 Review By: David Pulgar |
Developer: | Capcom |
| Publisher: | Capcom | |
| Genre: | Action | |
| ESRB: | Mature | |
| # Of Players: | 1 | |
| Online Play: | No | |
| Accessories: | HDTV 1080p, Dolby 5.1 Surround | |
| Buy Now: |   |
I’ve never been a fan of repeat gaming. Once I beat a title, that’s it. But somehow Devil May Cry 4 (DMC4) is an exception. My first time through the game wasn’t enough, and I find myself unable to resist a second run. Now that I’ve learned the moves and know what to expect, my second-pass is much more polished. And polish is what you’ll need to score big. With mission rankings based on elapsed mission time, attack style and amount of orbs collected it can take time to acquire a perfect score so you can show up your friends via DMC4’s stat sharing. It sounds like a trivial motivation, but isn’t that what people called the Xbox 360's Achievement system? Trust me, arcade-style competitions to see which friend can get the most points on a mission is excellent motivation, as is the host of unlockable content Capcom has provided.
It’s good that DMC4 has lots of replay value because the game is incredibly short. I was through in less than 10 hours and I’m sure DMC veterans can finish much faster. For those unfamiliar with action games, there is a learning curve, but it’s usually short. Once you get used to the controls and the timing, the game becomes all about style. Flashier attacks earn more points and are immensely more satisfying to execute. Two difficulty options are available at DMC4’s start: Human and Devil Hunter. Both are incredibly easy, but there’s more. Unlockable difficulty levels, like Dante Must Die and Son of Sparda, will test a gamer’s true metal. With each heightened difficulty level, enemies gain new and stronger attacks that players will have to learn and adapt to. Devil May Cry 4 was designed for replay so, with that in mind, I’ll forgive the fact that it’s short.
Devil May Cry 4 puts gamers in control of Nero, an orphan raised by a holy sect called The Order, which worships Dante’s father, Sparda, as a god. Nero is a devil’s arm and kills demons for The Order. But when Dante crashes through the church ceiling and puts a bullet in His Holyness, Nero takes up arms to track down the mysterious assassin. Of course, this launches players into a story of deceit, betrayal and all that good stuff.
Nero has three primary weapons in DMC4, the Red Queen, Blue Rose and Devil Bringer. Red Queen is Nero’s sword, think of a 5-foot long blade with a motorcycle handle for a hilt. Yup, players can rev the Red Queen. Each time you rev the blade, it charges the exceed (EX) gauge. As Nero levels up, new abilities will unlock allowing players to perform different EX attacks when the gauge is charged. These flashy moves increase the style meter faster than standard attacks and deal much more damage.
While I’m on the subject, the style meter is DMC4’s way to track your ability with moves and combinations. The meter deals results from D to SS (Smoking with Style) depending on the amount of damage done to enemies over time and the types of attacks used. Careful though. When an enemy hits Nero, the gauge resets, leaving players to start up again from the D rank. Avoiding damage is just as important as dealing it. And while playing this game through a second time I found myself holding back more to charge my weapons before attacking in order to get the maximum effect.
Just like the Red Queen’s EX gauge, the Blue Rose (Nero’s gun) can also be charged. This is done by holding down the “X” button until the Devil Bringer starts to glow. Each charge level deals significantly more damage and, with its final upgrade, the Blue Rose fires explosive bullets, which damage enemies both on impact and a few seconds later too using a delayed charge. Nero’s final weapon is the Devil Bringer, a scaly, blue-tinted right arm. With it, Nero can grab enemies at a distance and bring them to him for up-close melee attacks. The Devil Bringer can also be used as a weapon to pound enemies into the ground. Later in the game players will also be able to grab enemies and use them as shields with the Devil Bringer.
Posted: 2008-05-05 18:06:32 PST