Find out why you'll want to grab a blade and slay some baddies.
by YVG Staff
WATCH DEVIL MAY CRY 4 VIDEOS
1. Introducing Nero
In the next installment of Devil May Cry, traditional hero Dante takes a back seat to Nero, a young loner with a powerful sword, a dual-shot handgun, and a very peculiar arm. Although the name might be different, the action is every bit as elaborate and fast-paced as we're used to. (Besides, if you really can't face the thought of a Devil May Cry game without Dante, don't worry - you'll switch to him for the game's second half.)
2. Xbox 360 owners can join in the fun
Up until now, the Devil May Cry series has been a Sony-exclusive party. (Unless you count the PC version of DMC 3, which we don't.) But Devil May Cry 4 is lined up for a simultaneous release on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC. Xbox fans will be pleased to hear the 360 version includes online leaderboards, so you'll be able to measure your performance against the world's foremost DMC experts. But other than the usual control differences, the two console versions are nearly identical.
3. Colossal bosses
How do you fancy taking on a vast fire demon? DMC4's first real boss fight sees Nero duking it out with a four-legged flaming hell-spawned beast named Berial. In a sequence reminiscent of atmospheric epic Shadow of the Colossus, Nero leaps up on to the back of Berial's neck before wailing on him with his sword. It's an impressive starting boss, and they just get better.
4. The Devil Bringer
So what's that weird, freakish arm all about? Nero's right arm, called the Devil Bringer, is imbued with demonic power, making him even more formidable in close combat. With a tap of a button, Nero can grab an opponent and throw them high into the air, promptly followed up by one of the game's signature air combo moves - and yes, this even works on the game's enormous bosses. The arm also comes in handy as Nero makes his way around the game's levels, as it can be used to catapult him across long gaps.
5. New weapons to master
Nero can twist the handgrip of his "Red Queen" sword, revving it up just like a motorcycle to increase its power. The Red Queen's "Exceed" power has three levels, depicted on a neat graph in the screen's top-left corner. Exactly how the physics of this setup work we're not sure, but it's not like realism has ever been a big concern of the Devil May Cry series. It certainly looks good, and that's all we care about.
Posted: 22 Jan 2008
