Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition (PlayStation 4) Review

In 2008, Devil May Cry 4 was quite the looker, and in 2015 it is no surprise that the "Special Edition" holds up quite well, for the most part. There are some examples of low-detailed texture work here and there, and even some flat, baked lighting that is painted on the geometry. These quibbles aside, Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition looks fantastic as always, and just like on the PS3 and Xbox 360, runs a fluid 60 frames per second that never falters. Since running 60 fps is not a new trick for DMC4: Special Edition, Capcom has added the "Turbo Mode" that was seen in DmC: Devil May Cry: Definitive Edition, which speeds up all the action about 20 percent. This feature - which can be enabled in the options menu - is so ingenious that any pro who activates it will most likely never turn it off, since it makes an already intense action game even more harrowing, especially in "Legendary Dark Knight" mode, where the stages are teeming with bloodthirsty enemies.

Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition may look and play great, but it is not without its faults. The original release was criticised for the latter half of the game, which was recycled levels and bosses; this complaint still rings true today, since Special Edition is still suffering from the rushed development cycle that pushed out the game on deadline. Even many of the boss fights get recycled with little variation, and it is disappointing that Capcom did not take the opportunity to flesh out this portion of the game more thoroughly, which is always going to be the greatest downfall of this title. These moments include a very weak and unimaginative final boss, and a tedious board game that is obviously filler to make up for the fact that the developers weren't given enough time to create a real final area. Fortunately, there is still new content despite these shortcomings, even if some of it was only half-heartedly attempted, and includes the addition of three new playable characters; the fan-favourite Vergil, Trish and Lady from Devil May Cry 3.

Two of these characters are worthy to hold their own game. A Devil May Cry game with five characters? It was inevitable that one of them would be a dud, and, sadly, it is Lady who has a dreadfully slow melee attack, an extremely short move list and is a chore to use during boss fights. Lady's campaign is pretty much just Nero's, but with many of the story-related cut-scenes removed and Trish taking up Dante's portion of the adventure.

Trish is a very interesting and fun character to use, since she wields the legendary sword Sparda, and has shapeshifting guns. She also fights with brutal tenacity with her bare hands, and is generally a very responsive and powerful fighter. Trish probably would be the greatest addition if it wasn't for Vergil being included and his large breadth of variety. For Vergil's story, he gets both Dante and Nero's campaign combined, and his huge list of abilities to learn emphasises this point. Playing as Vergil is a real treat since he can instantly teleport to targets, especially in the previous PC-only mode "Legendary Dark Knight," ensuring that Vergil's weapons won't have a moment's rest and the controller will get very sweaty.

While Capcom sought to only release Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition via digital distribution, those who imported the English-Asian retail copy get an interesting bonus in the form of a Japanese language track, in addition to the standard English audio. On PSN, the digital copy costs $24.99, which is an unbelievable bargain for this game. With all the modes, unlockables, new characters and the Bloody Palace (a version of a survival mode), it can be very easy to drop well over 50 hours into this game.

Even with its obvious shortcomings and noticeable cut corners in the campaign, DMC4: Special Edition is still a character-action game with some of the finest combat and a high skill-ceiling. Granted, it is not quite Bayonetta 2 (or its predecessor), but there is very little chance that anyone will find an action game with such polished mechanics and extra content as in Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition. This is a game that is highly recommended to any fan of high-speed action and who demands some level of challenge.