OFFICIAL DEVIL MAY CRY 4 FAQ
Thread created by ChaosAptom
In 5 short years, Devil May Cry has been through ups and downs that most series don't experience in an entire lifetime. The dauntless protagonist Dante was introduced to widespread acclaim in 2001, then fell from grace (in DMC2), and finally redeemed himself (in DMC3) - all within a span of only 3 games.
Now, as Capcom prepares to move its stylish gothic action franchise onto the PS3, the development team is using the revered third entry as a starting point for everything in DMC4. Taking what fans loved about the game play and enhancing it, gamers can expect to see even crazier combos, more fluid integration of the weapons, and over-the-top cutscenes.
- Gameinformer, October Issue
Table of Contents:
1) Basic DMC4 Information
- A) Platform & Release Date
- B) Important Credits
- C) Noteable Facts
2) Graphics & Sound Details - Technical Aspects
- A) Framerate & Resolution
- B) Textures, Lighting & Polygon Analysis
- C) Sound & Music Details
3) Art Design & Environment Concepts
- A) Art Styles
- B) Environment Concepts & Screens
4) Characters & Story
- A) Background Story & setting
- B) Nero
- C) Dante
- D) Kyrie
- E) The "Unknown" characters
5) Bosses & Enemies
- A) Belial
- B) Puppet-like Enemies
- C) Frosts
6) Game Play Details
- A) Nero's Game Play
Devil Bringer
Blue Rose
Red Queen & Exceed
Hell Bound & Grim Grip
Full Movelist to Date
Miscellaneous Mechanics
- B) Dante's Game Play
On-the-Fly Style Switch
Signature Moves Analysis
Full Movelist to Date
Miscellaneous Mechanics
7) Old DMC4 Concepts
8) External Links and Credits
1) BASIC DMC4 INFORMATION
A) PLATFORM & RELEASE DATE
*DMC4 is planned for a SIMULTANEOUS release on both next-gen home consoles: Playstation 3 and Xbox360.
*In addition, there is also a PC version in the works that will be released sometime after the 2 console versions. The PC version unlike with DMC3SE and RE4 is being handled internally by Capcom.
*Release Date = Tentative for Fall 2007
*In light of recent news, it has been rumored that DMC4 may in fact not make it out until 2008. This could partly be because of the Producer mentioning work starting on the 360 version as late as June. This was the Interview in which he states thus.
*The official DMC4 demo is slated for a release Summer 2007 on both PSN and Xbox Live. It is predicted to include both a taste of Nero and Dante all the way up until the Belial boss fight.
B) IMPORTANT CREDITS
I have included notable people working on DMC along with their experience with the franchise.
Director: Hideaki Itsuno
Experience: Director of both DMC2 and DMC3
Producer: Hiroyuki Kobayashi
Experience: Producer of DMC1
Cutscene/Action Director: Yuji Shimomura
Experience: Action Director DMC3
Lead Character Artist: Tatsuya Yoshikawa
Experience: No DMC experience, worked exclusively for Breath of Fire series previously.
Voice Acting/Motion Capture for Nero: Johnny Yong Bosch
Experience: No DMC experience, first time working with Capcom. Worked on numerous VA for various anime series and did various MC work as a stunt man.
Voice Acting/Motion Capture for Dante: Rueben Langdon
Experience: VA/MC for Dante in DMC3.
Voice Acting/Motion Capture for Kyrie: Laura Napoli
Experience: No DMC experience, most recent work with Capcom includes VA/MC for a female character in Dead Rising.
Voice Acting/Motion Capture for Vergil (RUMORED): Dan Southworth
Experience: VA/MC for Vergil in DMC3.
Voice Acting/Motion Capture for Lady (RUMORED): Stephanie Cheeva
Experience: VA/MC for Lady in DMC3.
*DMC4 is a collaborative effort of workers from Capcom Studios 1 and 4, but will be officially released under Capcom Studio#1, the same one for DMC3.*
C) NOTABLE FACTS
*All the event cutscenes in DMC4 will be realtime using in-game character models and the game will be 60FPS throughout. No word yet on 1080P resolution but 720P is guaranteed as expected of next-gen graphics.
*The main starting characters of DMC4 will be BOTH Nero and Dante. Most of the new mechanics being added to DMC4 are placed on the new character Nero and the previously revered classics are placed on to Dante (ie. Style system).
*Devil May Cry 4 takes place after the original Devil May Cry making it the first direct "sequel" to the first gFrameworkame (DMC1). The OFFICIAL timeline of the series is deemed by Capcom to be following:
DMC3 --> DMC1 --> DMC4 --> DMC2
DMC2 takes place in a distant and unconfirmed time after DMC4 and thus the events in DMC2 will have little to no bearing upon the events that are to come in DMC4. The story of DMC4 will then be supported mostly by the franchise canon set by the collaborative effort of DMC1 and DMC3.
*DMC4 will contain MORE CONTENT than any previous game. It will have more weapons, more enemies and more emphasis on story than all the previous iteration games, and thus will be the longest and content wise, the biggest.
*The style accolades for DMC4 are thus far : D-Deadly, C-Carnage, B-Brutal, A-Atomic.
The previous batch was scrapped because it sucked ass. Seriously. ("All that!" LOLOLOL!)
*DMC4 uses Capcom's standard next-gen graphics engine appropriately called the "FRAMEWORK" engine. Used on previous multi-million hitters such as Dead Rising and Lost Planet, the developers saw it fit to used a pre-made graphics engine for DMC4 in order to concentrate more on the game play and actual content part of DMC4. This engine allows for easier coding for all 3 platforms (360/PS3/PC).
2) GRAPHICS AND SOUND DETAILS - TECHNICAL ASPECTS
A) FRAME RATE & RESOLUTION
*As mentioned previously, DMC4 will be running at the series staple of 60 Frames Per Second. From what has been showcased thus from other next-gen games, it appears that producing High-Definition resolution as well as top notch visuals with 60FPS takes a huge toll on the next-gen consoles, causing large frame rate drops. 30FPS was deemed the standard for next-gen but this framerate was not optimum for the demanding game play of DMC4. The developers opted for 60FPS realizing that at 30FPS they can "produce graphics 100% greater than that of 60FPS DMC4".
For more on DMC4's choice of framerate, view this interview of the Director.
*DMC4 will at the bare minimum be displayed at 720P, which is the standard for High Definition resolution. It has been said that DMC4 via upscaling can be displayed at 1080P and consequently at 1080i (PSM preview) but there has been no visual evidence of this yet.
B) TEXTURES, LIGHTING AND POLYGON ETC. ANALYSIS
*DMC4 uses NO pre-rendered textures in the backgrounds or in any other aspect of the game. DMC4 uses mostly Normal mapping throughout the game with some examples of Bumped mapping here and there. Overall the texture work gives a smooth look to the game but at times feels a bit flat for a next-gen game, especially during the vast ice levels. The texture work, however, is overwhelmed by the meticulous artwork for the game that is a standard of the series. Textures on the enemies thus far have been more representative of next-gen textures.
*The lighting in DMC4 has been solid throughout, with there being numerous but subtle light sources found throughout numerous locations of DMC4. The sunset lighting is immaculate especially at the docks. The light given off of Nero's Devil Bringer also works as its own light source. The lighting only falters during the ice level where the dim light of the moon creates no visually pleasing effects. This is due to the lack of HDR used in DMC4 throughout however it is not completely absent.
*The shadow work of DMC4 is one of its stronger point. The game has a good grasp on self-shadowing and just about every structure gives off its own shadow including the enemies. The player's character reflects its own character on to the body as well. While the advance shadowing during game play is rudimentary (as in shadow-on-shadow example) it is still worked into the game near flawlessly.
*The polygon count in DMC4 has been kept at a reasonably good level, especially during the cut scenes where it is almost flawless. The enemies have a reasonable high level of polygon count and so does the main character on screen. Even the orbs dropped during game play have a much higher polygon count than before.
*The final graphical aspect are the visual effects, which are easily DMC4's best showcase of next-gen prowess. The flame effects are top-notch, motion blur worked into the moves perfectly, the fluid seeping out of the enemies and just the general feel of the game has been greatly enhanced thanks to the effects work on screen. Depth of field is also used plenty and "sparks" are to be found here and there. The effects are only underwhelming in the environments itself which produce a rather sterile feel to them.
Devil May Cry 4 REALTIME DEMONSTRATION On Stage Video!
C) SOUND & MUSIC DETAILS
*The atmospheric score has been greatly enhanced thanks to the power of the next-gen consoles. The somber tone falls deep into the core of the body and really sets the mood for whatever setting the player might find him/herself in.
*The battle theme is different for both Nero and Dante. For Nero, it's a DMC3-style battle theme with lyrics and a new beat with an ambient/trance feel to it thrown in the mix. For Dante, it's a remixed version of his battle theme from DMC1 "Lock n' Load".
*The sound effects for DMC4 have been greatly enhanced. The eerie cackling sound of the puppets, the swish and clang of the sword and the impact of the enemy on to the floor all sound crisp and clear.
*The music featured on the official Devil May Cry 4 site is the chorale sung in the memory of Sparda, as confirmed by the composer of DMC4. DMC4 will output at Dolby Digital 5.1 just like most other next-gen games.
3) ART DESIGN AND ENVIRONMENT CONCEPTS
Interview on the Art of DMC4
*DMC4 uses a mix of Western and Eastern influence in its environments, most notably religious influences from Christianity and Islamic. The environment designs for the city of Fortuna (where DMC4 will be primarily set in) is modeled after Turkish architecture. You can learn more about these influences in the interview linked above, straight from the artist's mouth.
*Most of DMC4 will be retaining a very gothic look, as is par for the series. A good example of this is the ice castle found at the end of the Frost battle in the DMC4 demo.
*The art style on the human-looking characters of DMC4 have a some what Eastern/Anime look, akin to the Final Fantasy series with a slightly darker look due to the nature of the series. The art style on the enemies is unique as expected of the DMC series and its demonic entities.
4) CHARACTERS AND STORY
STORY of DMC4
“Nero (main DMC4 character) lives in a remote island city called Fortuna (the setting of most of DMC4). He belongs to an ancient group of religious crusaders known as the Order of the Sword who worship Sparda and fight demons in his name. Prior to the beginning of the game, Nero's life involves doing special jobs for the Order, cleaning up "messy" situations. All of that changes one day when a white-haired man in a long red coat starts slaying the clergyman at the Order.”
Not much else has been revealed about the DMC4 storyline, other than the fact that it takes place some unknown years after the original DMC. The game starts out by telling the story from the point of view of Nero and as Kobayashi stated in an interview will switch to Dante near the midpoint of the game. Dante is seen as an antagonist in the eyes of Nero and they engage in a duel upon their first visit. Dante claims to be after a item that is in the possession of the Order of the Sword. The details of the particular cutscene from the official DMC4 trailer are sketchy but it’s clear that Dante is not messing around at all…
CHARACTERS – NERO
While sources have stated that Nero is a “cynical, world-weary misanthropist” the actual cutscenes in which we see Nero against demons, he is anything but “emo”. His personality is very akin to Dante, except that he takes on a different demeanor when actually facing Dante. Nero IS actually a human, but that changes when during an incident he inherits the “devil’s right arm” or as Capcom likes to call it “the Devil Bringer”. At first, Nero is cautious of his arm as his organization would be unaccepting of his demonic infestation and he hides it in a cast.
Nero appears to be involved with Kyrie but the extent of the relationship is not known. Nero’s family heritage is also an unknown factor and it is still a mystery as to why Nero looks so much like the sons of Sparda…
Nero Concept Arts
DANTE
The legendary son of Sparda returns for his 4th appearance in this installment and is looking better than ever. While Dante has grown some facial hair due to older age, he is still at the top of his game and this time his job involves a demon hunting organization in the island city of Fortuna. Upon entering the city Opera house, Dante swiftly executes a high priest and proceeds to take care of incoming soldiers. Dante’s motives are not made clear in any cutscene shown thus far and he even comes off as an aggressor but of course this is just Capcom playing tricks on the player. Both Nero and Dante are part of a much larger scheme…
*Random Fact*: DMC4 Dante will be more mature/grim and less party crazy, but still retain his wise-cracking, unflappable personality.
Dante Concept Arts
Images from the first Dante/Nero Confrontation
KYRIE
There was a new girl shown in the DMC4 TGS 06 trailer by the name of Kyrie. She is apparently Nero's love interest and is apparently some sort of royalty. She also sings in the Opera house of Fortuna, the setting for the first cutscene in DMC4. In the cutscene, she also appears to be holding a box but it’s contents are unknown at this point. She is accepting of Nero’s disposition.
Kyrie Concept Art
VERGIL The “other” son of Sparda
No direct quote can be linked to Capcom confirming Vergil’s appearance in DMC4, but one thing is for sure Capcom fully recognizes his impact on the series. Capcom almost always finishes the topic with something like this: Capcom has this to say, "We are not ready to say what role Vergil himself plays in the story, but the existence of Vergil as a character is something very important to the story of the DMC games. That's something that I don't think is going to end!"
In other words, Dan Southworth isn’t going to be motion capturing/voice acting for some other random character…
BOSSES & ENEMIES
BERIAL – The Demon Prince of Fire
Berial is the first boss you face in DMC4 as Nero, and he has a lot to live up to. The DMC series features some of the most spectacular bosses in action gaming and Berial looks to match that record. The boss is about the size of a small building. Berial will feature some very nice fire effects that will be unlike anything you have seen in a DMC game before. Verbally, Berial can be described as a 3 way hybrid between True Ogre from Tekken 3, Beowulf from DMC3 and Balrog from the LOTR franchise. His lower body is that of a Centaur.
His encounter with Nero showed that Berial has encountered Legendary Dark Knight Sparda before and Berial himself is one of the Princes of Hell. Upon entering the human world, Berial is not as his full power and after he is thrashed around by Nero’s Devil Bringer he retreats to restore his lost power.
*Strategy for defeating Berial will be discussed in Devil Bringer section of Nero’s Game Play.*
Concept Art for Berial
FROSTS
The icy humanoid lizards make their return in DMC4. Originally found in the first DMC, the Frosts were the elites of the enemies found in DMC1 but in DMC4 they are one of the first enemies you face. Their movelist has been kept mostly the same, their AI slightly enhanced and they have received a few new animations. The major changes are only visual as the developers wanted to make the DMC4 Frosts distinctively different from the ones in DMC1. Their introduction however is very reminscent to the one in DMC1, where they are introduced in front of a door to a castle in the pale moon light.
*Strategy for defeating Frosts will be discussed in Devil Bringer section of Nero’s Game Play.”
Concept Art for Frosts
MARIONETTE-TYPE ENEMY
The new basic enemies in DMC4 are a nod to the original DMC enemies where were a group of very large wooden Marionettes. Going on that design, DMC4 keeps the tradition alives and features a variety of Marionette-type enemes from the start. The new enemies feature twisted body parts that are stitched together. The enemies have scythe protroding out of their limbs as their standard weapons.
Other enemies that are confirmed to be in DMC4:
Blades & Shadows
Capcom has confirmed next-gen versions of the classical enemies of DMC1, most specifically we can expect the return of Blades and Shadows. The Frosts have already been unveiled, these 2 enemies have yet to be shown to the public.
GAME PLAY DETAILS
NERO's GAME PLAY
Ah yes, the moment the fans have been waiting for. This section discusses the most important aspect of DMC4, the game play. Most of the new improvements and additions apply to Nero, thus his section will be the longest. Dante's game play is very similar to his DMC3 counterpart and any new changes/additions on his part will be discussed in his section.
Stylish Nero Game Play footage
Nero Demo Trailer
Controls
/\ : Melee Attack (w/ Red Queen)
O: Devil Bringer
[]: Gun Attack (w/ Blue Rose)
X: Jump
R1 : Lock On
L2 : Exceed
Left Analog : Movement
Right Analog : Camera
D-Pad/L1/R2 : No function has been specified yet.
Nero's Weapons - Red Queen and Blue Rose
Red Queen
The default sword for Nero, issued to him by the Order of the Knights. This sword is standard for all the members in the Order. Nero on the other hand has further enhanced his sword by adding a motorbike-like handle + brake handle. This addition is not just for show, for this handle motif gives Nero access to Red Queen's Exceed ability which will be discussed later. This weapon is used with the /\ button and the Exceed function used with the L2 button.
Nero wields Red Queen mostly with his left arm due to his right arm occupied by the Devil Bringer. It can perform most of the basic DMC style moves but with it's own style of course. With the Red Queen Nero is able to go beyond the abilities of a normal human being.
Blue Rose
The Blue Rose is a twin-barreled revolver that shoots bullets with a bright blue discharge. It is not an issued weapon of the Order of the Knight since they look down upon the use of firearms within their organization. Due to the twin-barreled nature of the revolver, bullets are fired one after the other without any cool down, which means that Nero's rate of fire can be on par with Dante's Ebony and Ivory fire. This weapon is used with the [] button.
An important property of Blue Rose is that because of it's slightly wider discharge, it is able to hit in a wider hit area meaning more splash damage. In addition, thanks to the power of the Devil Bringer, Nero can channel extra energy into Blue Rose for a very powerful discharge (causing full knock back). This is accomplished by holding down [] as is standard of the series. Pictured in the 3rd image above.
EXCEED
This ability is tied to the Red Queen weapon. Nero has fine tuned his weapon to allow him to exceed his normal powers and abilities in order to more efficiently take out enemies. This ability is activated by the L2 button, which causes the gauge on the top left hand corner of the screen to fill up. After it has filled up the entire gauge, one "Lamp" will be lit up and then the gauge will start from the bottom again until 3 "Lamps" are lit up.
These Lamps act as reserve stocks for your sword for when you want to use the Exceed. Normally, the player can just hold down L2 for a few seconds and then unleash a powerful move or two. A move enhanced with Exceed gains more power, reach and new properties. By having more Lamps in reserve, you can produce almost an entire combo with the Exceed power up bonus. The L2 charge can be done while doing other actions, so it is to some extent bufferable. This is a powerful tool for Nero when it comes to dishing out damage on high level enemies.
FULL MOVE LIST w/ Red Queen
Streak - Performed by holding forward in the enemy's direction + R1 + /\. This will cause Nero to dash towards the enemy with his sword and deliver a powerful horizontal slash. This is Nero's Stinger equivalent and it covers quite some distance as well as packing a solid punch.
Burning Streak - While powered up with Exceed, the regular Streak ignites with flames and depending on how long you hold the input, there will be a number of revolutions where Nero spins 360 doing widespread damage for maximum efficiency.
High Roller - Performed by holding Left analog away from enemy + R1 + /\. This is the standard juggle starter for Nero and like Hightime it can be held to allow Nero to go up with the airborne enemy and follow up with some bread and butter aerial combos.
High Burner - A powered up version of the High Roller with Exceed that allows Nero to launch even higher as well as the rising version of High Roller come in 2 hits for even more damage.
Helm Breaker - This staple vertical aerial finisher is performed by holding the left analog stick in a certain direction and pressing /\ while in the air. This can also be enhanced with the power of Exceed for more speed, damage and reach.
Aerial Rave - A series of 4 hit slashes that are performed in the air by pressing /\ 4 times. The last hit causes the enemy to hit the floor and these slashes can also be enhanced with Exceed for more damage and reach.
DEVIL BRINGER
Capcom has stated time and time again the importance and sheer combat potential this ability of Nero has. The Devil bringer sets Nero apart from his superior demon hunter counterpart Dante by allowing him some nifty maneuvers. The Devil Bringer is not just another weapon added to the DMC arsenal, it completely changes the way DMC is played. It's about positioning as well as damaging enemies, crowd controlling and crowd destroying. The way that the new Arm game play is managed is sort of the anti-thesis of Vergil's Dark Slayer. After leveling it up, you are able to manuever in a variety of ways, including pulling enemies towards you, throwing them away, bringing down enemies from the sky and smacking them, or tossing them up in the air for juggles. Instead of you going towards/away from the enemy or you manipulating yourself, you are manipulating the enemy and moving them towards/away from you.
The Devil Bringer visually appears to be a bright yellow demonic infestation upon Nero arm that upon use creates a blue-ish, purple ghost image of itself that can extend, enlarge and grab objects/enemies that require much more strength than Nero's normal arm to move around. Originally the ghost hand that came out was yellow, just like the arm itself. It also had a flame residue which is not replaced by a purple flash of particles and a simple straight streak from the real arm to the ghost arm. No reason was given for this change. No matter what the Devil Bringer moves insanely fast and keeps up with the general pace of the game effortlessly.
The Devil Bringer gains new abilities via Crystal Skulls that are found throughout the game. The skulls when touched quickly fuse with the arm, endowing it new powers. The first skill to be learned by the Devil Bringer is Hell Bound.
Hell Bound basically works like a grappling hook, allowing Nero to pull himself towards a special area labeled "Grim Grip". This has great platforming applications obviously. However, the Hell Bound ability has other functions as well. It can also be used to grab objects from afar, most notably Red Orbs and Green Orbs that are just out of reach of the player.
Hell Bound is activated by press R1+O while facing either a Grim Grip or a similar object. You can also use Hell Bound while on a specific blue platform to get to another platform with a Grim Grip in between.
Snatch
Snatch is a supplement ability that activates upon using Hell Bound on an enemy. Instead of you going towards the enemy, that enemy comes towards you. This is akin to Scorpion's grappling hook attack and just like in that game it leads to a multitude of combos due to the fact that the enemy is incapacitated after the move is used. Snatch is performed on on enemy by facing it so that you are in Lock-On proximity and then pressing R1+O. Snatch can be performed from the air as well on both grounded and airborne enemies for maximum combo insanity.
Buster
Buster is performed simply by pressing O near an enemy. The Buster move varies from enemy to enemy, and it may not work under all conditions. Against the puppets for example it will always connect but against someone like Berial it will not work unless you weaken him more. Buster can also be performed from the air.
Dispatching Enemies with Buster
Puppets
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A simple O near them can initiate Buster. This will cause Nero to first uppercut them and then smack them straight to the floor.
Stage 1 Demo – Puppets
Frosts
Frosts are immune to Buster when they are in their crystal ice forms and they generally like to keep their distance by evading and throwing projectiles at you, even through ice teleportation. However you can catch them off guard with a Snatch right into Buster.
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Nero will swing the Frost around his head effortlessly and then toss it away dealing considerable damage. The other Frost (since they come in pairs) will not be able to hit you with physical attacks while you are swinging and you can do this airborne as well.
Frozen Vengeance – Frost video
Berial
You cannot use Buster on Berial when he has flames around his body. Your first goal is to weaken him either with slashes around the neck/head area or by bullets from the Blue Rose. Either way it will take some time and Berial isn't exactly going to sit around for you to hit him. He hits back very hard and he has quite a large movelist as compared to previous DMC bosses.
-> 
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When the flames are finally extinguished, you can perform Buster on Berial's head. This will cause Nero to first levitate Berial in the air for a few seconds and then bring him crashing down. With Berial lying flat on his ass you can do a lot of slash combos on him OR you can move on to the next phase:
This is an uppercut you can perform after doing the first part. When Berial is down you can perform Buster again which will cause Nero to do an uppercut to Berial and then when he is airborne Nero will smack him away causing .... you guessed it... MASSIVE DAMAGE! After taking a thrashing like this, Berial will re-summon his flames which causes a large shockwave around him (as seen in some of the screens before).
Berial Boss Fight
*It is worth noting that both Nero and Dante have a built in Sprint mechanic that kicks in when you have the Left analog stick moving in one direction for sometime. The Sprint lasts indefinitely, that is until you hit an obstacle or stop it yourself.(
DANTE's Game Play
Dante is back and while he has a new visual design this time around, he is just a next-gen version of his DMC3 self. Dante is clearly the character of choice for the seasoned veterans in DMC4 and he does not disappoint in that aspect.
Stylish Dante Game Play footage
Controls
Left Analog Stick = Movement
Right Analog Stick = Camera
L3 = Lock-on Change
R3 = Camera center behind player
D-Pads
Right = Swordmaster
Left = Gunslinger
Up = Trickster
Down = Royal Guard
/\ = Melee attack
O = Style attack
[] = Firearm attack
X = Jump
R1 = Lock On
L1 = Devil Trigger
R2 = Devil Arm switch
L2 = Fire Arm switch
Dante's Weapons
Rebellion
Ebony and Ivory
Dante's classic dual Desert Eagle pistols make another comeback, living up to their fan given phrase "Devil arms come and go, but Ebony and Ivory are forever". Now much more intricately detailed than before in-game, they have better muzzle sounds and a brighter discharge image. They have all of the classic moves from before and probably a few more tricks.
Shotgun
Another one of DMC's classic weapons, one that has found itself in all DMC games thus far. Powerful at close range, not so at longer ranges. The Shotgun also retains it's signature moves from DMC3, including Fireworks both in the air and on the ground. The player is able to switch between E&I and Shotgun on the fly in the demo that has Dante playable (not open to the public yet).
On the Fly Style Switch
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The most important and ground breaking addition to Dante's game play. Before in DMC3, you had to change your styles via a Statue but now you can do it in REAL TIME! This means that just like your 4 weapons that you can use at any time, you can also do the same with your 4 styles: Swordmaster, Gunslinger, Royal Guard and Trickster. The styles are indicated on the top right hand corner, each mapped to one of the D-pad buttons.
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Whenever you tap a D-pad button, Dante announces that style name and a corresponding color flashes from Dante. It is simple yet very effective as it should be.
Analysis of Signature Moves
Stinger - The staple move of the entire DMC franchise has been revamped once again for next-gen consoles. The general properties are the same, it's the visual effects that have been altered. The same move input as before, R1+Forward+/\, Stinger now has a nice motion blur effect and air whizzing past Dante as he lunges towards the enemy for the deadly strike.
Million Stab - A move that has been substantially altered from before. The fiery red color on the strikes isn't the only change on the move, it now has a wider reach and has a faster appearance to it. The changes probably indicate a better efficiency to the move than before. It has the same input as before, during Combo II of Rebellion rapidly press /\.
Drive - The most improved move in DMC4. In DMC3 this move was low-tier, rarely used by the players. This time around it seems extremely useful, to the point of being almost overpowered. The damage streak hits in a wider AND longer range than before, it MUCH more powerful and comes in 3 strikes! It even qualifies as a boss killer move. If that's not enough, the move input has been changed so that now you have to charge with O instead of /\, meaning you can be dishing out damage with the normal melee attacks while charging this beast! Drive is now a Swordmaster exclusive move.
Helm Breaker - No major change on this move, aside from more sparks flying when Dante comes crashing down to the floor. Move input is in the air /\.
Hightime - No major change here either but now like all of Rebellion's standard slashes it comes with a cool black after-image that is representative of the dark nature of Rebellion itself. Move input is R1+Back+/\.
Two-Some Time - No change from before, same input.
Rainstorm & Fireworks - No change from before, same input.
Roundtrip - Roundtrip makes a comeback after missing in Dante's arsenal in DMC3. It replaces the Drive move by being the hold /\ input, meaning it's a universal move.
OLD DMC4 CONCEPTS
This section is written entirely by DexterXS
DMC4 has properly shown its face twice before now, once at E3 2005, and then again at TGS 2005, and on both occasions a short teaser trailer was provided. (It, and RE5, were noticeably absent at E3 2006, much to the serious shock and disappointment of fans, who had expected at least some kind of news or mention) Concept art of characters and costumes were also released on a few occasions, along with sporadic interviews and comments from the director and producer. Solid information was pretty scarce though, and the development team let it be known most of what was seen in the teaser trailers was NOT indicative of what we would see in the actual game.
E3 TRAILER
The teaser trailer was mostly composed of footage from past games along with a cryptic comment for each, DMC4 was given the words: “Evil is punished”
This trailer is set in a snowy environment, and we can see a dark castle in the background
Dante is breifly seen using Ebony and Rebellion
Famitsu article, a few days before TGS 2005:
DMC4 was said to be 5% complete
DMC4 will continue the mission system seen in the previous DMC games
Focus is being given to flowing hair and clothes, as well as facial expression.
The article featured both screens from the then unreleased TGS 05 trailer, and various pieces of concept art. One featured a lot characters from the previous games, namely Dante, Lady (now with longer hair, an altered missile launcher and …bigger assets), Trish (in sillouette), Nelo Angelo, and someone that looked like Vergil (separately that is) although his hair was styled like Dante’s. Most of the concept art then appeared to be of Dante, although also featured, was a much younger looking character, also with white hair. (he was being designed with quite old timey Victorian-esque clothes) Translations revealed that it was in fact labelled “new male character” There was also concept art of a blue coated character, which fans assumed was of Nero.
Devil May Cry 4 will feature more weapons, maneuvers, enemies, locations, music, and cut scenes than all the previous releases combined. It is also being billed as being the longest release yet.
Players "won't be able to go back." Possibly hinting that you can't backtrack to previous missions and/or locations until completing the game once.
Kobayashi confirmed that - despite initial plans - the fourth iteration of the game won't be any easier. He explained that while he began development intending to lessen the challenge, he realised the decision would be unpopular with series fans. Instead, the development team is concentrating on making the title "easier to control" and simpler to "get into" i.e. rather than easier, DMC4 will be more accessible.
The graphics seen in the TGS 2005 teaser are apparently the bare minimum that we will see in the actual game
It was revealed that Dante was to sport a much more gruff appearance in DMC4, and would even have a slight beard. As seen in some concept art provided in the article.
As well as being ever so slightly bearded, the concept art also featured Dante in a thick and fluffy-collared winter style jacket, implying he would be specially dressed for the cold environment.
TGS 2005 teaser
The teaser is set in a more urban environment, a city street
The message “PS3 exclusive” can be seen early in the trailer.
Dante is seen to be using Rebellion, E+I and a shotgun, and performing a variety of attacks upon the loose camera, most notably hightime, classic DMC juggling, (along with shotgun fire flipping the “enemy” mid air) a variant of aerial rave, and even a helm breaker.
There are 3 posters of choice DMC3 characters pasted around the area. There is one of Nevan (concept art image), Beowulf (CG art), and then one of Lady (concept art image) with the english text “learn to protect yourself” on it.
A sign in the background says "Galerie Duve IR" and there’s a "cafe" sign with "classic" on a board under it. Using these, it has been speculated that the street is based in either Germany or France, and given the background and style of the architecture, it is most likely in France. (the cathedral like building behind may or may not be Notre Dame) Following this, use of a real location as a base may have been used to save design time.
Addressing the TGS 05 trailer, Kobayashi confirmed it was designed to demonstrate the PS3's power and isn't indicative of the direction he plans to take the sequel. For example, the Dante seen in the trailer is merely a continuation of the younger character from DMC3 whereas Dante is likely to adopt a much darker guise for the next-gen game.
The Dante that we control in Devil May Cry 4 will be following from the Dante of the original Devil May Cry. Devil May Cry's character designer Tatsuya Yoshikawa is currently experimenting with a darker, older, moodier look for the series' anti-hero.
Kobayashi last worked on the series' first incarnation and he's apparently keen to make fans feel like they're discovering the franchise all over again. He wants to give players the feeling that Dante is making his world debut once again.
In addition to Dante, we can, continuing with series tradition, expect a female lead. In the interview, Kobayashi asks readers if they'd prefer a previous heroine to return, or a completely new heroine. Jokingly, he adds that a heroine is important in order to show off how cool Dante really is. Other characters from past games may or may not make an appearance -- Kobayashi says that nothing has been decided.
Kobayashi was keen to point out that he feels the balance between cinematics and gameplay was perfect in DMC3 and he hopes to emulate that successful structure for Devil May Cry 4, while adding new elements. Kobayashi promises to start thinking about a release date for Devil May Cry 4 once the PS3 has seen release.
EXTERNAL LINKS
Official Capcom Site
DMC4 Impressions by the 1UP Staff
IGN's DMC4 Impressions : "One of the best looking games on the TGS floor".
Stylish Nero Game Play footage
Nero Demo Trailer
Frozen Vengeance – Frost video
DMC4 Nero Game Play Preview Trailer
Stage 1 Demo – Puppets
Berial Boss Fight
Stylish Dante Game Play footage
DMC4 TGS 05 Teaser
DMC4 E3 05 Teaser
TGS 06 Demo Walkthrough
Devil May Cry 4 TGS Trailer Direct Feed <-- Click on Movies!
Devil May Cry 4 REALTIME DEMONSTRATION On Stage Video!
Credits
DexterXS – For his DMC4 old concepts sections, taken from his IGN blog.
Tatsamarublack – For his hi-quality GIFs used in the game play section of the FAQ.