

It’s at this point that the flaws become apparent. Nero is forced to question his beliefs as the game progresses, with a series of events that see you take control of Dante part way through the adventure. To further complicate matters the Order of the Sword worship Sparda, Dante’s father. The story follows the exploits of Nero, a knight who serves in the mysterious Order of the Sword whose leader is murdered by the protagonist of the previous three games, Dante. Compared to that sharp, highly focused thrill ride, Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition can seem a little bloated and overwhelming. On the other hand, however, the franchise has already been successfully rebooted for modern players via Ninja Theory’s 2013 brawler DmC: Devil May Cry, which itself has been re-released with a Definitive Edition earlier this year on current-gen platforms. This enhanced edition of the fourth title in the series keeps the excellent combo-based and enthrallingly deep gameplay intact whilst updating the visuals to make it truly the best version of any of the original games. This is a much-loved franchise, characterised by its frenetic, stylised gameplay, which is both satisfying to play and exciting to watch – not least because lead protagonist Dante remains one of gaming’s most suave and compelling characters. Sure, Capcom’s slick hack-n-slasher was favourably received when it first arrived on PS3 and Xbox 360 in 2008. The arrival of a Devil May Cry 4 Special Edition on Playstation 4 and Xbox One is welcome, though somewhat perplexing.
