Devil May Cry 4 (PS3)
In the year 2001, Capcom introduced the Devil May Cry series to North American Playstation 2 owners, giving old and new gamers alike a glimpse at the level of graphical horsepower and hyperkinetic gameplay that the system was capable of and that which was previously impossible on past consoles. All this, a full month before Metal Gear Solid 2’s release.
Seven years later, history repeats itself. With the next Metal Gear Solid entry still a few months away, it once again falls upon Capcom to show the current generation of gamers what Japan can do with next-gen technology, courtesy of the fourth entry in its highly-celebrated action series.
With Devil May Cry 4, Capcom decides to both play it safe and live dangerously. The former can be seen with the familiar demon-slaying gameplay, but the latter revolves around the newest main character, Nero. As Metal Gear Solid 2’s Raiden has proven, passing the protagonist torch can be a very risky move that can alienate fans, but there is little doubt that newcomer Nero will be met with a much warmer response.
Despite carrying a stronger sense of justice and inexperience than series regular Dante, Nero possesses the same sarcastic wit and stylish executions that made the first devil hunter so popular, as well as a new demonic ability called the Devil Bringer, a possessed right arm that allows him to dispatch enemies, both big and small, with a level of ferocity and flare that has never been seen in previous games.
But Dante groupies can dry their eyes, since the son of Sparda plays a prominent, as well as playable, role in this entry, though as an older and presumably more vicious antagonist to Nero. After executing a holy priest point-blank, as well as massacring a few of Nero’s fellow Order brothers, the demon-armed youth is charged with tracking down Dante and bringing him to justice. The plot unfolds in a quick and rather predictable fashion (is religion ever the good guy in a videogame?), but the splendid visuals of the cutscenes as well as the frantic direction of the fight scenes make for an entertaining narrative packed with familiar faces and classic anime-style screaming and fighting.
Indeed, Devil May Cry 4 is quite the looker, with intricately detailed character models, monsters, and locations. There are a few hiccups, most notably some slight slowdown and flickering shadows in the forest area, but otherwise this is one of the prettiest and most graphically stable games available, and all without the help of the Unreal Engine or any other western tech. The audio side of the package is quite impressive as well, with each individual area offering a bevy of sound effects and atmosphere that surround sound owners will benefit from, along with some stellar voice acting and equally as effective writing; You won’t find any embarrassing lines about filling dark souls with light here.
As for gameplay, it’s all very familiar if you’ve played any of the previous entries, but that isn’t a bad thing at all. Rather than rebuild things from scratch, Capcom chose to keep the core gameplay mechanic and add subtle touches and tricks to perfect the action that made the original so popular. The most prominent new feature in the war on demonic terror is the aforementioned Devil Bringer, the possessed right arm that will endow the player with new combos and techniques that spice up the gameplay in a variety of ways. Instead of running to each monster one by one, Nero can extend his arm and bring the enemy to him. Once he’s done mercilessly pounding the demon to dust, he can quickly grab the next unfortunate soul and proceed to continue fighting, keeping the player’s adrenaline pumping in sync with the stylish on-screen meter.
You can even use the Devil Bringer to grapple onto floating orbs to reach faraway areas, ala Klonoa (or Bionic Commando for you non-niche gamers, but you certainly should Google and then track down a copy of the former Playstaion classic), as well as snatch seemingly unreachable orbs and items. Even the large, ferocious bosses can be subdued by Nero’s right hand of justice given the right moment.
The remainder of Nero’s arsenal include a left-handed gun and sword that work just as well as Dante’s twin pistols and ancestral blade, but unfortunately these will be the only toys Nero will get to play with during his quest, although you’ll be able to buy new techniques and tricks using Proud Souls, a demonic currency paid according to how well you score in each level and boss encounter. All other extra weapons and techniques are saved for Dante, who gamers will get to control after a pivotal moment in the story.
Unfortunately, the return of Dante to the player’s control results in Devil May Cry 4’s biggest failing, rather than the game’s highlight. Taking up nearly half the game’s length, Dante’s objective forces players to retrace their steps and return all the way to where they began the game for the final confrontation. Despite possessing far more (and indeed, wonderful) toys than Nero, along with the carried over styles from Devil May Cry 3, Dante’s trudge through the same areas you just fought through feel more like a forced attempt to extend the game’s length, rather than continuing the fun with a different character. A few new enemies and cutscenes can’t hide the déjà vu you’ll experience during the long trek back to the first level, especially when you have to battle the same bosses in those areas a second time (and the lack of Nero’s Devil Bringer make these battles even more of a chore. The thrill is diminished quite a bit when you bring the boss down to “grab and throw” status, only to just continue slashing away at it rather than slamming it across the pavement). What should have been the high point for longtime fans of the series will no doubt have them anxious to regain control of Nero. Had Dante been given his own individual areas and bosses, or at least put aside as a bonus mode after Nero’s completion, things wouldn’t feel nearly as repetitive.
That said, there is still fun to be had in Dante’s portion of the game as well, thanks largely to the extra weapons he’ll acquire during Round #2 of the boss battles, including a transforming suitcase with dozens of deadly combinations (the coolest being a portable hovercraft of missile launching death) and an endless supply of exploding energy blades, complete with a stylish rose finish. The final battle, which carries the current gaming trend of pitting you against a colossal sized enemy, is also worth the backtracking, along with the extra content awaiting you once the credits roll, including a gallery of artwork and images, harder difficulty modes, and the multi-floored Bloody Palace, a time based rush through all the game’s enemies and bosses that grows in difficulty as you ascend.
There’s also a dedicated online portion to the game, offering a world ranking system as well as the ability to track your friends’ progress and accomplishments. This feature (and yes, even the achievements) is available to Playstation 3 owners as well, but despite not carrying the same stability of Xbox Live, the game looks and plays identically on both systems, although fans who began the series on Playstation 2 might feel more at home with the Playstation 3’s controller.
In the end, Devil May Cry 4 brings a familiar and pleasant experience to older gamers frightened by the changing times of next-gen hardware and developer shifts, but does little to extend that experience beyond the foundation its predecessors lay seven years ago. Had more time and consideration been given to Dante’s portion of the game, along with a few more weapons for Nero to play with, this could have been not only the best entry in the series, but an early contender for Game of the Year. That said, this devil is still worth making a deal with, and there’s little doubt that the inevitable fifth entry will contain enough improvements and additions that will make even the most hardened hellspawn cry tears of joy.
Primotech Rating: 
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10 Responses to “Devil May Cry 4 (PS3)”
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[...] 4, 2008 by The Shepherd Sons Primotechnology has an excellent review of Devil May Cry 4 up. Here’s an excerpt: With Devil May Cry 4, [...]
It’s unfortunate that I haven’t had a chance to play this game or any of the others in the series. I’ll have to rectify that when I get my tax rebate.
You’re really not missing much.
I’m interested in the combo aspect of the games.
What I’d really love to have again is a Streets of Rage styled game. If Devil May Cry 4 comes close to that, I’ll be happy.
[...] You can brush up on your knowledge of demons by checking out our review of Devil May Cry 4 on Playstation 3 here. [...]
Devil May Cry 4 ..WolF
This was sort of weird because they needed more of thr action and not so much of the blood in the face of the guy.
you need maybe just less blood an more action
[...] Devil May Cry 4 (PS3) [...]
Nice