Preview: Devil May Cry 4 (PS3)

Frequently described as more of the same but in HD, the prerelease code is exactly that, visually impressive but fundamentally still about smacking demons while avoiding being hit or repeating moves. The biggest difference shown so far are that players now control Nero, a Dante-in-all-but-name. His magic revolver and revvable sword give him a subtly different rhythm from the previous hero's default arsenal, but it's the Devil Bringer that adds a whole other layer to the combat, a demonic arm of nebulous origin that gives the hero some quirky new powers.

Enemies can now be grabbed from afar to help maintain those all-important combos, but grapple attacks now allow adversaries to be lobbed around with abandon. Usually these kind of super-powered attacks would be strictly curtailed against more powerful enemies, but even end-of-level boss Berial is highly susceptible to Nero's special ability, and with sufficiently good timing it is entirely possible to knock the tar off the intimidating foe and not break a sweat. The flexibility offered by the Bringer so early on bodes well for the complexity and variety of attacks that will be available later in the game.

Whether the game will continue to show the same promise is uncertain, and from first impressions this will hardly be the kind of title to convert series doubters. Early reports have DMC4 as a far easier game than its predecessors at best, and at worst downright unchallenging, and it remains to be seen where being inclusive to new players ends and mollycoddling begins. Expect a full review on Gamestyle soon.

Words by Colin Whiteside