After realising there's no use complaining about a bruised and psychologically bored thumb, I decided to revisit a game I thoroughly loved but had not finished.
The original Devil May Cry set the benchmark for all new action games that were to follow it. For me especially, as this was the first game I can remember playing when getting close to a boss or touching them didn't make you lose health.
BOSSES ARE NOT ALL MADE OF ACID.
Losing health because you touched an enemy is for classic games. Mario, Megaman, Kirby; NOT NEXT GEN ACTION HEROES.
I can hear some of you asking: 'But Viking Gamer, when people get near you or touch you they lose health and/or appendages!'
Damn right they do. I'm a private sort of Viking, I don't like people constantly fondling me and twirling my beard in their fingers. And if you look at it logically, most of the people I get close to are people I'm currently raiding/butchering/making love to. And even in that last scenario there's a good chance that I'll accidentally rip off a leg or an arm in my violent, thrashing love making. But you know what they say; 'once you go Viking gamer you lose an appendage'.
Moving on, Devil May Cry was the first game that encouraged you to get close to enemies. The first boss, a giant, flaming spider, allowed you the pleasure of jumping on his back and then slashing and shooting the shit out of him.
Devil May Cry 4, in my opinion (which is the only opinion that matters) is the best action/hack and slash game I have ever played. Solid storyline, brilliant voice-acting, original looking and acting enemies, balanced difficulty, and most importantly, smooth, stylish, brilliant game play.
I've decided to make this video more for the benefit of describing why this game is so Odin damn awesome, rather than my usual flawless attempts at turning games into fine pieces of art.
You'll notice in the first section of game play that the moves I make not only look amazing, but also have a direct relation as to what is going on around me. This kind of action fighting is dying due to God of War and its cronies who keep the idea that swinging some kind of whipping device (whether it's a scythe or swords on chains or a cross or some other 'magical' weapon that not only has an unlimited amount of reach but also defies physics by not getting inadvertently wrapped around enemies and smashing the owner of said weapon in the face {I would have loved to see Kratos cutting his own jaw off due a miscalculated attack}) is somehow inevitably linked with 'skill' and 'fun'.
The second part (17 secs in) of the video not only displays my amazing gaming ability, but the fact that yes, dodging and NOT ATTACKING are just as important and fun as beating the shit out of an enemy. Not only does it look spectacular, you can see your skill and reflexes being rewarded. It's also good for the brain. You have to calculate your moves, how much damage you are willing to take so as to finish off an enemy or whether dodging is the best bet or if you should use your devil trigger (the ability to go into devil mode and become more powerful for a brief period of time) to dish out as much damage as you can...it's not pressing square square square triangle and waiting for the next cutscene.
If you remember my blog on Monster Hunter Tri (see I hyperlinked it so you can read it to remember), you'll see my distaste for enemies with retarded 'weakness' spots. When I'm playing against that giant fire lion thing, you'll notice that I attack his face and his mane (40 secs in). This requires me to grab his face with my demon arm to get up there, which exposes me to the most chance of getting smacked into the ground, but has the benefit of stunning him (notice how the flame goes out [54 secs in]). This is the anti-retard of weak spots. It has benefits and risks, and ultimately I have choice. I COULD have slashed away at his flank, been hit and flung back at the cost of a little bit of health, before dodging his frontal attacks to run to his flank to start hacking away again; the kicker being that attacking him in this way doesn't leave him stunned and takes forever. But the point is I have a CHOICE.
While we have all come to realise that I am a Viking and kick arse in battle, even Vikings like to watch animes and Jet Li movies and wish that we could do those amazing well timed ninja-esque moves. I know I do. It's all well and good being able to take an axe to the bicep and then pull it out with your teeth and force someone to the ground and then cut his head off while chewing at the blade and forcing it through his neck, but it doesn't look good (as my PR agent keeps telling me).
In the fifth part (1 min 12 secs). Seriously, just look at it. I'm a demon ninja, I'm going nuts on ice monsters. Even in Ninja Gaiden there aren't awesome combos as demon-ninja as that. And what's that at 1 min 18 seconds? I've dodged behind an ice attack, ninja teleported through it, Goku instant transmissioned through the air and kicked the other monster in the face. There are no other games that make you feel this powerful or cool.
Before I get to my last point, I have to say that I've left a few things out of the videos. One is the classic aspect of gaming that Devil May Cry DID decide to keep.
Timing. The first games were based on timing and jumping and moving. Frogger has it, Kirby had it, Megaman, Sonic, Mario etc, ALL had jumping and timing parts and that made games not only fun but addictively and excitingly so.
Devil May Cry has always had punishing timing sections of the game between enemies which is a great thing. In this way players that finish Devil May Cry have a lot more to say on their gaming resume. Picture it this way.
I, the Viking Gamer, go for a gaming interview saying I've finished DMC 4 and some Noob has finished God of War.
'So Viking Gamer, I noticed on your resume that you finished DMC 4. I assume you have skills to deal with bosses who take knowledge, tactics and skill to take down as well as being able to estimate and get through punishing time related challenges which can be frustrating but are ultimately more rewarding. When can you start?'
"I Answer To No-one!"
[Queue slaughtering of boss and the rest of the staff]
Noob with God of War accreditation:
'So...Noob...I noticed your good at...pressing...buttons.'
'Well sir...'
'GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY OFFICE!'
See? It doesn't work out for poor Noob does it?
The other thing I didn't manage to include in the video was the ease of which players can change between weapons and combos for a consistently changing combat environment (at least for Dante who has these different weapons).
Shotgun? Two presses away. Different styles of combat? One press away. Different weapon? A few presses away.
All to mix up the pattern of gaming so you're not stuck swinging chains and scythes, praying that a jaw gets lopped off.
The last thing I have to say makes this series not only awesome but shows that the developers actually give a damn is that they are always developing combat. Nero's devil arm allows you to perform different moves (1:01, 1:31) on enemies, much like in God of War or Darksiders. The only difference being is that it's part of the combat and not solely a finishing move. It also looks shit loads better. There are only so many times an enemy can be cut in twain (two) before it gets boring. Stabbing a gorgon in the eye over and over? Yawn. Nero pulls a spinning pile driver midair and crushes an enemy into the ground. A game that knows awesome is not taking yourself too seriously.
I'm giving the Devil May Cry series 4.5 spinning pile-drived enemies out of 5.
Til next time, the gamer with horns on his hat.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHave you noticed the words I need to type for code verification top post comments on blogs? They're strange, they sound like words.... maybe it's the blog...or maybe it's me... after all why would you put a gibberish word for a verification code for a knowledgeable muffin
ReplyDeleteNow about the review.
Don't get me wrong, I love DMC. Its awesome. Its up there for me. However, I must comment on your contrast to GoW.Firstly, I noticed you mentioned how you have to make a choice of coming in close for more damage yet is riskier or hit from behind, dealing less damage, being in less danger. Now this not only is evident in Gow, its better. Kratos' other weapon, the big , slow blade ( forgot its name) is slower than the chains ( which are fast and do standard damage) , but does large damage ( And can do good combos, is not a finisher). Also, the fact that ( and you said this in your blog) that the chains are also ranged and the blade requires to come in close, gives you a choice to make for EVERY enemy, most importantly for bosses. You see its much riskier than going in close with the devil arm, as it is slower, yet is just as rewarding as it deals large damage combos. Also, in DMC, the guns, which are apparently a ranged 'weapon' are incredibly weak. I mean, as I furiously jump and down on my controller, my icing at the point of collapse, I notice the guns deal barely any damage, taking one millionth of a health of any enemy or boss. They don't even help your combo multiplier at all, nowhere near as much as melee anyway. It only looks kinda good after a melee combo. However, the chains, which can be considered as ranged, since they can hit at quite a distance, does good damage and provides the balanced choice of choosing up close, riskier, big damage combos, or a good damaged, fast, ranged combo.
Now about tactics and variation of enemies. Now admittedly, in the beginning, you can come out , chains blazing and go completely on the offensive, but soon afterward, different enemies, such as the minotaur require a drastic change of tactics. You actually have to dodge quickly or get slammed by his charging horns. Now you can also stand your ground and block at the last second, slowing the game down, pushing the minotaur back, and allowing you to pull off an awesome counter combo. I've gotta say this is one of the most satisfying and rewarding tactics in these type of games, and done very well in Gow. In fact at times, I just wanted to counter everything, even though, for some enemies, its just stupid to do so.
Also, there's many different tactics that have to be applied to different enemies like the Medusa thingies, where, if you don't dodge like hell, you'll be turned into stone ( 1 hit KO{This also shows how you DO have to doge in this game}). You also have to hit fast, weak enemies ( where the chain are recommended) or slower tough, enemies ( where the blade or magic is recommended, or you can take a safe, ranged approach, which takes longer). Additionally, there's the harpies, where, individually, can easily be a grab 1 hit KO , but in groups, are a great danger . You have to use your brain and time your aerial hits right etc [ Comment continues next post, sorry too big :) ]
Furthermore, there's the environment factor. Now, if yo still think GoW is a boring hack n Slash, it wouldn't matter sometimes , because the environment in GoW is constantly changing, from battles on ships in the seas, to temples in the city, the desert, the puzzle filled dungeons, the 'underworld' area, the cliffy mountainous place, even the sewer for a bit. Not only that,the transitions between any two environment was at great times. It didn't stay too long , so new enemies were introduced often. Now in DMC, this isn't usually the case. Most of the time , you're stuck in an enormous, dark castle, with menacing hallways etc. There are some small changes like the gardens outside or the 'underworld' in the end of , say DMC 3. However, DMC 4 did attempt to change this with the stuff behind the waterfall, but its the whole DMC series overall that we're talking about, just as we are in GoW.
ReplyDeleteSorry but I had to show you that I think Gow is a bit better than you constantly say it is. There's more stuff but the comments don't let me post anymore. I would like to do this formally some other time. Now I also noticed there are awesome acrobatic combos that you cant do in GoW, and open up more pathways to even better combos. But still, I think GoW is just as good. Now if it was better, I cant say, it probably isn't. That would require a through evaluation.
Thanks again and great review
laters
For a small and aggressive muffin you put up quite an argument.
ReplyDeleteDespite the fact I try to deliver a swift kick in the nuts to GoW every couple of reviews, I still do appreciate that some people like it.
While the points you made were good, there are two things I have to comment on.
The first is the guns in DMC. The handguns are indeed very weak, but when powered up or used as a means to damage when you're too far away or they are dodging, can provide a significant amount of damage. The variety of guns also means that they have their own special place i combat. I love usig the shotgun because it knocks back enemies leaving them open for counters. The rocket launchers are great for shooting large bunches of weak enemies to allow easy kills.
The second thing is the 'tactical' side of GoW. I cannot remember thinking 'man I have to change up from constantly mashing square and triangle to beat this thing'. While the environments were pleasing, if I was to play a game based on that I'd play Shadow of the Collossus. The reason I love DMC is because I can never tell if I'm going to finish the level I'm on. Health is mostly hard to come by and healing items continually get more and more expensive to buy. I dont think I broke a sweat in GoW. Except for hand sweat from all the mashing.
Loved your argument though. It's not every day you see a Muffin argue about games. Or ever. I think this is the first.