Devil May Cry 4

By Jim Rossignol Published 24 January, 2008

Steamin' demons.

Let's get this straight: of all the hackandslash games of recent years it's been the Devil May Cry games that have best held my attention. I like their ambivalent tone and their over-designed world: the baroque-modern towns with magic swords and buses. It's a grand contemporary fantasy, and it doesn't falter. It's also a mechanically pleasingly fighting game. Guns and swords: it's all about how the fighting looks, and you have to respect that in a game. Devil May Cry 4 certainly doesn't get shy on that front: savaging multiple enemies with a giant, blazing sword and a gigantic, ammo-free pistol is once again the central beat of the game. The frenzied demon-killing doesn't seem to have lost its touch.

Visually it's impeccable too. The world design is unspeakably lavish, with incredibly intricate fortresses and cityscapes discarded in mere seconds of gameplay. There are some beautiful scenes, typical of this kind of game, where the pacing quietens. Sprinting along a snowy mountainside towards a citadel sees you encounter no monsters, no challenges, as if to let you savour the atmosphere. The final camera sweep in the approach to the colossal castle is a fantastic pay-off to the quiet moments before. I'm a keen subscriber to the Skip-The-Damned-Cutscene school of gaming, but with DMC4 I simply couldn't resist seeing what mad stunts and visual nonsense I was going to be delivered in the video sequences. The opening fight between Nero and Dante is a cinematic showdown worthy of the most insane Kung Fu choreographers.

Of course it's the in-game visuals that really count, and they're generally superb. There are some minor camera annoyances, where the tiniest movements cause it to flick about disjointedly, or simply not show you the monster that the fight-music is telling you is just off-screen, but this never really affects your play for more than a few seconds, at least in the opening few hours of the game. The bosses, once again, are incredible pieces of design. Even the first encounter with generic Balrog type is enough to set your toes tingling with next-generation delight, without ever really pushing things too far. There's never a moment's stutter. It's a game that dwells comfortably within the middle ground of 360's graphical capabilities.

'Devil May Cry 4' Screenshot 1

Good stubble.

Anyway, I'm not going to bore you with story stuff, suffice to say that our new character, Nero, who is once again rather like Dante and Vergil in both look and attitude, has a bunch of new powers in the form of his Devil Arm. It's not a major progression from the previous games, but the grapple-hook movement and general baddy-beating you can do with it certainly adds another dimension to the swording and shooting. Nero feels quite vicious to play, and you'll want to stay close to enemies at all times. The swordplay feels even more solid than the last game, with charge-up power-ups once again adding to the "Ooh this will sting" anticipation in the fractional seconds before a big fight.

The one thing that bugged me on my first play, and actually, now I think about it, rather annoyed me in previous games, is just how stilted the jumping is. DMC has this kind of hangover from earlier eras - I want to make the killing far more fluid than it is. I know the 'air-combat' stuff is all-important to the stylish death-deliveries, but there's something particularly awkward about it in this instance. A minor quirk, and one that most fans won't even consider, I'm sure, but still it irks.

Word has it that Capcom intended to make DMC4 easier than the previous games, and I think it has. The lower tier "human" difficulty is eminently defeatable. Perhaps it's not challenging enough, especially since there are only two tiers, amounting to "too easy" and "still quite hard". I'm not complaining though, since I've never enjoyed the most frustrating elements of these kinds of games. I wanted to be cowed or worried now and then, but I don't want to get stuck. Ever. This, of course, could be the kind of thing that gets some minor tweaking between now and release. And that's only the fighting: despite motoring through our first impressions code, I don't think there was anything in terms of the puzzles or physical challenges that I felt really annoyed by - and these are usually the static faults of these kinds of games, whatever the difficulty level.

'Devil May Cry 4' Screenshot 2

An early contender for hat of the year.

But then there's this other thing that nags me about my first few hours spent with this game. Partly it's my bearded housemate shrieking over my shoulder and saying rude things about Japanese game design, but it's also the quiet comprehension that Devil May Cry 4 is an incredibly adolescent game. I sort of don't want that to sound as pejorative as it does, but hell, this is such a teenage boy fantasy that it is, at times, flesh-cringing in its audacity. The moment when female executive of the Holy Knights, Gloria, shows up on a snowy bridge wearing a strip of cling-film is astonishing. She's made of Japanese gelatinous lady-physics (you know the kind of hyper-elastic bounce I'm talking about) and - I swear to God - there's a Matrix slow-motion shot up the cleft of her exposed arse. I mean seriously boys, there's exploitative attitudes towards women and there's... yeah. Upskirt bullet-time bum zooms.

Oh, sure, what's so great about reality anyway? It's a fair cop. I'm all for escapism. Let's get the hell out of suburbia by any means necessary, if that means tunnelling our way to heroic fantasyland via the TV then so be it. Just be careful where you end up.

Picture of Jim.

About Jim Rossignol

Read more articles from Jim by visiting the Jim Rossignol archive page.

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Comments (57) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Tejstar #1 4 years ago

    Looking forward to the demo!

  • Dizzy #2 4 years ago

    "an incredibly adolescent game"

    You are surprised? 99% of Japanese games are made for the barely teen male market.

  • TheDudesRug #3 4 years ago

    Most emo protagonist two kay eight.

  • DB2k #4 4 years ago

    pejorative
    /looks up
    oh!

    Funny final couple of paragraphs - gave me a godo chuckle :)

  • mazzl #5 4 years ago

    "Upskirt bullet-time bum zooms"

    GRINN so i can't play this when my girlfriend is not bi-sexual ;)

  • Big-Swiss #6 4 years ago

    got this pre-ordered, 06.02.08

  • FabricatedLunatic #7 4 years ago

    Can't wait for this. DMC3 is one of my favourite PS2 games and I expect similarly good things from the sequel.

  • space_ace #8 4 years ago

    The moment when female executive of the Holy Knights, Gloria

    er... we've all seen that video on the internets, sorry to disappoint

  • hana_fubuki #9 4 years ago

    Nice preview which somewhat reflects my fears about the game. I'll probably rent it. DMC3 was already "too adolescent" for my tastes (there's "cool wisecracking hero dude" à la Drake, and then there's "cocky arrogant brat" à la DMC3-Dante). Now that I'm even older, I'm not sure I want to pay 60-70 euros for a game that will most likely be nothing more to me than an enjoyable romp - even though Nero thankfully seems nothing like Dante v3.0

  • thedaveeyres #10 4 years ago

    Devil May LOL

  • Kryon #11 4 years ago

    PS3 fanboys with euro PSN accounts may cry.

  • Dizzy #12 4 years ago

    >that has PS3 as lead SKU is reviewed like a 360 exclusive

    A PS3 fanboy dream. DMC is build on a platform independent engine. Same one as Dead Rising and Lost Planet.

  • Kryon #13 4 years ago

    @Arbiter

    Krudster and others have explained many times that 360 versions of games are reviewed because that's the version they are sent. I can only assume that this is because Sony are a two-a-penny "company" who can't afford to send out a free game to EG.

  • Diomedes117 #14 4 years ago

    Ninja Gaiden>>>Devil May Cry

  • Kryon #15 4 years ago

    Arbiter May Cry. I bet he's one of those sobbing emos who signed that petition...

  • Dizzy #16 4 years ago

    >Dizzy, don't be a douche

    You always seem to forget that there are actually people here who know stuff. People who go to GDC and see presentations. People who make games and people who are in the industry. Not people like you who sit behind their PC and *think* they somehow know all this by reading forums all day.

    All Capcom next gen games are made on the MT framework platform.

    <a href="http://tinyurl.com/yt3a26
    ">    http://tinyurl.com/yt3a26
    </a>

    DMC is no exception... it has ALWAYS run on a multiplatform engine. There is no lead platform. Only in your fanboy mind. So EG reviewed the version they got first. Maybe the PS3 copy was still installing on the HDD?

    Now f*ck off to the bridge.
    Edited by 5 at 24/01/08 @ 10:18

  • NoCodeNed2 #17 4 years ago

    @Kryon - why would sony be sending EG a Capcom game?

    /am confused?

  • neuroniky #18 4 years ago

    @mazzl: bisexual GF FTW.

  • Kryon #19 4 years ago

    @Ned

    My post was not specific to this title. But I'm sure Sony coerced Capcom into selling the copy of DMC4 on the streets for a few bottle tops to bolster their poor profit margin.
    Edited by 1 at 24/01/08 @ 10:18

  • Kenshin001 #20 4 years ago

    Dizzy, they used the MT framework because the PS3 specs were not finalized. They began development with the PS3 in mind and when Capcom announced it was going multiplatform it meant they had to rethink their strategy and "it probably required about 1.5 times the work and 1.5 times the ability in order to be able to get everything done." According to the producer anyway.

  • ZuluHero #21 4 years ago

    anyone else seem to be having trouble with stuff on the market place atm? I can see friends loggging in and out and can access the lists inside arcade/marketplace but when i try to download anything i get some 'blade' error.

    Obviously im concerned as i want to be able to get the demo for this today! ;)

  • drumbaby #22 4 years ago

    Ninja Gaiden>>>Devil May Cry 2

    but not the rest.

  • Yaz #23 4 years ago

    *Munches some popcorn*

  • hana_fubuki #24 4 years ago

    Well, after giving the demo a spin, I might have to revise my "strictly rental" stand on this one. I hadn't had this much fun with the franchise since the 1st one. DMC2 was, well, embarrassing, and young Dante ruined the 3rd one for me (despite the obvious quality of the game). I'm probably going to go for the PS3 version, though, for the controller and silent disk drive (yes, that's worth the extra 10 euros for me... btw, does anyone have a valid explanation as to why the PS3 version is more expensive?).

  • ZuluHero #25 4 years ago

    Controversially, maybe companies should start asking for people's EG handles on application forms? :p

    Edited by 1 at 24/01/08 @ 11:15

  • Dizzy #26 4 years ago

    "I've been employed in the games industry since 1987, and as a result have forgotten more about games development than you'll ever know"

    Great... I wrote my first commercial game in 1983. :)

    Never assume anything. Just don't pretend that EG is at fault here because they previewed a 360 version. Capcom wants both version to be identical... so who cares about what version is reviewed?

    Damn tinyurl.

    Well try this : http://ww w.watch.impress.co.jp/game/docs...
    Edited by 3 at 24/01/08 @ 11:25

  • penhalion #27 4 years ago

    @Arbiter & Dizzy

    So you both STILL work in the games industry do you? Then please act like it. I'm not sure what jobs you do in the industry. I myself am a programmer by trade with some design experience. All this lead platform stuff is usually put out there for the general public to lap up and fuel the old fanboy blood.

    If either of you have worked on both the PS3 and the 360, you will know that the teams are seperate because the architecture of the two machines is not compatible. Sure a cross platform engine will list the same feature specs on both machines and should run comparably. The game itself is a series of assets (graphics, levels, sound) and logic scripts that the engine interprets. In this way the game logic runs the same on both machines, the assets are shared so the graphics don't just look the same, they are physically the same (I always get a laugh out of those PS3 vs 360 visual comparisons). The main difference in graphics is simply that the initial gamma on ATI cards is always darker than NVidia cards.

    Looking at DMC4 and speaking to the capcom guys last year at GDC. They confirmed that there are no differences in either framerate, assets or gameplay between the two versions. They haven't made use of any specialised features of either machine and kept their engine features even to allow for quick and easy porting between the two machines. This is primarily why they can release both games at the same time.

    In short. Covering EITHER the 360 or PS3 version is irrelevant as both are near damned identical....oh the 360 has achievements for XBox Live but, the same system for achievements is present (though not used) in the PS3 version.

    I'd be interested in knowing what comapnies you two work for (mainly so that if I'm ever changing jobs I can avoid them!)

  • miiiguel #28 4 years ago

    "@Kryon - why would sony be sending EG a Capcom game? "
    I don't know how in EG it works, but my brother-in-law works in a newspaper and receives games from several publishers (Epic; Capcom; Konami; THQ), which are sent from Microsoft to them "for reviews purposes". As a matter of fact, I have a copy of Dead or Alive 4 in my desk right now, with its big yellow label saying "Promotional Copy. Not for resale"
    Edited by 1 at 24/01/08 @ 12:10

  • Dizzy #29 4 years ago

    "I'd be interested in knowing what comapnies you two work for (mainly so that if I'm ever changing jobs I can avoid them!) "

    Don't worry... I do mainly procedural stuff now :) You will only find me in mobile/handheld gaming and middleware.

    Back to the demo. Very smooth... seemed a bit easy though? Not sure about that aspect.
    Edited by 1 at 24/01/08 @ 11:58

  • Kryon #30 4 years ago

    Arbiter is a 46 year old sales assistant in GAME.




    Disclaimer - The above statement may not be strictly true but it probably is.

  • sillak #31 4 years ago

    Am I the only non-games-developer on these forums?

    /looks around, confused

  • Kryon #32 4 years ago

    Headboy May Cry.

  • ParanoidZombie #33 4 years ago

    Is it me or is the demo very slow? I mean, lots of useless cutscenes, lots of loading times, your enemies look asleep and don't offer any resistance. As a DMC vet, I tried to perform some stylish combos, but all the fights were over before I could get past "atomic" rank.

    Maybe I played too much ninja gaiden between DMC3 and this, but this doesn't look like the "heart stopping demon frenzy" they advertised. Even the boss is poor by DMCs standards.

  • NickNack #34 4 years ago

    Surprised at how shit the demo is, terrible camera, lame ass controls, by the numbers skater boy voice acting and stupid boss dialogue. Slam Dunk?, please spare me this shit. Thank God Ninja Gaiden 2 is around the corner as this is nothing but a action game aimed at people who think Avril Lavigne is cool.

    Utter shit like all the other DMC games, should have kept it on PS3 where it belongs.

  • gman7714 #35 4 years ago

    You gotta love internet forums. Best comment in this thread

    *Munches some popcorn*

    I lol'd at that one

  • Krelle #36 4 years ago

    Arbiter:
    Do you enjoy arguing alot? It seems like it. Why dont you go back working on, whatever the game company that has you employed, are working on? This is all a very pointless discussion, as in, it doesnt matter at all. No one of you will change any part of the game by a tiny cockfight.

    I dont question your "facts" at all, just your couse. This goes for all of you petty fanboys on EG. Yay :)
    Cant we just enjoy, the demo, of a (supposedly) great game? Please.

    (And no, english is not my native language so please forgive my spelling mistakes.)
    Edited by 1 at 24/01/08 @ 16:27

  • jack24 #37 4 years ago

    Hehe

  • jack24 #38 4 years ago

    Do people come on to forums soley to argue?

    Whatever happened to people talking about their favourite games and things of that nature?



    On an unrelated topic... DMC 4 looks cool, downloading the demo now



  • jack24 #39 4 years ago

    Aha I'm debating whether to get Assassin's Creed...

    Am into those sort of games and my friend who has it on PS3 says it's worth it. Lots of reviews disagree though, might just wait for this.


    I loved all the DMC's, its like the best manga with a healthy dose of John Woo. Whats not to love?

  • TitusCrow #40 4 years ago

    no wonder there are so many piss games coming out all the devs spend the time flaming each other on EG's notice boards rather than doing the job that said code monkeys have been paid for! :p

  • Tuffty #41 4 years ago

    I actually have a question about the preview. Jim mentions that there seem to be only two difficulty tiers, one "too easy", the other, "still quite hard" Does that mean there's only 2 difficulty tiers in all, or there are 2 tiers from the outset and more can be unlocked once played through? I presume it's the latter as it would be hard to see a DMC game without a Dante Must Die mode.

    Can't wait to play this. I'm holding out on the demo though as I know I'm gonna get this and playing the demo would act as a spoiler of what to expect.

  • VMerken #42 4 years ago

    @Jim Rossignol
    "..., but it's also the quiet comprehension that Devil May Cry 4 is an incredibly adolescent game."

    And after playing DMC3 with an electric guitar as the heavy-duty melee weapon, this comes as a surprise why?

    One doesn't play DMC for the story. One never did. But I guess that if one started playing DMC1 as an adolescent and now is at the adult stage of life with DMC4, one is able to see and place DMC's nature more clearly. And then one gets back to kicking demon arse in stylish ways again.

    As for the Xbox 360 vs PS3 version - as long as the PS3 version isn't screwed up like Aframedropsin's Creed, and features no freaking electric guitars this time, I'll definitely be interested.
    Edited by 1 at 24/01/08 @ 23:33

  • jack24 #43 4 years ago

    Jesus Mary H Christ

    You guys never let up do you...

  • Krelle #44 4 years ago

    @ Arbiter
    I should had gone with my first instinct to not feed the troll then. Atleast now its a printed fact why you visit these boards.

  • Eighthours #45 4 years ago

    Once again, an XBOT shows he has no objectivity.

    This is irony, ladies and gentlemen.

  • Kryon #46 4 years ago

    @Headcase, a steady & constant frame-rate is better than an erratic one. PS, Don't expect Arbiter to reply to you, he thinks you're a cock, just like everyone else does...

  • mandeep100 #47 4 years ago

    YES YES now this is a game GIVE IT TO ME NOW, id would not take gta IV over this any day what a load of wank that is.
    Edited by 1 at 25/01/08 @ 11:49

  • Bonus #48 4 years ago

    If there's no difference then both platforms are being done a disservice as the game can't be using the advantages which each platform offers and has been written to the lowest common denominators between the two.

    That's just the view of yet another game programmer.

  • FabricatedLunatic #49 4 years ago

    Jesus fucking Christ. What is it about gaming that attracts a disporportionate amount of retards? Seriously, I'd love to know.

  • Kryon #50 4 years ago

    "The AA is a SLIGHT advantage, offset by the lower framerate. "

    The 360 version ran extremely smoothly for me, infact it was one of my first thoughts when booting up the demo. You're flogging a dead horse headgirl.

  • Kryon #51 4 years ago

    @headknob

    So now you're saying they both run smoothly but the 360 version looks slightly better due to AA. Well, it only took you a few hundred posts to finally admit it, but well done all the same.

    BTW, calling another man 'baby' might give people the idea that you're homosexual.

  • Kryon #52 4 years ago

    headknob, we've all seen the images, the 360 version is slightly better, it's plain for all to see (including you, as you have already admitted). I must admit, it's hilarious that you felt you had to Photoshop the jaggy PS3 images in an attempt to make them look half decent! Hilarious! Also, as far as I can see through Googling, both versions have the same frame rate. If you can prove otherwise then please go ahead and provide a valid link (with FACTS, not hearsay or biased opinion). Until you do, it stands that the 360 version looks marginally better and runs just as smoothly.

  • Kryon #53 4 years ago

    headbag, I don't see what you're trying to prove with a picture that's been photo-shopped by a fanboy? I haven't even clicked your link because it's pointless. The differences are very clear to see (in untampered with screenshots). You've admitted it yourself...

    ""The AA is a SLIGHT advantage"

    That was YOUR quote! YOU HAVE ADMITTED IT YOURSELF FFS!. So what on earth are you trying to prove? Jesus, you back peddle almost as much as Sony themselves. Anyway, now that's sorted, where are your links to prove these PS3/360 frame rates you claim? Or are you just going on rumour or just pulling facts out of your arse as usual? I'm guessing it's the latter tbh...

    "Why are you ignoring the fact that not everyone agrees with you on this?"

    I haven't ignored anything, I merely ask for proof and I think that's fair enough given your track record of lying out of your arse to bolster your biased opinions. (For people who are not sure whether to trust headbogs 'opinions' or not, pop over to the GTA4 thread to see how incoherent and thick he is)

  • Kryon #54 4 years ago

    I didn't actually bother reading the above, just skimmed it for links. Link or STFU.

  • jack24 #55 4 years ago

    It takes the royal piss that anyone who actually has something to say about the game that doesn't involve arguing about faggoty computer jargon, just gets overshadowed by the overwhelming amount of douche bags trying to get an andrenaline rush from arguing with a 13 year old over the internet...

    I think the demo is immense though... cant wait for february

  • Kryon #56 4 years ago

    I just love knowing I made the poor fraggle go out of his tiny little mind XD

    But seriously I've put him on ignore now because he's just a nitwit, there's no point trying to reason with a primate. Also, I'm not sure but I actually (truthfully) think he may be a kid, I don't want to argue with children on the internet, the poor kid has been pwned many times so best just to leave it and ignore him now, hopefully he'll grow up one day...

  • Kryon #57 4 years ago

    @ApoIogie (and others)

    Honestly mate, there's no point, the guy is either mentally inept or very young, seriously, I'd just leave it now or it'll go on forever...

    Unless ofcourse you enjoy pwning him (I must admit it is quite fun) in which case, carry on ;-)

  • SeesThroughAll #58 4 years ago

    One word to summarize this thread:


    PENIS