Devil May Cry 4 Special Edition

Editor's Notes

Digital PS4 version reviewed.

Introduction

One half of Capcom's double-tap of 'Devil May Cry' re-releases, following March's 'DmC: Definitive Edition', 'Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition' brings the game into current gen with not only a 1080p/60fps graphical upgrade, but with three new characters, and a host of new tweaks and features.

The Game Itself: Our Reviewer's Take

'Devil May Cry 4' already had its work cut out for it back in 2008, having to follow up what is still, to this day, the strongest game in the series. But even without the burden of expectation, and with Capcom showering a lot of current gen love on it, it is still, inescapably, a deeply flawed title.

What points 'Devil May Cry 4' earns are primarily from the solid foundation. Two generations of sword/gun action titles are built on the bones of 'Devil May Cry', and its basic structure is copy-pasted here, and still makes for a intellectually rewarding devil's dance of mayhem once one settles into a groove with the various combos and upgrades at their disposal. The aesthetic is definitely a plus, a constant stroll through the ancient and decadent places of worship that makes keeping your eyes on the work to be done difficult. It's still got a unique feel, when all's said and done, though it is, now, one we've seen, and lived long enough to see copied.

The game's biggest problem is still Nero, who is essentially the Raiden of 'Devil May Cry', but in fact even weaker, since even Raiden had discernible personality traits. Nero is Dante with the volume turned down; all of his tics, but none of the charm or lackadaisical wit. If Dante is Nine Inch Nails, Nero is Linkin Park.

It's a fact that extends to gameplay, where Nero has one good gimmick to his name--the Devil Arm, allowing him to snatch enemies from half a football field away--but the rest of his demon-slaying options, even after upgrading, are woefully ineffective, and lacking Dante's panache. 'Devil May Cry', at its weakest, skates by often on sheer force of cool. Removing that factor only highlights its weaknesses.

And make no mistake, while the original PS2 'Devil May Cry' titles have all aged to some degree, '4' is awash in steps backward from all of the third game's flexibility when it comes to movement, creativity and chaotic enemy placement, all hamstrung by the game's static camera angles, which already felt retro and weak in 2008. Now, it's an active detriment.
 

The game does provide respite, since the Special Edition no longer binds us to Nero for the duration. The mid-game switch to Dante is still here, but you have the option right from the word go to start the campaign as Lady, then switch to Trish for the Dante levels, or completely run the campaign as Virgil. Trish is the more deliriously fun of the three, offering some truly insane sweeping moves with her scythe, and a series of electrical hand-to-hand moves if she tosses it away like a boomerang. Lady relies primarily on gunplay, where she can switch between dual pistols, a shotgun, and a rocket launcher at the push of a button, but her close up attacks are lackluster. It's a very different sort of game you can play with her, but not a bad one. Vergil is closer to Dante in style, but much faster swordplay.

The peripheral new characters are definitely a reason to replay through, but the same wall of repeating, uninspired design choices and poor placement is still ever present, and grows worse with the later chapters. It doesn't help that the new characters only get new intros and new end scenes, and the rest is spent retreading Nero's and Dante's path, which, as it is, ends up retreading itself later on. The new Legendary Dark Knight mode adds more enemies, but adding it to the game is the same as saying what would really help this school cafeteria hamburger is more bread. The story ends up being little more than a save the princess yarn, where the princess is a blank slate, only able to coo Nero's name to her own defense. It's a deadly combination of uninteresting factors that do very little to justify the sequel's place in the canon any more than the failures of 'Devil May Cry 2'.