History YMMV / DevilMayCry2

* GrowingTheBeard: An in-game variant. Players with a less hostile view towards ''[=DMC2=]'' will point to the final two missions of Dante's scenario as the part of the game where it's evident Itsuno was at the helm and course-correcting as best he could: Dante "crowns" Arius after [[BatmanGambit pulling]] [[FakinMacGuffin a fast one]] [[BatmanGambit on him]] (better resembling his ''[=DMC1=]'' self in terms of personality and setting the stage for his attitude adjustment in [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry3DantesAwakening the next game]]); Lucia angsts over her origins as [[spoiler:a demon created by the BigBad]] as Dante comforts her with the words [[ArcWords "Devils never cry"]] (providing a parallel to Trish's conflict of allegiance and resulting CharacterDevelopment in ''[=DMC1=]'' while tying into one of the {{Central Theme}}s of the series, the question of what--if anything--separates humanity from demonkind); and the game ends with a FinalBoss that behaves far more like your typical ''DMC'' boss than any other foe in the game, testing one's reflexes and reaction times extensively while providing a fair (and fun) challenge.

** Another example is Dante's characterisation. Rather than the [[LargeHam snarky showoff]] from the original game, Dante was instead [[TheQuietOne quiet]], [[DeadpanSnarker standoffish]] and [[DullSurprise drained of energy]], coming across as [[TheStoic eerily Vergil-like]] (to the point that some fans joked "Dante" was actually Vergil in disguise). While fans largely hated this characterisation, the anime, supplementary material, and even ''[[VideoGame/DevilMayCry3DantesAwakening DMC3]]'' to an extent would depict Dante as a more subdued and [[HiddenDepths surprisingly nuanced]] character, causing many of those same fans to re-evaluate and eventually warm up to this version of Dante (who, to his credit, ''did'' exhibit flashes of his usual personality throughout the game). Combined with the revised timeline that came with ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'' and how the Dante in ''2'' seems to be a logical progression from [[AdaptationPersonalityChange his muted personality]] in ''TAS'', fans have since interpreted this version of Dante as suffering from depression, most likely following the death of Vergil. This has also popularized an AlternativeCharacterInterpretation dating back all the way to the original ''DMC'' (but made prominent by Dante's "I love this! This is what I live for! I'm absolutely ''crazy'' about it!" line at the end of ''3'') that Dante's bombastic nature in later games [[StepfordSmiler is something of a facade]], which adds additional depth to Dante's character as a whole.

* GrowingTheBeard: An in-game variant. Players with a less hostile view towards ''[=DMC2=]'' will point to the final two missions of Dante's scenario as the part of the game where it's evident Itsuno was at the helm and course-correcting as best he could: Dante "crowns" Arius after [[BatmanGambit pulling]] [[FakinMacGuffin a fast one]] [[BatmanGambit on him]] (thus better resembling ''[=DMC1=]'' self in terms of personality while setting the stage for his attitude adjustment in [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry3DantesAwakening the next game]]); Lucia angsts over her origins as [[spoiler:a demon created by the BigBad]] as Dante comforts her with the words [[ArcWords "Devils never cry"]] (providing a parallel to Trish's conflict of allegiance and resulting CharacterDevelopment in ''[=DMC1=]'' while tying into one of the {{Central Theme}}s of the series, the question of what--if anything--separates humanity from demonkind); and the game ends with a FinalBoss that behaves far more like your typical ''DMC'' boss than any other foe in the game, testing one's reflexes and reaction times extensively while providing a fair (and fun) challenge.

* AnticlimaxBoss: The last two missions of Dante's disc consist of [[BossOnlyLevel Boss-Only Levels]], going from a rematch against [[FlunkyBoss Arius]] (now with even more {{Mooks}}!) to [[MarathonBoss Argosax the Chaos]], [[SequentialBoss followed immediately by]] a fast-paced showdown against [[OneWingedAngel The Despair Embodied]] that keeps players on their toes and is fondly remembered as, perhaps, the best part of the entire game. By comparison, Lucia's significantly shorter campaign ends with a whimper, not a bang. Her final mission begins with [[spoiler:Possessed Arius]], who can pack quite a wallop and [[ImmuneToFlinching is difficult to stagger]] but is generally [[ClippedWingAngel a clumsy, lumbering oaf]] players can easily run circles around on account of Lucia's speed and mobility. If that wasn't a breezy enough experience, next comes [[spoiler:Arius-Argosax]], an EldritchAbomination whose [[NightmareFuel scare factor]] is nullified by the utter lack of difficulty, to the point of being a borderline ZeroEffortBoss. Even with Lucia confined to a very narrow space, the few attacks it does have are highly telegraphed and easy to react to.

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry1 Phantom's]] reappearance towards the end of both scenarios (Mission 14 for Dante, Mission 10 for Lucia). [[GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere He just randomly pops out of nowhere]], despite (in his last appearance) ''melting after being impaled on a spiked pillar''. The fact that he's inexplicably [[TheVoiceless mute]] doesn't help, although the description for that particular mission hints that TimeTravel may be involved.

* BreatherBoss: The Infested Tank -- sure, both its main cannon and its flamethrower are highly damaging, and the machinegun fire is hard to dodge. However, once you get right next to one, it will no longer be able to hit you with a cannon/flamethrower, and the tanks never use the machine gun unless you try to climb on top of them -- and they have no other form of offense whatsoever. The only problems when fighting those come from the fact that, as Dante, you fight [[WolfpackBoss three tanks at once]], while for Lucia, a tank is [[FlunkyBoss supported by infinitely respawing Msiras]].

* HilariousInHindsight: Arius's corporation goes by the name of [[{{Ouroboros}} Uroboros]]. [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil5 Sound familiar?]] Doubly so if you consider Arius's international enterprise and the fact that [[spoiler:Possessed Arius sports some pseudo-Ouroboros tentacles.]]

** Many fans consider the rearranging of the timeline to be this; this game was originally set after ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry4'', but with rearranging of the timeline to be set beforehand, it provides another explanation where Dante is still upset over Vergil's death (by his own hands, no less) in [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry1 the first game]] (a line of thought congruent with a similar AlternativeCharacterInterpretation for ''[[Anime/DevilMayCryTheAnimatedSeries The Animated Series]]''), and ''Devil May Cry 4'' is when [[HesBack he shows signs of recovery]] thanks to meeting Nero in that game.

* MisBlamed: Hideaki Itsuno got all the blame for the game's problems due to being the sole credited director, but as it turns out, the game was directed by someone else (who remains unknown) for most of development, and left production in a very disasterous state months before release. If anything, the game might have been ''even worse'' if not for Itsuno.

** The [[HellishCopter Infested Chopper]]. No only does the damn thing chase you through half the level, once you actually fight it, the fight mostly consists of mashing shoot button, occasionally dodging homing missiles, and trying not to fall off a skyscraper. [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic At least the music is really good.]]

* BrokenBase: This game might as well be a landmine. Some think it holds up fine and [[SophomoreSlump just isn't]] [[{{Sequelitis}} as good]] as the rest of the franchise, others [[FanonDiscontinuity swear off its existence and events entirely]] ("backed" by the Creator/HidekiKamiya-helmed ''VideoGame/ViewtifulJoe'' having Dante [[DiscontinuityNod fail to remember what happened at Dumary Island]] when crossing paths with Alastor in the [=PS2=] version). The fact that it was the last chronologial entry for a long time before ''[[VideoGame/DevilMayCry5 5]]'' came into play (prior to rearranging the timeline so that ''4'' takes place after ''2'') didn't help matters. The only thing fans can really agree on is that the game's intro is slick and [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic the OST is pretty damn good]].
* EnsembleDarkhorse: As poorly received as ''2'' was, the final boss fight with the Despair Embodied is often reported as one of the few highlights.
* GoddamnedBats: The Nefasturris boss is apparently ''made of them''.

** [[MultipleHeadCase Tris]][[FireIceLightning magia]] hovers somewhere between this trope and ThatOneBoss due to how the fight is structured. The usually recommended strategy is for the player to slowly fill their Devil Trigger Gauge (either by attacking Trismagia directly or slicing up the icicles [[BossArenaIdiocy occasionally spawned by one of the three heads]]) and then use it to unload on Trismagia between his attacks, but because a) only one of the three heads is vulnerable at a time; b) [[GetBackHereBoss the heads tend to stay out of the range of your firearms, let alone your melee weapons]]; and c) [[BulletHell Dante/Lucia is being assailed by all manner of projectiles and ranged attacks]], the battle turns into [[MarathonBoss a long-range slog]] that only slows down further when Trismagia periodically halts his attack pattern(s) so that he can [[FusionDance recombine]], deliver a CombinedEnergyAttack, and then [[BodyHorror tear himself apart]]. This would be infuriating enough on its own if not for the fact that Trismagia's constant barrage will likely leave you in dire need of healing by the time his lifebar has been whittled down--whereupon Trismagia proceeds to give [[TakingYouWithMe one final screw you]] in the form of a LastBreathBullet that will force you to start the entire battle all over again if it kills you.

* ReplacementScrappy: Lucia became this to Trish and ironically so, as Lucia's creation was likely in response to the lack of a playable Trish in the original ''DMC'' and Trish herself was a SecretCharacter ''in this game''. It seems to have died down in the intervening years, partially because a good number of fans actually like the character (or feel that she was wasted potential), but mainly because most of the fanbase still wants to blot out ''2'' from memory.
* ScrappyMechanic: While the [[DownTheDrain underwater sequences]] in the first game were neither horrible nor impressive, here [[ThatOneLevel they become this]], thanks to hampered mobility/attack speed and a very limited selection of usable weapons, a few of which [[ScrappyWeapon aren't all that great]]. And guess what? You get to play through these sections with ''only'' Lucia. And did we mention that there's [[UnderwaterBossBattle a boss to be faced]]? [[SarcasmMode Have fun!]]
* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot:
** The entirety of the game. It's such a footnote in the whole mythos: [[DecoyProtagonist Dante has barely anything to do with the story]] (despite his father yet again having been embroiled in a past conflict that shaped the current narrative, something which Dante hardly comments or dwells on), with [[{{Deuteragonist}} Lucia]] being the real hero at the center of everything with a personal stake in the battle. And even then we barely learn anything about her or how she [[spoiler:was freed from Arius's control]]. Also, while Trish is a playable character, she has no role in the story, wasting the potential to tell tales of hers and Dante's partnership, or even her own parallels to Lucia in terms of backstory and character arc.
** Even the impact it has on the series as a whole is downplayed; for years, it was the last game chronologically, and when they ''did'' finally decide to move past it, they rearranged the timeline so it takes place before ''4'', while supplementary materials treat it as an overall unimportant chapter in the series. To put this into perspective, even ''[[Anime/DevilMayCryTheAnimatedSeries the anime]]'' (which is canon to the games) gets treated with more importance, and it's not even a game. Overall, it doesn't even have the benefit of having any significant effect on the later entries.
* VindicatedByHistory: Downplayed on multiple fronts.

* JustHereForGodzilla: Most newcomers to the series play this game just to find out more about [[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome Lucia]]. Another faction shows up because of Dante's [[DesperationAttack Desperation Devil Trigger]], the Majin Form, which is quite possibly ''the'' most gloriously (and [[PurposelyOverpowered intentionally]]) broken thing to have ever existed in a ''Devil May Cry'' game--even with the advent of [[spoiler:Dante's remarkably similar Sin Devil Trigger]] in ''5''.

** Many fans consider the rearranging of the timeline to be this; this game was originally set after ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry4'', but with rearranging of the timeline to be set beforehand, it provides another explanation where Dante is still upset over Vergil's death (by his own hands, no less) in [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry1 the first game]] (a line of thought congruent with a similar AlternativeCharacterInterpretation for ''[[Anime/DevilMayCryTheAnimatedSeries The Animated Series]]'', and ''Devil May Cry 4'' is when [[HesBack he shows signs of recovery]] thanks to meeting Nero in that game.

* JustHereForGodzilla: Most newcomers to the series play this game just to find out more about [[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome Lucia]]. Another faction shows up because of Dante's [[DesperationAttack Desperation Devil Trigger]], the Majin Form, which is quite possibly ''the'' most gloriously (and [[PurposelyOverpowered intentionally]]) broken thing to have ever existed in a ''Devil May Cry''--even with the advent of [[spoiler:Dante's remarkably similar Sin Devil Trigger]] in ''5''.

** The ''2'' prequel novel, which takes place before the events of the game, can be considered one for providing some explanation for Dante's drastic shift in personality. He is very much like how he was portrayed in [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry1 the first game]] until near the end when it ends on a [[BittersweetEnding bittersweet note]]. He [[AlasPoorVillain expresses regret for having to kill]] [[spoiler:an AlternateUniverse Trish who remained loyal to that universe's Mundus]] after repeatedly trying to persuade [[spoiler:her]] to pull a HeelFaceTurn.
** Many fans consider the rearranging of the timeline to be this; this game was originally set after ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry4'', but with rearranging of the timeline to be set beforehand, it provides another explanation where Dante is still upset over Vergil's death (by his own hands, no less) in [[VideoGame/DevilCry1 the first game]] (a line of thought congruent with a similar AlternativeCharacterInterpretation for ''[[Anime/DevilMayCryTheAnimatedSeries The Animated Series]]'', and ''Devil May Cry 4'' is when [[HesBack he shows signs of recovery]] thanks to meeting Nero in that game.

** Many fans consider the rearranging of the timeline to be this; this game was originally set after ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry4'', but with rearranging of the timeline to be set beforehand, it provides another explanation where Dante is still upset over Vergil's death (by his own hands, no less) in the first game, and ''Devil May Cry 4'' is when [[HesBack he shows signs of recovery]] thanks to meeting Nero in that game.

* BrokenBase: This game might as well be a landmine. Some think it holds up fine and [[SophomoreSlump just isn't]] [[{{Sequelitis}} as good]] as the rest of the franchise, others [[FanonDiscontinuity swear off its existence and events entirely]] ("backed" by the Creator/HidekiKamiya-helmed ''VideoGame/ViewtifulJoe'' having Dante [[DiscontinuityNod fail to remember what happened at Dumary Island]] when crossing paths with Alastor in the [=PS2=] version). The fact that it was the last chronologial entry for a long time before ''[[VideoGame/DevilMayCry5 5]]'' came into play (prior to rearranging the timeline so that ''4'' takes place after ''2'') didn't help matters.

* JustHereForGodzilla: Most newcomers to the series play this game just to find out more about [[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome Lucia]].

* MisBlamed: Hideaki Itsuno got all the blame for the game's problems due to being the sole credited director, but as it turns out, the game was directed by someone else (who remains unknown) for most of development, and left production in a very disasterous state months before release. If anything, the game might have been even worse if not for Itsuno.

* VindicatedByHistory: Downplayed. While even many of its staunchest defenders will admit that ''[=DMC2=]'' is easily the weakest of the first four titles and may go as far as to admit that, from a technical standpoint, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhVLh-sx7YQ#t=23m9s it's arguably a worse-designed game]] than [[VideoGame/DMCDevilMayCry the controversial reboot]], a growing contingent stands by its opinion that the second game is merely dull and mediocre by ''DMC'' standards, but not abjectly terrible like the fandom is wont to paint it. This sentiment has only grown since players [[https://www.reddit.com/r/DevilMayCry/comments/8tcvw0/reminder_that_dmc2_was_essentially_a_miracle/ discovered]] via the ''Devil May Cry: 3142 Graphics Arts'' artbook that Hideaki Itsuno not only came in about halfway through the game's development period, but also had a mere '''[[https://imgur.com/yd3bXLu six months]]''' to slap together the finished project--with the scenario not yet written at the time, no filmed cutscenes, no finished environments, no Devil Trigger for Dante, and no moves for Dante programmed in other than his infamously {{nerf}}ed Stinger. Given how Itsuno was similarly constrained during ''4''[='s=] development yet turned out an adequate product (to say nothing of [[SurprisinglyImprovedSequel how the third and fifth games turned out]] when he was given a proper budget and development time), this revelation made many wonder how ''[=DMC2=]'' would've fared if not for [[ExecutiveMeddling Capcom's actions behind the scenes]].
** Another example is Dante's characterisation. Rather than the [[LargeHam snarky show off]] from the original game, Dante was instead [[TheQuietOne quiet,]] [[DeadpanSnarker standoffish]] and drained of energy. While fans hated this characterisation, following the Anime, supplementary material, and even ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry3'' to an extent, showing Dante as a more subdued character, fans have warmed up to this characterisation, and combined with the revised timeline that came with''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'', fans have interpreted this version of Dante as suffering from depression, most likely following the death of Vergil, by his hand no less. This has also given rise to the popular belief that Dante's bombastic nature in later games [[StepfordSmiler is somewhat of a facade,]] which adds additional depth to Dante's character as a whole.

* VindicatedByHistory: Downplayed. While even many of its staunchest defenders will admit that ''[=DMC2=]'' is easily the weakest of the first four titles and may go as far as to admit that, from a technical standpoint, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhVLh-sx7YQ#t=23m9s it's arguably a worse-designed game]] than [[VideoGame/DMCDevilMayCry the controversial reboot]], a growing contingent stands by its opinion that the second game is merely dull and mediocre by ''DMC'' standards, but not abjectly terrible like the fandom is wont to paint it. This sentiment has only grown since players [[https://www.reddit.com/r/DevilMayCry/comments/8tcvw0/reminder_that_dmc2_was_essentially_a_miracle/ discovered]] via the ''Devil May Cry: 3142 Graphics Arts'' artbook that Hideaki Itsuno not only came in about halfway through the game's development period, but also had a mere '''[[https://imgur.com/yd3bXLu six months]]''' to slap together the finished project--with the scenario not yet written at the time, no filmed cutscenes, no finished environments, no Devil Trigger for Dante, and no moves for Dante programmed in other than his infamously {{nerf}}ed Stinger. Given how Itsuno was similarly constrained during ''4''[='s=] development yet turned out an adequate product (to say nothing of [[SurprisinglyImprovedSequel how the third and fifth games turned out]] when he was given a proper budget and development time), this revelation made many wonder how ''[=DMC2=]'' would've fared if not for [[ExecutiveMeddling Capcom's actions behind the scenes]].

* JustHereForGodzilla: Most newcomers to the series play this game just to find out more about [[ChuckCunminghamSyndrome Lucia]].

* VindicatedByHistory: Downplayed. While even many of its staunchest defenders will admit that ''[=DMC2=]'' is easily the weakest of the first four titles and may go as far as to admit that, from a technical standpoint, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhVLh-sx7YQ#t=23m9s it's arguably a worse-designed game]] than [[VideoGame/DMCDevilMayCry the controversial reboot]], a growing contingent stands by its opinion that the second game is merely dull and mediocre by ''DMC'' standards, but not abjectly terrible like the fandom is wont to paint it. This sentiment has only grown since players [[https://www.reddit.com/r/DevilMayCry/comments/8tcvw0/reminder_that_dmc2_was_essentially_a_miracle/ discovered]] via the ''Devil May Cry: 3142 Graphics Arts'' artbook that Hideaki Itsuno not only came in about halfway through the game's development period, but also had a mere '''[[https://imgur.com/yd3bXLu six months]]''' to slap together the finished project--with the scenario not yet written at the time, no filmed cutscenes, no finished environments, no Devil Trigger for Dante, and no moves for Dante programmed in other than his infamously {{nerf}}ed Stinger. Given how Itsuno was similarly constrained during ''4''[='s=] development yet turned out an adequate product (to say nothing of [[SurprisinglyImprovedSequel how the third game turned out]] when he was given a proper budget and development time), this revelation made many wonder how ''[=DMC2=]'' would've turned out if not for [[ExecutiveMeddling Capcom's actions behind the scenes]].

** The ''2'' prequel novel, which takes place before the events of the game, can be considered one for providing some explanation for Dante's drastic shift in personality. He is very much like how he was portrayed in [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry the first game]] until near the end when it ends on a [[BittersweetEnding bittersweet note]]. He [[AlasPoorVillain expresses regret for having to kill]] [[spoiler:an AlternateUniverse Trish who remained loyal to that universe's Mundus]] after repeatedly trying to persuade [[spoiler:her]] to pull a HeelFaceTurn.

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: Phantom's reappearance towards the end of both scenarios (Mission 14 for Dante, Mission 10 for Lucia). [[GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere He just randomly pops out of nowhere]], despite (in his last appearance) ''melting after being impaled on a spiked pillar''. The fact that he's inexplicably [[TheVoiceless mute]] doesn't help, although the description for that particular mission hints that TimeTravel may be involved.

* BrokenBase: This game might as well be a landmine. Some think it holds up fine and [[SophomoreSlump just isn't]] [[{{Sequelitis}} as good]] as the rest of the franchise, others [[FanonDiscontinuity swear off its existence and events entirely]]. The fact that it was the last chronologial entry for a long time before ''[[VideoGame/DevilMayCry5 5]]'' came into play (prior to rearranging the timeline so that ''4'' takes place after ''2'') didn't help matters.

* ScrappyMechanic: While the [[DownTheDrain underwater sequences]] in the first game were neither horrible nor impressive, here, [[ThatOneLevel they become this]], thanks to hampered mobility/attack speed and a very limited selection of usable weapons, a few of which [[ScrappyWeapon aren't all that great]]. And guess what? You get to play through these sections with ''only'' Lucia. And did we mention that there's [[UnderwaterBossBattle a boss to be faced]]? [[SarcasmMode Have fun!]]
* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: The entirety of the game. It's such a footnote in the whole mythos: [[DecoyProtagonist Dante has barely anything to do with the story]] (despite his father yet again having been embroiled in a past conflict that shaped the current narrative, something which Dante hardly comments or dwells on), with [[{{Deuteragonist}} Lucia]] being the real hero at the center of everything with a personal stake in the battle. And even then we barely learn anything about her or how she [[spoiler:was freed from Arius's control]]. Also, while Trish is a playable character, she has no role in the story, wasting the potential to tell tales of hers and Dante's partnership, or even her own parallels to Lucia in terms of backstory and character arc.

* AuthorsSavingThrow: The ''2'' prequel novel, which takes place before the events of the game, can be considered one for providing some explanation for Dante's drastic shift in personality. He is very much like how he was portrayed in [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry the first game]] until near the end when it ends on a [[BittersweetEnding bittersweet note]]. He [[AlasPoorVillain expresses regret for having to kill]] [[spoiler:an AlternateUniverse Trish who remained loyal to that universe's Mundus]] after repeatedly trying to persuade [[spoiler:her]] to pull a HeelFaceTurn.

* VindicatedByHistory: Downplayed. While even many of its staunchest defenders will admit that ''[=DMC2=]'' is easily the weakest of the first four titles and may go as far as to admit that, from a technical standpoint, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhVLh-sx7YQ#t=23m9s it's arguably a worse-designed game]] than [[VideoGame/DMCDevilMayCry the controversial reboot]], a growing contingent stands by its opinion that the second game is merely dull and mediocre by ''DMC'' standards, but not abjectly terrible like the fandom is wont to paint it. This sentiment has only grown since players [[https://www.reddit.com/r/DevilMayCry/comments/8tcvw0/reminder_that_dmc2_was_essentially_a_miracle/ discovered]] via the ''Devil May Cry: 3142 Graphics Arts'' artbook that Hideaki Itsuno not only came in about halfway through the game's development period, but also had a mere '''[[https://imgur.com/yd3bXLu six months]]''' to slap together the finished project--with the scenario not yet written at the time, no filmed cutscenes, no finished environments, no Devil Trigger for Dante, and no moves for Dante programmed in other than his infamously {{nerf}}ed Stinger. Given how Itsuno was similarly constrained during ''4''[='s=] development yet turned out an adequate product (to say nothing of [[SurprisinglyImprovedSequel how the third game turned out]] when he was given a proper budget and development time), this revelation has made many wonder how ''[=DMC2=]'' would've turned out if not for [[ExecutiveMeddling Capcom's actions behind the scenes]].

* BrokenBase: This game might as well be a landmine. Some think it holds up fine and [[SophomoreSlump just isn't]] [[{{Sequelitis}} as good]] as the rest of the franchise, others [[FanonDiscontinuity swear off its existence and events entirely]]. The fact that it was the last chronologial entry for a long time before ''[[VideoGame/DevilMayCry5 5]]'' came into play didn't help matters.

* GoddamnedBoss

** [[MultipleHeadCase Tris]][[FireIceLightning magia]] hovers somewhere between this trope and ThatOneBoss due to how the fight is structured. The usually recommended strategy is for the player to slowly fill their Devil Trigger Gauge (either by attacking Trismagia directly or slicing up the icicles [[BossArenaIdiocy occasionally spawned by one of the three heads]]), but because a) only one of the three heads is vulnerable at a time; b) [[GetBackHereBoss the heads tend to stay out of the range of your firearms, let alone your melee weapons]]; and c) [[BulletHell Dante/Lucia is being assailed by all manner of projectiles and ranged attacks]], the battle turns into [[MarathonBoss a long-range slog]] that only slows down further when Trismagia periodically halts his attack pattern(s) so that he can [[FusionDance recombine]], deliver a CombinedEnergyAttack, and then [[BodyHorror tear himself apart]]. This would be infuriating enough on its own if not for the fact that Trismagia's constant barrage will likely leave you in dire need of healing by the time his lifebar has been whittled down--whereupon Trismagia proceeds to give [[TakingYouWithMe one final screw you]] in the form of a LastBreathBullet that will force you to start the entire battle all over again if it kills you.

* BrokenBase: This game might as well be a landmine. Some think it holds up fine and [[{{Sequelitis}} just isn't]] [[SophmoreSlump as good]] as the rest of the franchise, others [[FanonDiscontinuity swear off its existence and events entirely]]. The fact that it was the last chronologial entry for a long time before ''[[VideoGame/DevilMayCry5 5]]'' came into play didn't help matters.

** The [[UnderwaterBossBattle Tateobesu]] is not very dangerous, but fighting it is quite annoying on difficulties lower than Lucia Must Die, as swords are useless, guns are occasionally turned useless by the boss becoming invisible, and the Devil Trigger is hard to recover without melee attacks. On Lucia Must Die, though, the [[ThatOneBoss annoyance just turns into straight-up sadism by the devs]].
* HilariousInHindsight:
** Arius's corporation goes by the name of [[{{Ouroboros}} Uroboros]]. [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil5 Sound familiar?]] Doubly so if you consider Arius's international enterprise and the fact that [[spoiler:Possessed Arius sports some pseudo-Ouroboros tentacles.]]

* ScrappyMechanic: While the [[DownTheDrain underwater sequences]] in the first game were neither horrible nor impressive, here, [[ThatOneLevel they become this]]. And guess what? You get to play as them with ''only'' Lucia. And did we mention that there's [[UnderwaterBossBattle a boss to be faced]]? [[SarcasmMode Have fun!]]

* AuthorsSavingThrow: The ''2'' prequel novel, which takes place before the events of ''2'', can also be considered one for providing some explanation for Dante's shift in personality. He is very much like how he was portrayed in the first game until near the end when it ends on a [[BittersweetEnding bittersweet note]]. He [[AlasPoorVillain expresses regret for having to kill]] [[spoiler:an AlternateUniverse Trish who remained loyal to that universe's Mundus]] after repeatedly trying to persuade [[spoiler:her]] to pull a HeelFaceTurn.
* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: Phantom's reappearance towards the end of ''2''. He just randomly pops out of nowhere, despite (in his last appearance) ''melting after being impaled on a spiked pillar''. The fact that he's inexplicably [[TheVoiceless mute]] doesn't help, although the description for that particular mission hints that TimeTravel may be involved.
* BreatherBoss: The Infested Tank in ''2'' -- sure, both its main cannon and its flamethrower are highly damaging, and the machinegun fire is hard to dodge. However, once you get right next to one, it will no longer be able to hit you with a cannon/flamethrower, and the tanks never use the machine gun unless you try to climb on top of them -- and they have no other form of offense whatsoever. The only problems when fighting those come from the fact that, as Dante, you fight [[WolfpackBoss three tanks at once]], while for Lucia, a tank is [[FlunkyBoss supported by infinitely respawing Msiras]].
* BrokenBase: ''2'' might as well be a landmine. Some think it holds up fine and just isn't as good as the rest of the franchise, others swear off its existence and events entirely. The fact that it was the last chronologial entry for a long time before ''5'' came into play didn't help matters.

* GoddamnedBats: The Nefasturris boss in ''2'' is apparently ''made of them''.

** The [[HellishCopter Infested Chopper]] from ''2''. No only does the damn thing chase you through half the level, once you actually fight it, the fight mostly consists of mashing shoot button, occasionally dodging homing missiles, and trying not to fall off a skyscraper. At least the music is really good.
** The [[UnderwaterBossBattle Tateobesu]] from the same game is not very dangerous, but fighting it is quite annoying on difficulties lower than Lucia Must Die, as swords are useless, guns are occasionally turned useless by the boss becoming invisible, and the Devil Trigger is hard to recover without melee attacks. On Lucia Must Die, though, the [[ThatOneBoss annoyance just turns into straight-up sadism by the devs]].
* ItsEasySoItSucks: The usual reaction to ''2'', and to [[VideoGame/DMCDevilMayCry the reboot]]. ''2'' took away much of the challenge of the first game that made it so popular, and the reboot's reworked style system, Devil Trigger, and weapons systems make it a breeze for series veterans.
* ReplacementScrappy: Lucia became this to Trish in the second game and ironically so, as Lucia's creation was likely in response to the lack of a playable Trish in the original ''DMC'' and Trish herself was a SecretCharacter in ''2''. It seems to have died down in the intervening years, partially because a good number of fans actually like the character (or feel that she was wasted potential), but mainly because most of the fanbase still wants to blot out ''2'' from memory.
* ScrappyMechanic: While the [[DownTheDrain underwater sequences]] in the first game were neither horrible nor impressive, in ''2'', [[ThatOneLevel they become this]]. And guess what? You get to play as them with ''only'' Lucia. And did we mention that there's [[UnderwaterBossBattle a boss to be faced]]? [[SarcasmMode Have fun!]]
* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: The entirety of ''Devil May Cry 2''. It's such a footnote in the whole mythos: [[DecoyProtagonist Dante has barely anything to do with the story]] (despite his father yet again having been embroiled in a past conflict that shaped the current narrative, something which Dante hardly comments or dwells on), with [[{{Deuteragonist}} Lucia]] being the real hero at the center of everything with a personal stake in the battle. And even then we barely learn anything about her or how she [[spoiler:was freed from Arius' control]]. Also, while Trish is a playable character, she has no role in the story, wasting the potential to tell tales of hers and Dante's partnership, or even her own parallels to Lucia in terms of backstory and character arc.
* VindicatedByHistory: Downplayed with ''[=DMC2=]''. While even many of its staunchest defenders will admit that it's easily the weakest of the first four titles and may go as far as to admit that, from a technical standpoint, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhVLh-sx7YQ#t=23m9s it's arguably a worse-designed game than the controversial reboot,]] a growing contingent stands by its opinion that the second game is merely dull and mediocre by ''DMC'' standards, but not abjectly terrible like the fandom is wont to paint it. This sentiment has only grown since players [[https://www.reddit.com/r/DevilMayCry/comments/8tcvw0/reminder_that_dmc2_was_essentially_a_miracle/ discovered]] via the ''Devil May Cry: 3142 Graphics Arts'' artbook that Hideaki Itsuno not only came in about halfway through the game's development period, but also had a mere '''[[https://imgur.com/yd3bXLu six months]]''' to slap together the finished project--with the scenario not yet written at the time, no filmed cutscenes, no finished environments, no Devil Trigger for Dante, and no moves for Dante programmed in other than his infamously {{nerf}}ed Stinger. Given how Itsuno was similarly constrained during ''4''[='s=] development yet turned out an adequate product (to say nothing of [[SurprisinglyImprovedSequel how the third game turned out]] when he was given a proper budget and development time), this revelation has made many wonder how ''[=DMC2=]'' would've turned out if not for [[ExecutiveMeddling Capcom's actions behind the scenes]].

ScrappyMechanic: While the [[DownTheDrain underwater sequences]] in the first game were neither horrible nor impressive, in ''2'', [[ThatOneLevel they become this]]. And guess what? You get to play as them with ''only'' Lucia. And did we mention that there's [[UnderwaterBossBattle a boss to be faced]]? [[SarcasmMode Have fun!]]