There aren’t too many titles that combine lightning fast sword combat with shoot ’em up style gunplay in the way that Devil May Cry does. The series, renowned for it’s over the top action, will be hitting the current generation with Devil May Cry 4, which will be available on February 5. Capcom was kind enough to release a demo with a section cut straight out of the gold version of the game. We’ve played it, analyzed it, and have our impressions for you right here.
The demo provides two different choices upon booting it up. In the first, you’re asked to progress as far as you can on a particular mission within a ten-minute time limit. Assuming you’re as talented as us, you’ll come to realize that the second option, in which you must defeat several ice monsters followed by the hell demon Berial, is simply taken part of the way through the first mission, though most won’t reach that point on their first or even second playthroughs.
Beginning with presentation, we were blown away by the graphical quality of the title, especially due to the absolutely rock solid framerate. The lighting, motion blur, and general attention to detail certainly impress. The staple heavy metal soundtrack works well during the action, helping to intensify the pace, while some gothic overtones emanate during calmer periods.
The cutscenes, as always, are completely over the top, but lack that somewhat annoying cheesiness found in Devil May Cry 3. Whereas those became slightly irritating, DMC 4’s are amazing, with perfectly choreographed combat sequences pumping us up for the fight ahead. Particularly impressive was the cutscene before the big boss battle with the fiery Berial.
What wasn’t as impressive was the gameplay, as it feels relatively unchanged from Devil May Cry 3. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as that was a brilliant action title, but the whole system feels somewhat last gen; that’s not to say it isn’t fun, quite the contrary in fact, but we tread this ground before. Also, the plethora of invisible walls is bothersome and draws you out of the experience.
The big addition here (besides the new protagonist Nero of course) is the nifty little Devil Bringer. Nero’s demon arm allows for a few different functions, such as grabbing enemies or latching on to objects to move about. It’s a solid addition that fits well with the rest of the Devil May Cry formula, but if this is all there is to freshen up the gameplay, then call us somewhat disappointed.
We certainly enjoyed the Devil May Cry 4 demo, but a lack of originality kept us from getting too attached. We’re cautiously anticipating Devil May Cry 4’s full release on Febraury 5. We’ll have a full review for you then.