Reviews
All ratings are on a one to five scale, five being the best.
Devil May Cry 4
(XBOX 360, PS3, PC) (ESRB: M) (MSRP: $59.99)
DEVIL MAY CRY FOR WHAT?
I was worried about DMC4. I had no logical reason, mind you. I was filled with superstition.
See, the first Devil May Cry was a masterpiece in badass-super-reflex-fighting action. Then, Devil May Cry 2 was released, and it was a disappointment, to put it mildly. Devil May Cry 3 then saved the series from oblivion by going back to its roots and expanding on the core concepts. If the basic pattern recognition I learned in Kindergarten is any indication, Devil May Cry 4 should be a phoned in mess like DMC2.
Thankfully, it is not.
Nero's sword hilt revs like a motorcycle throttle to power up
its attacks
It also isn't as groundbreaking as
DMC3. Newcomer Nero's devil arm, which allows him to snatch enemies from
afar and add grabs to his attack chains, is a fresh twist to the DMC
formula, but he lacks the depth of DMC3's style-switching mechanic. The
arm also performs different attacks on different enemies a la Kingdom Hearts II
action commands (grab a living armor, for example, and Nero shoves its own lance
through its middle and launches it like a missile at other hapless enemies).
Another great innovation is the ability to refund points spent on upgrading
abilities in order to reallocate them as you see fit. Up until this point, the
red orbs redeemed from enemies were used to purchase both items and abilities.
However, red orbs are only used for items, and now
"proud souls" are earned by performing well in a mission.
"Take me on... Take on me..."
Although the new mechanics do make the game feel fresh, DMC4's greatest strength is sticking to the tried and trued elements that make it great. The boss encounters are still epic. The difficulty is still cranked up to eleven. The missions have just the right balance of blistering combat and challenging puzzles. And, of course, the dialogue is priceless. However, DMC4 actually stumbles a little in the story department. The plot is just a little convoluted, and some characters' roles are unclear. Part of this problem is because Nero is just too much like Dante: they have the same wardrobe, the same cocky attitude, and even the same hair color. If it weren't for Nero's freaky arm, I might have actually confused them sometimes.
Nero's gun is pretty much useless
Halfway through the game, Dante takes the driver's seat instead of Nero. Dante has his trademark styles (which can now be switched on the fly via the d-pad), but they're dumbed down from DMC3. He also has two new weapons to choose from, the Pandora and the Lucifer, and both are stylish and endlessly fun to use. The Pandora is a demonic briefcase that transforms into more and more explosive weaponry depending on controller input. Lucifer leaves a trail of hovering blades that impale enemies and detonate on your command.
Dante's Lucifer is difficult to master, but so much fun to use once you've got
the knack of it.
Devil May Cry 4 retains the series attention to detail and expert game design in spades, and this title may finally vault the series into true iconic status. If Capcom keeps this kind of effort up, Devil May Cry isn't going anywhere, soon.