Devil May Cry 4
March 2008 Issue
Features
- From the Editors
- Craft Check: Make Your Own (Easier) Miniatures
- Gaming in the Media: The Cutest Serving of Stereotypes: The NYT on Dating a Gamer
Interviews
- Industry Interview: Victoria Lamb
Articles
- Lies, Damned Lies and Statistics: Analyzing a LARP
Author: Stephanie Pegg
- Sculpting Player Expectations
Author: Brendan Davis
- Women’s Gaming Group: First Impressions
Author: Robyn Fleming
Stephanie uses a LARP questionnaire to examine the questions "What do LARPers really want?" and "How different are men and women gamers, really?"
Brendan shares tips on how to use Power Point to get players excited and into the campaign they are about to embark on.
Robyn discusses her first impressions of her all-women gaming group.
Gamer Stories
Reviews
Odds 'n Ends
Devil May Cry 4, Square Enix, PS3 , 2008
Ready for more over-the-top action served with tough-guy lines and awesome stunts? Newcomer Nero stars in this fourth installment of tough and fulfilling gameplay, available on both PS3 and Xbox 360.
Storyline
Series hero Dante returns, initially, as the game’s antagonist, assassinating a priest and killing several holy knights. Nero, a demon hunter who works for a religious group known as the Order of the Sword, is sent to investigate, and along the way learns that Dante may not be the real problem after all.
The plot is entertaining, with a plethora of exciting cutscenes and action, though players may be disappointed to learn that Nero’s uncanny resemblance to Dante and possession of demonic powers are never properly explained. But despite their physical resemblance and similar powers, Nero’s personality is totally different to that of Dante, stopping him from coming across as simply a clone. With Nero, players are able to see Dante’s personality from a different perspective, in the same way that Raiden gave players an insight into Snake in Metal Gear Solid 2. However, as one of the chief criticisms of Metal Gear Solid 2 was that the much-loved hero of the previous games was relegated to a supporting role in his own series, this move may not go down entirely well with some fans.
Lady (DMC3) and Trish (DMC) both make brief appearances, though Lady only seems to be around to show off her body and make demands of Dante. Trish actively participates, though behind the scenes. The new female character, Kyrie, is in extreme contrast to the other women, especially when she has trouble dragging Nero’s sword case, wears normal clothes, and doesn’t tote firearms. However, Kyrie demonstrates bravery, and handles the unfolding events well, without demeaning or stereotypical behaviors.
Graphics and Sound
The graphics look astonishing and the theatrical cutscenes are enormous fun to watch. The games environments are vast, filled with areas to explore and objects to interact with. Characters and demons also have a great deal of detail, including clothing fibers and hide textures. At times, clothes and the forest area seem too shiny and bright, but overall the graphics look fantastic. The game requires a certain amount of backtracking and repeat boss battles, which the plot accounts for, but after already running though the levels, some fresh environments and demons would have been more appealing.
Vocal artist Shootie HG returns with more awesome tracks, and Jason “Shyboy” Arnold of Hyonogaja enters with equal work. The standard techno/heavy metal score returns to give this game more of what makes the series great. Some of the sound effects hail from the other games in the series, and the others sound great and synch well with the action and game style. Voice actors Johnny Young Bosch (Nero) and Reuben Langdon (Dante) succeed in injecting life and dimension into their characters, Bosch especially. The presence of Nero as the central character also has the effect of livening up the dialogue, with his witty commentary ensuring things doen’t become too droll or portentous. Dante is still spewing bizarre phrases, of course, but that’s what he does. Fans of the previous games will no doubt be happy to hear that nothing as bad as “Flock off, featherface” appears, however.
Gameplay
Gameplay involves artsy swordplay and gunslinging combat, exploration, obtaining items, some minor platforming, and more combat. These balance well, provided players stay on track; enemy encounters often let players know they’re on the right path. The “puzzles” are not very challenging, and play more like “acquire and use items” rather than the crafty trials in God of War II.
Special Missions scattered throughout each area offer players more opportunities to acquire items and use their hard-earned skills. Many Special Missions require certain upgrades, and are quite challenging, perhaps as amends for the scant amount of platforming. Areas also contain several caches of hidden items, including the expensive gold orbs that instantly revive your character, or blue orb fragments which eventually form a complete orb and permanently increase your health. Most, however, contain red orbs, used to purchase items and power-ups.
As in previous installments, players receive mission rankings based speed, style, collection of red orbs, and account for bonuses and penalties. Penalties include item use, continues, and after many (and seemingly inevitable) unsuccessful attempts, the reduced enemies penalty. Style points are accumulated through successive hits and changing attack patterns. The higher mission rank, the more Proud Souls received. These souls allow players to power up skills, and can be refunded, allowing players freedom and worry-free leveling. Once complete, missions are eligible for replay, which is a great way to accumulate extra items and skills.
Nero’s unique abilities include the use of his sword, the Red Queen, which can be “revved” up for fiery and powerful attacks, and his demonic hand, called “Devil Bringer,” a powerful melee attack that can also grab enemies and objects from a distance, and his double-barreled revolver, the Blue Rose. Nero can grab enemies while standing and in mid-air with his hand, useful for styling up. This technique is also extremely helpful in boss battles, swinging Nero closer or triggering a series of powerful blows. The Blue Rose can be charged up for powerful attacks, but is otherwise a standard ranged attack.
The Red Queen’s Ex-Gauge can be charged three times when standing or walking, or with an ability upgrade, immediately after an attack. To achieve a high style rank with Nero, use of the Ex-Gauge is critical, though charging it in the middle of battle requires practice. It’s a flashy, interesting addition to the gun-and-sword arsenal. Nero’s abilities deliver exciting new gameplay mechanics, especially his ability to grapple.
Eventually (or finally, if you prefer) players take control of Dante, who retains the four combat styles from DMC3, which players can freely switch between during battle. Dante also acquires extra weapons, which, along with his styles, provide players a vast array of attacks and combinations. His controls almost match those from DMC3, though, after the character switch, adjusting may take a few battles; the loss of Nero’s grapple seems staggering, but Dante’s incredible arsenal makes up the difference.
Many battles will frustrate and take a few times to finish, but that’s what Devil May Cry is all about. The game initially gives the player a choice of two difficulty levels, one for beginners and one for veterans of the previous games, with harder modes being unlocked as the game progresses. The items and skills acquired during the game can be transferred across difficulty levels, allowing players to power-up their character before tackling harder modes. The game also features an “Automatic” setting which aids the player in performing combos.
Overall
While Dante’s backseat role may sour the experience for some, Devil May Cry 4 is a captivating game right from the first mission. The ability to play as both Nero and Dante, each with their own abilities and combat style, ensures the game doesn’t get repetitive despite the backtracking and repeat boss-battles. The abundance of unlockable skills, abilities, items and bonus features, along with the sheer joy or tearing through armies of demons, will keep players hooked. Thrilling action, fun cut-scenes, and a solid plot, make Devil May Cry 4 an attractive and exciting action game, perhaps the first blockbuster of this generation.
