Devil May Cry 4 is a 2008 action-adventure game created and published by Capcom. It was released for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Microsoft Windows. It is the fourth game in the Devil May Cry series. The story was written by Bingo Morihashi and directed by Hideaki Itsuno. The game follows Nero, a young man with demonic powers who tries to stop Dante, the series’ main character, after Dante kills the leader of the Order of the Sword. Players control both Nero and Dante as they fight enemies using their powers and weapons.
Devil May Cry 4 was the first game in the series to be released at the same time on multiple consoles. Capcom used the MT Framework game engine to ensure all versions had the same visual quality. About eighty people worked on the game. Nero was added to the story to attract new players. Using Dante as a supporting character was difficult because he is very popular with fans.
Critics gave Devil May Cry 4 mostly positive reviews. They praised the game’s challenging levels, visuals, and the way Nero was portrayed as the main character. However, some players found it frustrating to revisit old areas in Dante’s levels and had trouble with the camera. The game sold over three million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling game in the series before its sequel. Bingo Morihashi wrote a two-volume light novel based on the game.
The game was released on iOS as Devil May Cry 4: Refrain in February 2011. A remastered version, Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition, was released in June 2015. It includes options for English or Japanese voice tracks in the Japanese version, improved graphics, rebalanced gameplay, extra costumes, and three new playable characters: Vergil, Lady, and Trish. A sequel, Devil May Cry 5, was released on March 8, 2019.
Gameplay
In Devil May Cry 4, players complete a series of levels called "missions" in a set order. These missions often include puzzles or tasks to collect items. After finishing a mission, players receive a grade from "D" (lowest) to "S," "SS," and "SSS" (highest). Grades depend on items used, Red Orbs collected, time taken, and Style Points earned. Each grade has a special label, such as "Deadly" (D), "Carnage" (C), "Brutal" (B), "Atomic" (A), "Smokin'" (S), "Smokin' Style" (SS), and "Smokin' Sick Style" (SSS). The game emphasizes stylish combat, which involves performing long sequences of attacks without taking damage. Players must avoid enemy attacks by learning their patterns. Taunting enemies without being hit gives small rewards, such as Style Points and energy for the Devil Trigger. Devil Trigger is a temporary power-up that increases attack strength and slowly restores health. It activates when the energy gauge is full by pressing the correct button.
Devil May Cry 4 introduces two playable characters: Dante and Nero. The shop system is slightly changed, and a new currency called "Proud Souls" is added. Red Orbs are used to buy consumable items and upgrades, while Proud Souls are used for new abilities. Red Orbs are earned by defeating enemies and breaking objects during missions, depending on the player's grade. Proud Souls are given at the end of missions, with amounts based on performance. The cost of abilities increases when more are purchased, but they can be refunded for their original price.
Most of the game is played as Nero, who uses the Red Queen sword, Blue Rose revolver, and Devil Bringer powers. The Red Queen has an Exceed Gauge that fills to three levels, allowing stronger attacks. Nero’s Devil Bringer lets him pull himself toward enemies or throw them, causing damage. It also helps find secret missions and Red Orbs. After obtaining the Yamato katana, Nero can use Devil Trigger, which enhances his Devil Bringer’s power and changes its attack animations.
Dante plays through seven missions, taking over halfway through the game. His gameplay is similar to Devil May Cry 3 but with changes. He can use multiple melee and ranged weapons, switching freely in combat. He starts with four combat styles, which can be changed at any time using buttons on the controller. Near the end of his story, Dante gains the Dark Slayer style, which has only one level. Styles are upgraded in the shop or at statues, not through experience. Dante can also use Devil Trigger, which changes his normal attacks instead of using the Devil Bringer.
Plot
Nero is a young demon hunter who lives on the remote island of Fortuna. He is also part of the Order of the Sword, a group of religious knights who revere the Legendary Dark Knight Sparda as a god. Dante arrives and kills the Order's leader, High Priest Sanctus, in front of everyone. At the same time, a large group of demons attacks the city, putting everyone, including Nero's love interest, Kyrie, in danger. Kyrie's brother, Credo, the Captain of the Holy Knights, asks Nero to stop Dante. During his journey, Nero learns he is a descendant of Sparda, and he discovers that Dante is not his enemy.
Under Sanctus's orders, Agnus has been taking power from the lost Devil Arm Yamato, the sword of Dante's brother, Vergil, to create a demonic army and give high-ranking members of the Order demonic power. To Agnus's surprise, the broken Yamato repairs itself in Nero's presence and flies to help him. After the Order's plans are exposed, Agnus runs to tell the newly resurrected Sanctus.
As Nero investigates the Order, he learns that Credo is involved in the secret plan. Later, he is tricked when he sees Kyrie kidnapped by Sanctus. Sanctus plans to use a massive statue-like creature called the Savior to defeat the demon army and increase people's worship of Sparda. To power the Savior, Sanctus captures Nero, who is a descendant of Sparda, and needs his blood along with the Yamato. Dante arrives with Trish, who was secretly working for the Order, and promises Credo, who is dying, that he will save Nero and Kyrie.
Trish helps evacuate Fortuna's people, while Dante destroys the Hell Gates across the island and defeats Agnus, taking back the Yamato for the last time. In a battle above Fortuna, Dante drives the Yamato through the Savior's chest, allowing Nero to retrieve the sword and free himself and Kyrie, defeating Sanctus.
Nero learns to accept the demonic power he has and decides to use it to protect those he cares about. Before leaving, Dante gives Nero the Yamato, and Kyrie and Nero share their first kiss in the ruins of Fortuna. Meanwhile, at Dante's shop, Lady pays Dante and Trish for their work. Trish answers Dante's phone and tells him a customer has called with a password. Excited, Trish and Lady join Dante on another mission.
Development
The development of Devil May Cry 4 started soon after its previous game was successful. A group of eighty people worked on the game. The first preview showed Dante standing on a snowy mountain and was shown at E3 2005. A later trailer at Tokyo Game Show 2005 showed Dante performing many moves in front of a camera, but these scenes were not used in the final game. Capcom made the E3 2005 video only to confirm they had begun working on the game. After finishing Devil May Cry 3 and its special edition, the developers were unsure how to improve the gameplay they had created before. They wanted to add new features, and introducing a new main character helped them do this. This was the first Devil May Cry game not released for PlayStation 2, as it was designed for newer hardware. This allowed the team to try new gameplay ideas and expand the story. Although they did not aim to send a religious message, some Capcom team members researched in Vatican City and Istanbul.
On September 6, 2006, a Japanese gaming magazine called Famitsu reported that Dante, the main character from earlier games, would not be the hero in Devil May Cry 4. Instead, a new character named Nero, voiced by Johnny Yong Bosch, became the main character. The decision to use a new protagonist was discussed many times at Capcom but was not approved until the producer, Hiroyuki Kobayashi, said Dante needed to be in the game. Fearing negative reactions, like what happened when Konami’s game Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty introduced a new character, producer Kobayashi wanted Nero to be fun to play and eventually stronger than Dante.
Two features exclusive to the PC version of the game are Turbo Mode, which increases the game’s speed by 20% (used before in Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition), and a new difficulty mode called Legendary Dark Knight Mode, which can show over 100 enemies in some missions. These features were included in the Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition release. The PC version also supports both DirectX 9 and DirectX 10, is labeled "Games for Windows," and runs on Windows XP, Vista, and 7. It assumes a gamepad is connected and only uses the mouse for menus, matching the interface of the Xbox 360 version.
Hiroyuki Kobayashi said the team used a PC-based engine to create the game. This was the first PlayStation 3 game made by Capcom, and the transition was difficult because no one on the team was familiar with the console’s features. Capcom explained the decision to release the game on multiple platforms by pointing to the Xbox 360’s success in North America and Europe, calling the move "natural." The final game uses Capcom’s MT Framework engine, which they had previously used for Dead Rising and Lost Planet. Despite this, the team faced challenges with the engine. A demo of the game was shown at Tokyo Game Show 2006, where Dante fought the boss Berial. The visuals impressed the team so much they called them a "miracle."
Itsuno said the game’s visuals aim to make players feel like they are flying. Nero’s Devil Bringer ability could not be used on older consoles but was possible on newer ones like the PlayStation 3. Kobayashi said the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions would be the same, though he did not comment on the PC version. He noted the PC version would be good because the same team worked on both. The PlayStation 3 version requires installing 5GB of game data, which takes 20 minutes and reduces loading times.
During development, new gameplay features were added to keep the game fresh, such as the Devil Bringer’s ability to pull enemies toward the player. Unlike Dante in Devil May Cry 3, Nero grows stronger by upgrading his Devil Bringer instead of receiving new weapons after defeating bosses. The team decided Nero would be one of two main characters, and Dante would not be the only character from previous games to return. Producer Kobayashi said Dante was made to look much stronger than Nero to show the difference between an experienced fighter and a new one. The game’s difficulty was the same in all versions, including Japanese, European, and North American releases.
For the first time in the series, Bingo Morihashi was the game’s writer. He worked with film director Yuji Shimomura, who had been involved in earlier games. Morihashi had many problems during development and left Capcom, but he returned after being asked by Itsuno. He spent a year writing the story, which focused on Nero’s love for Kyrie, a character designed to be an "ordinary, cute heroine" who supports Nero. Itsuno created most of Kyrie’s traits. The story was simple, like a Hollywood movie, but it included Morihashi’s ideas well. Nero was introduced to attract new players and to show his growth from a weaker character to one who reaches Dante’s level.
Before designing characters for Devil May Cry 4, artist Tatsuya Yoshikawa talked with previous team members to understand the series’ style. Characters were designed to highlight their moves, which required close collaboration with motion capture teams. Some enemies in the game look like angels, a choice made to appeal to players and contrast with other demons. Yoshikawa found designing Nero to be one of his biggest challenges, as the character needed to fit the series’ universe and be accepted by fans. He also appreciated the balance in the relationship between Nero and Dante.
Marketing and release
The first teaser trailer was shown at E3 2005, showing Dante moving through a snowy environment. A longer trailer was released later that year at the Tokyo Game Show, featuring a more rough-looking and older version of Dante in a city setting. These early trailers showed few details about the game itself. At the 2006 Tokyo Game Show, a more complete trailer was shown, along with a playable demo that included the character Nero.
A fourth trailer was released on December 17, 2007, showing more gameplay and story details, as well as information about new songs for the game. This included a new version of "Lock and Load," Dante's theme from the first Devil May Cry, with new lyrics written and performed by Shawn "Shootie HG" McPherson, who also worked on the soundtrack for Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening. The Japanese version of the game included a song called "Drink It Down" by the Japanese rock band L'Arc-en-Ciel, which was used as the game's Japanese opening. The company showed the game's first demo at an event called "Capcom's Gamer's Day," where Kobayashi discussed several features of the game. While the team focused on finishing the game, no new demo was made in time for the 2007 E3 Media and Business Summit.
A collector's edition of the game was released at the same time as the regular version. The North American version included a bonus disc with behind-the-scenes footage of Devil May Cry 4 and another disc with the first four episodes of Devil May Cry: The Animated Series. The European and Australian versions included a signed artbook titled Art of the Devil. A very small number of collector's edition packages were signed by the game's producer, Hiroyuki Kobayashi, on the back of the metal tin on Dante's left shoulder. This number was reported to be as low as 100 signed copies for each console, totaling 200 signed copies. Both versions were packaged in a steelbook case.
An iOS version called Devil May Cry 4: Refrain was announced on January 11, 2011, and released on February 3, 2011.
Reception
Devil May Cry 4 received positive reviews from many sources. Metacritic, a review aggregator, reported favorable feedback. Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu gave the game a "Platinum" rank, a high score in its review system. It highlighted the game's balanced difficulty and variety of gameplay choices.
Reviewers praised the game's "hack and slash" mechanics, which involve fast, aggressive combat. Xbox World Australia said it was the most well-made Devil May Cry game, noting its easy-to-control gameplay despite being the first in the series for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. PSM3 noted the game's difficulty was well-designed, based on how the system ranks players and the challenges it offers. 1UP.com praised the gameplay and described the game's visuals as "predictably slick." However, some sites criticized the need to revisit earlier parts of levels, a common issue in the game's level design. Others disliked the theme songs. GameSpot appreciated the use of boss fights and the action style, believing the game would appeal to players even with its backtracking problems.
GameTrailers praised the voice acting and fight scenes but found the dialogue too cheesy. GameSpy said the game succeeded because of its gameplay and visuals. The introduction of Nero, a new main character, was well received. The voice acting of Bosch in the English version was praised by GameZone and GameSpot. Although Nero and Dante, the previous main character, share similarities, IGN found Nero appealing because his gameplay was different from Dante's. IGN also said Nero's story was engaging. GameSpy noted that Nero brought "something fresh" to the series, comparing him to another popular character, Vergil. IGN said fans would enjoy the console version but noted that Dante had fewer weapons and missions compared to his appearance in Devil May Cry 3. GameSpy criticized the use of reused game assets, saying it limited the game's world. They also disliked the soundtrack. Hyper's Dirk Watch said the game looked great and was more fun than Devil May Cry 3 but criticized it for feeling similar to Devil May Cry 2 and having uneven pacing and level design.
The PC version had mixed reviews. 1UP.com liked the exclusive "Legendary Dark Knight" mode, where players face many enemies at once. However, they said the controller was uncomfortable, similar to one in Resident Evil 4. They expected more features from the developers. IGN appreciated the "Dark Knight" and "Turbo" modes but said the PC version was only for hardcore fans, as it was not much different from the console versions. GameZone said Capcom did not rush the PC port and praised it for being as enjoyable as the original game.
Capcom expected Devil May Cry 4 to sell 1.8 million copies by the end of its fiscal year. In Japan, the PlayStation 3 version sold more than the Xbox 360 version during its first week—140,000 units to 28,000. On February 20, 2008, Capcom's president announced in a press release that the game sold 2 million copies in its first month, making it the fastest-selling title in the series. By the end of its launch year, it sold 2.32 million copies. It reached 3 million copies sold by December 31, 2014. Capcom's Christian Svensson said the PC version's sales in the U.S. did not meet expectations. A digital version was not available for purchase online in Japan, so pirated versions were common. A PC digital version was released over a year later.
A two-volume graphic novel adaptation titled Devil May Cry 4: Deadly Fortune was released in 2009 by Capcom. It was written by Bingo Morihashi and Yasui Kentarou. In the afterword, Morihashi said some scenes were removed from the game due to production issues.
Director Hideaki Itsuno said the game's action system influenced his next title, Dragon's Dogma. Kobayashi said fans of Devil May Cry 4 might enjoy Dragon's Dogma, an RPG.
The series' original creator, Hideki Kamiya, used Devil May Cry 4 as research while developing Bayonetta, an action game with similar style and elements. In 2010, the game was listed in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die.
In the fighting game Street Fighter V, Dante and Nero's original designs appear as alternate costumes.
A sequel, Devil May Cry 5, was announced in June 2018 and released on March 8, 2019. It featured the return of Nero and Dante and introduced a new playable character named "V."