Devil May Cry 4
Resident Evil has been a goldmine. Not just to the developer behind the series but to gamers everywhere, as it has spawned numerous franchises that engross and envelop. Dino Crisis, Onimusha, Dead Rising – all of these were born from elements of Capcom’s survivor/horror hit.
Aside from Resident Evil itself, the most successful title from that legacy, the most popular and perseverant series has been Devil May Cry. Released for PlayStation 2 one year after the system’s launch, Devil May Cry was immediately welcomed by gamers looking for a stellar fighting game within a single-player, 3D environment. The lead character’s moves were as cool as his appearance, and his take-no-prisoners attitude matched the cutting-edge, cutting-flesh experience gamers were after. Like Resident Evil, it led the way for further genre expansion, both from Capcom and from other developers that couldn’t wait to put their own spin on this style of gameplay.
Seven years after birth, Devil May Cry has entered its fourth iteration, this time for two new consoles: Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. As I began the first mission, my expectations were not much higher than they were at last year’s E3, where a less-than-groundbreaking demo was on display. The graphics looked nice, but there weren’t any gameplay elements in place to make me believe that the game was ready to compete with the best this generation had to offer.
But after just one of the game’s 20 missions, I was hooked and stunned. The game is so raw and exciting – faster than Ninja Gaiden, bigger than God of War, and better than its own predecessors. This is the next-gen devil the series’ creators were born to make.
Pure intensity.
Happy Fist
Capcom games have the tradition of featuring two playable characters and this one is no exception. The first is Nero, a silver-haired demon hunter who resembles Dante, the second playable character. The best thing about these two characters is that their inclusion is highly relevant to the gameplay. Unlike Resident Evil, whose large cast gives you a variety of aesthetics, damage endurance, and not much else, Nero and Dante play like different beasts that were hatched from the same egg. The similarities are obvious – Nero was made to be a Dante replacement. Consequently, Dante couldn’t hold back. If he were to compete with the new kid on the block, his weapons would have to be cooler and more destructive than a tank.
Four weapons/attack styles are exclusive to Nero: Red Queen (sword), Blue Rose (gun), Devil Bringer and Yamato. The former two should be very familiar to DMC players. The sword strikes and combos are unique, but the basic motions and gunplay feel the same. For something new, try the Devil Bringer, a mysterious force that appears to have possessed Nero’s hand. It’s used as a grabbing tool for pulling enemies close and to pull yourself up to large enemies whose weak spot can’t be reached without climbing. It’s also great for grabbing and slamming enemies into each other, and is the key to unleashing the most devastating boss battle attacks.
This plant-like snake is one of several boss battles.
Yamato is another sword, but its function is not the same as the Red Queen. Rather than use it for combos and other standard attacks, this sword is used to summon the ancient power of Yamato, which surrounds Nero with a holographic image. When unleashed (using magic power gained from attacks), this power doubles the strength of each move.
Dante’s unique weapons/attack styles include three different weapons (Rebellion, Gilgamesh, and Lucifer) and three guns (Ebony & Ivory, Coyote-A, and Pandora). Rebellion is Dante’s reliable sword; Gilgamesh allows him to perform kickboxing attacks. Lucifer is a much more exciting weapon, giving him the ability to pound explosive shards into the enemy and detonate them at will.
Ebony & Ivory are the same old handguns; Coyote-A is slow-but-powerful shotgun. Pandora is literally a box of destruction. Its label says that it can transform into 666 different shapes, a huge exaggeration. But it is incredibly cool. On the ground, Pandora fires two grenades that cross paths and explode. While jumping, it launches a machinegun. There are other forms as well, and all of them are equally cool and equally destructive.
When combined, these weapons create some of the coolest attack styles you’ll ever see. Nothing, however, is cooler than the actual battles, specifically those that take place at the end of each mission. They’re the true definition of hardcore, giving your thumbs a workout they haven’t experienced with action games since Ninja Gaiden. The boss battles are brilliantly designed, are gigantic in size, and require an immense amount of persistence. Once you get it – once you finally figure out the secret to defeating them – most bosses lose their challenge and become somewhat easy. But until that minute comes, you’ll be struggling.
Standard combat is just as exciting thanks to the continuous introduction of new demons. Just when you’re about to get sick of slashing one foe, another new one appears, mixing things up.
Same boss as shown above, different formation.
Since this is an action game, DMC4’s puzzles weren’t included to boggle minds. Instead, they often serve as a slight nuisance that gives players something else to do. Some are cool – in a couple missions, you’ll have to hop across disappearing platforms while fighting off enemies. If you fail to reach a platform and fall down below, an extra battle must be fought before you can leave the underground trap. There are also a few climbing schemes where Nero must use his special hand to climb across specific parts of a level. While not particularly exciting, they’re certainly doable, and shouldn’t pose much of a problem for gamers trying to rush though everything but combat.
Looking at how good the boss battles are, I suspect the developers must have thought it would be a good idea to have them appear more than once. And if two times are good, how about three? The result is a scenario where you go through the game and face them one at a time with Nero. Then you’ll face them – and explore many of the same areas – with Dante. After that, you’ll face all of them, one after the other, in one semi-grueling mission with Nero. It’s very exciting but also very frustrating – like I said, you will struggle.
And though it’s not a huge deal, their multiple appearances somewhat undermines a bit of the replay value. Part of the fun of great boss battles is the urge to play through the game again for another crack at defeating them. But by the time the credits rolled, I had already defeated each of them (excluding the final boss) three times.
Plant these in the air for a deadly trap.
That’s All Folks. All Real-Time
Since the day Metal Gear Solid 4 was unveiled, it appeared that there wouldn’t be any other games with graphics of comparable value until after its release. That may not be the case. Based on the brief moments I’ve spent with MGS4, I’d say that game is still the best-looking title on PlayStation 3. But DMC4 is a very close second.
You have never seen backgrounds like these. Most areas look like they were designed to be photographed and put on display at a museum. The architecture is exquisite, merging the enormity of the series’ previous structures with the darkness of Resident Evil’s eerie interiors. Realistic details are applied generously to every area.
When I first stepped inside the game’s city area, the best moment followed. It was the first time I could look at a video game – from any developer, on any platform – spin the camera around, interact with the surroundings, stare in awe of the real-time lighting, and be completely certain that these backgrounds were superior to the CG (pre-rendered) backgrounds featured in the original Resident Evil and Final Fantasy VII. Games are still a decade or two away from matching Toy Story-quality effects. But this is an incredible step forward.
On a less positive note, DMC4’s camera is anything but perfect. Objects become transparent when the view is obstructed. However, when it’s the camera obstructing your view, there is no solution. You can spin the camera in most areas but it’s not entirely free. It feels stiff around tall structures, and when four or more enemies appear, expect the view to swing around oddly at least once during the fight. This is partially due to the lock-on system, which is happily unrestrictive but can’t possibly predict the right enemy to target. In the grand scheme of things, these issues are forgivable – once. But for a next-gen game whose graphics are gorgeous, whose gameplay is extremely polished, and whose replay value is very high, there is no excuse for any such flaws.
Could this land have been inspired by Dino Crisis?
Devil May Cry 4 may border on beating a dead horse with its boss battle reiterations, but as far as action and hack-n-slash games go, it’s a dead horse you’ll want to beat repeatedly. Your first time through will be some of the best hours you’ve ever had with an action game. After that, the high replay value won’t allow you to leave.
Gameplay: 9.0
Like anime come to life. Devil May Cry 4’s battles are immersive and exciting, open-ended and beautifully choreographed, and impossible to put down.
Graphics: 9.5
Jaw-dropping. Be afraid Metal Gear Solid 4 – some of your graphical thunder has just been stolen.
Sound: 8.9
Stellar voice work. The music is good and somewhat catchy, but it’s the acting that will really get your attention.
Difficulty: Medium
Painfully good.
Concept: 9.0
Excellent gameplay expansions aren’t the only thing worth noting. DMC4’s story is unusually well done and features several battle sequences that are too cool for words. All story sequences are viewable together via the theater mode, creating a mini-movie of added value.
Overall: 9.0
Exceptional. The exciting (and exhaustive!) gameplay outweighs the camera issues and other minor nuisances. Non-fans may not be persuaded by DMC4’s expansion of its core mechanics, which greatly enhance but do not reinvent the franchise. But if you’ve enjoyed any of the Devil May Cry titles, this is Heaven.
