Game of the week
This week marks the first big video game release of 2013 with DmC: Devil May Cry. The new entry in the series is both a reboot and the first Devil May Cry game in five years.
Development duties shifted from Capcom to Ninja Theory, and to say the change generated controversy would be an understatement. But early reviews indicate that the core formula of fast-paced and stylish action remains in place. What has changed is protagonist Dante, who sports a radical new design, and the story/writing, which aims for a more tongue-in-cheek approach.
Effectively creating a self-conscious narrative that dives into the absurd without becoming too ridiculous is a difficult balance to maintain, but I have to applaud Ninja Theory for making the effort. Despite enjoying the series, I felt like it hit a wall with Devil May Cry 4. With that being the case, any attempt to pump life into the series at this point seems like a risk worth taking.
Whether or not the result is satisfactory remains to be seen on my part, but I look forward to trying DmC out in the next week or two.
This week in news
Vice President Joe Biden met with representatives of the video game industry last Friday to discuss gun violence in the U.S., but the story is still at the top of headlines this week.
In the wake of the horrible tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn. last month, Biden has increased his efforts to limit gun-related violence in the U.S. Part of that effort was to invite video game industry representatives such as EA CEO John Riccitiello and Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg to analyze the role of video games in our culture.
One researcher present at the meeting was quick to point out that Biden was not placing blame on video games and even mentioned the lack of evidence connecting gun violence to the entire medium. Rather, the meeting took place in order to look at the image of video games and their perception by the public at large.
During the meeting, Biden asked representatives to comment on ways in which the image of video games could be improved. The format took the representatives by surprise, but it seems like a fair question and a thoughtful discussion worth having in the coming months.
ANTHONY LABELLA can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.
