Review: Devil May Cry 4

Capcom's long running Devil May Cry series has always held a special place in my heart. The first DMC game was breathtaking. The second was not as stellar. The third game, however, is one of my favorite games of all time. Devil May Cry 4 lives up to the expectations that the third installment set, and is a worthy successor in the series.

I was skeptical when I heard that Dante would not be the main character this time around. He gets 7 missions in the story mode, but the game's main focus is on the newcomer Nero. However, by the third mission in the game, Nero had already proven to be an exemplary new character. His witty yet serious sense of humor, combined with his love for Kyrie, create a very dynamic character that is one of the best the series has ever introduced.

In terms of gameplay, Nero is reminiscent of Devil May Cry 1 Dante. What makes him shine though is his Devil Bringer arm. The demonic arm allows for creating of very unique attacks, ranging from simple grab moves that bring an enemy towards you, all the way to a move where you take a knight's lance and shove it through his stomach. Nero also has a new attack system known as the Exceed system. This essentially allows Nero to rev up his sword like a motorcycle and use more powerful sword attacks. It's an interesting system that becomes very handy the more you level it up. As cool as the new additions to Nero are, it would have been nice to see them more fleshed out. The Devil Bringer only has a couple (albeit awesome) moves at its arsenal and the Exceed system simply amplifies the damage and look of your core moves. Nero is still an extremely fun character, he just does not seem to have the depth that Dante has.

Capcom has done a major overhaul in how Dante plays. Unlike in Devil May Cry 3, all of Dante's fighting styles can now be switched during combat. This opens up an entire world of new combos at your disposal. Being able to switch between Swordmaster and Gunslinger during the middle of battle makes for some of the most interesting and satisfying combos ever seen in a Devil May Cry game. But for the two steps forward Capcom took with Dante, they manages to take one step back. All of the styles, especially trickster, have been downgraded. Dante can no longer run on walls, step on enemies and shoot them, throw his sword into them and impale them to the ground, or jump on top of a fallen enemy and ride them as if they were a skateboard. The basic moves that were available at level 1 of each style list from Devil May Cry 3 is what you get with each style in 4. Increasing the level of each style simply increases the strength of your attacks with that style (or, in Trickster's case, the distance you dash). However, despite the disappointment in losing some of the best moves from the third game, the ability to change styles during combat more than makes up for it.

Dante also has many new weapons at his arsenal. The Ebony & Ivory pistols, Rebellion sword, and Coyote-A shotgun all make their returns. The rocket launcher and hand to hand melee weapon are back as well, but with every Devil May Cry game, they have new names. The melee weapon is now called Gilgamesh. Aside from the name change, it is the same weapon as it has always been. The rocket launcher is a different story. It is now part of a weapon package known as Pandora. Describing Pandora in a text review is somewhat hard; it is something that must be seen in person. Think of it as a rocket launcher, grenade launcher, laser cannon, deadly boomerang, and a hover tank all in one. Suffice it to say, the guns in the game are exceptional. However, the same thing can not be said about the swords. Rebellion is still a blast to use. Gilgamesh gives you access to the same melee moves as always, so if that's been one of your favorite weapons (it has always been my least favorite) then you will be right at home. The Lucifer is the only truly new melee weapon to the game, and it feels lacking. Attacking with it sticks blades in the enemy, and then you can detonate the blades to cause the enemy to explode. It is a cool effect, but it isn't as damaging as Gilgamesh nor is it as fun to use as the Rebellion. That's not to say it's a bad weapon though. It is very useful in dealing with groups of enemies, and watching demons explode is very amusing. It just is not as fun to use as the Rebellion, Gilgamesh, or Yamato. The Yamato is available when you switch to the Dark Slayer style. It essentially has the same moveset that Vergil had from the special edition of Devil May Cry 3. Using the Yamato in combination with the Rebellion and Pandora proves for some of the most satisfying gameplay that you can get out of the game.

Suffice it to say that no matter which character you choose to use, the experience will be fun. The bosses are very unique and a complete riot, and the levels are all interestingly designed and beautiful to look at. It's just a shame that all of the game's bosses are heavily repeated (you fight most bosses three times) and you have to backtrack through levels previously beaten many times. Backtracking is, at this point, expected from a Devil May Cry game, but the fourth is the only one that has ever really stood out as a problem to me. You spend a good amount of time backtracking through a forest that, quite frankly, is not very fun. The whole area is filled with puzzles that are focused on trial and error, rather than actual skill, and it detracts from the gameplay. However, despite these issues, they are largely overshadowed by the elegant story, adrenaline fueled gameplay, and extraordinary sound effects and voice acting.

Visually, the game is a powerhouse. It's rare for the game to slow down, and it's even more rare to find a place in the game that does not look simply stunning. As tedious as the forest level was to play, it was an absolute delight to look at. Hacking and slashing through demons looks and feels devastating, thanks in no small part to the game's sound design so heavily complimenting the gameplay and visuals. Every demon grunts and groans as the swift sound of your blade or gun tears them apart. The entire experience is purely nostalgic, and makes it one of the best aspects the game has to offer. Determining the best aspect of the game is a hard task, because as amazing as the gameplay is, as stunning as the visuals and sound effects are, the story is just completely over the top and wonderful.

Devil May Cry 3 brought more cinematic sequences to the series than any previous entry had before. It was well written and well told, despite being filled with a lot of cheesy dialogue. Devil May Cry 4 not only has a very deep and emotional story to tell, but the voice work is over the top. Each character portrays their emotions extremely well, which helps create some of the most memorable characters and cutscenes to ever be featured in a Devil May Cry game. Johnny Yong Bosch does an amazing job of bringing Nero to life. Nero's witty jokes are well told, scenes where he explodes with anger are very believable, and his love for Kyrie feels real. The rest of the cast all is voiced excellently as well, Nero just seems to outshine the rest.

From the well told, breathtaking story to the visually immerssive and addictive gameplay, Devil May Cry 4 is a stellar package. Sure Nero could have been more fleshed out, Dante could have retained more of his moves from the third game, and there could have been less repetition, but none of this really matters in the long run because the game is just so far over the top and extraordinary. Devil May Cry 4 is a worthy addition to the series, being a pure blast from start to finish. It is safe to say that Devil May Cry 5 will have some big shoes to fill.

The Good:
-Very addictive, visually stunning gameplay
-A deep, well told story with terrific voice acting
-Nero is an awesome new character
-Fun and well designed enemies and bosses

The Bad:
-Nero feels slightly lacking
-Dante is missing some of his best moves from previous games
-Level and boss repetition gets old

Final score: 9.0/10