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Devil May Cry 4

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Devil May Cry 4
North American box cover
Developer(s)Capcom
Valve Corporation (Windows)
Publisher(s)Capcom
Designer(s)Hiroyuki Kobayashi (producer)
Hideaki Itsuno (director)[2]
Yuji Shimomura (cutscene director)
EngineMT Framework[3]
Platform(s)PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows
ReleasePlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Microsoft Windows
TBA
Genre(s)Hack and slash, action
Mode(s)Single-player

Devil May Cry 4 is the fourth installment of the Devil May Cry series, the events in the game are located third in the chronological order of the series' plot, between those in Devil May Cry and Devil May Cry 2. It was announced in March 2007 that the game would be released simultaneously for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and later PC.[4]

In the game, the player controls Nero, the game's protagonist, in addition to an appearance by series lead Dante, fighting demonic enemies in close combat using firearms, swords and a variety of weaponry in a gothic setting. Characters Lady and Trish from previous games in the series make appearances, joined by new characters Kyrie, Credo, Gloria, and Agnus.

Gameplay

Gameplay in Devil May Cry 4 is similar to previous games in the series. The player must fight through levels called "missions", occasionally solving puzzles or gathering items. Performance in a mission is graded from D being the bottom grade through C, B, A, and S being the highest grade. Grades are based on items used, Red Orbs gathered, time taken, and the amount of "Style Points" accumulated. Each "Style point" grade has its own tag-word, for example the SSS grade shows up as "Smokin' Sick Style" on the side of the screen when achieved, and similarly, the D grade as "Deadly". Stylish combat is the focus of the game which is done through unbroken combos of varied attacks while avoiding damage. The player must avoid attacks enemies employ to keep the a style-gauge up, often through memorizing attack patterns.

Devil Trigger, a super-state, enables the player to become more powerful with slow health regeneration. Devil Trigger is activated through the Devil Trigger gauge filling from the players either receiving or dealing damage during combat or through certain items. After a minimum amount is filled, the player may enter Devil Trigger at any time. Devil Trigger is first available after Mission 6.

File:DMC4DanteStinger.jpg
Dante performing one of his signature moves, the Stinger attack

Some changes introduced into Devil May Cry 4 are the presence of two playable characters, Dante and Nero and a slight modification to the shop system. A new currency called Proud Souls is now implemented which are used to buy new abilities while Red Orbs are used to buy items. Proud Souls are rewarded at the end of missions, the amount of which varies depending on how well the player performs with S rank providing the highest amount of Proud Souls. Costs of abilities also increase with the purchase of other abilities, though they may be sold back if the player so desires.

Nero is played throughout most of the game. He starts and ends the game with his Red Queen sword, Blue Rose revolver and the powers of his Devil Bringer (his demonic right arm). The Red Queen features an "Exceed" Gauge that can be charged allowing for subsequent attacks that are more powerful than regular slashes until the gauge empties. The exceed gauge can also be filled by pressing the rev button at the peak of each slash which allows for more powerful combos, capable of breaking the opponent's guard. Nero also has the powers of his Devil Bringer, using it to pull himself towards enemies or vice-versa. The Devil Bringer may also be used for context-sensitive throw attacks, leading to high damage and various effects depending on the enemy. Nero's Devil Bringer also gains new abilities in the course of the game, such as being able to detect secret missions or caches of Red Orbs. Nero gains the ability to use Devil Trigger, which also increases his Devil Bringer's power, even changing his Devil Bringer attacks into more powerful versions with different animations.

Dante is played through seven missions, taking over about half-way through the game. His gameplay is similar to that of Devil May Cry 3, with him having access to multiple melee and ranged weapons--which he gains after boss battles--and being able to cycle through them freely in combat, being no longer limited to equipping two weapons of each type as he was in the previous game. Dante also starts with his four styles (Trickster, Royal Guard, Sword Master, Gunslinger), each of which grants him different abilities, but may now switch them at will with the d-pad, unlike in previous game Devil May Cry 3. He also gains the Dark Slayer style near the end of his section, which only has one style level and can be accessed by pressing a direction button twice. Styles do not level up through experience as in the previous game, but must instead be upgraded in the shop screen in between missions or at statues. Dante can also enter Devil Trigger, though this does not change his attacks to the degree that Nero's Devil Trigger does but allows him to use Triple Jump and Double Sky Star, while using the Trickster Style.

Playable characters

On September 6 2006, Japanese video game magazine Famitsu reported that series star Dante will not be the protagonist in Devil May Cry 4. Instead, a new character named Nero, voiced and motion captured by Johnny Yong Bosch, will take the lead.[5] Nero resembles both Dante and his twin brother, Vergil, and is part of the Order of the Sword, a group of warriors who worship Sparda.[6]

File:DMC4 church1.jpg
Nero, the new main protagonist, and Kyrie look on as Dante makes his entry.

Nero's attire consists of blue jeans, a long blue coat, and a red vest with a hood. He wields a revolver named Blue Rose, which has a distinctive under-and-over double barrel, and a decorated single-edged sword called the Red Queen. Nero views Dante as the antagonist, after witnessing the devil hunter first killing the Order's leader, Sanctus then murdering members of the Order.[2] Gameplay videos and screens reveal Dante to be a boss enemy in the game. [7]

Nero's right arm seems to resemble a demon's and glows supernaturally, and is the source of his "Devil Bringer" power. Nero also has his own "Devil Trigger" transformation, which consists of a demonic spirit hovering above him.[8] Capcom promotional videos have revealed that the spirit will mimic Nero's actions and that the Devil Bringer moves will change if the Devil Trigger is active while they are used.[9]

Nero is also said to be another descendent of Sparda when the main antagonist of the game, Sanctus, says to Dante, "Unfortunately you had not predicted another descendant of Sparda's blood...". This, should it be true, would signify that a family connection exists between Nero and Dante. The creators of the game have not elaborated on the connection between Sparda and Nero.

Dante, the primary character in the franchise, will also be playable and will have updated versions of the core animations used in Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening, as well as that game's four basic fighting styles of Trickster, Royal Guard, Gunslinger and Swordmaster, which can be switched at will.[10] Game Informer reported that he will not just be an unlockable, but will be playable, as part of the storyline.[11] Capcom promotional videos have revealed that, like Nero and the first Devil May Cry, the properties of his moves will change if the Devil Trigger is activated.[12] Out of the 20 missions available, Dante is playable for 7 of them. Returning weapons in his arsenal include the Rebellion sword, the Ebony and Ivory handguns, and the Coyote-A shotgun, but he will be able to acquire new Devil Arms with the defeat of bosses.

Plot

The game opens with Nero hurrying towards the central Opera House where the Order of the Sword is conducting a ceremony, his right arm in a sling. Meanwhile Kyrie, Nero’s romantic interest, is beginning to open the ceremony with a song and is disappointed not to find Nero in the audience. She begins her song none the less as Nero encounters several Scarecrow demons on his way to the Opera House; he easily dispatches them without breaking his stride and arrives at the Opera House just in time to hear the end of Kyrie’s song. Following this, Kyrie joins Nero in the audience where she finds Nero has left a present for her in the form of a gold necklace. The High Priest of the Order of the Sword, Sanctus, beckons the Order members to join him in prayer; Nero is visibly bored by this and is about to leave despite Kyrie’s protests when his right arm begins to glow ominously. At this moment, Dante bursts through the ceiling and assassinates Sanctus.[13]

Nero, under the impression that Kyrie is in danger, attacks Dante initiating a fight between the two. As Dante gains the upper hand, Nero reveals his demonic right arm named the Devil Bringer and uses its power to seemingly kill Dante by impaling him with his own sword upon the statue of Sparda. Dante merely jests "getting better" and pushes himself off the statue. As Dante removes the sword from his chest Nero asks, "You're not human are you?" Dante replies that "We are the same you and I... and them," pointing to one of the dead knights.[14] Nero looks and it is revealed that the knight was possessed with a demonic appearance. Nero looks up to see that Dante is already resting on the hole in the ceiling from which he came. Dante states that he thinks Nero has something different from the others then swoops out of view just as the knights reinforcements arrive.

Nero is charged with capturing Dante and bringing him back to the Order to answer for his crimes by Credo, the leader of the Orders knights and Kyrie’s brother.[15] Upon leaving the Opera House however, a demonic horde begins to lay waste to the city. Nero and Kyrie are separated as Nero begins to slay the demons. Whilst journeying to Fortuna Castle he meets Gloria, a new member to the Order.[16] Nero fights his way into the depths of Fortuna Castle, on the way, the player is allowed to witness a scene revealing that Sanctus has been infused with the soul of a demon to revive him. The player is also introduced to Agnus, the stuttering scientist and mastermind of the Orders demonic power manipulation.

Nero finally reaches Agnus' facility where he is defeated and heavily injured. Vergil's broken katana, Yamato, responds to Nero and mends itself before flying into his hand. Nero fends off Agnus' attacks with the aid of a spectral blue demon hovering behind him before he collapses in exhaustion. Agnus flees back to Sanctus and informs him of Nero’s new-found power, Credo vows to take care of Nero while Gloria takes over Nero’s pursuit of Dante.

Nero is confronted by Credo who also has been infused with demonic power, giving him the characteristics of an Angel, yet is defeated by Nero. However, Kyrie arrives in time to witness Nero with his demonic arm standing over her defeated brother. Agnus uses the confusion and distraction on Nero’s part to kidnap Kyrie and flee. Credo postpones his feud with Nero until he can investigate the situation. Nero once more meets Dante, but his quest to capture him is long since forgotten; he wishes to simply pass Dante by. However, Dante wants Yamato, the sword used by his twin-brother Vergil, returned to him.[17] A fight ensues where Dante is victorious; however, he decides to let Nero keep Yamato after the latter has “cooled down”. Gloria appears before Dante as Nero leaves, however, it is revealed that Gloria is in fact Trish, Dante’s partner in his demon hunting business “Devil May Cry.”

Nero reaches Sanctus and the “Savior” an enormous demon which the Order intends to bring to life using Nero and Yamato’s power. Using Kyrie as a human shield, Sanctus is successful in detaining Nero. Sanctus reveals that the Savior requires the essence of Sparda to reach full power; he originally intended Dante be used as the core but accepts Nero as a suitable substitute claiming that Nero is also a descendent of Sparda.[18] Credo attempts to rescue the two but is mortally wounded by Sanctus; then Dante arrives and tells Nero give him his sword back. Nero is absorbed into the Savior. Agnus uses Yamato to open the true Hellgate; releasing a multitude of demons onto the city; Sanctus arrives with the Savior and begins to exterminate the demons.[19] Dante, upon hearing Credo’s dying request to rescue Kyrie and Nero, fights his way back towards the city, on his way he destroys the three smaller Hellgates used to release the demons.

Dante arrives back at the Opera House and kills Agnus; he then retrieves Yamato and uses it to destroy the the true Hellgate before confronting Sanctus and the Savior. After discovering that the Savior is invincible from the outside, Dante drives Yamato into the chest of the Savior, where it is retrieved by Nero. Nero defeats Sanctus inside the Savior and rescues Kyrie; finally, Nero uses the powers of his Devil Bringer to destroy the Savior and Sanctus once and for all. Dante departs after entrusting Nero with Yamato.[20] Nero and Kyrie’s tender reunion is interrupted by another demon attack. In the secret ending, at the Devil May Cry shop, Trish and Lady bicker over the small reward Lady had offered, with Lady accusing Trish for having disguised herself as Gloria and delivering Sparda's sword to the Order. After Trish forcibly drags him into their argument, Dante ends it by saying that it's better than nothing. With that settled, Lady sets out to leave-- but the phone rings, with a customer having another job for Dante to do, and the trio moves out to help.

Development

In an interview, Devil May Cry 4's producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi, noted that the production team began working with the game using a PC-based engine.[21] Among other details he said that this was the first PlayStation 3 game developed by Capcom, and that making this transition was a "hard step", particularly because no member of the producing team was familiar with the console's capabilities. The game's multi-platform crossover was justified by emphasizing the Xbox 360's success in the North American and European markets, labeling the move as "natural".[21] During the production new gameplay options were implemented in order to "keep up with fresh action games", among these the Devil Bringer's ability to bring enemies towards the characters was highlighted.[21]

Unlike Dante's progress in Devil May Cry 3, Nero was designed to become stronger by upgrading his Devil Bringer ability instead of receiving new weapons after defeating boss characters.[22] While in development the production team noted several aspects of the game, including that Nero would be one of two main characters and that Dante wasn't going to be the only character from previous entries in the series to appear.[22] Unlike Devil May Cry 3, the game' difficulty would be the same in both the Japanese and European versions as in the one released in North America.[22] The company presented the first demo of the game at an event titled "Capcom's Gamer's Day" where Kobayashi highlighted several of the games features to the public present.[23] But with the team focused in completing the game, no new demo was produced in time for the 2007 E3 Media and Business Summit.[22]

Next-generation elements

Itsuno said in the Famitsu article that the visuals attempt to deliver a satisfying feel of being in the air, and that the actions of Nero's Devil Bringer could not be done on then-current generation consoles and only on the PS3,[5] though the game has since been released on the Xbox 360 and PS3. Gameplay visuals, shown at the 2006 Tokyo Game Show, demonstrate this game mechanic in action. Kobayashi has stated in a Game Informer interview that the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions will be identical, although he did not comment on the PC version.[11] In a Eurogamer interview, Kobayashi confirmed again that PS3 and Xbox 360 versions would be identical and said that the PC version "would be great, because the same team is working on both".[24]

Cross-platform move

On March 19, 2007, Capcom announced the game would not be a PlayStation 3 exclusive, and would also be released for the Xbox 360 and the PC. In a thread questioning the move on the official Capcom message board, the company's senior director of strategic planning and research, Christian Svensson, responded by saying that they were moved by people's strong feelings about the decision, but that it was the best decision for the company and consumers.[25] Kobayashi stated that Devil May Cry 4 will have no major graphical differences between the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 versions.[11] In fact, he claimed that the contents will be identical, except that "the feel of the controller" may cause a slight difference.[24] Additionally, the PlayStation 3 requires the user to install the game, taking 20-30 minutes, which shortens the length of the loading screens throughout the game. A slide show is shown during the installation process, which introduces characters from previous games in the series.

Release

The first teaser trailer was shown at E³ 2005, depicting Dante traveling through a snow-covered environment, and quickly performing some fast, stylish moves. A more substantial trailer was released at that year's Tokyo Game Show, with a more rugged and older Dante in a city-like setting. These two teasers showed very little detail of the game itself. At the 2006 Tokyo Game Show, a more complete trailer debuted, along with a playable demo, featuring the character Nero.

Images from the March 2007 issue of Famitsu showed Dante as a playable character. A short trailer was released later, displaying the character in gameplay. While Nero is the game's main character, Dante is the supporting character, playable for around the second half of the game, until the final boss.[26] A trailer shown at the 2007 Tokyo Game Show revealed the return of Lady and Trish.[27]

A fourth trailer, released on December 17, 2007, revealed more gameplay and story detail, as well as information on new songs for the game, one of which is a new version of "Lock and Load", Dante's theme music from the first Devil May Cry, with new lyrics written and performed by Shawn "Shootie HG" McPherson, the lyricist and lead vocalist on the soundtrack of Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening. Released with the Japanese version of the game and special edition of the North American version is Japanese rock band, L'Arc-en-Ciel, and their new single, "Drink It Down", which is used as the Japanese opening for the game.[5]

Collector's Edition

A collector's edition of the game was released at the same time. The American version included a DVD of four episodes of the American dub of the anime amongst other extras, whilst the European version only includes a signed artbook named "Art of the Devil".[28][29][30] It features a bonus disc containing the making of Devil May Cry 4, and an additional disc of the first four episodes of Devil May Cry: The Animated Series. A very small number of Collector's Edition packages were signed by the game's producer, Hiroyuki Kobayashi, on the back of the metal tin on Dante's left shoulder. This number has been reported to be as low as only 100 signed copies of the Collector's Edition for each console, making for a total of 200 signed copies. In Europe and Australia, a limited edition of Devil May Cry 4 was released, with an additional artwork book titled "Art of the Devil", but without the additional disc content. Both versions were packaged in a Steelbook case.

Reception

Upon its release Devil May Cry 4 sold well in Japan and the United States. On February 20, 2008, Capcom's president Haruhiro Tsujimoto announced in a press release that the game shipped two million copies in its first month, making it the fastest sequel in the the series to reach this mark.[38] Official PlayStation Magazine Australia gave the game 7/10. Xbox World Australia gave the game 90/100, saying "Devil May Cry 4 is everything a hack-and-slash should be and then some. Sadly it falters with repeated level design and a moderately troublesome camera; but in the grand scheme of things, these are only minor flaws." Japanese video game magazine Famitsu has rewarded Devil May Cry 4 with a 35/40 (9,9,9,8).

PSM3, a British publication, gave the game a 80 out of 100. The magazine described the difficulty of the game this way: "Most games these days tend to hold your hand all the way through...Devil May Cry is not like that. It'll throw a million demons at you because it wants to, put in half a dozen arbitrary fights in a 30-foot stretch of map, force you to survive for ages on a tiny sliver of health... and then give you a D at the end of the level because you weren't doing enough combos".[39]

1Up.com gave it an 8.5/10, praising the gameplay and "predictably slick" looks, but criticized the "divisive industrial hard-rock nonsense.... that sullied DMC3 [and] returns here" and the game's "overly frugal approach to level design".[31] GameTrailers TV rated it an 8.6/10, saying that Dante's one-liners are neither clever nor funny but praised the voice acting. IGN gave it a 8.7 saying, "Whether it's on the PS3 or the 360, action fans are going to get one incredible experience with this game, and if you own either system, you'll have a great time." Nevertheless, they also noted that, contrary to Kobayashi's claim, "Dante simply doesn't have nearly as many weapons as he did in DMC3" and found that "the amount of backtracking and repetition makes the game feel somewhat half-heartedly finished in the design department".[37] GameSpy gave it 4 stars out of 5, stating that "DMC4 succeeds on many levels because it fuses fan service with entertaining gameplay", finding that "visually, DMC4 is a dynamo", and praising Nero for "[bringing] something fresh to the franchise" and not being "temporally limited like DMC3 SE's Virgil (sic)"; however, they also claim that "it cheapens things a little to see that the team has opted to recycle assets in lieu of showing us more of this rich world" and call out the "annoying industrial-meets-butt-rock soundtrack".[34]

References

  1. ^ "Devil May Cry 4 Australian Release Date Confirmed". Retrieved 2008-01-11.
  2. ^ a b "Official English language DMC4 site from Capcom Japan". Retrieved 2007-01-31.
  3. ^ "lostplanetcommunity: Exclusive Lost Planet Lead Programmer Interview - Part 3". Retrieved 2007-01-30.
  4. ^ "Capcom's "Devil May Cry 4" Goes Multiplatform! Mega-hit Title set for PLAYSTATION 3, Xbox 360 and PC!". Retrieved 2007-03-20.
  5. ^ a b c "IGN: New Hero for DMC4". Retrieved 2007-01-09. Cite error: The named reference "nlr" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  6. ^ "Devil May Cry 4 official U.S. site". Retrieved 2007-02-02.
  7. ^ "Dante Boss Battle Screenshots". Retrieved 2007-07-25.
  8. ^ http://www.capcom.co.jp/devil4 Official Japanese Language Devil May Cry 4 website
  9. ^ "Devil May Cry 4 Monograph ネロの魔人紹介" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2008-02-05.
  10. ^ Hwang, Kaiser (May, 2007). "Devil May Cry 4, The PS3's Ruby Red Slipper". Independent PlayStation Magazine. p. 11. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. ^ a b c Berghammer, Billy. "9 Things You Didn't Know About Devil May Cry 4". Retrieved 2007-06-22.
  12. ^ "Devil May Cry 4 Monograph ダンテ「魔人化」" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2008-02-05.
  13. ^ Capcom. Devil May Cry 4 (PlayStation 3).
  14. ^ Capcom. Devil May Cry 4 (PlayStation 3).
  15. ^ Capcom. Devil May Cry 4 (PlayStation 3).
  16. ^ Capcom. Devil May Cry 4 (PlayStation 3).
  17. ^ Capcom. Devil May Cry 4 (PlayStation 3).
  18. ^ Capcom. Devil May Cry 4 (PlayStation 3).
  19. ^ Capcom. Devil May Cry 4 (PlayStation 3).
  20. ^ Capcom. Devil May Cry 4 (PlayStation 3).
  21. ^ a b c Patrick Joynt (2007-06-31). "Devil May Cry 4 Producer Interview (PS3)". GameSpy. Retrieved 2008-02-22. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  22. ^ a b c d Billy Berghammer (2007-06-20). "Nine Things You Didn't Know About Devil May Cry 4". Game Informer. Retrieved 2008-02-22. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  23. ^ Jeff Haynes (2007-12-07). "Devil May Cry 4 New Look". IGN. Retrieved 2008-02-22. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  24. ^ a b MacDonald, Keza. "Interview - Devil May Cry 4 // None /// Eurogamer". Retrieved 2007-09-06.
  25. ^ Capcom official responds to criticism of multi-platform move
  26. ^ "Party time for Dante". Game Informer. December, 2007. p. 112. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  27. ^ "Game Trailers.com". Retrieved 2007-09-20.
  28. ^ "Devil May Cry 4 Special Edition Details". Retrieved 2008-01-10.
  29. ^ Berghammer, Billy. "Capcom Packs It In For The Devil May Cry 4". Retrieved 2007-11-13.
  30. ^ "UK Jumps on the Collector's Edition bandwagon". Retrieved 2008-01-13.
  31. ^ a b Bettenhausen, Shane. "Devil May Cry 4 Xbox 360 Review Index, Devil May Cry 4 Reviews". Retrieved 2008-02-01.
  32. ^ Edge staff. "Devil May Cry 4 Review". Retrieved 2008-03-30.
  33. ^ Joe, Juba. "Game Informer: Devil May Cry 4 Review". {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessdat= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  34. ^ a b McGarvey, Sterling. "GameSpy: Devil May Cry 4 Review". Retrieved 2008-02-05.
  35. ^ "Devil May Cry 4 Review". GameZone. Retrieved 2008-05-05.
  36. ^ "Devil May Cry 4 Review". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved 2008-05-09.
  37. ^ a b Haynes, Jeff. "IGN: Devil May Cry 4 Review". Retrieved 2008-02-05.
  38. ^ Haruhiro Tsujimoto (2008-02-20). "Smokin'! Capcom's "Devil May Cry 4" Ships over 2 Million Stylish Units - Making it the fastest game in the DMC series to reach that milestone". Capcom. Retrieved 2008-02-21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  39. ^ "PS3 Reviews: Devil May Cry 4". PSM3. 2008-02-06. Retrieved 2008-02-24. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
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