From the first cutscenes, the game dared you to get as good as this version of Dante, and while you wouldn’t be playing billiards in mid-air with a bullet, you could actually re-create a lot of these sequences. However, they also served gameplay purposes, as many of the actual moves in the cutscenes could be done in game, creating the concept of cutscene Dante. Yuji Shimomura’s cutscene direction is masterful work, creating kinetic and beautifully ridiculous sequences where characters run down massive towers or use a motorcycle as a makeshift weapon. The new cinematic flair on display helped the game catch eyes quickly. The critical reception was also way stronger, with DMC3 getting tons of game of the year nominations.

By 2006, three years after release, DMC2 had managed to sale about 1.7 million copies, while DMC3, both the vanilla and special editions combined sold roughly 2.3 million in just a year. Those numbers not only meant the game was able to get a wider audience due to good word of mouth, but it was possibly getting repeat purchases from people who simply loved the vanilla version that much.

The game sold around 1.3 million copies in the same time frame as DMC2, but the real measure of its success was managing to double that number with the special edition release a year later, which added a significant amount of extras. Most importantly, the game was turned into a prequel set before either of the previous two games, possibly to distance the series from DMC2 and give Itsuno the chance to put his own creative stamp on the franchise.

It’s also worth noting he also stayed on for the next game in the series, did similar work for the Bayonetta series, and even helped out with Metal Gear Solid V, among other projects. Since he had already helped with Onimusha 3 from 2004, he already had a working relationship with Capcom. On top of that, it was decided to switch back Dante’s personality to cocky instead of stoic, and they got the action director for the movie Versus, Yuji Shimomura, to assist with cutscene direction. After Devil May Cry 2‘s messy release and notable dislike among the original’s fans, Itsuno started to reverse course on a lot of decisions and tried to start developing the third game with a framework closer to the original game.

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