The stylish action series returns in next-gen format.
The Devil May Cry series has been known to surprise both in good and bad ways. The first being superb for it's time, the second being the letdown of the century, and the third arguably surpassing the original. And now that the fourth has arrived, how does it compare to the rest? Does it disappoint, or does it make even more jaws drop?
First thing you'll notice (or maybe not notice) is the change of the main character. Now, instead of a cocky-smart-alack-like white haired dude with a red coat, you get a cocky-smart-alack-like white haired dude with a blue-red coat. Go figure.
But even with that being said, the characters don't really disappoint. Dante is still as over the top as ever, though this time you get very little from him, be it cinematics or gameplay. What it does actually disappoint with though, is the shallow story. Sure, epic things are at stake here, but at the end of the day, Nero's just looking for his own way. Some certain recognizable characters also appear, but as the case with Dante, you don't even get enough time to gaze at them, or their twin bouncing bubbles of awesomeness.
The overall pace of the game is very similar in structure to that of the previous entries. With that pleasing some fans, it's also got some unresolved issues, such as the ever present backtracking, simplistic puzzles, and troublesome camera angles. What has improved though, is the combat, which on it's own is enough to make this game worthwhile. Even if you get annoyed with some of the cinematics, or possibly get pissed at some of the annoying so called ''puzzles'', you forget it all when it comes to the superb demon-slashing. The combat engine works so well, that even grunt fights could turn immensely fun and challenging. With it being so amazing, it gets even better when you add intense boss battles, which are arguably the best part of the game. It's good thing too, because you'll have to take down some of them up to 3 times throughout the game. Difficulty doesn't seem to be that big of an issue here as it was in 3, making the game instantly accessable to newcomers of the series. But heed not veterans, as the game surely does have it's fair share of difficult moments.
In terms of lasting appeal, the game also doesn't disappoint. My first play-through on Devil Hunter came in at about 10 hours, and without searching for any secret areas and such. Play time may vary between difficulties, but mostly depending on your skills. It also has a fair amount of unlockables, most notable being the ''Bloody Palace'' mode, where you fend off against numerous foes until you run out of time or die, without being allowed to use any items.
In terms of looks, DMC4 shines in every single way. The amount of detail and design just easily pleasures the eye. From lighting, to textures, to character models, and even performance, it literally defines eye candy. Most amazing being the amount of optimization, the game rarely even chugs up or has any major frame-rate drops. With so much going down on-screen, you can't help but admire the amount of polish this game has received. Sound, while being mostly good, somewhat fails due to underwhelming and repetitive music. The voice cast does a decent job, albeit sounding corny and even cheesy at times, and sound effects are top notch.
As a whole though, DMC4 doesn't really succeed in surpassing the previous entries save for the improved combat. For fans of the series it's definitely worth it, and is still worth purchase for anybody who enjoys stylish action.
