RSS
Devil May Cry 4
Will this devil make you cry? Find out in our full review.
February 8, 2008 | 5:25 PM PSTby: Matt Furtado
Kombo's Review Policy: Our reviews are written for you. Our goal is to write honest, to-the-point reviews that don't waste your time. This is why we've split our reviews into four sections: What the Game's About, What's Hot, What's Not and Final Word, so that you can easily find the information you want from our reviews.
What the Game's About
Devil May Cry 4 takes place in the town of Fortuna, which is run by a military faction known as The Order of the Sword, which consists of a group of Holy Knights. The townsfolk praise the demon knight Sparda as the savior of the human world. Sparda, for those of you who don't recall, fought the forces of Hell in hopes to save mankind from a demonic onslaught--whom also happens to be the father of Dante. As the people praise their savior, Dante crashes the party and massacres the head of the Order, as well as several Knights. Upon witnessing the horrific events unfold, Nero, the new protagonist and member of the Order, decides to hunt out Dante. Despite not knowing anything about who Dante is, Nero sets out to seek revenge and discover the true motives behind the assassination of the headmaster and the Order itself.
What's Hot
First things first, Nero is badass. This isn't another Raiden or some lame new character to spark the fire under a longtime series; instead Capcom has introduced a new smart-mouthed, hot headed, brash, young character to pique the interest of Devil May Cry vets. Fans of Dante fret not because Dante does return, but Nero will make you wish you could have had him in the previous installments. Nero has a wide variety of combo driven techniques and introduces some new gameplay mechanics that really push the stylized gameplay forward. There's no denying that Dante was the man back in 2001, but it's 2008 now, and Nero is a look at the future.
What makes Nero standout is the use of the Devil Bringer. Nero is equipped with a demonic arm and this is what differentiates him from Dante. The Devil Bringer allows you to initiate any combo you can imagine. By bringing enemies to you, the arm allows you to start combos in the air or the ground. Say you are surrounded by enemies on the ground and need to get out, but want to inflict some quick damage on them. Jump in the air, use the Devil Bringer to pull an enemy off the ground into the air, and toss it back down with extraordinary force, wiping out the enemies. You can do this numerous times before hitting the ground. The Devil Bringer brings a lot of new fun to the game when fighting the smaller, weaker demons; however, it becomes essential when battling the bigger, stronger enemies. During battles with stronger enemies, the Devil Bringer can be used as either a setup or a finishing move, which are spectacular sights to see.
Devil May Cry 4
Aside from the new Devil Bringer gameplay mechanics, Devil May Cry 4 still features some great swordplay and shooting aspects. Once Dante makes is resurgence in the second half of the game, you'll be concentrating more on those gameplay aspects. This mainly happens because Dante lacks the ability of the Devil Bringer and must compensate for that lack of power; honestly losing the Devil Bringer is a shame because it's so damn cool. Luckily, Dante does have some nice weapons and fighting styles to choose from. You'll start off with four fighting styles, which will eventually expand to five, so Dante does offers a lot of variety for you to choose from, which Nero doesn't. Changing fighting styles and weapons is done with incredible ease by using the triggers and the d-pad. Sadly, you'll have control over Dante for a small portion of the game, totaling seven chapters.
Staying true to the previous installments, Devil May Cry 4 offers some customization to your character and the abilities you'll use. As you move forward in the game, you'll earn proud souls based on your performance in missions, and with them, you'll be able to purchase new combos and upgrade existing ones. Don't be afraid to spend your souls on the new upgrades because you'll need them to fight off the hordes of demons that get tougher as the game goes on. In case tough decisions aren't your thing, you can set the game to automatically select upgrades for you. Do note that if you don't like a move you bought or if a more powerful technique is available, you can return it for full soul value and move forward from there.
Aside from the main quest, you'll meet up with several side missions throughout the game. These will offer you quite a challenge after the first one. Each mission will vary in terms and conditions from defeating so many enemies in the given time frame to executing an attack so many times before touching the ground again. Many of the missions are based on the more advanced techniques in the game, so if at first you fail, continue playing the game and acquire new techniques, then revisit the challenge. For each successful side mission you complete, you'll receive an orb fragment, which will help you in the later parts of the game.
Whether you're playing this game on the 360 or the PS3, the game is gorgeous. The enemies are incredibly detailed and look spectacular in HD. Both Dante and Nero have fluid battle animations and the frame-rate never dips. The use of lighting is amazing and really draws you into the world. Whether it is the details on an enemy or the light that shines from an attack, the details drag you into the experience. With all this great detail and graphical features, the game doesn't suffer from any extreme load times. It is true that the PS3 has a required 20-25 minute installation period, which is there to speed up load times, but after the installation the game only takes around 2-3 seconds to load during gameplay segments and between 5-8 seconds before cinematic scenes. As you can see, it's nothing major with that level of detail.
Devil May Cry 4
What's Not
Even though Devil May Cry is mainly an action game, there are several puzzles and platforming elements thrown into the mix. These aren't necessarily bad additions, but they are nuisances. Many of the puzzles take too long and make you wish you could find a way to speed things up, but you're ultimately stuck performing a meaningless action numerous times. The platforming sequences are overall well done but are plagued by the camera. The camera has a knack for changing when you are in mid-jump. The camera also becomes a problem during close quartered combat situations. However, these are minor complaints.
Now, the biggest problem: repetition. Capcom went heavy with backtracking and recycled environments throughout the adventure. Many of the levels will take place in the same castle hall or outdoor environment, and when you finally get back in control of Dante, you get to see them again. Luckily, the levels are beautifully designed and looking at them for extended periods of time isn't a bad thing; however, the idea of revisiting the same area numerous times is bothersome.
Now the repetition doesn't stop with the levels; you also get recycled boss battles. The boss battles are wonderful experiences, but when facing them multiple times throughout the game, they start to lose that magic. After fighting them with Nero, you'll get to encounter them again as Dante. The game could have benefited from a few new boss encounters for Dante and Nero instead of reusing the same ones. Luckily, the differences in fighting styles keep the battle feeling relatively fresh.
Final Word
With a solid mix of new meets old, Devil May Cry 4 pushes the series forward. Featuring a good balance of challenge and amazing gameplay, Capcom has produced another great installment to the franchise. Despite recycled enemies and content, Devil May Cry 4 is a great game and delivers on every aspect that fans of the series have come to expect. If you found yourself enjoying the previous entries of the series, then this is right up your alley. With online leader boards, achievements for both consoles, and a lot of unlockables, this game will have you coming back for more. Doubters leave your fears at the door, because this Devil won't make you cry.
What the Game's About
Devil May Cry 4 takes place in the town of Fortuna, which is run by a military faction known as The Order of the Sword, which consists of a group of Holy Knights. The townsfolk praise the demon knight Sparda as the savior of the human world. Sparda, for those of you who don't recall, fought the forces of Hell in hopes to save mankind from a demonic onslaught--whom also happens to be the father of Dante. As the people praise their savior, Dante crashes the party and massacres the head of the Order, as well as several Knights. Upon witnessing the horrific events unfold, Nero, the new protagonist and member of the Order, decides to hunt out Dante. Despite not knowing anything about who Dante is, Nero sets out to seek revenge and discover the true motives behind the assassination of the headmaster and the Order itself.
What's Hot
First things first, Nero is badass. This isn't another Raiden or some lame new character to spark the fire under a longtime series; instead Capcom has introduced a new smart-mouthed, hot headed, brash, young character to pique the interest of Devil May Cry vets. Fans of Dante fret not because Dante does return, but Nero will make you wish you could have had him in the previous installments. Nero has a wide variety of combo driven techniques and introduces some new gameplay mechanics that really push the stylized gameplay forward. There's no denying that Dante was the man back in 2001, but it's 2008 now, and Nero is a look at the future.
What makes Nero standout is the use of the Devil Bringer. Nero is equipped with a demonic arm and this is what differentiates him from Dante. The Devil Bringer allows you to initiate any combo you can imagine. By bringing enemies to you, the arm allows you to start combos in the air or the ground. Say you are surrounded by enemies on the ground and need to get out, but want to inflict some quick damage on them. Jump in the air, use the Devil Bringer to pull an enemy off the ground into the air, and toss it back down with extraordinary force, wiping out the enemies. You can do this numerous times before hitting the ground. The Devil Bringer brings a lot of new fun to the game when fighting the smaller, weaker demons; however, it becomes essential when battling the bigger, stronger enemies. During battles with stronger enemies, the Devil Bringer can be used as either a setup or a finishing move, which are spectacular sights to see.
Devil May Cry 4
Aside from the new Devil Bringer gameplay mechanics, Devil May Cry 4 still features some great swordplay and shooting aspects. Once Dante makes is resurgence in the second half of the game, you'll be concentrating more on those gameplay aspects. This mainly happens because Dante lacks the ability of the Devil Bringer and must compensate for that lack of power; honestly losing the Devil Bringer is a shame because it's so damn cool. Luckily, Dante does have some nice weapons and fighting styles to choose from. You'll start off with four fighting styles, which will eventually expand to five, so Dante does offers a lot of variety for you to choose from, which Nero doesn't. Changing fighting styles and weapons is done with incredible ease by using the triggers and the d-pad. Sadly, you'll have control over Dante for a small portion of the game, totaling seven chapters.
Staying true to the previous installments, Devil May Cry 4 offers some customization to your character and the abilities you'll use. As you move forward in the game, you'll earn proud souls based on your performance in missions, and with them, you'll be able to purchase new combos and upgrade existing ones. Don't be afraid to spend your souls on the new upgrades because you'll need them to fight off the hordes of demons that get tougher as the game goes on. In case tough decisions aren't your thing, you can set the game to automatically select upgrades for you. Do note that if you don't like a move you bought or if a more powerful technique is available, you can return it for full soul value and move forward from there.
Aside from the main quest, you'll meet up with several side missions throughout the game. These will offer you quite a challenge after the first one. Each mission will vary in terms and conditions from defeating so many enemies in the given time frame to executing an attack so many times before touching the ground again. Many of the missions are based on the more advanced techniques in the game, so if at first you fail, continue playing the game and acquire new techniques, then revisit the challenge. For each successful side mission you complete, you'll receive an orb fragment, which will help you in the later parts of the game.
Whether you're playing this game on the 360 or the PS3, the game is gorgeous. The enemies are incredibly detailed and look spectacular in HD. Both Dante and Nero have fluid battle animations and the frame-rate never dips. The use of lighting is amazing and really draws you into the world. Whether it is the details on an enemy or the light that shines from an attack, the details drag you into the experience. With all this great detail and graphical features, the game doesn't suffer from any extreme load times. It is true that the PS3 has a required 20-25 minute installation period, which is there to speed up load times, but after the installation the game only takes around 2-3 seconds to load during gameplay segments and between 5-8 seconds before cinematic scenes. As you can see, it's nothing major with that level of detail.
Devil May Cry 4
What's Not
Even though Devil May Cry is mainly an action game, there are several puzzles and platforming elements thrown into the mix. These aren't necessarily bad additions, but they are nuisances. Many of the puzzles take too long and make you wish you could find a way to speed things up, but you're ultimately stuck performing a meaningless action numerous times. The platforming sequences are overall well done but are plagued by the camera. The camera has a knack for changing when you are in mid-jump. The camera also becomes a problem during close quartered combat situations. However, these are minor complaints.
Now, the biggest problem: repetition. Capcom went heavy with backtracking and recycled environments throughout the adventure. Many of the levels will take place in the same castle hall or outdoor environment, and when you finally get back in control of Dante, you get to see them again. Luckily, the levels are beautifully designed and looking at them for extended periods of time isn't a bad thing; however, the idea of revisiting the same area numerous times is bothersome.
Now the repetition doesn't stop with the levels; you also get recycled boss battles. The boss battles are wonderful experiences, but when facing them multiple times throughout the game, they start to lose that magic. After fighting them with Nero, you'll get to encounter them again as Dante. The game could have benefited from a few new boss encounters for Dante and Nero instead of reusing the same ones. Luckily, the differences in fighting styles keep the battle feeling relatively fresh.
Final Word
With a solid mix of new meets old, Devil May Cry 4 pushes the series forward. Featuring a good balance of challenge and amazing gameplay, Capcom has produced another great installment to the franchise. Despite recycled enemies and content, Devil May Cry 4 is a great game and delivers on every aspect that fans of the series have come to expect. If you found yourself enjoying the previous entries of the series, then this is right up your alley. With online leader boards, achievements for both consoles, and a lot of unlockables, this game will have you coming back for more. Doubters leave your fears at the door, because this Devil won't make you cry.
November 20, 2009
