Dmc4 Impressions [for realz] (2024)

I didn' t like the first GoW, mainly cause gameplay is shallow. Though it is much more story driven than DMC as a whole series. I don' t even count NG, cause there is like no story there. Though NG is still my favorite of them all, now followed by DMC4. I like how it feels like a fighting game within the realm of an action adventure. Character wise, it goes to DMC, hand down. Dante, while he doesn' t go through the character development Kratos does (except maybe fro DMC3) he is just a cool, likeable character, I despised Kratos, I can understand why he is so angry, but I hate the guy.

Edit: My objective review follows. . Overall, I gave it a 9.

Pros
+ One of the best looking games available
+ New mechanics fit right in with an already compelling fighting system
+ Nero is a great new character, worthy of following Dante' s footsteps
+ And speaking of Dante, he is cooler than ever

Cons
- While the game is graphically impressive, the shadows don' t hold up as well
- The camera can put you in quite few binds
- Features some of the most annoying puzzles ever in the series

The Devil May Cry series started with a big bang when it was originally released on the PS2. After tripping with Devil May Cry 2, the series recovered quite some ground with Devil May Cry 3 and its Special Edition. Now, Devil May Cry 4 has arrived, and it offers and incredibly polished and balanced experience for newcomers and veteran hunters alike.

Devil May Cry 4 tells the story of Nero, a young and reckless knight for the Order of the Sword, a cult worshipping the Legendary Dark Knight Sparda. While not on the best terms with his fellow compatriots, he is none the less respected because of his prowess at exterminating demons, and his close relationship with both Credo, the captain of the order, and Kyrie, the captain' s younger sister, whose relation is a little deeper than just close friends. While attending a ceremony, several knights of the order, as well as their supreme leader are murdered by none other than Dante, the renowned devil hunter and son of the Dark Knight. Ordered to pursue and apprehend Dante, Nero soon stumbles upon a dark plot, where the lines are blurred, and friends will be found in the most unexpected places.

While most of the story is fairly well written and as over the top as any Devil May Cry title, some aspects of Devil May Cry 4 story might end up as a little vague. However, you' ll be entertained all throughout and will care for the events going on, thanks to its larger than life protagonists. Nero is a great new character, able to carry the burden of starring in a series known for its charismatic devil hunter Dante. He is a younger, angrier and more impetuous version of the cool, collected and wisecracking Dante. And even with a reduced role, Dante still manages to shine through and show the players what it means to be a legendary devil hunter. The supporting cast, both returning and new alike, work well with the leads.

Story aside, Devil May Cry has always been about fast and frenetic action. And Devil May Cry 4 doesn' t disappoint. This is by far, the fastest, edgier and polished battle engine ever featured in the series. Players, who were worried about Nero not living up to Dante' s skills, fear not, as Nero packs a mean punch. Nero, just like Dante, can dish out damage by combining sword attacks with gunplay. Nero has an equivalent for all of Dante' s sword attacks, as well as some unique ones to him. And while Nero' s Blue Rose, his trademark double-barreled revolver is not as fast as Dante' s guns, its still quite the powerhouse. Nero' s uniqueness comes however from his newly integrated Devil Bringer. This demonic arm allows Nero to perform a variety of cool looking throws, as well as bringing opponents to him, which helps when maintaining your stylish meter. The Devil Bringer also doubles up as a platform element, as Nero can use it to pull himself up to designated points, as well as bringing items to him. This new mechanic integrates itself quite well within the system, and is a blast to use.

It' s no secret that about halfway through the story, you' ll take control of Dante. And while there is no Devil Bringer equivalent for him, Dante is more powerful than ever before. Not only is Dante stronger and faster than Nero, he also has quite an array of moves and an arsenal of weapons his younger successor lacks. Dante fights utilizing his style system first introduced in Devil May Cry 3, and now he can switch them by quickly tapping on the D-pad button to which each style is assigned. This allows for some incredibly cool looking combinations of moves, which in turn offers a good amount of ways to tackle any particular situation. You can also switch Dante' s guns and devil arms while you play as well. Playing as both characters is fun and quite often intense. The only drawback to the combat sections is the camera, whose preset locations can sometimes blind you from your enemies, and you can' t always control the camera.

The objective in combat is to dispatch your foes in as stylish ways as possible. The more stylish you are, the more red orbs and proud souls, which are used for items and abilities respectively, you' ll earn. You want to keep and eye in the style meter and satisfy it as best as you can, for having multiple items and skills later on will save your life, specially since the enemies are pretty challenging for the most part.

When you are not fighting, you' ll have to explore some pretty big locales, raging from a castle to forests, to snowy plains and more. There is some platforming involved using Nero' s Devil Bringer, and while these are not very frequent, they can be a little frustrating due to the bad camera angles the game gives in some spots. There are also some puzzles to solve, and unfortunately, the puzzles in Devil May Cry 4 are quite possibly the most annoying ever seen in the series. Another slightly negative aspect that arises while playing through Dante' s portion is that he will mostly backtrack trough previously explored areas, offering little new areas. This is compensated in part by removing all puzzles and focusing on the fighting. While the exploration is certainly weaker than the combat, it certainly is not horrible or of-putting by any means.

Graphically, Devil May Cry 4 is a beautiful game. Be it the incredibly detailed and superbly choreographed cut-scenes, to the combat itself, the game is great looking, fluid and just a marvel to behold. The art design compliments its entire technical prowess as well. Characters, be it from humans to monsters, its excellent. The one flaw the game has is the shadow rendering, which looks very polygonal and is downright ugly in some levels. This is only a small discrepancy however and not something that will ruin the rest of the game. The best part is that the game consistently maintains the frame rate, no matter how hectic the action is.

Sound wise, the game hits it big as well, with great sound effects, fitting music and good voice acting for the most part. Nero is voiced very well, and Dante is as charismatic as ever. The battle music is the sore thumb in the sound department, not only being very bland in comparison to the rest, but also very repetitive.

Devil May Cry 4 is by far the most polished sequel in the Devil May Cry series, and one of the best games so far in this generation of consoles. Its combination of over the top action with style is as good as ever, and the inclusion of Nero forms a sturdy bridge for those new to the series, while effectively introducing them to the soul of Devil May Cry, Dante himself.

< Message edited by chimura -- 11 Feb 08 2:49:33 >