Devil May Cry 4 Demo up this Thursday (1/24)

[Velorath]

On both Live and PSN.  The first game was a bit of arcade kinda fun, never really played 2, and I thought 3 pretty much sucked.  This demo will pretty much decide whether or not I actually pick the game up.

[stray]

Huh? 3 was easily the best. 4 won't be any different if they know what's good for them.

[Velorath]

Huh? 3 was easily the best. 4 won't be any different if they know what's good for them.

We've talked about why I think 3 sucks before so I won't get into it any further here unless pressed.  The fact that they eased up on the difficulty between 3 and the special edition indicates that things could very well be different in some respects.  Plus you can apparently switch weapons out on the fly (while you're in the middle of combos no less, without going into the menu) in 4, which adds a bit of a new dynamic to it.

[stray]

I never had a problem with the core gameplay being that unplayable. I could still get past things. It was trying to get a good score that was hard. Adding some of those new features will be neat, but I doubt they're going to change anything if you basically just can't get a grip at combat in general. Even the special edition of dmc3 wasn't that much of a change in difficulty. It's still tougher than ninja gaiden. And from what little reviews that are out there, this one is hard too. Hell, it wouldn't be dmc if it wasn't.

[Velorath]

I never had a problem with the core gameplay being that unplayable. I could still get past things. It was trying to get a good score that was hard. Adding some of those new features will be neat, but I doubt they're going to change anything if you basically just suck at combat and combos in general. Even the special edition of dmc3 wasn't that much of a change in difficulty. It's still tougher than ninja gaiden. And from what little reviews that are out there, this one is hard too. Hell, it would even be dmc if it wasn't.

My problems with 3 didn't have to do with sucking at combat.  It's that the levels were actually almost pointlessly easy until you get to the boss who mercilessly beats the shit out of you until you figure out the trick to beating him.  Until you figure it out though, you have to keep going back through the pointlessly easy level every time you die.  Essentially I just hate repeating shit I've already beaten several times, so I'd like to be able to save at least shortly before each boss fight.  That one change would have made DMC3 a thousand times better to me.  That and just get rid of the story entirely.  That shit is more embarrassing than the acting and dialogue in the first Resident Evil.

Also, DMC1... not hard.  At all.

[Fabricated]

Hopefully the DMC3 lightning strikes again. If they can do DMC3's gameplay with the endearing cheesiness of DMC1 and not the "warrior within" syndrome DMC2 or the just plain silly DMC3 characters I'm sold.

[Moaner]

Uh, yea.  Give me DMC3 gameplay with updated graphics and I'll be in fucking heaven.  Fucking heaven!

By the way a serious story line would ruin DMC.  I think you are missing the point Velorath.

[Velorath]

Uh, yea.  Give me DMC3 gameplay with updated graphics and I'll be in fucking heaven.  Fucking heaven!

By the way a serious story line would ruin DMC.  I think you are missing the point Velorath.

Unless the point was specifically to annoy the shit out of me, then I don't think I missed it.  I just thought it was fucking stupid.

[stray]

I try to look at it like a fighting or arcade game, as far as scrutinizing the story goes.

Besides, good stories in games are a treat. Almost all of them suck. It's commited no unique crime there. Thing is, most of these games don't play like dmc either.

[Velorath]

I try to look at it like a fighting or arcade game, as far as scrutinizing the story goes.

Besides, good stories in games are a treat. Almost all of them suck. It's commited no unique crime there. Thing is, most of these games don't play like dmc either.

That's why rather than saying that they should have a better story, I said they shouldn't have one at all.  Yeah there's a lot of games that have shitty stories.  DMC3 has more cutscenes than most of them though.

[stray]

Fair enough.

[Azazel]

I try to look at it like a fighting or arcade game, as far as scrutinizing the story goes.

Besides, good stories in games are a treat. Almost all of them suck. It's commited no unique crime there. Thing is, most of these games don't play like dmc either.

Putting aside the uncommon stories that have a bit of interest to them, or are rarely decent to good. They're really divided into standard sucky videogame stories and ones that are so bad (or feature such shocking cutscenes/voice acting) that you find yourself squirming in your seat, embarassed to be watching them even though noone else in in the house with you.

[stray]

Well DMC isn't that bad. It's a little juvenile, sure, and has a lot of the corny posturing one could find in a lot of japanese action games (especially fighting games), but all in all, the character designs are mostly cool. The levels are cool. It's mostly based on vampires and demons, not much to screw up there. It isn't badass storytelling like God of War, but it makes up for it in solid gameplay. There isn't a more challenging game of it's type (speaking of dmc3).

[Velorath]

Well DMC isn't that bad. It's a little juvenile, sure, and has a lot of the corny posturing one could find in a lot of japanese action games (especially fighting games), but all in all, the character designs are mostly cool. The levels are cool. It's mostly based on vampires and demons, not much to screw up there. It isn't badass storytelling like God of War, but it makes up for it in solid gameplay. There isn't a more challenging game of it's type (speaking of dmc3).

DMC really is that bad storywise.  I'd probably have shot myself in the head out of embarrassment if anybody had been around to hear "I should have been the one to fill your dark soul with LIIIIIIIGGGGGGGHHHHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" in the first game.  Also, Dante's character always gives me flashbacks of the Poochy episode of the Simpsons in that he comes across like he was designed by a group of older people who are designing him based on what they think kids find cool.  Like, "Yeah, we'll give him this long red trechcoat, and white hair, and twin handguns.  And then we'll give him a big fucking sword.  Kid's love that shit man.  Oh, and get this shit, he's half fucking demon.  And we'll have him fighting and trying to eat pizza at the same time like some ninja turtle shit.  They're still cool, right?  And how about if he's starts riding around on a rocket here, like he's on a surf board or something.".

[stray]

If that was the case, then half of the anime characters from 1985 to the present were designed by commitee too. Starting with D.

Whatever though. I think Dante is cool. It's the English voiceovers that make him a little irritating to me sometimes, but I think the character itself is pretty cool. I'm probably older than you too. I don't think age has anything to do with it.

[Velorath]

If that was the case, then half of the anime characters from 1985 to the present were designed by commitee too. Starting with D.

Whatever though. I think Dante is cool. It's the English voiceovers that make him a little irritating to me sometimes, but I think the character itself is pretty cool. I'm probably older than you too. I don't think age has anything to do with it.

I don't really think Amano needs a commitee to help him design anything.  I don't typically watch anime though, so I don't really have any general comments to make about the characters.

As far as the demo goes, I like how Capcom spliced a bunch of areas together and teaches you a couple moves with the devil arm or whatever it's called.  Works a lot better than just giving players access to one section of the game.  I'm still undecided about the game itself, but the demo shows promise.

[Fabricated]

Played the demo, it's actually great. It feels a lot like DMC1 rather than DMC3.

[Soukyan]

Got to try the DMC4 demo yesterday. Quite fun. I wished it was longer. I guess that means I'm hooked. I'll be picking this one up. Slick game.

[stray]

Anyone else pick this up? havent played it yet though...

[Rasix]

Anyone else pick this up? havent played it yet though...

Waiting for the bargain bin or platinum hits edition.  I was tempted though.  I'll just have no time for it.

[Velorath]

Anyone else pick this up? havent played it yet though...

Waiting for the bargain bin or platinum hits edition.  I was tempted though.  I'll just have no time for it.

Pretty much the same here.

[Azazel]

Was considering buying it about 40 minures ago in the shopping centre. I decided to let someone from f13 take the plunge first. SInce my XBL Gold sub expired, I can't d/l the demo ...which means I may have bought it, but didn't. Good marketting strat there, MS.   

[stray]

I had some credit at EB, figured I'd pick it up when I was near, but I'm not doing much gaming these days. I haven't crack open the shrinkwrap. Could be awhile before you hear my opinion. It's another DMC game though... Fairly obvious what we're all in for.

[Azazel]

Yeah, the reviews seem to say "It's DMC! It's (mostly) more of the same and as such, (mostly) Ace!"

But, you know, lots of unplayed games here already, full price, and time poor.

[Mazakiel]

I picked it up based on the demo and started playing it a little last night.  I haven't played a DMC game in years though, since the second one was just bleh to me, but so far, I've been having fun with this one.  The are a lot more cut-scenes in this one than I remember in the first two, especially at the beginning, but I don't hate cut-scenes at all, so I don't really mind.  And they seem much better done than in the past ones I've seen.  Also, looks gorgeous, but anyone playing the demo would know that already.  It's basically way over the top, occasionally silly, fun. 

[Mazakiel]

Finished this last night, remained fun as hell throughout, with only one rather annoying section that would have been easier if I'd felt bothered enough to switch skills around for it.  I never played DMC 3, so I can't really compare the difficulty of this game to that, but I didn't find it overly difficult at all.  It's a pretty well done, polished, and seamlessly executed game. 

[stray]

Man, I still have shit in shrinkwrap. 

Been waiting a year at least, and now I don't want to play it.

[stray]

Finished this last night, remained fun as hell throughout, with only one rather annoying section that would have been easier if I'd felt bothered enough to switch skills around for it.  I never played DMC 3, so I can't really compare the difficulty of this game to that, but I didn't find it overly difficult at all.  It's a pretty well done, polished, and seamlessly executed game. 

It's a lot easier than DMC3. There's two modes (Human and Demon Hunter), but they're probably more in the God of War range of difficulty now. I rather like it though.. The pacing feels a bit like DMC1, and isn't such an all out romp like 3 (a little more emphasis on puzzles..not a lot though). The God Hand Devil Bringer makes combat a bit more fun too.

The game looks great. Even the cutscenes kick ass. I suspect RE5 will look similar ( with the zoomed-in-shoulder look of RE4, hopefully).

[edit] On a sidenote, what's with Capcom and the grappling moves in a lot of it's recent games (or upcoming ones)? I half suspect that even Resident Evil will have it.