Zero Punctuation: Devil May Cry 4

[AnGeL.SLayer]

lol highly amusing review this week. Either he really loaths this game or he woke up with a hang over and realized he still had work to do. Even though everyone seems to be agreeing that DMC4 was horrible I can't help but feel compelled to buy it. I own all the other games and I feel the need to finish the story, reguardless if it is good or bad. Perhaps I'm just weird like that. I think that capcom went with more puzzle type levels because so many females play it. I've noticed, as a female gamer myself, that females are more drawn to games that require you to think your way through the game, not just dodge your way through with guns blazing. Though I enjoy a head shot as much as the next person in line.


^_^

 

[Dectilon]

Personally I'm currently playing DMC 3, never having played a DMC game before. The gameplay is okay, but the camera is making me nuts. I dislike the idea of a game being hard because I can't see when an enemy is about to bolt at me so I have to jump constantly to be safe

Just a tip: most enemies won't start attacks if they are outside of the screen, meaning you don't have to worry much about those you can't see. Also, every attack in the game is preceded by som kind of audio clip (a growl or suchlike). Once you get used to that you can dodge pretty much everything by jumping or rolling when you hear the sound.

More on topic, I love DMC4 but the dice game is stupid as hell. Still, love how Dante just cuts it in half and keeps on walking when he gets to it. It's just what you would have liked to do the first time around. =)

Most of the hits I take are from enemies rushing in from outside the screen (especially those red mofos). I know about the sound trick, but it still annoys me. Would it be so bloody hard to let the player pan out the camera at will? ~~ This especially annoyed me against those two sword guys, because the room is so small and I can't see them, can't see where I have room to dodge to and I still have to time those counter hits. The most fun I've had in this game so far was the Jester boss. Throughout that fight you had a clear view of the entire battlefield and it became all about skill : P

"I've noticed, as a female gamer myself, that females are more drawn to games that require you to think your way through the game, not just dodge your way through with guns blazing. Though I enjoy a head shot as much as the next person in line."

In that case, if you like jrpgs as well allow me to give a retro-tip: Lufia 2. Half the game is about fighting, and the other half about solving puzzles. It's awesome ^^

 

[mykayel]

ok, so I've discovered that yahtzee and I are on a different page. DMC4 is one of the games I'm going to buy on my next salary, unlike the orange box witch is a monstrous pile of shit (I finished Ep0, Ep1 and Portal) The only thing nice in it is PORTAL that was just NICE not GREAT. As for Psychonauts...IT SUCKED BALLZ, I was never more bored in my life, and some of my favorite games include the monkey island series, silent hill 2, broken sword 1 and 2, and so on. Psychonauts was not an adventure game, it was more of a crappy platformed game with a very cliche and retarded storyline. HL2 was just plane stupid, I hated EP1 and EP0. The only good stories I've seen so far are in Anime (except for VERY few British and American TV series and movies) and the only real good games are Japanese with very few old games as exceptions, but other than that, almost every new game that is not Japaneses turns out to be not lame but just plane SHITTY!

 

[4mf]

there is nothing uncool about Dante

Except that he's a carbon copy of the same bog-standard transexual emo protagonist that's used in every single god damn japanese comic, cartoon and game. Ever.

White greasy, spikey hair. Check.
Ridiculous sword. Check.
Looks like a pre-pubescent girl. Check.
Body covered in belts for no reason. Check.
etc.

Perhaps a transcript?

Much obliged.



Also, great review, Yahtzee. I feel you've even upped the standard in these last few ones. Although it made me google "yaoi", which I could have done without. :/

 

[SiirusNagisa]

Excellent review - and the final bit about Audiosurf in the credits made me happy. I thought I was the only person in the world who actually plays that game.

Bravo

 

[Strafe Mcgee]

ok, so I've discovered that yahtzee and I are on a different page. DMC4 is one of the games I'm going to buy on my next salary, unlike the orange box witch is a monstrous pile of shit (I finished Ep0, Ep1 and Portal) The only thing nice in it is PORTAL that was just NICE not GREAT. As for Psychonauts...IT SUCKED BALLZ, I was never more bored in my life, and some of my favorite games include the monkey island series, silent hill 2, broken sword 1 and 2, and so on. Psychonauts was not an adventure game, it was more of a crappy platformed game with a very cliche and retarded storyline. HL2 was just plane stupid, I hated EP1 and EP0. The only good stories I've seen so far are in Anime (except for VERY few British and American TV series and movies) and the only real good games are Japanese with very few old games as exceptions, but other than that, almost every new game that is not Japaneses turns out to be not lame but just plane SHITTY!

No offense man, but you are wrong and a fool. The Orange box is pure win, and psychonauts is one of the most inspired pieces of western gaming since Grim Fandango. You sound like an elitist who is determined to find fault with everything that doesn't originate from Japan. And dude, learn to spell.

 

[H0ncho]

After the last couple reviews I thought ol' Yahtzee had lost it but this one was so good that I'm convinced otherwise. I guess all you have to do is to make him go into rage-modus to make him real funny.

 

[DreamerM]

Aw, no QuickTime events in this one. Oh well.

Usually this is where I'd insert some insightful critism, but Yahtzee is so above all that that I'm not even going to bother: Instead I'm going to plug my thread, which I am not ready to see die yet. http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.55103?page=1

 

[VMerken]

I am restrained by a certain, shall we say, "ethic" to give a proper response to this video. One thing, though: Yahtzee, cut scenes can be skipped by pressing START. Do that and the game is all combat, and thus all good.

That's, you know, common knowledge ever since the storyline of the original. But I guess a review needs to show all the angles of a game .

 

[Indrid Cold]

It's weird how these reviews tend to point out something that had occurred to me while playing the game just the night before. I thought it was pretty amusing that Chris Redfield in The Umbrella Chronicles, while staring at a huge spider, wonders where all the webs in this basement might come from. The day after I had noticed this, the review pointed out the same. Last night I was playing Devil May Cry 4 and shut the damn thing off after about five attempts at the ridiculous timed jumping puzzle with respawning enemies. This is also pointed out in today's review. Don't get me wrong, I like DMC4 (and a fair number of other games Yahtzee slams), partly because Capcom seems to take their franchise much less seriously than their fans do, as the action, sex appeal, etc. are all taken to such absurd extremes it's practically self-parody, which I'll choose to interpret it as since it would be depressing if Dante or, God help us, Nero count as "cool." But when I play a game, I want to relax and be entertained, not "fight with every fiber of my being" to get anywhere, as someone stated above. Challenging is good. Annoying is not. From what I've played of it, DMC4 is mostly fun, but there are a few odd design choices that don't exactly contribute to it.

And of course it has to be said that I don't agree with him on Amber Spyglass either.

 

[Plays2]

ok, so I've discovered that yahtzee and I are on a different page. DMC4 is one of the games I'm going to buy on my next salary, unlike the orange box witch is a monstrous pile of shit (I finished Ep0, Ep1 and Portal) The only thing nice in it is PORTAL that was just NICE not GREAT. As for Psychonauts...IT SUCKED BALLZ, I was never more bored in my life, and some of my favorite games include the monkey island series, silent hill 2, broken sword 1 and 2, and so on. Psychonauts was not an adventure game, it was more of a crappy platformed game with a very cliche and retarded storyline. HL2 was just plane stupid, I hated EP1 and EP0. The only good stories I've seen so far are in Anime (except for VERY few British and American TV series and movies) and the only real good games are Japanese with very few old games as exceptions, but other than that, almost every new game that is not Japaneses turns out to be not lame but just plane SHITTY!

I can't disagree with you more...except for silent hill 2)

Anyways, Japanese games are not necessarily excellent or good, take the Sonic the Hedgehog series for example (the first 2 games for the DC were excellent and the rest were crap).

Now, I've played Psychonauts and it is one of the greatest platformers I've ever played, and I have the Orange Box and I think that it is pure win, plain and simple. If you hated the Orange box then why did you bought it anyway, you know there's a thing called demo...
If you buy a game without looking at it first strikes me as a terrible idea. Learn how to internet next time...

You sound like those etilist guys who likes a game developed by Japanese and nothing else and a person who also will not buy anything but jap games, for the last attack and insult the games that are made from other countries.

 

[Morayman]

haha the ad that annoyingly pops up every time i watch these was for devil may cry 4, oooh the irony!

(_ ¬¬)

 

[boyitsme95]

Loved the review, also love how every time you say "You can recreate the experiance by..." you say something hilarious and that I always get what your saying. Also, no crack how Pandora's Box, Dante's new weapon, can become eight billione (I don't care how many it real becomes) different weapons? Loved the review though!

P.S.
Why was LuXe banned for saying "Great Review!"? It's not like he said "o i got here first!!! P8NED!!!" or anything anoying like that?

 

[boyitsme95]

Yahtzee, you carismatic stallion, why are you talking so slow? Half the fun is trying to listen to you while you talk so fast it seems like you have a game of Silent Hill 2 ready for you when your done.

 

[Natural Hazard]

ok, so I've discovered that yahtzee and I are on a different page. DMC4 is one of the games I'm going to buy on my next salary, unlike the orange box witch is a monstrous pile of shit (I finished Ep0, Ep1 and Portal) The only thing nice in it is PORTAL that was just NICE not GREAT. As for Psychonauts...IT SUCKED BALLZ, I was never more bored in my life, and some of my favorite games include the monkey island series, silent hill 2, broken sword 1 and 2, and so on. Psychonauts was not an adventure game, it was more of a crappy platformed game with a very cliche and retarded storyline. HL2 was just plane stupid, I hated EP1 and EP0. The only good stories I've seen so far are in Anime (except for VERY few British and American TV series and movies) and the only real good games are Japanese with very few old games as exceptions, but other than that, almost every new game that is not Japaneses turns out to be not lame but just plane SHITTY!

Oh the joy, we have anouther sterotypical japanese loving anime person. Your comment had so must justification to it that i now.. officially hate HL 2... -_-, by a matter of interest if you hated it so much why did you play the game and its episodes? Why not waste your time doing something constructive instead, like i don't no... play hide and seek with a can of tuna?

In terms of the review, i cannot personally comment as i hate every DMC ever made and stopped playing after 10 minutes of the first, thats my opinion. However very enjoyable review!

 

[Kermi]

Someone should explain this Advent Children reference to me. I've watched the movie several times and all I can think of when he mentions the motorbike is the fact that Nero can rev up the handle of his sword.

Don't forget that he can also impale an emeny and ride the corpse around the room by revving said handle! In cutscenes anyway.

Once again Yahtzee brings up very real flaws in the game, mocks the hell out of them and I enjoy myself - despite the fact I also enjoyed playing the game in question. Yes, the opening credits video was really far too long but I do recall (after watching the third or so cutscene in a row) turning to my fiancee who was watching in rapt attentiveness her first DMC game ever and advising her "We're ten minutes in, I haven't done anything yet, and I don't care". She agreed.

She is also, incidentally, far better at the bloody game than I am.

 

[TheFitcher]

About time I signed up methinks...

Right, to everyone saying "Yes, me agree, it stinks, me love you longtime", stop shoving your nose up Yahtzee's ass. You can blatantly tell who has or hasn't played the game from the majority of the comments, so you're not impressing anyone, much less him. Frankly, it's sad you'd want to try, and ironic you'd try and impress someone who sees through bullshit by spouting it yourself.

I hadn't played any other game in the DMC series before I played this, and I really did like it. I used to be a fan of anime, but then I grew up a bit, and now merely enjoy it if it happens to float along. You don't have to like anime to like this game. Nero is an over-emotional angst-ridden prick, I'll give you that. But he also has a massive demon-crushing arm-thing, which makes him cool if you ignore the "Kryieeeee!" bits. Which are pretty often.

Dante is a stereotype, yeah, but... on purpose. That's what you didn't mention in your review, he is deliberately over-the-top, and therefore inkeeping with the rest of the game. Also: if you fought in the opening cinematic, it wouldn't have been as cool, thus the tutorial interspersing it. You get to fight Dante properly later on, you know that if you've played the game. Also it's not as if this is the only game with an opening cinematic. This is a particularly well-animated and choreographed one, if anything it deserves praise rather than scorn.

I'm not a fanboy, but I dislike things being insulted when they don't deserve it. Yahtzee is perfectly capable of insulting things that are genuine faults and being hilarious, but I felt this review to be a little laboured, and parts just untrue (i.e. the end dice game lasting an hour. Plus there is a shortcut for it anyway...). So yeah Yahtzee... naughty boy. You picked an easy target... amongst a lot of gamers, DMC is the quiet kid in the corner of the playground, where you are one of the popular kids. It doesn't take much to point and say "He stinks!" to get everyone to agree with you, even if they've never so much as laid eyes on him.

But yes: Some of the platforming segments can drink a big vat of shit. Also, camera angles suddenly changing in the middle of a jump, thus you changing direction and falling, were also eye-gougingly annoying. But they don't ruin the whole game, the combat more than over-rides the relatively small niggles. That's my two cents anyway.

 

[Dragon-lover]

Another great review... I've played all the DMC's other than 4 well...I started 2, But it's shittness had me trade it in for 3 within a day...*EB shops are good for that*

I'll most likely hit DMC 4 one day...If only to see what it's like, Then I'll trade it in for something better..^_^;