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If the current generation of console systems has begun to show us anything, it’s that Japan is no longer the bastion of high-end game design. Even the biggest titles from overseas are mired down in a dogged determination to stick to design principles revolutionary that came about before and during the PS era. Microsoft’s first true Japanese RPG on the 360, Blue Dragon, has this flaw, which is crystal clear in Capcom’s latest, Devil May Cry 4.

Cry With Me

Although series fan boys might enjoy the comfortable familiarity of Devil May Cry 4’s old-school gameplay, everyone else will likely be discouraged by the lack of design innovation. The graphics are upgraded, but are no better than other recent and much more innovative games like Assassin’s Creed. Granted, if you loved the earlier versions of Devil May Cry, familiar gameplay with upgraded graphics might be all you want.

Though Dante does become a playable character, Devil May Cry 4 places you primarily as Nero, a Dante imitation with a badass attitude, a double-barreled revolver, and an enormous sword. The game opens with a bang as Dante assassinates the leader of a religious cult called the order during a church service. A one-on-one battle ensues, leaving Nero in pursuit of Dante. Elsewhere, a conspiracy grows, as Nero discovers that the order’s intentions lead straight to Hell.

Nero, as most heroes do, has his own problems. His left forearm has mysteriously turned scaly, glows in the dark, and has unholy strength. Combined with his gun and sword, this new demon arm provides Nero with some powerful combat combos against a glut of demons. Even though the game focuses squarely on combat, there are “puzzle” rooms where Nero must negotiate deadly obstacles, find magical key items, and jump platforms to proceed.

The Devil You Know

Though the premise of Devil May Cry 4 is solid, if clichéd, the actual game design is overly retro. Essentially, the game is a series of rooms. Most rooms have a task like battling a specific number of enemies, overcoming puzzles, battling bosses, or just wandering around. The game’s difficulty level is challenging, but the gameplay design flaws make the frustration level unnecessarily high. The absurdly archaic lack of a save-anytime functionality is enough to drive anyone insane. If your character dies, you must restart the whole level or a big part of the level. Even if the last checkpoint was nearby, the game doesn’t start you with the money and items you had at the checkpoint. Instead, you’re stuck with whatever you had in inventory when death occurred.

As the game progresses, you’ll be able to purchase new moves, abilities, and combos. Despite the ability to gain new moves, the game still devolves into repetitive button mashing thanks to regularly respawning and new monsters that are merely rehashes of earlier fiends. Hardcore gamers can select manual combos and special moves, but it’s hardly the idea choice. Most players will find the automatic mode easier to manage and less frustrating because it uses the sword button to launch a variety of attacks.

The Devil is in the Details

The gloomy levels look great, but feel empty and devoid of any personality. Thankfully, the camera is a bit improved over previous games in the series. You can usually move the viewpoint, but too many rooms don’t give you the option. The game suffers from a lot of poor viewing angles. Clipping problems also abound—especially with flying enemies. Last, but not least, the targeting system can be unreliable.

As usual in Japanese games, non-interactive cinematic sequences play a big role in the narrative. Nero’s cinematic scenes are full of inanely stylized action sequences that are impossible to duplicate during gameplay. The excess of style, adolescent brashness, and stupidly big swords end up merely annoying, instead of cool. Fortunately, you can skip repeated scenes with the start button.

The Devil Probably is Crying

Devil May Cry 4 is, for better or for worse, faithful to the originals. Only the graphics have undergone a transformation. If you’ve enjoyed the series so far, none of these defects should hold you back. This isn’t a terrible game—it looks and sounds good, the story is interesting, and there are clever puzzles and lots of swordplay violence. The option to play as Dante eventually is a nice touch, too. In the end, however, Devil May Cry 4 is also nothing close to the full next-gen transformation that the moody, gothic world of Capcom’s demons deserved.

Review by: Jason D'Aprile