Devil May Cry 4 (PC) Review

Posted by Chris Vicari on 08.26.2008

Dante’s back and better than ever!



I’ve never played any game in the Devil May Cry series, but I’ve heard nothing but praise for it ever since it first came out. I was excited to learn that the fourth installment was going to be ported over to the PC and leapt at the chance to review it. I had very high expectations for this game based on what its fan base touted and I enjoyed it, but at times I was disappointed and wanted more, a lot more.

Through most of the game you play the role of Nero, a new character in the series who takes the place of Dante as the main protagonist. He’s nearly as likeable as Dante, who is now the antagonist, but thankfully you get to play him at several points in the game. Nero is tasked to capture Dante after he assaulted a church and killed the High Priest of the Order of the Sword. Nero must battle a relentless horde of demons while combating a few of his to reach Dante and defeat him.

Gameplay

Right out of the gate I was treated to a beautifully detailed cinema which made we want to play the game even further. Dante crashes through the church roof, slaughters a few clergyman and I’m ready to fight. Wait a minute, I can’t move or shoot! I have a look at the key bindings and everything is all screwed up. I try to bind my mouse buttons so Nero can fight back rather than stand there and get impaled but no dice. It seems that the game is determined to make me play with a 360 controller. Trouble is I don’t have easy access to a 360 as it is in another state with my brother. To shell out an additional $40 just to play the game correctly is all sorts of messed up. A quick run to the store and I’m ready to give it another go.

The action is simply intense and the multitude of combos that Nero and Dante can perform is nothing short of marvelous. The one difference that Nero has over Dante is his demonic arm, known as the devil bringer. With it, he can grab distant enemies, throw ‘em around and do whatever the Hell he wants with them. When combos are performed, some of which are really intense and satisfying, you’re rewarded with a ton of blood, gore and the desire to perform more combos. At the start of the game, you can choose the option of combos being performed automatically so you don’t have to remember each individual button combination. It keeps things relatively simple, but thankfully the game is still pretty challenging and harder difficulty levels are opened after each run through. It’s no walk in the park I can assure you of that.



Like previous games, each level is considered a “mission” and at the end of each mission you are given a grade based on your performance. If rated well you are given souls which can then be used to purchase better combos or upgrade the ones you already have. Unlike other games which have a tendency to punish you for choosing an incorrect or useless skill, you can opt to drop one for a full refund and purchase another. While we’re on the topic of missions, several secret missions can be found throughout the game. Here is where the challenges really heat up as each one has a set parameter before it can be successfully completed. Some are as simple as killing every demon in a certain time limit, but sometimes you’re forced to only execute a certain combo or combos in a specific sequence. While these aren’t required and the challenge can sometimes frustrate you, the orb fragment you’re given is a just reward.

At certain points in the game, it shifts away from demon slaying towards some light puzzle solving. I’d say that this was the least enjoyable part of the game as it got kind of boring running around the same environments over and over flipping switches and pulling levers. These sequences overstayed their welcome and the demon slaying scenes didn’t come back fast enough. Yes, while the environments were exceptionally pleasing to observe, you get to a point when you’ve seen enough meadows, hallways and castles. That is Devil’s biggest flaw, it finds an environment it likes and sticks to it and you’re forced to play them several times over. Midway through the game you’re placed in Dante’s shoes and you get new combos, weapons and fighting styles. Sadly this great variety is trounced by the fact that you’ll be playing all the same levels and fighting the same bosses Nero faced previously all over again. It’s nice to be able to play as Dante again though, but unlike Nero, he doesn’t have the devil bringer and that puts a hamper on the fun.

All in all, Devil May Cry’s gameplay is nothing short of awesome. The quality and detail of the combat shows how much time was put in to make it as great as possible. If only other console ports were as good.

Graphics
On the PC, Devil May Cry’s graphics are…how should I put this, #@!$ing awesome! Half the time I was so mesmerized by the visuals I got killed several times, no BS. DirectX 10 is also included in the game and graphics improve even further. The cinemas are also jaw-dropping and I couldn’t wait to watch the next one after killing a slew of enemies. I tried to rush through the game just so I can watch ‘em. Dante and Nero gain full benefit from the game’s graphical prowess as they flip, jump and fight their way through. Few other games can match Devil’s visual quality.

Sound
Sound quality has also received topnotch attention and the combos are soon followed by gut-wrenching sound effects. The sounds of sword slashing, slicing, dicing and gun blasts are remarkable. Voice work for each character is also very good and receives no complaints from me. The dialogue fits and sometimes there’s a quip or two in there that made me chuckle so thankfully the game doesn’t consider itself to be too serious. The one thing that doesn’t fit here is the music. With the whole medieval-like environments and swords, the whole heavy metal thing doesn’t feel right. Being a metal fan myself, it was an interesting surprise to hear it, but I think it would be best if it wasn’t in there.


Lasting Appeal
Great fighting sequences coupled with brilliant visuals, characters and hidden levels make Devil May Cry 4 a good choice for replayability. The opportunity to unlock additional difficulty levels, where the PC gets an even harder difficulty level and turbo mode, things look pretty good in this department. The game has a real talent for longevity.

Fun Factor
No question about it, Devil May Cry 4 is a ton of fun to play. The combos, blood, guts and death make for quite the enjoyable experience that is damn near unrivaled in its genre. For fans of hack-and-slash games, Devil delivers through and through. The game is not as difficult as its predecessors, especially Devil May Cry 3, and this helps add to the enjoyment as well. The unlockable difficulty levels also help ramp up the challenge, but it’s never anything so tough that you have the urge to throw a controller at your monitor. It’s a nice balance skillfully achieved.

The 411
Devil May Cry 4 is a definite shoe-in for intense and enjoyable action. For fans of the previous game, definitely pick it up and for those who have never experienced the series, then by all means snag the greatest installment. The only thing that sucks about this game for the PC crowd is that you need a 360 controller to adequately play it. For someone with a short amount of money to burn, shelling out $80-90 for a game and controller doesn’t sound like a great idea. My advice is to weigh your options, do a little research and play the demo. Or just buy the game and bum a controller from one of your friends, which works too.

Graphics	9.5	Simply stunning and nothing short of remarkable. Devil May Cry 4's graphics look like benchmarking software.
Gameplay	8.0	Devishly engrossing gun and sword gameplay makes the game very enjoyable. The repeated enviroments put a hampering on the whole thing though.
Sound	9.0	Excellent quality, but the whole headbanging music doesn't really fit.
Lasting Appeal	8.0	Unlockable difficulty levels and the game's charm help give it a lasting quality.
Fun Factor	8.5	Fans of hack-and-slash games, Devil delivers through and through.
Overall	8.5   [ Very Good ]

Screenshots
All 6 Devil May Cry 4 (PC) Screenshots