SBR Reviews
So.... Devil May Cry 4. How is it in a nutshell? Quite good.
In this game, you are introduced to a new character, Nero. Who happens to possess a demon arm[footnote]Remember this is DMC we're talking about. There are bound to be demons.[/footnote]. But fear not! Dante, the original protagonist of the series, also gets the cut and makes up for half the game!
[img_inline width=130 height=210 Caption="Nero. Don't mess with him. You'll get a hand shake." align="right"]http://www.animeforum.com/uploads/nero_cg01.jpg[/img_inline]
[img_inline width=130 height=210 Caption="Dante. A guy who looks good no matter where he looks." align="left"]http://wikicheats.gametrailers.com/images/thumb/7/71/Devil_May_Cry_4_Dante.jpg/300px-Devil_May_Cry_4_Dante.jpg[/img_inline]
The story? Well.... it's not exactly amazing. I mean, it's by Capcom, who used to make fantastic story orientated games but whose standards seem to be slipping drastically. It's painfully obvious that the game is trying to make us relate to Nero's predicament but the problem is that you'll find it really hard to relate to a guy who can dispatch a few scythe wielding demons with ease. But the characters are interesting in their own right and they do present something new to the table. That's enough to keep the game rolling. Albeit, it tends to trip more often than not. Shame.
Gameplay wise, it's insane. The amounts of combos you can pull off in this game is amazing. And since, this game defies the Laws of Gravity, you can literally make an enemy float in the air by spraying them with bullets[footnote]You have unlimited ammo when it comes to guns apparently, SC: Conviction, I'm looking at you. >_> [/footnote] and then you can up-close-and-personal by jumping and slashing them on and on with your ridiculously huge sword. Speaking of which, Nero's sword has a motorbike handle. You use it to charge the sword up and then you can unload devastating damage on your enemies in pretty orange. The devil arm of Nero, which I mentioned earlier, is the star of combos. You can pull off pretty awesome moves on your enemies like throwing them to the ground and snatching them in mid-air and then unloading some more hurt on them.
[img_inline width=275 height=200 align="left" Caption="Laws are meant to be broken."]http://xboxoz360.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/devil_may_cry_4_481.jpg[/img_inline]
And then it's Dante's turn. He is gifted with the game mechanic of changing fight-styles in the middle of battle. Not really exciting. I just select one and forget all about it. All of them have their pros and cons but direct fighting is more my style. Although he does do pretty good poses when you select one.
The game incorporates the points system. It's quite prominent in the past games and it certainly makes it presence felt in this one. See, the more demons you brutally murder, the more points. You can later use these points to buy new upgrades which are from increasing health to getting new moves or upgrading old moves. In order to continuously get more points, you have to keep on killing them without getting hit yourself. Fair enough. It's in every game. But it's punishing.
You can survive through waves of enemies, button mash your way through levels which have a terrible checkpoint system but if you didn't commit yourself to unleashing combo after combo on your enemies, then you'll be awarded with a wonderful, heartwarming 'D' grade from the game. In the end, you will most assuredly give the Ranker top priority. It also works as a motivator for the player to get better and better at bombarding combos on enemies and juggling enemies top side while shooting rockets. Good stuffs
[img_inline width=275 height=200 align="right" Caption="I find this highly relateable!"]http://www.hookedgamers.com/images/241/devil_may_cry_4/screenshot_pc_devil_may_cry_4076.jpg[/img_inline]
The highlight of the game is the scenery and the boss fights. Scenery first. It's beautiful and i just can't get enough of it. But here's the problem. Half-way through the game, you get to play as Dante. Not a bad thing, infact it's awesome! The problem is that then you back track the entire levels you just completed with Nero! Come one Capcom! Give us something new! This just shows the laziness Capcom has. No new enemies are introduced, the scenery remains the same and the boss battles are the same. No particular change in any of them! Now, to boss battles. Well, they are certainly big. In size I mean. See, this is why i said we can never relate to Nero/Dante since tragically, we really can't take out a fire demon in real life can we. While playing Nero, it is relatively easy to take the bosses out since you're assisted with the Devil Arm. And when it's used on them, it's quite a beautiful watching Nero pull off insane moves. And very satisfying. Dante on the other hand has it harder. But when you do manage to beat the bosses to a bloody demonized pulp. You are awarded with a demonic goodie which adds flavour to the combat.
CONCLUSION:
It's a good hack-and-slash and definitely a good buy. You can go nuts in this game and that's really really fun. It's a hearty B from me!
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