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[Vic Viper]

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With ECTS in full swing we speak to the producer of Devil May Cry 2, sequel to Capcom's breathtaking PS2 action-adventure

17:10 Still standing tall, a gaming giant in the PS2 community, Devil May Cry is widely regarded as one of the finest games of its type on any platform. Blending breathtaking visuals, a ridiculous cool lead character and joyously fluid gameplay that felt all the more liberating when judged next to the rigid control of the Resident Evil series it grew out of, the game became an instant smash hit and the clamour for a sequel can be felt far and wide.

And with remarkable alacrity, Capcom has returned with Devil May Cry 2, which aims, in its producer's own words, to be "twice as good in every sense," compared with the original. A bold claim indeed, but from what we've witnessed thus far, we can at least expect significant improvements.

The Capcom A-list is in full force at this year's ECTS in London with some of the hottest development staff in Japan rubbing shoulders with their European counterparts in the crowded aisles of Earl's Court exhibition centre. Among them is Mr. Tanaka, producer of the Devil May Cry series and lover of football and rock music.

Along with a few select European journalists, we were fortunate enough to sit down with Tanaka-san to discuss his forthcoming project in detail, but before any questions were fired, we were treated to a brand new trailer for the game, revealing monstrous new bosses, new moves for Dante including wall running and the ability to shoot in two different directions, plus, crucially, the first glimpse of a new, playable character - Lucia.

Anyway, without further ado, here's the interview in full:

Firstly, what are the main improvements you've made over Devil May Cry?

Tanaka: First of all there's a lot more action. Have you seen the E3 footage? You can climb up walls, run up walls, you can shoot by crossing your arms, and you can also jump and shoot down.

It's twice as good in every sense - in terms of visuals, action, there are two playable characters, and the game size is double. Also, the resolution has doubled.

Dante is the main character again, and we've made him tougher both mentally and in terms of looks. And then there's the new female character Lucia - while Dante fights with guns and swords, Lucia has two swords and is good at close combat. Dante can also fight in some sort of vehicle this time.

Can you elaborate on that?

Tanaka: You'll just have to play the game!

Can you tell us a little more about Lucia and how she fits into the game?

Tanaka: Dante and Lucia meet at some point in the game and Lucia persuades Dante to go with her to a town where she lives to be a devil hunter there. Lucia fights to protect her town - that's pretty much all we can say at this point.

Is there going to be a 60hz mode in the PAL version?

Tanaka: Yes.

The original Devil May Cry was also a real looker, so how have you improved the game visually?

Tanaka: We have doubled the resolution so it will look much better, especially when the camera zooms in.

You've said before that the camera in the game is straight out of Hollywood. Are there any particular directors or movies that have inspired the way this operates in Devil May Cry 2?

Tanaka: I'm not really inspired by any specific movies, but I see a lot.

Do you have a favourite film?

Tanaka: It's hard, but if I had to pick one movie it would be Once Upon A Time in America.

Since the game's emphasis is on action, is the story in the background somewhat or do you feel it's of paramount importance?

Tanaka: The story is brand new, it's a new experience. If you have played the first Devil May Cry, then you know who Sparda is when his name is mentioned in the sequel, for example. But even if you haven't played the first, we will tell you who Sparda is. The story is important, but either way you'll enjoy the game.

One thing that makes DMC stand out from the Resident Evil series is that it has a highly distinctive, ultra-cool hero. Because of this, do you foresee diversifying with the character of Dante, perhaps taking him into different styles of game or do you plan to proceed in a similar fashion to Resident Evil?

Tanaka: We really don't know about the future and where the series will go at this point.

Are there any other games similar to DMC that you've been inspired by?

I don't do things just because I've seen something good in a movie or a game - they come from my experiences in the past, but if I see something that is good then I'll want to use it.

What part of the game are you most proud of?

Tanaka: The fact that you feel really good when you're playing the game. I want to apologise for not having playable code here today, but when you play the game you'll see so please wait for that!

With Resident Evil, Capcom made a big step in pledging a mature content series onto GameCube which was seen by many as a more "kiddie" console. Since then, the majority of developers have failed to follow suit - why do you think this is and do you think Capcom made the right decision?

Tanaka: I think that's a question you should direct to Mr Mikami! [laughs]

With the PS2 hardware, DMC was a beautiful game in the first place and DMC2 is looking noticeably better - do you feel you've pushed PS2 pretty much to its limits, or is there still room for improvement?

Tanaka: I think with more time there are more things you can do and there is room for improvement, but if we're talking about five years later there'll probably be new hardware by then!

You must have started work on DMC2 very soon after finishing the first, so you must have been confident the original was going to be a success?

Tanaka: During development we thought this would sell well, especially in America and Europe. Not just because of its gothic style, but because of its action as action games are really popular in America and Europe.

You used to be a journalist - did this experience help you in any way as a videogame producer?

Tanaka: I used to be an editor, so it gives me an advantage in that I can differentiate between good and bad games - it's intuitive.

And do you have any desire to go back to journalism?

Tanaka: Sometimes I would like to interview writers and producers, because there are not many good interviewers - yourselves excluded of course! [laughs]

Despite its massive popularity, the Resident Evil series has been criticised for a lack of evolution - with Devil May Cry, have you been conscious of ensuring that many things are new and that there's a lot of new content in there?

Tanaka: I want to try lots of new things, but it's the players who decide whether it's good or bad.

In that sense, have you listened and responded to feedback about the original Devil May Cry?

Tanaka: If we agree with the criticisms that players of the original have then we'll fix things, but if we don't agree we don't necessarily fix things. It's very difficult - probably there will be some people who might say they like Devil May Cry better than DMC 2, but some might say the reverse and others will just like both.

Do you worry about what the press will say about Devil May Cry 2

Tanaka: Not really, because I'm confident that if people play the game they'll like it.

So why does it say Let's Rock Baby! in the new trailer?

Tanaka: [laughs] There's a guy in R&D who really likes the phrase! I like it, too!

Are you a rock fan yourself?

Tanaka: Yes, I like British bands like Oasis and Coldplay. When I was young I used to like listening to The Stone Roses, The Smiths, Morrissey and also The Beatles. Right now I really like Radiohead.

Can you ever see Dante dressing as Morrissey?

Tanaka: Well, there will be hidden costumes! [laughs] I like football, so maybe there'll be football shirts or something. We went to see the Fulham vs. Bologna game and Inamoto [Japanese striker who achieved global fame during the World Cup - Ed] scored three goals. I like Leeds United.

What do you think of London?

Tanaka: I love London! Football, nice pubs! [laughs] The city is beautiful. And it's a little bit hot, but the Tube is very interesting. I like England and I want to go to other places like Liverpool, Manchester - they have good football teams! [laughs]

[Uchiha Sasuke]

Damn interesting interview pal.Just got me more interested in the game.Hopefully they add some more elements to make the replay value a little higher this time through.

[Vic Viper]

"Dante is the main character again, and we've made him tougher both mentally and in terms of looks. And then there's the new female character Lucia - while Dante fights with guns and swords, Lucia has two swords and is good at close combat. Dante can also fight in some sort of vehicle this time."

interesting..

[Infernal Mass]

great post king freak