Be Excellent To Each Other

I haven't really been paying attention to all of the fanboy outrage, but basically people have been writing the game off based on Dante's new look and little else - as far as I understand it.

But tell me this new trailer doesn't give you a wide-on:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FxRfzrHhqo


I mean, are the combat bits in-game? It looks eye-meltingly amazing.

Did you play DMC4? The combat doesn't look that different to that, to be fair.

It doesn't give me a "wide-on"

DMC4 was horrible.

Looks like a gay Bayonetta.

I remember enjoying it.

Your memory is clearly faulty.

Yeah, DMC4 was rubbish compared to 1 and 3, but I think it's a little difficult to tell that it's going to be the same game just from that vid. It looks like standard DMC combat to me. And it looks very pretty indeed.

Not bothered about Resident Evil's cast offs.

The trailer looks pretty exciting, and I loved DMC1.

2 and 3 left me a little cold, and I played a demo of 4 for just a couple of minutes before getting bored.

The first is a certified classic that was never bettered but the third was decent and bloody hard. I quite enjoyed the fourth even if it was just the experience of rocking Dante with an over inflated move set. I never did 'get' some of the styles though and stuck to sword master and gunslinger. Four got the moves spot on (and fuck yeah could you pull some stupid moves out the bag) but the story and setting was just a bit dull and uninspired.

After hating what they've done to Ninja Gaiden, I'm worried. The trailer looks the business but if it doesn't retain the ridiculous difficulty and the pleasure of blasting shit in the face and whacking them over the head with bigger shit then it'll end up a complete misstep. The hardcore need this to be awesome not some watered down revamp focusing on what a troubled youth Dante is and how he never knew his dad or summats. Dark Souls shows us that there's a market for difficulty. Keep it hard (Pfnnaar, pffnaar)

Because it has demons in it?

Having never owned or really played a PS2 DMC4 was my jumping on point and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I totally suck at these games* so I never experimented with the different styles and pretty much button mashed my way through it but the over-the-topness of it all and bizarre setting really got it's teeth into me. I'm sure some of the previous installments were better but I've nothing to compare it to. So, yeah, I'm hopeful that this one will be good as well.

*I always feel when playing God of War, Bayonetta, etc that there's a whole level to them that I'm missing out on. Now and again I stumble into a set of moves that give me a glimpse of what it might be like to really know what the fuck's going on, but it's never more than a brief accident before I settle back into spamming one or two combos and rolling all over the place desperately.

Get the first. It's brilliant. Like, really brilliant. That HD remix is out soon init? Get that. And just play the first. Did I mention that it's brilliant? It is.

I seem to remember liking the first one but like Bamba I am also congenitally shit at anything which involves memorising and performing rapid, complicated sequences of button presses and so I just kind of mashed my way through it.

Between this, Dark Souls and SotC, you're turning into Praisebot v2.0!

Are you getting laid or something?

I'm getting much less sex these days but much more gaming. Swings and roundabouts.






...installed in my attic.

The demo for this is on PSN. No idea about the Xbox.

Downloaderizing.

Edge have a six page preview on it this month. Nice screenshots Dante appears to be a jeans and t-shirt clad teenager.

Psst - I did that
Well, not all of it, but I was lead & graphics programmer for the PS3 port of DMC3SE ;-)

Just done the level and it was very ok. It's clearly easier than I remember DMC being (namely cause its always been bastard hard) yet its harder to control.

No switching weapons in the level from the standard sword here, but it can turn into a sycth by holding down the left trigger and an axe on the right. It's a bit annoying actually having to HOLD DOWN the trigger throughout to get the moves in. I was confused with the number on combinations for jumping, pulling, pushing (like DMC3's Devil arm) and weapon combos. I'm sure you'd get used to it eventually.

Stupid enemies now signal their next move by glowing yellow before doing the move. Fucks sake. Does anyone like this in any game ever?

Seriously? Anyone?

Can't they just telegraph a big move like they used to? This obsession with making shit glow ruined, say, Street Fighter x Tekken for me. I'm sure there was another game recently that was doing that? Irritating.

Just checked the controls to see if the weapons can change with a click rather holding it down. Nope.

Dante seems ok though. I liked his flopsy hair and Devil May Cry attitude (ho ho) but this ain't too far removed from that. He's got a nice jacket. Oh, and Devil Time turns him into the Dante we know! Yay!

One last moan though: the music and action don't marry up well. You couldn't say that about the others and on one occassional it sort of stopped whilst I was fighting. Ah well, they might sort that out.

I'll just smack this boss up now.

Nice little boss that - still wasn't that tough though.

I don't think Ninja Theory have done quite as good a job as 343 did for Halo, as it's missing that Capcom fine sheen, but it played very well (cept for having to hold down them frickin' triggers).

Worth a download.

Really? Wow. I might pick it up to see what you've done now!

It was Sleeping Dogs.

At least he's not wearing a hoodie!

If it's the same demo from at Eurogamer, I thought it was fairly good.

Really enjoyed the demo.

I'll be buying once it hits £10.

I'd sooner play this than Killzone 4. Also, it's pretty ace to boot.

I thought it was ace. Great soundtrack too.

I just started playing this. It's quite the looker.

It suffers from trying to have a "FUCK YOU" attitude but then slipping into soppy earnest dialogue far too often.

Also lots of the coolest bits happen in cutscenes.

But aside from that, quite good fun.

These checkpoints make a mockery of the health stars which are now barely needed. Checkpoints takes place before each fight and dump you back with all your health so there's little fear of death. Old DMC's punted you back to the start of the level so you had to manage your inventory of health stars and the like carefully. I miss the hardcore challenge...

Are you sure about that? I've only played DMC 4 but I enjoyed it and finished it, which I certainly wouldn't have done had I been punted all the way back to the start of a level every time I died (which was a lot).

100% positive (from my memory, mind). Unless DmC4 had some mid level checkpoints...I'm not sure it did. I remember being annoyed about having to redo a clockwork bit a fair few times before you meet the silver knights on the bridge. I'm sure I got my ass kicked back to the start of the level more times than I cared for by those knights.

You could find the pieces of the yellow mask that allowed you to continue when you died or purchase them from the shop, that might have kept you going.

Hmmm, I don't remember any of that and would certainly have expected to be driven mad by such shenanigans but only have fond memories of it. Hmmm.

There's only one way to solve this - both of you shut up and never speak of it again.

That's what I was planning, but you've ruined it by forcing me to respond this!

Just googled "devil may cry 4 checkpoints" and it comes up with "devil may cry 4 no checkpoints" and links to people moaning that it doesn't have checkpoints. Check and point. Points. Checkpoints.

I Googled it as well and got stuff like this:

http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/928376-d ... 4/41212510
http://www.supercheats.com/xbox360/ques ... u-play.htm

So, to sum up:

I remember having an argument with a friend about whether the original crysis had quicksave/quickload, or just checkpoint saves. I was adamant that it had quicksaves, because I remembered using them, whereas he was certain that it didn't, because he would have used them.

Turns out they were patching in down the line, after he played it, but before I did.

I wonder if similar happened here.

Also, I played the PC version whereas Sat will have almost certainly played it on some kind of console which might also make a difference.

Maybe. I did play it on the X360 but it had been out for at least 6 months I'd imagine.

Oh, it does say the Windows version has some exclusive features and stuff.

The HD collection on console apparently introduced a Yellow Mask version (no checkpoints from the original games) and a Gold Mask version (with new checkpoints) selectable so checkpoints must have been at least rethought since DMC3.

Crazy, crazy world, init.

Finished!

It was pretty good as well. It didn't blow my mind unfortunately, but it was a reet good blast.

The good bits:

The graphics are, by and large, very very good. Some of it, especially the fair ground at the beginning, is utterly awesome. This bit with fiery winds is pretty stunning. The nightclub level is awesome too.

The fighting and combo system is actually really easy to get into for any newbies who want an introduction to 'this kinda thing' and for those into 'this kinda thing' there's enough here to satisfy the bloodlust. There's a fair amount of weapons that smash stuff up real nice. The shotgun is freakin ace when you unlock the "room clearance" move. BLAM BLAM BLAM. Loves it.

The enemies range from "smash my face in!" to "Stop hitting yourself Dante." I quite liked that the standard enemies take a fair few blows to kill so you can get your fill of combos on them. The bosses are huge and monstrous.

The sound effects and music are top notch.

Dante himself starts off cocky but it completely belies the character he becomes in no less an hour: likeable, kind, willing to listen. He's certainly boyfriend material, even if the 'love interest' actually goes nowhere. He's nothing like the character of old who, I'm afraid, I actually quite missed. Virgil too, although the voice acting was impressively understated throughout. Really good stuff.

The story is a rehash of the first game and is actually just standard fare throughout. It's much plainer than the old DMC, catering to a western audience where the crazy japs just didn't give too hoots what was happening. It's still an ok story but the twist at the end which just leads to a final fight isn't quite enough pay off which surprised me that I had that feeling about it cause it was really well done throughout with just enough foreshadowing.

The bad bits:

The combo system has been toned down for a new audience. Ever so slightly but the delay in some of the moves seems like a lifetime. Triangle, triangle, wait, wait, wait, TRIANGLE. It's easy to get to grips with but the pace of the crazy left me wanting a tad bit more. If you jump up and spin to the floor blazing your guns it seems almost pedestrian.

I wanted a few more moves per weapon too. I'm sure, correct me if I'm wrong people who know, but there's the same number of Rebellion moves here but there could have been many more. The "heavy" weapon move sets are incredibly limited.

Holding down the buttons for the other weapons is just wrong too. They should have included an option to at least switch weapons with a click. It's hard enough covering the face buttons, both triggers and a shoulder button all at the same time. Thank god the camera is good enough as moving it about as well would have broken my fingers.

I don't like the angel/demon's who can only be killed using corresponding moves. Those red/blue demons that can only be defeated with red/blue weapons are so tedious and boring because the move set for those weapons are really limited. It happens far too often and takes away the fun from the fighting. If I'm beating something up I want to beat it with everything I've got.

That guy who disappears in a hole and reappears. How fricking hard is he to kill? He's harder than some bosses and not because he's vicious, but he won't let you hit him much. Pro Tip: unlock the moves that let's rebellion throw sword swipes. That move is massively overpowered and he can barely stop them.

The bosses are a little uninspired. The penultimate fight was nice to look at but it's been overdone to death. A million similar fights occur in all the God of War seriesiesies. The final fight was surprising piss easy.

It's all a little too easy. Checkpoints, abundance of stars etc. I've clocked it in no time on normal. I didn't realise that I should have jacked the difficulty up when I started. 10 hours is a decent campaign though.

Despite some decent characters the love interest is the worst. Within minutes of meeting Dante she trots out a sob story as if she was auditioning for the X-Factor. Then she does something unexplainable at the end. Well, she never explains but perhaps it's left for a sequel.

QTE are almost in this, but changed into a dedicated move where you press R1 and square at the right spot. There's loads of them throughout. One is quite decent mind where you help a car...

And that's the lot for now. A solid 8/10 from me.

Shame it didn't sell very well because if Ninja Theory keep honing their skills they'll end up doing something terribly impressive. Fack knows why people ain't buying their games. Yeah, yeah, I know this is on PS+ but my dad brought it me for Christmas in November so, y'know, I'm doing my bit. Why aren't you!?

I loved the whole 'everything is literally trying to kill you'-ness of the environments, Mundas's thoughts showing up as text on the environments, gradually getting more agitated as you mess up his plans. I thought the duality of the worlds was really well done.

As someone who is pretty terrible at this sort of game, I quite liked the more simple movesets.