Devil May Cry 4 [PC]

It's been six months since we received any details about Devil May Cry 4, Capcom's latest installment in the fast paced action franchise. We learned at TGS that a new character named Nero was taking the lead role of the title instead of Dante, and that his abilities will be somewhat different than the legendary Son of Sparda. However, the build that was shown then was still very early, and while it featured some slowdown and hints of large boss characters, we were teased without a lot of information about the upcoming title. Well, at their recent Gamer's Day, Capcom finally revealed the latest details about the game as well as a new playable demo of the title.

Hiroyuki Kobayashi, the producer of the title, was on hand to fill in more details about the upcoming game, which sounds like it will be much larger than any of the previous titles in the series. He started by introducing Nero once again, a young man from the town of Fortuna who belongs to a group of devil hunters known as the Order of the Sword. Nero is a unique member of the organization thanks to his weaponry and abilities. Instead of packing twin pistols like Dante, Nero's sidearm is a double barreled pistol known as the Blue Rose, which packs a serious punch. His sword is just as dangerous. Known as the Red Queen, it's a massive blade with a motorcycle handle in the hilt which Nero can rev up to inflict even more damage on his target.

After informing us about these subtle differences between the two well known characters of the series, Kobayashi then showed off some of the lush visuals of the demo, while providing commentary on what we were observing. The demo started off at the Opera House Plaza, the impressively detailed open air area with the massive fountain that players have seen in previously released trailers. This section, as well as other sweeping camera angles in later sections, served to highlight the incredible detail and scale of the title, and it was apparent that everything that was being shown was a location that you would be able to fight your way through. In fact, shortly after stepping into the courtyard, a group of enemies teleported in, and the battle began.

Like previous DMC titles, Nero's battle prowess at chaining combos together was judged around the number and variety of moves that were used to dispatch his enemies. The higher the combo that you pulled off, the larger the number of red orbs that were released when an opponent was killed. However, Nero had another way to vary his attacks instead of simply slashing with the Red Queen or blasting away with the Blue Rose. Nero could use his right arm, known as the Devil Bringer, to project an energy encased phantom limb that would throw demons around in a move known as Snatch. Nero could also use the Devil Bringer to juggle these enemies by performing an uppercut followed by a pistol or sword attack, or leaping strike, further weakening them and chaining significant blows together.

The Devil Bringer wasn't simply for offensive purposes, however. With the acquisition of a magical skull item known as the Evil Legacy, Nero could perform a move known as Hellbound, which allowed him to grab items through bars and other barriers that he couldn't otherwise reach. It also allowed him to perform something known as the Grim Grip, which he could use to rappel from one highlighted portal area to another or propel him across a landscape. While there are certain areas where you'll be forced to use these portals to proceed, there are numerous sections within DMC4 that will feature multiple pathways, so players should have some flexibility in deciding whether they want to charge headfirst into some battles, or take a stealthier way around and ambush your enemies. In some instances, performing the latter during the Opera House was an easy way to quickly move through the patchwork marionette like monsters that wielded large blades and spiked legs. While they attacked Nero with large numbers, they didn't seem to exhibit a lot of intelligence, making them easy targets for nimble maneuvers.