Alternatively titled "How I learned to quit worrying and love the controller."
Didn't see a thread about it, and I think it deserves its own for several reasons.
First off, I've never finished a DMC game until now. Never even really claimed to be a fan of the series. Sure it had some of the best button mashing out there, and inspired God of War and half a dozen other games....but I never really saw the depth.
Until now anyways. DMC 4 does what other DMCs have done, including dual characters....but the sheer number of combinations of EVERYTHING blows my mind.
First off, Nero. A lot like Dante, but his two big changes are a grappling/slamming/throwing arm instead of styles, and a sword that can either be revved to offer a whole new set of attacks on a hit-by-hit basis, OR can be activated by perfect timing, also on hit-by-hit basis. Put those two together, along with all his sword combos and what not, and you can ninja you ass all over the screen if you've got the skill and timing.
And then there's Dante, who gets 3 different ranged weapons (one of which is more like 6 weapons in one), 5 meele weapons and 5 attack styles, each with about oh, 5 moves in each. (Each ranged weapon, each meele weapon, each attack style has upgrade.)
You do the math. I prefer Dante the most, because seamlessly changing between weapons and styles offers you way more options than with Nero. My favorite combinations are Rebellion/Pandora/Dark Slayer, and Lucifer/Pandora/Trickster (or Dark Slayer). I want to like Gilgamesh, but it's so damn slow, and almost all your attacks keep you rooted to the ground...making it hard to avoid getting hit.
There layers, and layers and layers of nuance to combat. Simple button mashing produces some cool stuff, but truly understanding how the systems work means you can basically bend the game over, bosses and all, with your awesomeness. Playing this game makes me feel old and slow as I try to keep up with all the stuff I can do.
Both characters purchase new skills over the course of the story as per DMC games, but none are mandatory to finish the game, so you can pick the moves and styles that best suit you as you play through, and then replay missions to build up enough money to get the rest.
The game is long too, 20 missions. And even though you re-tread the same levels time..and time...and time again, they manage to keep it fresh. With two characters, variable abilities each time you visit, an advancing story, changing enemies and difficulty and the natural learning factor, I never really got annoyed replaying areas. I was too eager to get into the next fight, and each area changes a little bit each time you visit, visually and in terms of the puzzles and challenges they throw at you.
And then there's all the secret missions, finding hidden health increasing orbs, making money to buy more health increasing orbs and devil trigger timer (yet another facet of game play) from the vendor, secret modes to unlock.....I've put 50 hours into the game and I just beat in on the easy setting, not maxing out a single category of skills or weapons.
The story and the art do deserve props too. The game is gorgeous, and the story is epic. It's dramatic, funny and outrageous, as are all the cut scenes.
For example, you....
Fight a 100 foot tall god floating in the sky as an entire level of the game. Gianormous fists smashing you, apocalyptic attacks, the works.
I like how the first part is almost over-the-top serious, and the second half totally changes the mood while still managing to resolve things by the end.
And just so I can get this off my chest....
FUCK DMC 4 RRRAARRRR GGNGNASKJAJFAKLKJIOWTASKIJ!!!!
Seriously, some of the secret missions, challenges and requirements to do more than average are UNSANE. The game is downright abusive sometimes with what it puts you through to complete everything, even at the easiest setting. The timing is l33t and unforgiving, and lots of the moves require tons of finesse to pull off on command. My computer struggles in a lot of areas to run at decent FPS, and I actually appreciate it because it slows game play down to the point where I can think, let alone react.
And when it takes 20 minutes of hacking through ***holes just to get to a secret mission, it SURE does blow to fail a ridiculously tough secret mission, die, and have to go back another 20 minutes to get another shot.
(For example, trying to run across vanishing platforms while you're being circled by floating ghosts who are just waiting for you to be FORCED to stand on a single square, so they can skewer the fuck out of you with their laser-needle-attack-thing. FUCK YOU!)
It's like every bad thing ever mentioned on TV Tropes about abusive game design shows up here. If you don't need a guide to get full completion on one aspect or another of this game, I call you a ****ing liar.
I never really appreciated the series until this game, because I could easily loose a few hundred hours perfecting my technique and unlocking everything. I never really did get on the DMC/GoW band wagon, so I'm sure this is coming pretty late for some....but if you want a beat 'em up that's easy to learn, INCREDIBLY HARD TO MASTER, is thoughtfully designed in a lot of ways and will last you a while....give this a look see.
Now time for some sleep so my freaking hands can unclench.
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Topic: Devil May Cry 4 PC - How I got carpel tunnel syndrome. Special Edition Announced (Read 2733 times)