History YMMV / DevilMayCry3DantesAwakening

* ItsHardSoItSucks: Capcom decided to make the Japanese version's Hard Mode as [[DifficultyByRegion the North American version's Normal Mode]], a move MANY felt was an example of going overboard.

** Compared to the console version, the PC port of ''[=DMC3=]'' is a disaster as a result of Capcom outsourcing the porting job to another developer (one of the notable problems is missing crucial cutscenes). Thankfully, Capcom learned their lesson after this game and ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'', resulting in the [[PolishedPort polished PC port]] of ''[[VideoGame/DevilMayCry4 DMC4]]''.

* AuthorsSavingThrow:
** [[https://i.redd.it/7lgj0idzt7241.jpg Interviews]] with Hideaki Itsuno from the ''3-1-4-2 Graphic Arts'' artbook reveal that ''Devil May Cry 3'' is perceived by Creator/{{Capcom}} as a "redemption" from the TroubledProduction of ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry2''. In ''2'', Itsuno was struggling to put out a good finished product despite joining halfway through that game's development, so he had to give it his all during the development of ''3''. Fans agree with that perception as well, since this game [[WinBackTheCrowd won back the playerbase]] for being a SurprisinglyImprovedSequel.
** The ''[[UpdatedRerelease Special Edition]]'' largely serves as an apology from Creator/{{Capcom}} for making [[DifficultyByRegion the North American version]] too difficult even by [[NintendoHard series standards]]. The ability to play as [[EvilTwin Ver]][[BreakoutVillain gil]] was simply icing on the cake.
** The UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch ports of the [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry1 first]] [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry2 two]] ''Devil May Cry'' games were criticized for being released separately and each individually costing as much as the ''[[CompilationRerelease HD Collection]]'' on other platforms while offering nothing to make them worth purchasing on the Switch. The port of ''3'', on the other hand, added features [[VersionExclusiveContent exclusive to the Switch version]] such as [[RealTimeWeaponChange real-time Style and weapon switching]], along with co-op Bloody Palace. The original Style/Weapon systems of ''3'' are still available for the players who preferred them over the newer systems from ''4'' onwards.

* SpecialEffectFailure: Just like the criticisms towards the ''HD Collection'' version of ''[=DMC1=]'', the HD version of ''[=DMC3:SE=]'' also had many graphical and transparency errors in its attempt at making the graphics appear "crisp" and clear. As fans have pointed out in [[this compilation video]], Dante's hair now covers more of his eyes as his bangs became bigger and less transparent, while Lady's leg bandage has a black outline due to a lack of trasparency. Some visual effects were also lost; Nevan's eyes glow red in the [=PS2=] original, but are completely white in the port due to the absence of the glow effect.

** The same can be said of Dante's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pll49t9OjO8 "And now my soul is telling me to stop you!"]] line to Vergil right before their final battle, accompanied by [[GivingSomeoneThePointerFinger dramatic finger pointing]]. It comes across as somewhat cheesy and Dante's delivery is a bit odd, but as part of his speech to Vergil and a culmination of his character arc from a HeroicNeutral JerkWithAHeartOfGold to a more genuinely heroic person, it works.

* PopCultureUrbanLegends: A rumor claimed Creator/DanSouthworth had a cold while recording Vergil's voice lines in ''[=DMC3=]'', and it was passed around as "trivia". It became widespread and persistent enough in the fandom for a long time, to the point where Dan himself talked about, and finally [[https://youtu.be/sa1rylO-gUE?t=1047 debunked the rumor]] during an AMA livestream on 2019.

* DemonicSpiders: The Arachne are literal demonic spiders that move fast, hit hard, take a lot of damage, always appear in groups, and have a KingMook version that takes those traits UpToEleven.

* GrowingTheBeard: ''[=DMC3=]'' was this for the ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry'' series as a whole. From the somewhat stiff and more restrictive [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry1 first game]] that still had bits of ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'' design lingering around, to the [[{{Sequelitis}} much more lackluster]] and critically loathed [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry2 second game]] with all its questionable design choices and resulting TroubledProduction, ''[=DMC3=]'' was the game that was not only seen as a must-have [=PS2=] title, but [[TropeCodifier one of the defining action games]] of its ''[[UsefulNotes/TheSixthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames entire generation]]''. Subsequent games in the series would all derive from ''[=DMC3=]''[='=]s design and mechanics, and [[StylishAction the genre]] followed in its footsteps as ''Devil May Cry'' became a staple franchise.

* HarsherInHindsight: Lady's act of [[spoiler:killing her own father]] in this game turns out to be something that haunted her for a long time, as revealed in ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'' when she tries to [[spoiler:convince Nero to stay out of fighting his own father]].

** Dante answers "So what if I did?" to Lady asking if he [[spoiler:killed Arkham]], which [[PoorCommunicationKills provoked Lady to shoot him again]]. It might come off as an out-of-character moment for him, but as seen in [[https://www.reddit.com/r/DevilMayCry/comments/q99fxu/no_hesitation/ this thread]], fans have interpreted his probable reasons for saying this. He either picked the option that brings him the most interesting results, he probably didn't care about anything at that point, or perhaps he already knew [[spoiler:Vergil was the killer, but didn't want Lady to risk herself going after his brother]].

** During the boss fights against Vergil, players would usually activate their [[SuperMode Devil Trigger]] only ''after'' Vergil activated his, mostly to level the playing field (as Vergil hits harder and is ImmuneToFlinching while it's active). You often see this tactic a lot in combo showcases and LetsPlay videos.

* ScrappyMechanic: Compared to Ifrit from ''[=DMC1=]'', Beowulf's {{Charged Attack}}s feel tighter to control because there are no easy visual or audio cues to indicate if your held attacks have already reached their maximum charge. The only available cue is when Dante or Vergil's armored limb starts shaking, but it's so difficult to tell in dimly-lit areas. Unless you've spent enough time practicing, the lack of a [[ChargeMeter charge indicator]] can throw off your timing if you want to maximize your damage output against agile opponents.

** The re-releases of the game added more Franchise/{{Batman}} and ComicBook/TheJoker references surrounding Arkham and his clown persona Jester, wherein Jester calls himself "Joker" during his ''Special Edition'' boss fights, while the ''HD Collection'' achievement for defeating Arkham is titled "Asylum", referencing Arkham Asylum. These make ''Devil May Cry 3'' one of the many pop culture works that contribute to the PopCultureOsmosis effect of audiences associating "Arkham" with Franchise/{{Batman}}, even though the word itself is a reference to the fictional town [[Franchise/CthulhuMythos Arkham Massachussets]] from the works of Creator/HPLovecraft.

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: Vergil's "Might controls everything" speech kickstarted a whole bunch of early interpretations regarding his motives in this game. Does he seek might or power in order to atone for a mistake in the past? Does he seek power in order to avoid future mistakes? By mentioning "Without strength, you cannot protect anything", it's implied that he has something to protect, but what is it exactly? He's fixated on gaining his father's power at this point that he doesn't care about the repercussions brought by the Temen-ni-gru tower. It's been debated that this speech makes him a WellIntentionedExtremist or a VisionaryVillain, but it all just adds up with him being AmbiguouslyEvil in general. Later games such as ''5'' would then go on to explore more about his motivation and personality, which also retroactively affects these interpretations to his speech.

* CantUnhearIt: Let's face it: This game is the reason Creator/ReubenLangdon has consistently reprised his role as Dante.