Nick Adams Games Blog

Capcom can’t be faulted for not trying to push next gen console gaming. They’ve done well with new IP such as Dead Rising and Lost Planet on the Xbox 360, but its still the arrival of established franchises such as Devil May Cry which attract lots of anticipation. Its also making a mark in a genre which is not the most crowded of the next gen offerings: the hack n’ slash. Apart from titles like Heavenly Sword and N3: Ninety Nine Nights, there really hasn’t been many other games to choose from.

Just like in the previous DMC games, you’re encouraged to hack and shoot things up in all manner of stylish ways – usually by attacking multiple foes while maintaining a long combo and dodging attacks from all over the place. Its a hardcore game. Or, at least it was until the difficulty was toned down for this installment. Not only will seasoned DMC fans find this game easier, they’ll also learn to use the new character, Nero.

Nero is this game’s main protagonist, and bears a striking likeness to Dante, the previous hero of DMC games. He’s got silver hair, a long red flowing coat, and carries a sword practically the same size as himself. His sword can be revved like a chainsaw, and once powered up it spews out fire as you swing it at an unsuspecting foe. Nero also carries a ridiculously big double barreled magnum, but his signature weapon is the Devil Arm – he has a demonic right arm, granting him loads of context sensitive special moves such as throwing enemies around like skittles and grabbing far away ledges like a hookshot from Zelda.

Dante also returns as a playable character, and the fact that you only get the chance to play as him during the later stages of the game is a clear indication that he is not the easiest character to use. His 4 different special ’styles’ system from DMC3 makes a return, along with a generous assortment of melee and projectile weapons. He may not have a Devil Arm like Nero, but he sure packs enough gear to rival it.

And lets make no mistake here: they are rivals. The game starts off with a one on one face off between the two heroes, complete with striking choreographed cut scene involving sweeping camera angles, gratuitous use of slow motion and utterly insane stunts. As the course of the game unfolds, they become friends and develop a mentor and student dynamic reminiscent of Snake and Raiden of Metal Gear Solid 2.

Unlike Metal Gear Solid 2, the storyline is a lot more straightforward. Nero’s girlfriend, Kyrie is kidnapped and he’s fighting through ranks of assorted demonic enemies of varying shapes and forms to rescue her. There are some minor plot twists about who Nero’s friends and enemies really are, but really the story feels more like a vehicle to move the game along rather than having any true merit by itself.

Suprisingly, the environments are incredibly varied for a gothic action adventure. Though a great deal of the game is set in typical castles or dungeons, your violent travels will take you to places like a dense green jungle, and harsh arctic snow-covered plains. All of these look absolutely stunning in high definition and this is one of the best looking games to date. Another hallmark of the DMC series is having huge hulking bosses, and this game does not disappoint. Clearly they haven’t heard of picking on something their own size, as its not uncommon for them to take up the whole screen.

As great as the levels and bosses are, they are completely and utterly recycled during the later stages of the game when you backtrack through them as Dante. You can’t help but feel slightly underwhelmed that you’ve got a new character to play with but no new places for him to go. The camera is also slightly schizophrenic in this game, as sometimes its a fixed camera and during other times you can move it around freely. This can sometimes make it difficult to dodge enemy attacks. Although its hardly a huge problem, people who have played previous DMC games will find the standard difficulty rather easy compared to previous titles in the series.

The difficulty issue is something easily taken care of, as there are many levels of difficulty to unlock which will test even the most dedicated, masochistic players. There’s quite a few things for the perfectionist gamer to do, such as scoring a prestigious S rank for each level (aided by the sensible level select), or finding and completing the outrageously hard sub missions tucked away throughout the main game. Considerately, you get to keep all the special skills and items you’ve acquired if you choose to play the game through a second time.

It should go without saying that despite the fun of pulling off special moves as you hack and blast your way through masses of demons and other beasties, it does get a tad repetitive. Its no more a criticism than saying all you do in racing games are drive things. Its a hack n’ slash game through and through, if you’re expecting an immersive adventure you’ll be disappointed. But if you know your Capcom action games, they’ve been doing games like this well for a while and they still have what it takes to make it work.

8/10