The announcement of DmC was completely overshadowed by the revelation that Dante had been given a complete makeover, complete with darker hair, darker clothes, and a twink face. Many people called the look “emo” because they don’t know what that word means, while some of us quite liked it. Now Ninja Theory has responded.
“The essence of Devil May Cry is all about ‘cool,'” says creative director Tameem Antoniades. “It’s about Dante being cool and making you feel cool when you’re playing it, and so the combat and the style system and everything is integral to that. But, you know, what was cool 12 years ago — I think that was when the first game came out — isn’t cool anymore.
“If Dante, dressed as he was, walked into any bar outside of Tokyo, he’d get laughed out. What Devil May Cry did when it launched was it brought everything that was great about action cinema like the fashion, music — it was like a cultural melting pot — and I feel like now, for Devil May Cry to have that same impact, it needs to draw on new things. New music, new ways of cinematography, new fashion.”
This is the first time where I have to voice disagreement with Ninja Theory. Dante, in my mind, was NEVER cool — and that was the point! His overwrought attempts to look edgy and stylish ended up making the old Dante look incredibly camp and silly, and I loved him for it. Just watch Dante’s cutscenes in DMC4 — they’re friggin’ ridiculous in an awesome way. I still think the new Dante looks fine and I am super pumped for this game, but I don’t think Dante has ever been “cool” in a traditional sense.
Also, let’s face it … the new Dante would get laughed out of ANY bar if he strolled in.
Ninja Theory on Devil May Cry: “What Was Cool 12 Years Ago Isn’t Cool Anymore” [1UP]
