Devil May Cry 4 - Review

Title: Devil May Cry 4
Format: Xbox 360 (Version Reviews)/Playstation 3/PC
Price: £34.99
Release Date: Out Now
Published: Leeds Student, 29/2/08

Devil May Cry has always been about one thing: stylish action. However, in recent years the series has been marginalised by the increased accessibility of the God of War games. Devil May Cry 4 is Capcom’s response to this threat, and presents at first glance a more casual, laid back game. But look a little closer, and you’ll see all the combo chaining, button mashing and high-score chasing that its die hard fan base cherish.

Alongside a reduced difficulty curve, Capcom have introduced new character Nero, who the player controls for the first half of the game. Initially he plays very much like Dante did in the earlier games, until you get to grips with his Devil Bringer; Nero’s demonic arm that allows you to grab enemies and pull them towards you. This helps the combat flow and makes stringing together long combos a breeze, so much that the return to Dante for the latter half of the game is somewhat jarring at first. However, by this point DMC virgins will be well versed in the games mechanics, so should quickly take to the real Devil Hunter.

Cut scenes are as tongue in cheek as ever, and the plot makes little real sense (but then, who plays these games for the narrative?). The graphics are crisp, the levels are varied and look sumptuous, but the game does suffer from repetition in the second act. Here Dante fights his way through the levels already cleared by Nero, and goes up against the same bosses. This is remedied somewhat by various twists, such as time limits or altered layouts.

Even with this retreading, there is still plenty to keep fans of the series occupied and entertained. Initial play through will take around 10 hours, but as with most games in this genre, the first completion is only the beginning. There is more fun to be had replaying it at higher difficulties, or in the new Bloody Palace mode (a series of timed gauntlets against all manner of enemies). Assuming, that is, your idea of fun involves a sweaty controller and a bad case of RSI.

~ by Seniath on February 25, 2008.