Devil May Cry 4 Review

By Kristan Reed Published 5 February, 2008

I am cry.

Version tested: Xbox 360

It's almost three years since the last Devil May Cry, with its self-consciously angsty Emo shapes. Despite its awful music and dialogue, we were happy to dish out 8/10 for what was one of the best hackandslash fighting systems around. It wasn't a big step up, but it didn't need to be. It just needed better balance, and to make us forget about the awful second instalment. Refining the 2001 original into something truly fleshed out and compelling, it did the job.

That said, a lot's happened in the last three years, not least the arrival of next generation consoles with a larger, unforgiving audience, and some serious competition from two God of War games - all of which may have had some bearing on how DMC4 has turned out, whatever Hiroyuki Kobayashi says. The Capcom of old was happy to back a single-platform release, start the game's difficulty on 'hard' and expect players to admire its work, but this one has to retain its loyal following while opening DMC to a wider audience.

The first step was the most obvious: make it a multiformat title from launch day - a concept to which Capcom's been strangely resistant. Second sensible decision: make it accessible from the start rather than beating players around the head. It might irk the hardcore to see their beloved series being compromised, but Capcom's decision to offer 'Human' or 'Devil Hunter' difficulty from the off - and, gasp, a tutorial - is the sign of a developer chasing and trying to retain an audience in a mature way. All too aware of shortening attention spans, DMC4 is eminently playable even if you're a self-confessed button-masher, yet pretty challenging for series veterans, with a further four difficulties to unlock for the truly committed.

'Devil May Cry 4' Screenshot 1

It's hard to be annoyed with a plant. Unless it's trying to eat your face.

So yeah, times change. It's easier from the off, and the move-set is less convoluted, but the payback is that the learning curve is smoother, and the game allows you to make (and alter) upgrade choices without giving you the impression these are bad decisions. Someone at Capcom has gone through series conventions with a big red pen, and made sure that a whole host of things that patently weren't fun were kicked out. You can't help love them for bits like 'Auto Skill Up', which selects upgrades for you but still gives you the option of tinkering with them if you change your mind. If you want to admit you're a ham-fisted, combo-fearing 'Novice', it'll select the moves best suited to hammering the buttons. If you're rather more proficient with your finger gymnastics, then you can go for a more demanding set of moves. The best thing about this approach is that there's always the option to cash in old upgrades and try something else (check out some combat footage from early on in the game on EGTV).

As you'll no doubt be aware from the endless previews and trailers over the past 30-odd months, DMC4 is the real sequel to the 2001 original - in chronological terms, at least. The big news is that surly newcomer Nero is the lead character, although he appears to go to the same barber and tailor as Dante. The game starts with the cocksure Dante bursting into a church and killing the leader of religious group The Order of the Sword. This prompts the incredulous Nero to give chase and seek revenge.

Like Dante, Nero is blessed with angst, and a nice line in grumpy quips. Just like all the other DMC games, the result is unbearably, self-consciously serious narrative interludes with chiselled looks, intricate Gothic attire, floppy fringes and frowns as standard-issue. It's still entertaining, but perhaps not for the reasons intended. However, if you've played any of the others, you'll know exactly what you're in for, and there's no denying that the actual quality of the choreography, animation and detail levels are exceptional. But as much as Capcom likes to devote so much effort to creating quality FMV sequences, we're here for DMC's intriguing blend of swords and guns.

'Devil May Cry 4' Screenshot 3

Never a hair out of place. Perhaps he's a L'Oreal men expert.

Strange, then, that Nero's Blue Rose double-barrelled revolver is actually a bit weedy compared with Dante's equivalent firearm. The emphasis here is much more on Nero's Devil Bringer attack, and its ability to project a spectral arm out ahead of him. As well as being able to grab hold of enemies in the air (and smash them down), you can use it to propel Nero around the environment at speed, although this is limited to a few pre-determined areas where you'll be able to grab onto glowing blue blobs. Another new addition is the 'Exceed' system - the ability to 'rev up' your Red Queen sword, charge it up three times and unleash a red-hot powerful blow, except despite much experimentation, frenzied combat reduced charging opportunities too much to get a handle on it. Your mileage may vary.

A better idea is switching between slashing with the uncharged Red Queen and using the grapple powers of the Devil Bringer, locking on, and varying attacks depending on the type of enemy. Some aerial enemies have to be grabbed first with the Devil Bringer, then slashed furiously once they're on the ground. Others, you might need to actually jump up first, grab onto the enemy, and then pull off a combo mid-air, perhaps before finishing them off in a flurry of slashing steel on the ground. If you've got enough magic charged up, you'll gain access to the Devil Trigger, which in simple terms makes Nero faster and more powerful for a brief period, and proves a useful way of draining enemy health quickly. As ever, it's satisfying once you become confident with the broader move-set. The greater emphasis on aerial combat, new weapons, a different upgrade system and different enemy types puts a newish spin on the combat, although repetition drags down some of the initial excitement relatively quickly.

Indeed, in many respects DMC4 is far too faithful to its existing design template. The game can't decide whether to opt for a fixed camera perspective or to give you freedom, and as a result you're often forced to run into the screen before the perspective switches arbitrarily. Suddenly you're pulling down on the stick, yet moving up the screen, causing all sorts of confusion as you force yourself not to change direction, even though logic holds that you should. If you do flick direction as the perspective changes, you'll run back onto the other screen. Sometimes the game wants to be modern and give you full camera freedom, but mostly you're treated like a child. During moments when you can't see what's arriving to attack you, it really does remind you of the bad old days when this sort of thing was routine.

There are other areas where the gameplay feels old - like the way you're penned into a predetermined area to fight demons, which respawn upon your return but with no requirement to fight them other than as a means to harvest more of the game's currency. Elsewhere, the accessibility doesn't extend to keeping you informed as to what to do or where to go next, so you're left to wander around until you find an arbitrary object. Then there's what to do with that, of course. A little mini-map on the bottom right of the screen helps slightly with navigation, but you get no Metroid Prime-style objective markers on it. Backtracking between areas (dodging the respawning goons) becomes commonplace when the smallest amount of prompting would have done away with it. When it does things like this, it just feels like a high-def re-skin of a 2001 game design.

'Devil May Cry 4' Screenshot 4

Reptile halitosis is a big problem.

Much has been said of the visual splendour, too, but it's a bit uneven. There are some stunning, picture-postcard moments when the game looks jaw-dropping, but many of these are in the early sections. Later on, you'll be watching Nero's lurching run animation and wonder how it all became so bland. At its worst, you'll see dreadfully blocky shadowing (check out the tree shadows), and areas with nothing to do other than run through them. Next to, say, Uncharted, it looks quite old-fashioned in places, like a scrubbed up version of what we used to think looked amazing. Under the harsh microscope of HD, there's sterility to a lot of DMC4, and when Capcom's not quite lavished the same level of detail in certain parts of the game, it really shows.

Overall, oddly, DMC4's approach isn't a million miles from Lost Planet's. Both games hinge upon spectacular bosses at the end of each level (check one of them out on Eurogamer TV), and both feature levels where you trudge from A to B and clear out the cannon fodder in-between. Worse still, DMC4 recycles not only the locations for the second half of the game, but most of the boss monsters. And then, just as you're zoning in on completing the game, it recycles a few more in a tiresome boardgame to pad things out. Few games I've played in the past few years have been this obviously padded, and it reduces the incentive to go and play it again.

'Devil May Cry 4' Screenshot 6

Now that's just cheating.

If that wasn't disappointing, the role that Dante plays is little more than a bit part; a concession to appeasing the fans who would have been annoyed without him. But his inclusion is half-hearted and taints the latter third of the game. There's not even an unlockable option later after multiple play-throughs to play as him throughout. Again, with this knowledge, there's even less reason to invest the time and effort going through the game over and over again. On the plus side, the appearance of online leaderboards gives serious players the chance to compare their ranking performance with the best in the world, and on that level alone there will undoubtedly be a lot of players out there replaying the game purely to test their mettle against the community.

When we finished DMC3, we wondered what Capcom would do with new hardware. The answer is not an awful lot. The visuals are better, the combat's more accessible, the upgrade system's pleasingly flexible, but in practically every other sense Capcom has passed up the opportunity to do something new and exciting. After more than seven years, the Devil May Cry series finds itself in the same kind of safe, reliable trough that Resident Evil was in before Resi 4. DMC4 can still fall back on rock-solid combat mechanics and some standout moments, but it feels as though it's comfortable to slowly refine what was good about previous versions rather than evolve into something spectacular.

7 / 10

Read the Eurogamer.net scoring policy
Picture of Kristan.

About Kristan Reed

Kristan is a former editor of Eurogamer, dad, Stone Roses bore and Norwich City supporter who sometimes mutters optimistically about Team Silent getting back together.

Read more articles from Kristan by visiting the Kristan Reed archive page.

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Comments (164) Latest comment 4 years ago

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

  • Physically_Insane #1 4 years ago

    First \o/

  • Dizzy #2 4 years ago

    As expected.

    Still nice and cheapo on 360... will go for it. Or... should I play my copy of Conan that I won?
    Edited by 1 at 05/02/08 @ 14:15

  • mattigan #3 4 years ago

    Thought the demo was shoddy

  • ElNino9 #4 4 years ago

    Seems fair, more of the same I guess. Seen as I haven't played any other DMC games I'm gonna give this a try.

  • Benno #5 4 years ago

    yeah i figured a 7

    that'll do

  • Sneerk #6 4 years ago

    The demo was fairly boring, so i'll definitely give this a miss.

  • motslaps #7 4 years ago

    sounds like DMC3 with a lick of HD paint applied ... *yawn* (and I'm a fan)
    Edited by 1 at 05/02/08 @ 14:21

  • urban #8 4 years ago

    agreed, comfy, not ambitious.

  • drumbaby #9 4 years ago

    I'm a big fan of DMC 1 and 3, yet I found the demo a bit archaic. Certainly after playing Uncharted it felt rather old school. Graphics and sound aside, it feels just like DMC 3.

    I'll still buy it though.

  • alimokrane #10 4 years ago

    DMC4 is £24.99 at gamestation people! so at this price, a 7/10 is more like a 10/10 :D

  • Killerbee #11 4 years ago

    I never got into this series on the PS2 and now that God of War has (it seems) stolen the hack-and-slash / button-mashing crown, I'm not sure this has enough appeal to make me want to give it a try.

    The padding comment, in particular, just makes it sound like a fairly uncherished piece of work.

  • Les #12 4 years ago

    Liked the first game. Never bothered with the second. Recently started with the third but the intro is quite off-putting. Maybe if I ever manage to get over the very anoying young Dante, I'll finish it. And then I might pick up this extra-pixels version when it's in the bargain bin...

  • bdc #13 4 years ago

    Devil May Cry 3 HD

  • Schiraman #14 4 years ago

    The tired gameplay, lacklustre graphics and infuriating camera showcased in the demo really put me off this game. Since the review text then goes on to suggest that those are only some of the game's flaws I'm actually surprised it was worth 7/10. Time for a Resident Evil 4-style reinvention of the series perhaps?

  • Aretak #15 4 years ago

    "so at this price, a 7/10 is more like a 10/10 :D"

    No. Stop.

  • Zanuah #16 4 years ago

    Good enough for me... love this series. :)

  • Darren #17 4 years ago

    I'm kind of surprised at the score, was expecting an 8, but it fits with the words of the review so I can't really complain except to say I'm a little disappointed but only a bit.

    As the review points out this game is little more a prettier remake of the original games, somewhat dated in design but trying to appeal to casual and hardcore gamers, rather than being a 'proper' reinvention of the series. Still the reduced difficulty and other friendly features Capcom having thoughtfully added to this game means it may be the first DMC game I can actually finish so that's good news for me. I found DMC3 especially frustrating in difficulty but the DMC4 demo seemed just right which the bosses being where the real challenge lay.

    I'm looking forward to playing it on (hopefully) Thursday as there's no denying it's all very stylish, slick and tongue-in-cheek. The demo definitely made me want to play the full game and the videos I've seen from other sections on Gamersyde only make me want it more. Quite surprising really seeing as I wasn't that fussed over it prior to playing the demo! LOL

    P.S. Which version was reviewed... 360 or PS3?

  • Lexx87 #18 4 years ago

    Meh then...too many games to play right now to bother. Plus i've pre-ordered Lost Od from play-asia...10 quid saving ftw!

  • GordonCaladan #19 4 years ago

    It's a shame, really, that the series never lived up to the insane promise of the first title.

  • pjmaybe #20 4 years ago

    21 minutes to install on PS3

    21 minutes...

    My C64 called - it wants its tape drive back!

  • Darren #21 4 years ago

    @Aretak - "so at this price, a 7/10 is more like a 10/10 :D"

    No. Stop

    Well he does have a point... it's virtually a budget game at that price and so you can forgive their flaws more, e.g. Earth Defense Force on the 360. ;)

  • Nick007 #22 4 years ago

    The camera in the demo seemd messed up to me, and I wish they would have taken some risks instead of copying the previous games so closely. I will still get this eventually, but I expect Ninja Gaiden 2 to be a far better game.

  • Gurgeh #23 4 years ago

    No mention of the 20 minute install for the Ps3 version? Not much of an issue but a bit of a giveaway about Capcom's solution to keeping cross-platform loading times in the same ballpark.

  • Darren #24 4 years ago

    @pjmaybe - A ONE-OFF 20 minute install and then you can play the PS3 version with quicker loading times for the rest of your life. True, the install should really have been optional and it's not a wonderful advert for BD as a console storage media but it's not exactly a big deal when you consider how long you might be actually playing the game for.

  • Nithron #25 4 years ago

    Also, and this is a plus: It runs full-screen on my 4:3 monitor via the VGA cable, rather than the irritating letterboxing I get with Bioshock and the like.

    Any chance Eurogamer could start putting info like this in, the same way you guys used to report on the presence of borders etc in PAL releases? Or would that be too much hassle for too few people using VGA cables?

  • FlamingCarrot #26 4 years ago

    Ah splendid! More homoerotic demon slashing japery. IGN gave the PS3 the nod over the 360 version out of interest. I enjoyed the first one so will give it a go.

  • Diomedes117 #27 4 years ago

    Great review Kristan, exactly what I thought by playing the demo. It feels like an HD redo of the 2001 original...

  • Psychotext #28 4 years ago

    @Darren: Just for fun, assuming you see a load screen every 5 mins and the PS3 version loads everything 2 seconds faster... You'd save 24 seconds for every hour played, 4 mins for every 10 hours played, 20 mins for every 50 hours played. So as long as you play for over 50 hours you'll see the benefit of the install time! =)

  • Darren #29 4 years ago

    Does anyone else think that Nero looks impossibly pretty... or is it just me? LOL

  • Nick007 #30 4 years ago

    To be fair most sequels play the same as the previous games in their series, and that didn't stop Halo 3 getting 10/10

    If you mark one game down for being unoriginal then you have to mark them all down for the same crime. Most games I play are the same as the last game in their series
    Silent hill
    COD
    God of war
    PGR
    Forza
    Splinter cell
    Every JRPG
    GTA
    Zelda
    and so on...

    originality died along time ago.
    Edited by 1 at 05/02/08 @ 14:53

  • Quint2020 #31 4 years ago

    About the score i expected from EG.

    A HD remake of the original with a friendlier learning curve is all i really wanted so i'm happy, my 360 Special Edition should be landing on my doorstep before the weekend.

  • Darren #32 4 years ago

    @Psychotext - Well when you put it that way, it does make the HDD install sound like a complete waste of time... except that the loading times might have been utterly unbearable had the PS3 game ran straight off the Blu-ray Disc. I suspect that is the real reason for the compulsory install, not that Capcom or Sony would ever admit it. And because no-one can play the PS3 version from the disc there's no way of proving it.

  • Grogmonkey #33 4 years ago

    I've not picked up a DMC in a while, so I can add on some 'it's still pretty fresh for me' points. Suits me.

  • Muddtallica #34 4 years ago

    Nick007: Yeah, but what makes a grate sequel is its ability to take old concepts and gamepay staples and reinvigorate and refine them in such a way as to make them feel new again. The best Zeldas, Marios and FFs do that, as do the likes of CoD and GTA; this one just sounds like a simple "new coat of paint, same old engine" job, in the vein of the PSX-era Resis and Tomb Raiders.

  • Eighthours #35 4 years ago

    When it does things like this, it just feels like a high-def re-skin of a 2001 game design.

    This is what I thought about the demo, to be honest.

  • neilqpr #36 4 years ago

    Devil Meh Cry

  • dudefella #37 4 years ago

    DMC fans can just ignore the reviews and buy it regardless if they liked 1 and 3.

    also I love how DMC4 gets slated for being same old with a new engine and stuff like Dynasty Warriors keeps raking in 8/10s, even though those games are mediocrity embodied, even if you like them. Stop giving preferential treatment to games just because you'd like to see them do better over here?
    Edited by 1 at 05/02/08 @ 15:05

  • aabyssx #38 4 years ago

    And what is the score for players like him?

  • viper_h #39 4 years ago

    Never played a DMC game before.

    Quite enjoyed the demo, very satisfying to kill things, and it's cheap.

    Should I bother?

  • Nick007 #40 4 years ago

    All these games such as Dead rising, Lost planet, DMC4 are just test runs for the new engine, most of Capcom's attention is fixed on the daddy, RE5. I expect it to blow away eveything when it's released.

  • Darren #41 4 years ago

    Well if Tecmo's lacklustre DOA4 and DOA Xtreme 2 are anything to go by, I'm not expecting Ninja Gaiden 2 to be anything more than Ninja Gaiden 1.5 in HD. I guess that's what the fans want so who can blame Capcom or even Tecmo for sticking to the same successful formulas: it works, it ain't broken, people want it and it sells. Bingo!

    The reason this game is multi-format is because of spiralling development costs so it would have been risky had Capcom reinvented the series only to alienate the hardcore fans and produce a game that didn't sell. At least they've attempted to make the game more accessible to casual gamers by dropping the default difficulty, that's terrific news for me. Shame they didn't bother to fix the camera though but from the demo everything else seemed spot on and it's looking like it'll be the first game to impress me this year.

  • Darren #42 4 years ago

    Nick007 - The trailer for Resident Evil 5 suggests it's just a prettier version of RE4 in HD but in a completely different setting and I expect that's what we'll end up with. I mean what else can they do with it short of turning it into a first-person game?

  • Max_Powers #43 4 years ago

    I knew it. Demo was very lacklustre and the game is just old with 'sterile' next-gen graphics. God of War just came sailing by it 2 years ago.

  • SimonM7 #44 4 years ago

    Well EG have always been inconsistent with this "plays the same so it's marked down" business. I suppose it's really down to the reviewer's expectations.

    I can't see how anyone expected this to play different from the other DMCs to be honest, and I'm not sure reviewing it on the basis of what you reckon it should be like is a fair thing to do.

    Oh well, I suppose fans know what they're getting - and ARE getting it anyway. It's just ironic how Dynasty Warriors get away with being the same game over and over at this site because the reviewer's simply decided it's okay in that case.

    For the record, I am a closet DW fan too, but these are murky waters if some games get special treatment.
    Edited by 2 at 05/02/08 @ 15:17

  • Triggerhappytel #45 4 years ago

    Who the Hell proof-read this?

    "DMC4 is eminently playable even if you're a self-confessed button-masher, yet pretty challenging for series veterans, with a further four difficulties to unlock for the truly committed."

    Also, it's not been 'more than seven years' since the original, it's been more than six.

    I'm not trying to be a know-it-all twat, just a few mistakes I noticed. I'm available to hire as a proof-reader, if you're interested EG ;)

  • JonFE #46 4 years ago

    Darren, you may want to rephrase that comment about Nero's looks :)

  • rhinoxious #47 4 years ago

    Nick007 - I mean what else can they do with it short of turning it into a first-person game?

    What they could do is add a larger and more persistent environment with multiple objectives and ways to achieve them.

    But japanese games design prefers hokey plots and set paths, the japanese love a set path (see any of their home-grown tourist attractions, or those masss coach parrtes that descend on tourist sites in europe) it's all about folliowing the marked path, shared and standardised experiences etc etc.

    This pattern is then reinforced by repeated completions at harder difficulty level. I loved RE4 but I'm starting to give up on my long-term love affair with big japanese releases.

  • Les #48 4 years ago

    "Just for fun, assuming you see a load screen every 5 mins and the PS3 version loads everything 2 seconds faster... You'd save 24 seconds for every hour played, 4 mins for every 10 hours played, 20 mins for every 50 hours played. So as long as you play for over 50 hours you'll see the benefit of the install time! =)"

    It's comparing apples with oranges. During the 20 min install you can do other things while that's not the case whith the two second wait every five minutes. So in the end it allowes for a more efficient use of time.

    But 20 minutes still seems a bit ridiculous (though numerous PC games take even longer), probably due to Capcom's inexperience with the PS3 hardware. Maybe those idiots just used the regular PC compressed DVD assets and uncompressed them to the HDD or something... Definitely not a title that shows what the PS3 is capable of, that's clear by now. Would have been amazed if it had BTW, given that it's multiplatform. Like the previous gen, in general only the platform exclusives on each system are worth a buy.

  • Les #49 4 years ago

    "When it does things like this, it just feels like a high-def re-skin of a 2001 game design."

    Bit like Halo 3 then... ;)

  • Darren #50 4 years ago

    @JonFE - Why? ;)

  • JonFE #51 4 years ago

    As for the game, this will be my first DMC experience having missed the previous installments, so the more-of-the-same sentiment doesn't really bother me. I enjoyed the demo and feel the full game will cover my slash'em-up needs until NG2.

    Edit: Darren, do I need to state the obvious? Let me put it this way, I would rather drop dead than call a male CG character "pretty" :)
    Edited by 2 at 05/02/08 @ 15:33

  • Darren #52 4 years ago

    @Les - PS3 Oblivion cleverly and transparently installed 4.4 GB of data to the HDD with no user prompt or apparent installation process, nor any longer initial loading times over the 360 version... I always wondered how on earth they managed that. Perhaps Capcom should have consulted Bethesda and asked them?

  • sd99 #53 4 years ago

    Why does it take so long to install? Well, it's all to do with data transfer speeds of the drives. It takes far longer to copy 5GB off the PS3 drive to that of a regular PC (or xbox) DVD drive. As BR discs hold more, there is more to copy, so the overall time increases further.

  • patchbox360 #54 4 years ago

    ninja gaiden sigma >devil may cry4

    ninja gaiden 2>>>>>>>>>>>>>devil may cry 4

  • Darren #55 4 years ago

    @Headbog - You should be a games developer, mate... Capcom, as you say, could have written the PS3 version so it installed the 5 GB of data when you first played through it... that's presumably how Oblivion installed its 4.4 GB of data and I noticed that Virtua Tennis 3 on the PS3 also does it this way too once you enable the HDD cache feature in the options. It does seem terribly archaic to make a gamer wait 21 minutes before they can play a game in this day and age (unless you're a PC owner), regardess of the benefits of installing data to the HDD.

  • rhinoxious #56 4 years ago

    I also find it very annoying that I have to unpack and install PS3 demos, when the 360 ones run immediately after download.

    I know that compressing the file may speed up the download but its just another thaing to have to do before I get to play the demo, which I may only play for 5-10 minutes anyway.

  • BillyBrush #57 4 years ago

    5 Gigs!! 4.4 Gigs!!

    Lordy lor, best have a 60Gb eh..

    Kinda glad they sold the XB core now otherwise i'd have to buy a 120gig hard drive instead of sticking with lil old 20Gb

    Loading times ftw..

    From the demos I wouldn't have given the Club a better score than this...british devs get an easy ride over there ere shores..

  • Darren #58 4 years ago

    @Patchbox360 - I'm not sure I agree with you about NG Sigma... I thought that was a real disappointment on the PS3 (the Xbox version of Black made much better use of its host hardware IMO so remains my favourite) but then Tecmo haven't produced anything impressive on the 360 to date either IMO. I still think NG and NG Black on the Xbox were flukes because Tecmo don't seem to know how to make anything other than DOA and NG games so they keep churning out the same games over and over again, only with better graphics (five very similar DOA games and two dire DOA Xtreme games in the last eight years).

  • GuitarWolf #59 4 years ago

    I predict 700-800 comments.

  • Super_Zee #60 4 years ago

    Kristan, any comment on your preferred controller? I really like the demo but the 360 pad is still giving me major cramp, no matter what I try.

  • gman7714 #61 4 years ago

    Good review thanks EG, better than IGN's!!

    As for the game even though £24.99 is a bargain, I'll either hire or borrow it or failing that pick up dirt cheap pre-owned in 6 months or so. Same goes for The Club. I enjoyed the demo's for both but I have just been lent Ninja Gaiden Black (coming to Xbox originals next week apparently!) with that plus all my other uncomplete games I have plenty to tide me over until RB6V2 :)

    Edited for linkage. [link url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=18 1483
    ]http://ww w.computerandvideogames.com/art...[/link]
    Edited by 1 at 05/02/08 @ 16:08

  • krudster #62 4 years ago

    I've always played DMC on a PS2 pad, but the 360 pad is one of the best ever IMO, and very comfortable for lengthy sessions with the game. I don't think there's a great deal between them, but I'd go for 360 for vibration right now.

  • Bonus #63 4 years ago

    @ Darren

    Oblivion had to have that because Sony said they'd never let games with installers on their console, which is what was planned for Oblivion.

    It just copies the data over while you're in menu screens.

  • gman7714 #64 4 years ago

    Have to agree with Krudster, 360 controller ftw!! Used to get loads of ache's with my PS2 controller (same as PS3 or am i wrong?) during long sessions. Never had a problem with the 360 controller :)

  • Steroyd #65 4 years ago

    Steroyd am cry. ;_;

  • JonFE #66 4 years ago

    Darren, I think you are confusing Tecmo (publishers) with Team Ninja (developers) here. Tecmo have released more games over these years, including the highly praised Fatal Frame/Project Zero ones.

  • VividTeam #67 4 years ago

    Fuck you all!!

  • Hughes. #68 4 years ago

    This seems to fit my impressions from playing the demo. Apart from a visual upgrade, I didn't feel any jump at all from the PS2 versions. Not even in character animations. I'd got that feeling from the very first TGS '06 footage, too.

    I'll stick to DMC1 and DMC3.

  • wingZero21 #69 4 years ago

    Hmm like the other guy said its one for one and one for another. Halo 3 had pretty Meh graphics since it was really just halo 2.5, they werent anything groundbreaking or new for a next gen entry but it gets a 10/10. Again like the previous halo incarnations the game is pretty much similar in EVERYWAY and dosent do anything too different I think we can all agree, however one is 10 another 7.... Well I have just lost faith in eurogamers reviewing system.. good day sir.....

  • Darren #70 4 years ago

    @JonFE - Yeah, you're absolutely right... I did mean Team Ninja... sorry!

  • Lukus #71 4 years ago


    ]#=-qwasi8óqwas íóqwas íóqwas íóqwas íóqwas íó222

  • JediMasterMalik #72 4 years ago

    I love DMC, and am sorta glad they haven't messed with the formula too much. Getting it regardless.

  • JonFE #73 4 years ago

    Darren, no worries, easy mistake to make. Cheers!

  • Darren #74 4 years ago

    @wingZero21 - It's not just about graphics or originality though, it's primarily about gameplay and EG clearly thought Halo 3 did it better than DMC4 even if it was another by-the-numbers sequel with too much focus on its online mode (IMO). You only have to read this review to see that they are numerous criticisms ranging from repetition of the level design, repeated bosses and a clumsy camera to see why it got 7/10. That isn't a bad score, it's just the game has too many flaws in EG's opinion to warrant a higher score.

  • DUFFKING #75 4 years ago

    So this being my first DMC game, I should bloody love it?

  • DjFlex52 #76 4 years ago

    Honestly though, DMC lives and dies on the strength of its combat system - its a fighting game after all. The changes Capcom have made have enhanced this aspect, soin many respects is a far bigger evolution in game-play terms than say the difference between Halo 2 and 3. Funnily enough I dont recall that getting 7/10 because it was just more of the same...

    @Arbiter

    I agree...just as Mass Effect lives and dies on its character growth, dialogue & story --It is a role playing game after all. Though it received a lower score because of its combat. I'm happy that Bioware didnt settle for turn-based dice rolling combat as most RPGs do and attempted to refine its KOTOR/Jade Empire combat style for Mass Effect. You cant please everyone, though :)

  • Eighthours #77 4 years ago

    Criticising something for "not moving on" is utterly meaningless. Moving on to where? Moving on how? Basically the reviewer is decrying the game for not making arbritrary changes that they believe would make it better.

    The reviewer probably thought that next-gen hardware should mean more than just putting the graphics in a higher resolution. To be fair there are a lot of combat tweaks, but I thought overall that the demo was like playing a better looking version of a game from 2001.

  • miiiguel #78 4 years ago

    "Like the previous gen, in general only the platform exclusives on each system are worth a buy."
    You are buying very few games thins gen then.

    "It's comparing apples with oranges. During the 20 min install you can do other things while that's not the case whith the two second wait every five minutes. So in the end it allowes for a more efficient use of time. "
    I love your spins (I realy do, no bullshit, is fun), it's like I can make a cup of cofee, or go to the bathroom so it's the best!

    Developers doesn't seem to know what PS3 is capable of..., right, why don't you teach them?
    Edited by 2 at 05/02/08 @ 17:29

  • Physically_Insane #79 4 years ago

    What about Rez? That's just the same game in HD and that got a 10?

  • miiiguel #80 4 years ago

    What about Motorhead, it's a PS1 game and got an 8?
    What about Half-Life ?
    What about...

    tip: make a poll, and let us chose thy scores.

  • Physically_Insane #81 4 years ago

    How can you criticise one game for just being the same game last generation in HD, and praise another?

    I'm actually not that bothered about the score. I enjoyed the demo and I'm still getting it.
    Edited by 1 at 05/02/08 @ 17:37

  • Gaol #82 4 years ago

    Really surprised people are concerned about the PS3 install. I'd much rather have that than longer pauses between screens, especially in a fast paced game like DMC4 - long pauses are a horrible distraction and if the PS3 HDD can help speed things up I'm all for it, I still have bad memories of the awful load screens during Folklore. By loading I am presuming the gap between changing rooms, which happens all the bloody time; and not loads at the beginning of levels.

    It is strange that it is compulsory instead of optional though, and I don't see why the 360 version doesn't have an install *option* either.

    Anyway, still can't wait to play this, good enough rating for a fan of the genre imo.
    Edited by 1 at 05/02/08 @ 17:43

  • murphy245 #83 4 years ago

    still buying it ^_^

  • miiiguel #84 4 years ago

    "How can you criticise one game for just being the same game last generation in HD, and praise another? "

    Because, in your example, Rez HD IS a revamped version of itself. This one is DMC4, not 3 nor 2, nor even 1 remade. It's a new one.
    Edited by 1 at 05/02/08 @ 17:41

  • miiiguel #85 4 years ago

    Anyway, I don't' know why ppl get so edgy about scores. Most of times if you play the games proprely you'll have a better knowledge of the game than the reviewers, who most definetly have to rush this texts in order to meet deadlines. Mass Effect is perfect example of this (and Blue Dragon) anyone who played the whole game can pick several mistakes in the review and even more in the guide that came short after.
    I mean, reviewers shouldn't take me wrong, but a game is not as easy to review as movie. A relationship grows (sometimes), and takes time to know it. Reviewers, not only here, should accept this fact and score the games good/bad/mediocre or something like that, because a scale (even only working with integers) isn't apropriate, IMHO.

  • Nick007 #86 4 years ago

    Gametrailers gave this 8.6, I would say this game is a 8/10, Eurogamer are being a bit harsh with the 7...It's still a really fun game with good combat.

    I mean you gave Double agent 9/10 and that was more of the same, + was a bit shit...but I won't go there.

  • Gurgeh #87 4 years ago

    "It is strange that it is compulsory instead of optional though, and I don't see why the 360 version doesn't have an install *option* either. "

    The short answer is because the 360 doesn't need one. The load times are longer on the 360, but only by a second or two. I'm sure it could be optional on the PS3 but we don't know what the load times would be. They might not be that long, Capcom might simply be taking advantage of every PS3 having a hard disk, but given the relatively slow start-up of BR drives and the memory bandwidth problems of the Cell architecture it's more likely the easiest solution to slow loading - just not the most elegant.

  • Tweakmonkey #88 4 years ago

    7 is supposedly a good score on this site. Anyway I've only played (and beaten) DMC 1 but if this is even just an HD version of that then it must be superb enough.

  • patchbox360 #89 4 years ago


    dmc4 looks repeditive - will rent

    @ Darren
    NG combat far surpasses DMC combat - the difficulty in DMC is based on your own abilities in using combos and the toughness of the characters in that they have alot of energy but in NG games its the clever enemy AI that poses the threat to the players ability which proves to be a more engaging combat system - NG is just a cleverer more involving game in my opinion - NG also seems graphically ahead of its time when comparing with the visuals of dmc4

  • miiiguel #90 4 years ago

    I would hate to have to install retail games on my 360's HD.

  • Les #91 4 years ago

    "The reviewer probably thought that next-gen hardware should mean more than just putting the graphics in a higher resolution."

    That would be a plausible explanation had the reviewer not been a professional games journalist who's been getting off of HD graphics for the past 2 years, handing out inflated review scores by the dozen. A reviewer complaining about lack of progress nowadays just makes me sad. Give the poor fellow something innovative and it'll get a low review score because he doesn't understand it...

  • EffEmmGee #92 4 years ago

    @ Darren: "Does anyone else think that Nero looks impossibly pretty... or is it just me? LOL"

    No thats just you being a gay!

  • Nick007 #93 4 years ago

    GamePro 4.5 out of 5 90.0%
    Xbox World Australia 90 out of 100 90.0%
    IGN 8.7 out of 10 87.0%
    GameTrailers 8.6 out of 10 86.0%
    Electronic Gaming Monthly 8.5 out of 10 85.0%
    1UP 8.5 out of 10 85.0%
    VideoGamer 8 out of 10 80.0%
    GameTap 8 out of 10 80.0%
    GameSpy 4 out of 5 80.0%
    Maxi Consolas(Portugal) 8 out of 10 80.0%
    Official Xbox Magazine 7.5 out of 10 75.0%
    Eurogamer7 out of 10 70%

    DMC4 average rating 83%

    Not trying to start anything but it seems Eurogamer are very fond of being last on the Gamerankings lists. I've seen it so many times before where they go against the grain to be edgy or to get noticed. This game is a solid 8/10, most reviewers agree. And if you think Nero is pretty then you are gay, it's ok to say he's handsome, but pretty?, get a room.
    Edited by 2 at 05/02/08 @ 18:13

  • DjFlex52 #94 4 years ago

    That would be a plausible explanation had the reviewer not been a professional games journalist who's been getting off of HD graphics for the past 2 years, handing out inflated review scores by the dozen. A reviewer complaining about lack of progress nowadays just makes me sad. Give the poor fellow something innovative and it'll get a low review score because he doesn't understand it...

    @Les

    I see the 2008 Les is the same as the 2007 Les...negative, judgmental and never satisfied....makes me sad(will Les ever be happy?)
    But I will not give you a low score just because I don't understand you :)

  • miiiguel #95 4 years ago

    Nick, so every score should be an average from reviwes ranging from Portugal to Australia? and you're being homophobic, it's supposed to be ok to be gay.
    Edited by 1 at 05/02/08 @ 18:17

  • miiiguel #96 4 years ago

    I guess ppl get a little touchy about certain titles because they remember those special moments, a few years ago, I feel that shit when listen to Sonic Youth, like right now, and don't you tell me they're a 7, or else!

  • Rosseh #97 4 years ago

    Basically what I expected from a DMC game. I'm not sure I even wanted it to move in a new direction. The combat system is refined enough for me. Now when I go back and play DMC3 it seems a bit clunky.

  • Feanor #98 4 years ago

    "It might irk the hardcore to see their beloved series being compromised, but Capcom's decision to offer 'Human' or 'Devil Hunter' difficulty from the off - and, gasp, a tutorial - is the sign of a developer chasing and trying to retain an audience in a mature way."

    Devil May Cry 3 also had a tutorial.

  • DAN.E.B #99 4 years ago

    Will buy this...............want Ninja Gaiden2 more..........alot more!!!!!!!

  • miiiguel #100 4 years ago

    hey Joni, put it all behind you
    hey Joni, now I've put it all behind me too
    forget the future
    these times are such a mess
    tune out the past, and just say yes
    it's 1963
    it's 1964
    it's 1957
    it's 1962

    put it all behind you
    now it's all behind you

  • Tuffty #101 4 years ago

    Never really understood why DMC is labelled with homoeroticism cause really, there's nothing like that in any of the DMC games to suggest it aside from that promo pic of the DMC3 Dante being shirtless? It's really just brought to attention by pre-pubescent males who for whatever reason, get defensive or perhaps ask questions of themselves when they see a male digital character shirtless. Besides from what I've seen of DMC4, there's plenty of gratuitous female clevage/panty shots on display!

  • BeersOfWar #102 4 years ago

    I've pretty much given up on game reviews at this point.

    DMC is one of those games that shouldn't need constant reinventions all the time.

  • JediMasterMalik #103 4 years ago

    Does the reviewr realise that you can use an instant rev to strengthen any attack? You don't need to charge it, just press the rev button at the same time as an attack and it works.

  • Daymare #104 4 years ago

    It didn't get 7/10 *just* because it's only "DMC in HD", but also because:

    "...although repetition drags down some of the initial excitement relatively quickly."
    "There are other areas where the gameplay feels old - like the way you're penned into a predetermined area to fight demons..."
    "Backtracking between areas..."
    "Much has been said of the visual splendour, too, but it's a bit uneven."
    "Worse still, DMC4 recycles not only the locations for the second half of the game, but most of the boss monsters."
    "If that wasn't disappointing, the role that Dante plays is little more than a bit part..."
    "When we finished DMC3, we wondered what Capcom would do with new hardware. The answer is not an awful lot."
    etc.

    The fact is, DMC4 could still be a good old DMC but without all this negatives - there's no excuse for them other then developer's "laziness". I presume the reviewer would give DMC4 a higher score if it didn't have all those negatives mentioned, even though it would basically still be "just" another DMC, but in HD (what else?). At least that's how I understand this 7/10.

  • cawley1 #105 4 years ago

    Cheapest PS3 price please (all these 360 prices make me jealous!)

  • JediMasterMalik #106 4 years ago

    £30.99 on Movietyme.

  • figaro7 #107 4 years ago

    What i want to know if that i was tossing up between this and no more heroes which would you get? Are they even similar in the hack n slash area?

  • CaoSlayer #108 4 years ago

    It is normal that DMC4 is just more of the same if the brains of Capcom (Inaba/Mikami) have left the building.

  • space_ace #109 4 years ago

    the reviewer was more like reporting the old style gameplay, not so much criticizing it
    nice review, seems like the demo, cheers

  • Physically_Insane #110 4 years ago

    Cheapest PS3 price is at gamestation for £25

  • Feanor #111 4 years ago

    "The utterly idiotic title of this franchise should lead to an auto 1 point deduction anyhow."

    Nonsense. The ending of DMC 3 shows the title to be both clever and poignant.

  • cawley1 #112 4 years ago

    @Physically_Insane >Cheapest PS3 price is at gamestation for £25

    I checked there and it is £39.99, LE for 44.99 - I bagged it from MovieTyme for £31...

  • Physically_Insane #113 4 years ago

    Ah, they changed the price. Proof below:

    http://ww w.eurogamer.net/forum_thread_po...

  • Darren #114 4 years ago

    Shame... still it's not as if the PS3 version is more expensive than most other games, it's just the Xbox 360 version is exceptionally cheap (but I'm sure that isn't going to suddenly be the norm). The PS3 version of Lost Planet, out at the end of this month, is just £29.99 RRP, folks, or £24.99 if bought online.

    I've ordered the Special Edition PS3 version in the steelbook case, which I wasn't going to do originally, as I thought it looked nice and I don't yet own a BD/PS3 case-sized metal tin yet so it makes it just that bit more appealing than the 360 version even though it's costing me a bit more. Should get it tomorrow with any luck (pre-ordered it from GAME by the way).

  • muscleblade #115 4 years ago

    I really hate when i dont now where to go or what to do next in a game. Im still buying this, but i know im going to be frustrated and angry during my first playtrough.

  • krudster #116 4 years ago

    Oh really?

  • JonFE #117 4 years ago

    Arbiter, since you haven't played the full game yet, I think that you assume too much. I don't know if this "padding" is actually Kristan's fault as you seem to claim or DMC's design decision, but since he faced it and felt it was worth-mentioning, he did good to report it. After all, it is possible that other gamers will get annoyed over this as well, even if it is their "fault".

    Also, please keep in mind that this is just an opinion; yours may well be different.

  • patchbox360 #118 4 years ago


    A REAL CAPCOM GAME - [link url=http://ruliw eb.empas.com/ruliboard/r...s&find=&ftext=
    ]http://ru liweb.empas.com/ruliboard/r...s...[/link]

  • Mr_Bison #119 4 years ago

    The demo was so bad i already got rid of my Pre-Order

  • Meho #120 4 years ago

    From what little playtime I got this morning I'd say Kristan's review is pretty fair. I am a DMC series fan, and I am quite happy for DMC 4 to be nothing more than DMC 3 but in HD, but his review puts forth some valid points of criticism. There are elements in this game that 'normal' gamers, especially the younger 360 crowd who has never seen a DMC title before WILL find detrimental to their enjoyment: padding, recycling, useless map (I never once used my map in my many DMC 3 playthroughs), puzzle elements that feel more arbitrary than logical in their nature, the semi-free camera etc. All of these things were there in the previous games and this is why DMC is more of a cult title than an overall smash hit like, say, the more crowd friendly God of War (I like GoW games, just to be clear on this). Simply put, and as others have said in this thread before me: this is a combat game with retrofuturistic goth visuals, cocksure, angsty emo protagonists, cheesy industrial metal soundtrack and one of the best combat systems out there. It's an acquired taste, to say the least and it lives or dies on the strength of its combat. If you want it to be wider in its scope, to have engaging POP-style environmental puzzles or whatnot, you're simply playing a wrong game.

    Having said all that, this just means that the design philosophy of DMC4 is decidedly the same as for the previous title (at least it looks that way to me from my short playtime) and that an already imperfect game has just been made slightly more imperfect through virtue of being another iteration that adds little new stuff in, repairs some of the faults but doesn't repair others, has a questionable idea about who the protagonist of the game should be (and, no, I don't hate Nero, but he might turn out to be this series' Raiden) and does some things that are pretty sure to put some of the newbies of (recycling of environments and bosses) just as it was luring them in with easier difficulty and a more elaborate tutorial than in previous games.

    And again, having said THAT, the very existence of the Bloody Palace mode is more than enough to get me excited about completing the game at least once, but the omission of Dante as unlockable character for the whole second playthrough depresses me... I for one LOVED playing DMC 3 as Vergil.

  • bluebird #121 4 years ago

    I wonder if people played the same demo I did, I thought it looked great and played like a dream. Vintage DMC. Haven't played the game yet (just ordered it) but if the game matches the demo, I will be very happy

  • Darren #122 4 years ago

    Nearly all the reviews I've read of DMC4 on GameSpot, IGN, TeamXbox, even X-360 magazine have mentioned the repetition as a flaw so EG are certainly not alone in pointing that out. Maybe the real reason for this "padding out" in the form of repeated environments and bosses is due to the game being on both the 360 and PS3; after all there's only so much you can fit on a DVD-9 with just 7.2 GB (or whatever) of space for the actual game? Just a thought...

  • welshben23 #123 4 years ago

    Turok and The Club for me then.

  • Bonus #124 4 years ago

    At only a 5Gb install they'd have another 2Gb for extra content, unless not everything is being copied over.

    Multiple discs on the 360 isn't a problem anyway, Blue Dragon didn't really suffer from two disc swaps the entire time you play.

  • Darren #125 4 years ago

    @Bonus - I doubt the sound is being installed, that will just stream off the disc I'd imagine. That would account for the remaining space at a guess. On the PS3 the audio is apparently uncompressed as there's more space to store it than on DVD.

  • Meho #126 4 years ago

    I'd rather say the reason for padding is the usual symptom of the 'next-generation' software: designing and rendering HD visuals takes substantially more time and resources than last gen. As a result, games seem to be getting smaller or shorter, especially visually captivating games. Oblivion was smaller than previous ES games, Call of Duty 4 is shorter than Call of Duty 1 etc. Capcom probaby wanted to create an epic 20 missions game but creating 20 epic environments was probaby too expensive in terms of resources.

  • BobsUncle #127 4 years ago

    "charge it up three times and unleash a red-hot powerful blow"

    Oh I say..

  • Darren #128 4 years ago

    @Arbiter - A review obviously reflects the opinion of the person who writes it so if they're annoyed by having to fight the same bosses three times, or fight through the same environments twice, then why shouldn't they take that into account when giving a final score?

    What might have been fine in a PS2 game two years ago isn't necessarily acceptable now, especially as people expect a better standard of gaming on current-gen systems. I mean a sequel should improve on what went before not simply retread it with better graphics as so many games do sadly. I think the 7/10 score is fine given that it reflect the words of the actual review and that others have criticised the game for the same reasons, only EG obviously think it warrants giving the game a lower score than, say, GameSpot or IGN. Different people, different opinions, that's all it is.

  • ParanoidZombie #129 4 years ago

    Sorry, but beating a dozen missions with nero, unlocking dante in the process, and then having to backtrack all the way, facing the same enemies + bossfights, well that sucks no matter how you spin it.

    And those old design laziness (magic force field + enemies, half baked puzzles, stupid camera, moronic enemies, empty areas, level repetition..) were already there in DMC1. Capcom had 7 years to fix those issues, they didn't, so it's perfectly fair that DMC4 gets "only" a 7.

    If you think DMC4 is cutting edge, check some Ninja gaiden 2 gameplay footage or download ninja gaiden black when it's released on the marketplace (feb 11th), you'll be shocked and awed and realize how obsolete the DMC franchise is.

    PS: and stop comparing halo3 with dmc4, please, I mean stop comparing halo3 with anything, it's getting really boring. What's next? halo3 vs GTA4? Halo3 vs FF13?

  • Darren #130 4 years ago

    Well I thought the NG 2 footage I saw just looked like more of the same and knowing Team Ninja that's exactly what we'll get... I mean were DOA 4 and DOA Xtreme 2 really that different from their predecessors? ;) LOL

  • Darren #131 4 years ago

    One thing I'm confused on is the split between playing as Nero and Dante... some reviews I've read have said it's 50:50 (10 missions each) and one said it was 70:30 in Nero's favour. So which is it? :?

  • Daymare #132 4 years ago

    "More to the point it bespeaks of an arrogant assumption that the reviewer knows better than the creator, and that their "wisdom" is somehow beyond reproach."

    Yet all of your comments here reek of an arrogant assumption that you know better then Kristan. And I'm sure you do believe just that, so, if you can have that arrogant stance, calling his or someone else's opinion an "arrogant assumption" is kind of ironic. Every opinion is basically arrogant. And if you disagree with the score (have you even played the game?), there's also a reader reviews section on this very site, where you can "make it right"..

  • ParanoidZombie #133 4 years ago

    @darren: well yes, DOA4 was much better than DOA ultimate, the fighting system was much more refined, and the online modes were much better (but kinda laggy unfotunately). And NG2 will be much more than NG1+ limbs, according to the previews. And who gives a fuck about DOA Xtreme?

  • Feanor #134 4 years ago

    "If you think DMC4 is cutting edge, check some Ninja gaiden 2 gameplay footage or download ninja gaiden black when it's released on the marketplace (feb 11th), you'll be shocked and awed and realize how obsolete the DMC franchise is."

    Fanboy nonsense of the highest order.

  • Darren #135 4 years ago

    Eurgh... each to their own I guess but I thought DOA Ultimate was a much better game than DOA 4, mainly because the main part was based on the best game in the series, which IMO was DOA 2.

    As for NG 2, well I can't say I'm particularly excited about it personally but then I am still reeling from the disappointment that was NG Sigma on the PS3. I expect it'll be little more than a prettier version of NG Black myself because Team Ninja certainly haven't shown much innovation or imagination in any of their other games recently. I hope I'm wrong but NG 2 just isn't a game I'm itching to play... unless the developers tone down the excessive difficulty and make it more accessible like Capcom seem to have attempted to do for DMC4.

  • Darren #136 4 years ago

    @lavalant - Who said I didn't get past the first level in NG? I actually got stuck at the end of the second or third level in the original NG but bought NG Black for £10 and actually completed the game, thanks to the Ninja Dog mode! I also bought the PS3 version of NG Sigma and got a good way into it before I got bored and stopped playing it so, please, don't imply that I haven't played the games. :p LOL

  • DAN.E.B #137 4 years ago

    Ninja Gaiden 2 is going to be exellent that is all!

  • ParanoidZombie #138 4 years ago

    Darren wrote: "I am still reeling from the disappointment that was NG Sigma on the PS3. I expect it'll be little more than a prettier version of NG Black myself because Team Ninja certainly haven't shown much innovation or imagination in any of their other games recently"

    Ng sigma was nothing but NGB's HD port, there was nothing much to expect in terms of innovation or imagination.

  • wingZero21 #139 4 years ago

    lol @ the club got an 8 guy with all the ads on the site can we expect to see more of that ;)

  • Les #140 4 years ago

    @ Darren

    It seems like you buy every version of multiplatform games. Why? And how come you have the time to play them? :p

  • smoothn00dle #141 4 years ago

    thx, Kristan Reed. I feel you, man! I am sick and tired of reviews that read like marketing ad. Reviewer should push the envelope of gaming industry. Capcom see DMC4 as commercial product. Yes, game have to make money but it can be an art form to make us feel and surprise. Look at GTA, Wii and MGS that push innovation and boundary to new direction.They take risks. I think is a mistake DMC4 goes multiplaform but the future is exclusive because every consoles now is so different. It is impossible to make a game for all consoles without compromise, especially stand next to platform exclusive games.

  • bluebird #142 4 years ago

    Ninja Gaiden Black was awesome, but what I've seen from NG2 seems pretty much NG1 HD. As in, low rez textures, average lighting, low poly environment, same mechanics, just more gore and moves. I'll probably still buy it though :-)

  • Darren #143 4 years ago

    @Les - I only buy games that I really like on more than one platform, e.g. Oblivion, but it's very rare and I certainly don't buy every game twice.

    I found the original NG difficult so I never finished it but bought NG Black because I knew it would be easier and I admit I did finally get to enjoy but I don't hold the game in the same high esteem as others. I bought NG Sigma more out of curiousity than anything else and because there wasn't a lot else out on the PS3 at the time but, as you might have guessed, kind of regret doing so. NG Black just suited the Xbox more as it makes better use of its host hardware; the game feels kind of wasted on the PS3 and the graphics were underwhelming.
    Edited by 1 at 06/02/08 @ 17:04

  • JonFE #144 4 years ago

    @Arbiter
    "Noone complained about it then, so why is it suddenly "a bad thing" ?"

    Because that was then and this is now. Developers/designers have more hardware power at their disposal, other titles have improved/refined the game formulas etc. Evolution and all.

    More, after what Capcom did on RE4, it's only natural to expect more than the same old. This is the fourth installation of a game, first on the next generation of hardware and for some new audience (non PS onwers), potentially a great chance to re-invent the wheel. Capcom chose not to and that is fine for some, not fine for others.

    I agree that games should be judged for what they are, not what the should be. However, reporting camera/control issues, empty areas, repetition, lack of evolution etc. is valid criticism in my book, as long as it's true.

    Finally, what constitutes a useful review is tricky business, in my opinion. This particular review comes to me as a recommendation to DMC lovers that they will enjoy the game (as long as they want more of the same and not the world on a stick) and as a word of caution to new comers that it contains some questionable design decisions. These decisions (good and bad) are reported in detail, so that everyone can weight for or against them. Isn't that a purpose served?

  • patchbox360 #145 4 years ago

    @Darren
    'I hope I'm wrong but NG 2 just isn't a game I'm itching to play... unless the developers tone down the excessive difficulty and make it more accessible like Capcom seem to have attempted to do for DMC4.'

    players like you are making games weak , it just annoys when casual gamers want games (RB6, NG, DMC4) watered down because they have no skills, dont want a game to get watered down that was made initially hard, just buy a already watered down game.. get Viva Pinata and everyone is happy

  • Feanor #146 4 years ago

    If you're no good, then it won't be much fun.

  • menage #147 4 years ago

    Bought it yesterday and spend the whole evening with it. I like it.
    Maybe it's not a highpoint for innovation or 360 but the 360 really hasn't got many games like this. ~And it nicely broadens my portfolio of games. It also looks quite stunning in places (some more than others, agreed). and the combat plays like a dream.

    Human mode is way to easy though. Switching to Devil bringer tonight.

    This is an old school hack n slash game. But that's fine with me. Just as fine as Blue Dragon was with me. I played games for 25 years now and sometimes I get tired of all the physics based 60 man multi player UR3 behemoths released. I just want to get that old fun feeling again when I could take the whole thing with a grain of salt. It may not be innovative, but thta's not to say it can't be fun. Burnout innovated a lot and I thought it was for the worse. Nothing wrong with a nice concept. .I like my SP games better and this fills a nice gap in the 360 line-up. Plus my girlfriend loves it too so that's a plus, she completed all of the previous outings on hard.

  • TONYgr #148 4 years ago

    anybody knows anything about the u.s.a. collectors edition and the european?i think here in europe we dont get the extra dvd!!!!!!!!

  • Feanor #149 4 years ago

    "^ Nothing to do with being 'good' at it, probably more to do with age. If I were 13 again I may have enjoyed the whole 'wise cracking, Pizza eating' super 'cool' main character. I may have even enjoyed the endless button mashing but to a man my age (nearing 30) DMC really doesn't offer me the stimulation I expect from gaming these days..."

    Except that DMC 3 punishes button mashing more than almost any other action game. It rewards players who think ahead, plan their attacks, and time their button presses exactly. Again, your lack of skill means you weren't able to appreciate the extremely deep gameplay, but that's not the game's fault. I'm 30 and loved evey minute of the 60 hours I put into into DMC 3, so clearly your age has nothing to do with your lack of enjoyment of the game.

    Dante's chessy pizza eating cool guy performance in the early cut scenes are clearly done tounge in cheek, and the story sequences towards the end are much more serious, and even moving when Lady explains what Devil May Cry means.
    Edited by 1 at 08/02/08 @ 01:07

  • Darren #150 4 years ago

    @Patchbox360 - You selfish bastard!!! It's people like you that make ME sick! ;) LOL

    What's wrong with making a game that caters for both casual and hardcore gamers, eh, like DMC4 clearly does and Ninja Gaiden clearly didn't (until the Black edition)? Do you think that I might actually enjoy playing games for... you know... fun at the end of a hard working day rather than for a challenge? That's something I get from my day-to-day job so I want something that's entertaining and relaxing. I buy a £40 game and I'd like to finish it, thanks. And what's so great about playing hard games anyway? If it's a personal challenge that gives you a sense of self-satisfaction then fine but, please, please, don't be pathetic enough to suggest that it's a genuine skill that actually means anything; that's would be just plain sad!!! LOL

    And, no, I'm not someone who likes really easy games, I like one that gets the balance right between being moderately challenging and supremely fun/entertaining and since everyone is different, it's obvious that developers need to include a range of difficulty levels or at least make a game that gradually gets harder so you learn as you play instead of just dumping you straight in it, again like Ninja Gaiden did for me. :p

  • Feanor #151 4 years ago

    Your claim that DMC is a button masher is laughable, as are you.

  • Feanor #152 4 years ago

    It's nothing of the sort, it's really more a fighting game engine successfully transposed into an action game. A quick look at one of the many amazing DMC 3 videos on youtube would show you just how little you were able to get out of the game.

    Good luck with your future trolling.

  • tinners #153 4 years ago

    "(admittedly the 'high pitched voice' thing is just a guess but I'm willing to stand by it)"

    thought you might have learnt by the age of 30 that assumption is the mother of all f*ck ups lol.

    Lets get one thing straight not every fighting game is a mindless button masher, a game like ninja gaiden for the hardcore is something that requires lightning reflexes, timing and to a smaller degree tactics in advance. Devil may cry caters for a wider degree of skill levels but at heart its old skool mechanics still means you have to love challenging/unforgiving games in the first place to even bother enjoying this, if its a chore then thats fine move onto something more casual, however im glad this game is fairly rock hard (and we all like a bit of cheese on our toast) cos i wanna be beating the sh!t out of people on street fighter 10 when im 60, not struggling to throw a wii bowling ball down the lane at the old retirement home.

    also cant wait for NGB on Monday, like i said games like these are a dying breed which if your nearly 30 like me also makes you wanna re-live the good old times when games had balls!!!! (and cheese)
    :p
    Edited by 1 at 09/02/08 @ 14:43

  • NickNack #154 4 years ago

    A morons game?, you sir are a fucking idiot.

  • tinners #155 4 years ago

    ohhh but i do understand it all too well which is becuase im a fan of games like this, and seeing you are not the easiest thing to do is to label it "a game for morons", yes its really hard to understand where your comming from lol.

    Its like me saying forza 2 is a game for morons because i can't comprehend how making my car go faster by tweaking it in the garage etc benefits me as a gamer who likes to try everything in a game not just bash the buttons. And devil may cry if you ever played it on devil hunter mode would show you that technique is uselss after the first 10 levels. maybe not if your playing streets of rage 2 but games have moved on since then.

    Ninja Gaiden admittedly is a more skilled game but the difference isnt that big so i don't see why you got qualms. id also love to know what figthing games you consider to have a high skill level, VF4 for example should be on that list. Street Fighter 3???

    anyways indeed each to there own so try and avoid playing any moronic games ok ;)

    Edited by 1 at 10/02/08 @ 19:16

  • Darren #156 4 years ago

    @ApoIogie - Let's face it if DMC4 is a game for morons then ALL games are for morons because they all do pretty much the same thing, only some are harder than others. DMC4 is really no different in terms of design and execution from the likes of Ninja Gaiden or God of War so are they moronic too? Is a hard game less moronic because fewer people can play them, is that the real meaning behind that comment? If so then that comes across as a little elitist and you're forgetting that DMC4 has six difficulty levels so I'd like to see you play it on the hardest one... :p

  • menage #157 4 years ago

    If you plas it on the hardest difficulty is may just be called Moron may cry, cause you will.

  • Les #158 4 years ago

    " DMC4 is really no different in terms of design and execution from the likes of Ninja Gaiden or God of War so are they moronic too?"

    DMC (4 probably as well) is light years ahead of drab like Ninja Gainden when it comes to design and execution from a presentational POV. It's way behind God of War though (at least till part 3, haven't seen 4 and don't plan on doing so soon).

    "Ninja Gaiden admittedly is a more skilled game but the difference isnt that big so i don't see why you got qualms."

    Not sure whether it is more skilled than DMC. It sure has a bigger focus on defense but whether that makes it more skilled? Beating any boss in the original DMC was quite a task and getting rid of the common foes in DMC3 without taking a hit requires sharp reflexes. They have completely different play styles and therefore require different play skills.

  • wingZero21 #159 4 years ago

    7/10 my ass just finished this and I loved every minute of it great game, amazing cutscenes especially the funny one with Dante doing dramatics! All in all a great game and experience and definate replay value because I just want to play it all over again :)

  • tinners #160 4 years ago

    Ninja Gaiden i think is a little more skilled as like you said you can block etc, only with the royal guard can you do that in DMC and not to the same effect.

    one is a little more hardcore than the other but both remind me of the old skool gameplay lacking from games these days that hold your hand through every scene etc.

    anyone purchased NBG?? all this time and still the gameplay is rock solid, which lets face it is the most important thing in a game like this.
    Edited by 1 at 12/02/08 @ 12:57

  • muscleblade #161 4 years ago

    Ninja Gaiden Black is the best game in the last generation close too DMC 3 and RE4. Many gamers and reviewers agree on this.

    DMC 4 is one of the best games in this generation in my opinion and its rather easy on human and devil hunter, but thats just practicing for the harder difficultys anyway.

    Ninja gaiden was easy on normal exept for Alma first form. Ninja gaiden Black on hard is, eh hard....and fun.
    Edited by 1 at 12/02/08 @ 14:44

  • Cloudane #162 4 years ago

    I echo many other comments on this review:

    "7!? My arse."

  • espibara #163 4 years ago

    This game is fucking amazing 9/10 completed it twice already! One of the best games on the 360.

  • Galvanizer #164 4 years ago

    Great game. 8/10 minimum!

  • Bangaioh #165 4 years ago

    Demo is no way near what this game is about... just bought a copy today and wow, this is great fun!