Devil May Cry 4

Hardly the re-imagining early trailers hinted at (creative lightning, apparently, doesn't strike twice at Capcom), DMC4 is a continuation of the series that is neither the highlight of DMC3 nor disappointment of DMC2. It's the middle ground that gets most things right, the little things wrong, and fails to surprise on any level. Before I paint this game as being any more mediocre then it is, let me remind you that mediocre is sometimes good. This is the good kind, or, the slightly less boring kind.

DMC4 has two things going for it. The first is Nero, the new main character, who is quite the opposite of MGS2's Raiden -- he's the character you'll want to be till the end of the game, even if it doesn't let you. Secondly, DMC4 has some of the most gorgeous, colorful graphics on the 360. I know it's not a technical benchmark and it lacks the detail of Mass Effect, but the colors and world stand out from the usual grays and browns filling most current gen games. It works toward the series' anime aesthetic. It ultimately is a world I rather explore than the boring, post-apocalyptic streets of Ninja Gaiden II.

Dante might be the same Dante in DMC4, but you will never think so after playing as Nero. Nero controls so well and has so many new styles that work concurrently (unlike Dante, who switches from style to style). You have your sword that you "rev" up for maximum attack by hitting the L trigger, your sword to juggle the bad guys, your guns to keep them up in the air, and, best of all, your demon arm that reaches out and snatches opponents. The gameplay is so tight with Nero that you will never get tired of fighting the same guys in a similar looking corridor. It's a lot of fun, unlike Dante who feels stiff and boring in comparison.

It's hard to say what makes DMC3 a better game, but DMC4 could certainly have learned from the previous entry's "less is more" motto. DMC4 stretches the game out to twice its length by having you retread almost all the game again with Dante, with minor changes to the environments. It's boring and repetitive, and having Dante sub-in for Nero breaks the deal. It's not enough to call DMC4 a bad game, but it's far from stellar. After Resident Evil 4, one would hope that the DMC series would learn a couple new tricks and find a way to reinvent itself. Sadly, DMC4 is a decisively simple game that requires a decisively simple gamer to enjoy. Come for the 6 hours of old school arcade heaven, and leave before you endure the following 6 hours of retreaded ground.