you CANT stop playing the game if you've already started a level... because next time you play the game you're gonna have to start from the beginning of said level !!  you can only save the level you reached but when you load, it loads from the beginning of that level and not from where u left the game in the middle of that level...  i mean i could be close to the end of that level, but have to leave or the game crashed or anything, and theres no way to save my progress mid-level.. what the fuck ?
 
How can this even be possible in a game? its insane !

From what I remember, all DMC games have been like that. It's never bothered me with DMC4 because the levels aren't all that long.

You've been spoilt by checkpoint systems, theres nothing wrong at all about only having end of level saves. Besides, the game is made more challenging with the inability to just reload a checkpoint halfway through after death.

there is a save in the pause options, bu that's more for the stuff you have and not where you are...relax besides like someone else said the levels aren't super long.

japan.... they dont quite get it yet... It's my biggest annoyance with a lot of old fashioned games from japan in that they still insist on manual saving. although DMC4 gets away with better than others because the levels are really short and the game on a  whole is pretty easy compared to other games in the series.

The levels are short and take you about 10 Minutes. There's no need for a bazillion checkpoints.

" From what I remember, all DMC games have been like that. It's never bothered me with DMC4 because the levels aren't all that long. "

HAAAARDCORE