It seems patently obvious these days that past success in a franchise can prevent you from moving on. It provides a choke-hold on establishing new directions, lacking any attempt at innovation but with just the smidgen of freshness and lessening of game difficulty to snare back veteran players and some of those susceptible new players alike. I'm talking about Devil May Cry 4. Taken in context of designing a game with familiarity high on its agenda, then this latest entrant will make series veterans roll up their sleeves and get cracking. For those new to the series, seeing the number 4 on the game's packaging should visualise the following warning sign: 'Caution: bumpy road ahead'.

Exclusivity in the game industry doesn't merit the importance it once provided titles in the past. With an abundance of platforms (much to the hair-pulling disgust of countless fan boys), Capcom's decision to release what was once a PlayStation exclusive title was clearly aimed at capturing a greater market share for the title. Whether that's going to work will be seen at a later date but Capsom's reluctance on introducing new game elements makes the whole multi-platform approach a rather pointless and expensive exercise in marketing.

Those intending to play Dante shouldn't expect much from him (with seven playable missions halfway through the game) but fear not as the primary character you'll be playing, Nero, is very similar. Carrying about an enormous sword called the Red Queen, a double-barrelled revolver called Blue Rose and an attitude you'd just love to slap out of him, the game starts dramatically during a church service which sees Dante arrival on the scene. Within moments, Dante assassinates the head of a religious group, the Order of the Sword. A struggle between Dante and Nero ensures, with the former eventually running off, leaving our hero Nero to deal with a beautiful girl, hordes of demons and a conspiracy that leads straight to hell.

As par for the course, Nero comes with Capcom's signature looks; chiseled features, brooding frowns and plenty of cheesy one liners – an emo's dream come true really. Take into account his demonic arm though and this picture of perfection takes on a darker slant. Called the Devil Bringer and able to wield unholy strength, the emphasis here is on mashing those buttons in hope of producing powerful attack combos. With the many tricks on hand (go the puns!) such as throwing enemies into the air, likewise pulling them down with bone crunching force, all the damage you deal out or receive slowly fills up the Devil Trigger gauge. It's a super-state, enabling you to move faster and dish out more damage for a short time, at the expense of slower health regen. Additionally, there are two tricky 'rev' systems where you'll initially encounter more pain than gain. Both are achieved through perfect timing however the end result varies. Firstly, upon each sword stroke you're given a brief opportunity to get in a 'rev', allowing much greater damage per swing. Do that enough times and you'll definitely see a difference in damage output. The second is based on your Red Queen sword. When revved three times, you'll have in store a very powerful attack that can make all the difference in boss fights. While the majority of time spent is within combat, there are a few opportunities to get the brain ticking over with the occasional puzzle room filled with deadly traps and platforms to navigate towards the odd magical item.

As you progress, you'll be able to purchase new combos, moves and abilities. Thankfully the purchasing system has changed from Devil May Cry 3 where you were permanently cursed to carry around useless purchases. Devil May Cry 4 now allows you to sell them off for the same purchase price, allowing you more opportunity to experiment with different styles and set-ups.

Devil May Cry 4's inherent game design is lazy, focusing more on repetition and seemingly devoid of any genuine effort at creativity. Having to fight the same breeds of monsters in the same predetermined areas with a repetitive cycle of the same boss types gets annoying. Sometimes you'll simply lose the way, finding yourself backtracking vast areas simply to encounter the exact same monsters you already faced. At its simplest, you go from one point to the next, with many of the same monster in-between. Death is just another annoyance. Based around the archaic checkpoint saves, dying just before the next save point forces you to go back and start all or part of the level again. It wasn't cool 9 years ago and it sure as hell won't be for the next 100 years.

Aside from having the Xbox 360 sitting a few feet away, the only indicator that this game is next-gen is the imagery. The graphics are really the only department that shines. And sometimes they shine very brightly indeed - mixed in with some drab environments is some incredibly detailed Gothic architecture. Not surprisingly, Capcom's love for the non-interactive, high detailed and dramatic cut scenes are on full display, with some of the best displays of organic animations around. No frame-rate issues speak of but depending on how closely you sit in front of the screen you'll notice odd spots of chunky textures appearing every so often. Characterisation on the most part is highly detailed, especially in the cut-scenes, with Dante looking like he's aged since the last title. Lip synching is as perfect as you'll ever encounter, so it's a shame what comes out between them is as bad as you're ever likely to see.

Music is a mixture of synth rock, hard metal and orchestral numbers. Merging quite well with combat sequences, the music gets delivered in stages, ramping up in moments of chaos then nose-diving to harmless background melodies.


In conclusion, Devil May Cry 4 is a dated game with its dependence on stale, almost retro familiarity rather than any meaningful stabs at innovation and its regrettable insistence on repetition on most levels, an uncomfortably lousy dialogue, a soulless cast of on-screen characters and the general feeling of a game half-baked does no favours for anyone, least of all Capcom. It seems Japan is no longer the bastion of top end gaming production. Devil May Cry? I think he already is.