. The tutorial ends, when two of the demons are dead, and the third is half-dead (health is on 50% or less). Then another movie, where Dante after some mocking and more fighting with the last demon makes a move similar to Nero's Streak in DMC4, the demon just jumps over him, avoiding Rebellion, but he meets the bullet from Nero's Blue Rose. Dante turns around and see Nero with smoking Blue Rose in his right hand and Kyrie in his left.
- Hi, kid, - says Dante.
Nero only smiles.
Then the "Now Loading" screen. And then...
Devil May Cry. Dante and Nero playing billiard, and Kyrie is walking 'bout the office, gazing at all the devil arms, firearms and demon heads (or other parts of their bodies) that Dante has there.
- So, when you'll speak, kid? - Dante asks. - What've brought you here?
- Nightmares.
- Nightmares?
- Well... I Think they are not exactly nightmares... They are... Like memories. And not always mine...
- And what do you want from me? I'm no doctor or anything...
- They've started after I get that sword... Yamato.
Dante's face gets serious. REAL serious.: - Still why you think I can help?
- It belonged to your brother, right? He... You were twins, right? He always made his hair to stay up, so you could look at least a little different. He liked blue coats with yellow...
- Stop it. I've told you: I'm no doctor, and I'm not specialized on inner demons. I'm more into killing the real ones.
- But...
Then there's a big BOOM, the office (and the screen, of course) is shaking devilishly. Screams from the outside.
Dante: What the?..
He runs out of the office, Nero follows him, after asking Kyrie to stay inside. They see like a big angel-like (i MEAN it! ANGEL, not DEMON, it's more like Credo's angel-form), which looks like a stone gargoyle from a church. The stone-like cover of him is slowly started to fall, showing the shiny armor of white, gold and... Bloody red, which colors his metal-like wings (you know, like those of Archangel from X-Men (when he was possessed, I mean).
He shakes of the last pieces of stone, that melts, when it touches the ground. He spread his wings making a loud breath out (almost a moan, less than a roar). He flies to the nearest church, stands on its roof, grabbing the cross and says, his voice rolling over all the town:
- The Devil Reign is coming! But do not fear, humans! We, servants of The Trinity will protect you from them and those who worship them!
As he speaks all over the town and in the sky small portal are opened, smaller angel-like creatures pouring from them, grabbing "sinners" and killing them instantaneously, or grabbing normal humans and throwing them back into their houses.
Nero: Not again..
Dante: Well, I'll share this one with ya, kid: this town is surely damned.
Then the game itself starts.
Dante and Nero should go two different ways: Dante will search for Lady and Trish for backup (just in case), and Nero will investigate what's all that blabbing was about. Here player should be able to choose with whom he starts: Dante or Nero. It doesn't matter, in fact: he will have to play for the other devil hunter.
Let's start with Nero's path.
During his investigation he finds out (how? it's just the details, they don’t really matter) that long before Sparda, long before Humans, the forces of Hell and Heaven collided with each other every now and then. The humans were created by God (well... let it be The Trinity) to help them against hell hordes, but humans were made too clever, and most of them decided not to interfere. Because The Trinity represented all that's "GOOD", Heaven couldn't kill all humans, so it only searched for those who worshipped Hell. Every now and then the Hell-Heaven battles still happened, but far from humans.
But after Sparda, the demon, who protected humans, the battles ceased almost to nothing: Heaven thought that there still may be something "GOOD" in those form Hell. But later, after discovering, what Sanctus made with Devil powers and WHY (I'll tell why... soon enough), they started preparing for a new war, that should wipe out all devils and half-breeds and others like them. And the reason, why Sanctus used the Devil Power, was not only in his strife for power... Mundus was coming back, more powerful than ever before, but still needing help in defeating Heaven. And for that he forgot his wish to rule over Humans by force. He gave (that way or another) some Devil Power to those who were so faithful in God, so selfish, egoistic and greedy, that they will use the Devil powers to "help" God. One of those was Sanctus and his subordinates.
While fighting Heaven Forces (and closer to the end of this part of the game - hell forces as well) Nero has flashbacks (would be a bit more realistic if after Boss-fights, because of exhaustion), which will show him how he got the hand and... How the hand was found by Agnus... And how Vergil died, what he had with Dante, how Yamato was found and other stuff like that. Won't write them… Well, just in case...
In the end (of this part of the game) he is defeated by one of the "Angels» and left without the arm. The demon one, I mean. And thus, without Yamato and... Demon blood...
Now to Dante's path.
So, Dante's searching for Trish and Lady. Let him find Trish in second-third mission of this part of the game, because Trish is working with Dante, right? He finds her fighting demon hordes (not Angels, though Dante might have fought some of them already, though the first boss should be definitely a demon, who tells him, that Mundus is coming back). Dante tells Trish, that Mundus is connected to all this. She snaps. And runs off to find Mundus.
Dante then continues his search. Lady is in another town, the road to which lies through a pine forest (or something like that) and through the underwater tunnel(s) to an island not far from the mainland. When he arrives in that town (let it be mission 8 or somewhat for Dante) he finds it deserted... Almost. I mean... All humans are dead... Only some parts of demons on the ground... And lady is sitting on the stairs of a church, silently shaking in tears. That's the end of this "chapter".
There are four other "chapters" I have in mind. One of them is for Trish, the other is for Lady, the third is for Vergil (I'm not reviving him)... And the last one is for Dante\Lady\Trish. Can't write all of them right here... Because I've already told quite much, I think, about the plot. Without details, but still... I just don't want my ideas to be misused... Hope, you understand that... But I also have some ideas, 'bout the gameplay, that I can share.
First of all: skills, orbs and all that stuff. Don't you think that's it's kinda weird that in every game Dante HAS to learn all the moves for his "classic" weapons? I mean Rebellion and Ebony & Ivory. I can understand his need to learn them in DMC3: he is young, he has no experience... But now?
Let him have ALL those skills. And abilities, like Air Hike, Speed, and Style Moves for the "classic" weapons. His health and DT-gauge can still be little at first - that's OK. Well then... The skills and Style Moves for "non-classic" weapons should be "bought". Not for red orbs, but for Proud Souls (or something like that). Let every "non-classic" weapon have and experience-gauge, represented by the number of those "proud Souls"-like things. The more Dante uses (better KILLS with it, not just uses) a weapon the more "souls" it gets, that can be used to learn new moves. All this counts for other characters too.
Secondly, why Dante can't use the devil\firearms from previous games? He collects them, right? So why not use them sometimes? Empty-skilled, though.
And in fact, HOW he can choose weapons (or at least carry them) all the road to the end? Let a player choose what weapons he will carry in the beginning of Dante's chapter. Make Rebellion and Ebony & Ivory something like constant (can't throw 'em away), and let a player choose one or two (depending on size) demon\firearm(s). And during the game if he finds something else, let a player choose if he'll play with what he's chosen at the start or if he'll play with a new weapon. Either way the other weapon will get to the Devil May Cry office after the game. But NO switching weapons middle-game. It's... Unrealistic.
And 'bout the realism: I understand why not everything is destroyable and why Dante is never dirty or bloody and his clothes are always like new. But... There some things you should consider changing. First, how there are Red Orbs in trashcans or urns? red orbs must be of some "devil origin", so they should go from the demons ONLY (in case of everything I've written, Angels too). Second, why we only see the currently chosen weapon on Dante? Where he hides, for example, A-Coyote? Or Lucifer? Or any other, quite large weapon? They should be seen. Of' course, it difficult to make, but possible. Other action-games can do this.
And last, but not the least: physics. I understand that Dante is half-demon. I understand that he is very strong and healthy. But WHY he jumps from height of almost 8-stories building and lands like he's jumped off his head (or Neros' or Trish's)? It's stupid! OK, let him have no damage, but let it stun him or something! And when he uses Air Hike make at least partly transform into demon with wings. It's kinda logical then. And furthermore, you could make enemies also a bit physically corrected. Not that it's a necessity, but still.
Well, that's all for now, I think. I hope I didn't just waste the time of a man, who was reading this. And I hope you will use something of this... Who knows... Maybe All this (and other stuff, that I haven't written here) will invent a Slasher 2.0 genre. Or DMC 2.0... Or something like that. Either way, if you like anything of it and want to use it, bother yourself a little and let me know... Just so I could hope for better future of the series...
With all best regards,
Simbiat a.k.a. Ryu Yamiichi a.k.a Buntar a.k.a Akuma
