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Darla
Awesome Contributer
Joined: 25 Oct 2008
Posts: 64
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 Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2008 12:59 am Post subject: Devil May Cry 4 |
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Devil May Cry 4 is the second sequel to Capcom’s smash hit, Devil May Cry. After the stylish-action-game-abortion that was Devil May Cry 2, Capcom learned a valuable lesson in marketing, and went on to make Devil May Cry 3 stylish, classy, and fast paced. Devil May Cry 4 continues this tradition, but in an awkward way: it got rid of Dante as the focus.
Devil May Cry 4 still has all the action, all the posing, the witty banter, and gorgeous visuals that made Devil May Cry 3 such a treat, but Nero’s presence as the new main does take a LOT of getting used to. Still, unlike Raiden in Konami’s Metal Gear Solid 2, Nero controls much differently than Dante, and when you unlock Dante’s missions later on, you’ll retread the same levels that you had already beaten as Nero, face the same bosses, and have ample opportunity to compare play styles.
The chief alteration of game play involves Nero’s “Devil Bringer”, a magical arm that can hyper extend, grab distant objects, and sling, smash, and crush your way through each of Nero’s missions. While it has a bit of a learning curve, by the time you finish stage 3, you should be “Bringing It” (Ha. Pun.) with the best of them. The Devil Bringer is a thoughtful addition, and creates its own style. When you can stay suspended in the air for an entire fight by hurling an enemy into the air, using the am to pull yourself up to their level, slam them back into the ground, grab another enemy and repeat the whole process before you even hit the ground again, it becomes very fun. Also, there are opportunities to use the Devil bringer in extra-over-the-top and stylish ways against bosses and while that whole function screams the fact that it’s a watered-down version of the boss combos in God of War, it doesn’t stop them from being flashy, and a GREAT way to finish off a boss battle. There are similar moves against most enemies, but they are nowhere NEAR the visual spectacle. If you do these while in a Devil Trigger State, they become even more flashy. And if Devil May Cry 3 proved nothing else, it proved that we gamers LOVE flashy.
Also, the game deviates from previous titles in the sense that the weapons that you start the game with are the weapons you finish the game with. But it’s okay, because if you burn through enough cash (which comes in two forms, one for items and one for techniques, but only the first, Red Orbs, is readily available in most missions, which you CAN redo), the numerous upgrades, additional moves, and other unlockables/purchasables, you’ll eventually be able to overcome many obstacles; for instance, fully leveling up a certain sword skill will let you hurl Nero dozens of meters into the air, to reach those high up and hard to reach places.
Nero controls pretty sweetly, and plays somewhat like Dante’s previous incarnations, but with some novel upgrades which provide a certain uniqueness to keep the experience from feeling like it’s more of the same.
Once Dante is unlocked, it’s a WHOLE different ballgame from Nero. If you rocked at Devil May Cry 3, then get ready for a bit of more-of-the-same, but it’s topped off with a nice hefty dash of customer service.
A major complaint from the previous game was that you could only equip two guns, two devil arms, and one style a time, and you would need a God of Time statue if you wanted to switch. Well, no more. Dante plays almost exactly like his Devil May Cry 3 incarnation, with many of his moves from that game returning, but, as is fitting for this being a sequel to the first game, he’s picked up a couple of Vergil’s moves from DMC3 as well, and adds his own unique brand of style to them in the process. Finally, he carries all of his Devil Arms and guns on his person at all times (which was one of the few good innovations of DMC2), and switching them is easy and quick; he can also change STYLES on the fly, with a simple tap of the directional buttons. The Swordmaster, Royal Guard, Trickster, and Gunslinger styles from Devil May Cry 3 are all pre-unlocked, and once Dante retrieves Yamato, Vergil’s Dark Slayer style from Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition also becomes available. He’s well balanced as a fighter, and more streamlined from his last portrayal, but outside of his beard (one of the more controversial parts of the game), there’s not anything about him we haven’t seen in a previous game.
Now, if I’ve made this title sound easy, forgive me, because it is HARD. To quote PSM3 Magazine:
| Quote: | | “Most games these days tend to hold your hand all the way through...Devil May Cry 4 is not like that. It'll throw a million demons at you because it wants to, put in half a dozen arbitrary fights in a 30-foot stretch of map, force you to survive for ages on a tiny sliver of health... and then give you a D at the end of the level because you weren't doing enough combos.” |
This is EXACTLY it. There are no words I can use that explain it better. This title will KICK YOUR ASS. Over and over. But, like the original game, if you die too much early on, the game will give you Easy mode to play, which is SUCH a self-esteem boost. The game is basically saying: “Hey! You Suck! Stupid little n00b, have easy mode, and go play in the corner with the little children!”
The game is quite hard, and like the first title, unforgiving of any mistakes, even on Easy Mode.
Now then, here’s the downside to this game, and it’s a big one. The level design, frankly, sucks. It’s the worst since Devil May Cry 2. A stage will feel great, smooth, and natural, and you’ll get into a certain “groove” whilst traversing it, and then… BAM, they smack you with a random platforming challenge that makes little to no sense as to why it’s located there. There’s pointless dodging of those seemingly mandatory moving laser beams of death, pointless time-stop puzzles, etc. None of these seem to have been put in with any thought in regards to whether the location or nature of the puzzle makes any sense given the rest of the level. For instance, in the Order of the Sword HQ, there is a time-stop/platforming challenge. You slow down time and platform up these giant whirling blades of death and get to the doorway at the top (which is much harder than it sounds). Why the Heck is there a giant column of whirling blades of death in the middle of a presumably oft-used passageway? Wouldn’t it just be easier to put in stairs? Maybe an elevator? Moments of designer madness like these are all over the game, and they do nothing but hurt it. They aren’t there because they are relevant or because they improve the game play, they’re simply there because they can be. That’s not a good strategy. Capcom, just because you CAN do something doesn’t mean you HAVE to do it. These random challenges merely annoy and throw off a player’s groove, much to the chagrin of the player. Between these pointless trials are very flat and uninspired stages, but with a HUGE amount of fighting, so unless you notice absolutely everything on screen when you play, most of the time, you’ll forget how boring they are until the game slaps you with another mandatory challenge.
The music is more heavy metal for combat, and ambience for environments. Not much to say, really, except that it mucks up the game this time around, instead of aiding the mood like it did in the last game.
The plot is rather simple, and pretty much the same as Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia, only with a romantic subplot between Nero and Kyrie replacing Shanoa’s rescuing the idiotic villagers. The whole story feels very cheap and tacked-on, but since the cutscenes (typically) aren’t very long and the meat of this game is the actual combat experience, in the long run, it doesn’t matter.
In conclusion, for the most part, I like this game. A good kick-off for a next-gen transition; even if the play is still distinctly last gen, there’s nothing wrong with the play style of the last console generation. Entertaining combat on all counts, hefty difficulty (with an easier route if needed), and a decent amount of added content are the game’s good points, and they serve to counter the bad points, which are a boring soundtrack, bland levels, pointless trials, and a ho-hum (but not unbearable) story.
Devil May Cry 4 slays 4 Demons out of 5, because it's fun to play, and boring to watch. |
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Creeping shadow
Advanced Member
Joined: 19 Mar 2008
Posts: 590
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| Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2008 3:38 pm Post subject: |
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A very interesting review. To be honest this game cant really hold my attention past mission three.  |
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Wing of Faith
Forum Staff/ Global Moderator
Joined: 12 Jun 2007
Posts: 314
Location: South Dakota
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| Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2008 12:22 am Post subject: |
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Wow. Darla. Nice work. I DO know how to pick 'em... Go me.
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JUMP! DANCE! Feel the beat and groove to the music! |
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Lady Corrington
Advanced Member
Joined: 16 Jul 2007
Posts: 571
Location: Naha, Okinawa Prefecture
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| Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2008 11:46 am Post subject: |
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I enjoyed Devil May Cry 4, but right now, 3 is still my favorite.
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"For 10,000 lifetimes we walked this Earth. Helping you, aiding you in your hours of need. And how did you ungrateful children repay us? You burned us. Stoned us. Crucified us. Dismembered us. All because we were different from you. Well, do you know what? The game has changed, and now We would like to repay you... in kind."
~ Her Exalted Majesty Miriam Al Fezzt, Sorceress of the First Age and the Holy Destroyer of Man |
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