Devil May Cry 4 – Reviewed

By Philip Dunkley

With the plethora of games coming out at the moment, you would think that at least 50% of them are going to be rubbish. That’s what I thought when I started reviewing all these games a few weeks ago, but I have been continually bombarded with quality content from distributors for the last three weeks. Now this makes my life a lot more difficult because:

1. I actually enjoy these games so my review goes from about 6 hours of playing time to at least double that amount.
2. I actually pay attention to what’s going on in the game because it’s not a load of drivel.
3. I actually want these games to do well, because the 2^nd generation of Next Gen is here, alive and kicking harder that an ostrich on heat.

To this end, I would like to thank all the game developers out there for keeping me awake for the better part of three weeks, and also to all the suppliers and distributors for getting so much content to us, we don’t know if we are Arthur or Martha at the moment.

This brings me to my next review, Devil May Cry 4, and oh what a game this is. If you are a fan on the DMC series, you are going to love this, and if you’re not, you’re going to love it even more. Capcom have done a sterling job of bringing one of my favourite gaming characters onto the Next Gen format and creating a new character in the process and now spreading them over a wider audience to include the XBOX360. I have had the pleasure of playing this game on both consoles, and both run like a dream. The PS3 version has a 20 minute install at the beginning, but it shows when you compare loading times between consoles. The graphics run great on both machines, but it just seems a little clearer and smoother on the PS3 (I know, please don’t hate mail me, I don’t want an argument).

This time round, Dante is not the main man in the story, but for all the fans, don’t worry, he plays a big part in the game, and you take control of him for a good chunk of the game.  The action in this game is of monumental proportions, with combos and styles galore, and it’s not like this is a forced issue on the player, it feels natural, and they never seem to get boring, as all weapons and swords can be upgraded during the game to include a whole bunch of new moves.

[Vicky isn’t actually in the game but I love this advert]

The world has been meticulously created, and the graphics are really showing off the capabilities of these machines. I cannot believe that so much detail can go into a game, with landscapes and buildings looking more like artworks that game animation.

This now takes me to our new hero in the game, Nero. A witty character to say the least. His chirps and attitude bring the character to life, and you begin to love him just as much as his predecessor Dante. Nero is also thrown into a story that challenges everything he believes in, and slowly allows him to develop into a character that is really coming to grips with the chaos around him. One difference between Nero and Dante is the fact that our new hero has a new power. The “Devil Bringer”, a demon arm that is probably one of the best weapons in the game. It’s powerful, and allows you to reach enemies from a distance.

The game has a lengthy single player campaign, and the Devil May Cry series has a bit of a reputation for being insanely difficult. This time around, it’s your choice, with 2 levels to choose from, Human or Devil Hunter, with the latter dishing up a serious dose of intensity, and the former allowing one to comfortably get through the game (Not too comfortably though).

Styles of play between the 2 characters in the game are very different, and actually take some getting used to when the characters switch halfway through the game. Capcom also sends you through the same areas more than once, but this is not an issue in the games as its so much fun anyway, I’d go through it four times if need be.

The sound is fantastic, blending full orchestral pieces to some serious thrash metal in times of combat, and the voice acting is particularly good, capturing the essence of all the characters.

Overall this game is fantastic, and I know I’ve told all of you to buy a lot of games recently, but the wallet drain seems to continue. Go buy it now; you won’t be disappointed at all.

Thanks to Ster Kinekor Games for providing us with a copy of this game, we appreciate it.

Scoring:
Graphics – 90%
Playability – 90%
Sound – 90%
Tilt Factor (You should know what this is by now!!) – 95%
Overall – 92% (Buy it, don’t think)

Last Updated: March 13, 2008