Hell of a game

by ERIK LEIJON

For reasons beyond Capcom’s control, the third-person action Devil May Cry series never really resonated with me until the fourth edition. For one thing, the original release of DMC on the Playstation 2 coincided with a weekend rental of Sword of the Berserk: Guts’ Rage—a scarring experience that still causes my hands to tremble uncontrollably at the sight of an oversized blade.

Another is my overwhelming disdain for tap-tap-tapping action-fighting games. Playing these repetitive games typically means pressing the attack button maniacally until my thumb loses feeling. Devil May Cry was always better than your average hack’n’ slash, and with DMC4 (X360, PS3/Capcom) it is finally obvious to me why the series has been so popular.

It’s evident from the get-go that Hiroyuki Kobayashi and the development team thought next-gen technology meant an opportunity for more theatrical storytelling. The sword slashing gameplay has remained largely intact, though you’ll be spending as much time watching the breathtaking cinematic scenes as you will actually be playing.

It’s disappointing at first to watch Nero—the new protagonist who replaces the demonic hero Dante (who remains a playable character)—engage in a five-minute cutscene where he’s pulling off some killer moves against his foes, since the actual gameplay is nowhere near as dramatic. The actual fighting portions are surprisingly varied even though the same Rammstein-ish song loops during nearly every battle.

The boss stages, thankfully as important to Japanese developers as those gigantic swords, are of the classic, screen-filling variety. Those epic battles against enemies five times larger than you are as thrilling as the story-advancing cutscenes.

The two major methods of destruction in the previous DMCs, sword and gun, remain integral to the game. The major addition is Nero’s “devil bringer,” which transforms his arm into a glowing, grabbing, killing machine. It’s the most effective way to kill most enemies, so it’s frequently used in conjunction with a sword combo. The opportunity exists to upgrade Nero with new attacks, and it helps break the tedium that can set in after the thousandth kill.

Devil May Cry 4 might be the greatest visual experience of next-gen. Only a few short months after Drake’s Fortune’s jungle ruin environments warranted a double-take, DMC4 blows that game out of the water with majestic cathedrals, a colourful cast of good and evil characters, and superb lighting effects. And if the graphics or the storyline featuring more unbelievable twists than a Dickens novel isn’t enough, get in on the discussion as to whether or not the buxom and wardrobe-impaired Gloria is wearing underwear in her introductory cinematic. I say no, but I’ll try with HDMI cables later.

Nintendo TKO

Nintendo provided local journos a chance to try Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii/Nintendo, Sora) last week, and I felt it necessary to provide some insight before the title’s March 9 launch.

The gameplay, preferably played with the Wii remote on its side like a typical controller, is exactly like the previous Smash Bros. games. As usual, the point of the game is to knock your enemies off the screen, although this time the levels are packed with even more hidden dangers. In the close-quartered Pikmin stage, a giant slug attempts to suck in anyone near him with his suction breath.

Another stage involves playing in front of an empty background, as black outlines of obstacles are constantly being drawn. My favourite was the stage that combined the gameplay of Smash Bros. with the random mini-games of Wario Ware. Smash Bros. is so good it could become the only relevant Wii game, for better and for worse.