Joystiq hands-on: Devil May Cry 4 (PS3)
by Christopher Grant 
{ Sep 22nd 2006 at 4:55AM }
Don't let the new coat of polish fool you, just go by the title. Devil May Cry 4 is the fourth title in the relatively young series and, as a result, feels neither new nor exciting. You perform your combos, kill the baddies, collect some orbs, and repeat. The good news is that it's playable here at TGS, as opposed to the real time footage we feared.
While the environments are nicely detailed and the architecture appropriately atmospheric, the characters leave something to be desired.
The game did look good but, interestingly, after a brief system crash (hey, this is beta software after all), the Sony television display (the same one with the "Full 1080" sticker on the front) revealed this particular PS3 demo was running at a not-true and not-full 720p. Regardless of its technical pedigree, Devil May Cry 4 does illustrate that even pre-release PS3 games are graphically impressive, with none of those load times we've been worried about. Expect DMC4 to look even better when it gets released this Spring. As for the gameplay, if you've played the first three, we imagine you'll know exactly what you're getting into.
Apologies for the notably poor image ... Sony was not allowing any photographs of the games played at their booth, but we managed to snap this blurry mess before getting our pasty mitts slapped. Fortunately, they allowed Game Videos to get some video, which we've embedded after the break.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Kworn @ Sep 22nd 2006 5:05AM
Can anyone say TRAINCRASH?
munchi @ Sep 22nd 2006 5:13AM
Oh the Irony...there are probably only 1 or 2 games running in 1080p of all the ones shown. Sony really has built up 1080p...just like the Emotion Engine...and now will look the fool failing to deliver 1080p for almost all Titles.
Microsoft in contrast will enable 1080p but is being allot more upfront with consumers as to the lack of benefit 1080p brings and all the caveats that it does.
Such as 1080p 24 is horrible for fast movement (ie. gaming and sports). The temporal resolution is not as good as 1080i 60 or 1080i at higher framerates. Also not many folks even have 1080p sets...so why in the world should developers waist their time making assets for 1080p when an overwhelming majority of consumers can't do anything with a 1080p output signal anyway.
Seems like the only tru positive differentiator for the PS3 is HDMI. Negative differentiators...Online Plans (or lack thereof), Media Center capabilities, quality of launch titles.
Blu Ray owns your Soul @ Sep 22nd 2006 5:17AM
first dead rising now devil may cry. it seems capcom can take a winning formula and mess it up one way or another
Kworn @ Sep 22nd 2006 5:20AM
Sony cutting Price by 20%
Finally some good news
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/5369720.stm
juan @ Sep 22nd 2006 5:33AM
Wow, they have added HDMI to the 20 GB model too!!
RiemannLebesgue @ Sep 22nd 2006 5:46AM
Kworn, they're only cutting the price in Japan.
greenfly360 @ Sep 22nd 2006 6:47AM
Looks nice but are you telling me the xbox could not do that? I don't think soooo.
serbz @ Sep 22nd 2006 6:58AM
@7
if they could do this on an xbox could do that than why the hell arnt they? what are they waiting for already?
Brt @ Sep 22nd 2006 7:14AM
It has real time weapon change now!
bp @ Sep 22nd 2006 7:33AM
@ #8
huh?
Zero @ Sep 22nd 2006 7:45AM
So can anyone actually see any difference when games run in 1080p, then?
striderhayasa @ Sep 22nd 2006 8:03AM
I wouldn't be surprised if Sony put a bag of money on the table for Capcom to keep Devil May Cry exclusive. After seeing Lost Planet, there is no reason to think that Devil May Cry 4 couldn't be done on 360.
As it stands...DMC4 is "meh". If capcom was going to use the exact same Dante animation, style, gun and swordplay for a "new" character, why not just have dante as the main character again. Lame. I'll pass. Looks like the original DMC may still be the one to beat.
biohazard @ Sep 22nd 2006 9:05AM
DMC4 and LP are supposed to be using the same game engine, so it makes sense the game is being demo'd at 720p. That said everyone who has seen LP says it looks great and plays great; and I have no doubts DMC4 should be the same.
Mal F4cti0n @ Sep 22nd 2006 10:23AM
sounds like lack of rumble is the biggest problem with this game. How can you take out rumble? So you can add shaking your controller to grapple with a soldier?
WTF. No way am I going to buy this thing. I might wait and pick it up five years from now when it is only $400.
Ray @ Sep 22nd 2006 10:18AM
Am I seeing this right? The main character is totally unaffected by the lighting system? Watch when he is in shadow and moves into light, no change at all. Also when he fires his guns he isn't lit up.
KumoriJinsoku @ Sep 22nd 2006 10:25AM
@2
That's Sony for you. They say they are coming out with the best gaming thing possible, then they say, "Oops!" and try to compensate for that. Look at what happened when they released a tech demo using Final Fantasy VII.
Dan @ Sep 22nd 2006 10:43AM
If Joystiq's assessment holds up, Devil May Cry will be the Star Trek of video games, every other one is good.
Doom3 @ Sep 22nd 2006 11:18AM
Hell where is that shaky cam video? This video suck so bad it's very shameful. I'm really tired of the realistic building crap. It's freaking boring man... The shaky cam video has a giant flaming dragon tearing down buildings in real time. Man you guys missed it? Why show this boring ass game play? Man if this is really what we are supose to expect from a playable build of DMC4 then I guess I'm back on the wii60 boat. You guys need the footage to see the stuff that was pulled off of you tube.
It's been removed by the user now though. Man this is a sad day for sony. I bet Ken is tearing up his office this moment in a druken rage.
E.J. @ Sep 22nd 2006 11:18AM
No load times = Game is on harddrive.
Great textures and lighting, and this is just looking at a web stream.
There are some cool combos but it would be nice if they moved the sword swinging around to the analog stick with respective animations for Nero.
And since the Dual-Shake has trigger-like L2 and R2 buttons, the swing-camera control could be moved there.
If this is just gonna be another button masher, it'd be real disappointing.
Patrick @ Sep 22nd 2006 12:19PM
Same crap, prettier graphics, par for the course when it comes to "next-gen" it seems.
The ZeroCorpse @ Sep 22nd 2006 12:26PM
Devil May Cry is no Castlevania. It never was. It's more like Golden Axe with a graphics upgrade. Meh.
Phranctoast @ Sep 22nd 2006 12:42PM
dmc was what castevania should have been but was not.
WizarDru @ Sep 22nd 2006 2:30PM
"dmc was what castevania should have been but was not."
I suppose that's true...if you think that Castelvania should have been a 3-d platformer with poor camera controls, survival horror elements and inconsistent level design.
The first DMC was excellent. It's been a downhill slide ever since. Castlevania, with a couple of noticable exceptions, has generally gotten better.
Becky @ Sep 22nd 2006 1:54PM
So few things for the Not-Dante to be fighting.. Not even hard things.
I am really, really reminded of DMC 2
the horrible one everybody hated.
As a diehard fan of 1 and 3, I have to say capcom is thoroughly good at completely not knowing why it's games are sometimes so good... it must be pure luck when they do make something decent.
It feels tragic to me that I am not looking forward to devil may cry 4 at all.
Eggman @ Sep 22nd 2006 2:12PM
Thats so lame, that guy isn't dante so they could've ATLEAST given him his own way of holding/shooting the guns and swordplay. He even runs/jumps exactly like Dante. Seems like they just recycled the last game, upped the graphics, changed some models and added a new story line. Pathetic.
Anyway, 1080p is so fukin overhyped its not even funny. Only the most GEEKIEST geeks will be able to tell the difference on their electron microscopes. I can't even tell the difference b/w 720p and 1080i on my 60" lcd. I can't believe THIS is what sony keeps hyping as opposed to anything game related. MSFT is always going on about their game lineup (shows their proud of their accomplishments there) these idiots just keep spewing tech specs (i guess their proud of this but unfortunately... the greater public doesn't give a shit).
They have some great IP on their hands with FF and MGS, yet they NEVER seem to talk about their games.
Phranctoast @ Sep 22nd 2006 2:31PM
"I can't even tell the difference b/w 720p and 1080i on my 60" lcd. "
Thats probably because you havent seen 1080i yet. most HD bradcast are not 1080i/p yet.
There is a big difference. Not much of a diff between 1080i and p though.
Phranctoast @ Sep 22nd 2006 2:34PM
Ok to clarify.
when castlevania went 3d. DMC was what it should have been
Castlevania in 3d for the n64 as well as the ps2 (both games) cant hold a dmc 1 & 3 (i left out 2 for obvious reasons) jock strap.
and #1
Its trainwreck you ass
Patrick @ Sep 22nd 2006 2:38PM
Castlevania doesn't need to go 3D, as SotN, the GBA games, and now the DS games have proven.
Richard @ Sep 22nd 2006 6:13PM
What are you guys talking about? This game looks nothing like DMC 2. It looks like it plays as good as DMC 3 and the enviroments look awesome. This game will be the reason to get a PS3. And, in my opinion, DMC is way better than Castlevania. If there are any graphical/technical issues in this demo, I'm sure they'll be cleared up before release. Have faith people.
Knoxximus @ Sep 23rd 2006 1:54AM
What's with that glowing arm? What is this shit? God Hand Origins?
foobob @ Sep 23rd 2006 10:02PM
Well, while everyone is at it: DMC is like Castlevania: SotN in 3D and on steroids, minus the absolutetly brilliant and gigantic Metroid-like level layouts and actual clever puzzles. Dante is even a half-demon like Alucard.
DMC is a hardcore action game. And very good at that.