Devil May Cry 4 (Xbox 360)

Rosin up your bow and play your fiddle hard, Johnny.
2/5/2008 12:00 AM | 0 Comments | Page 2 of 2

And that, folks, brings us to the end of the nice things I have to say about Devil May Cry 4.

On the downside of the slope -- and the downside is pretty steep; better grab onto something -- the camera, while it is more flexible in DMC 4 than it has been in any of the previous games --manipulating the right analog stick causes the camera to move...a little...sometimes -- it remains starched for the most part, resulting in the occasionally awkward camera angle and you being attacked by enemies you simply cannot see.

The world of the game feels expansive, with gorgeous 1080p-caliber vistas, falling snow, crumbling castles and lush jungles. Yet it's a bit too big at times; so big that I got lost on several occasions and found myself meandering around, trying to figure out where the hell I was supposed to go next. The game's new map system is not terribly helpful on this front, and there seem to be far too few enemies. Rushing about the all-too-vacant levels, I found myself hoping to find something -- anything -- to fight.

Speaking of enemies, with few exceptions, the enemies in DMC 4 are a disappointing and -- worse still -- annoying lot. There are hopping lizards; some shark-like things with fins that cruise at knee-level; some sort of cowboy-hat-wearing grim reaper thing that floats in a black cloud above you. Remember those possessed marionettes from the original game? For my money, those creepy bastards were far more nefarious and nuanced than anything found in DMC 4.

Boss battles have always been a hardcore, back-to-old-school trademark of the series. They're typically ridiculously difficult, Vital Star hoovering and, above all, generally unforgettable exercises. My battles with Cerberus, Nero Angelo, Griffon, Agni and Rundra, and of course, the mother of all DMC bosses, the Phantom -- that spider-scorpion thing from the first game -- are seared into my brain. Though I finished DMC 4 less than 24 hours ago, I can barely recall any of the game's bosses.

Let's see...there was that on-fire horse-devil thing...that evil frog with cavorting lesbians for antennae...that snake-like thing in the jungle that flies around. None of them display much personality. Worse still, with the exception of the game's final boss battle, most simply rolled over with their high-definition asses in the air.

Devil May Cry 4, in the end, fails to evolve the franchise in any notable way. If you liked the previous games, no doubt you'll like this one. Just don't expect to remember much of it once the credits roll.

This review was based on a gold build of the game provided by the publisher.