Recent reviews by Lat

TL;DR- A solid port of 2/3 great games. Worth getting if you're a newcomer to these kinds of hack and slash/character action games, or if you've played more modern ones, and are curious about revisiting the old ones.

Devil May Cry is a series of hack and slash games, with a focus on challenging yet stylish action. Using a variety of characters (mostly series' MC Dante, with an occasional guest), weapons and abilities you slash, punch, dodge, parry, shoot and juggle your way through increasingly difficult enemies. They are quite challenging, but very rewarding to get the hang of (especially DMC3, not so much 2...). The level of challenge can sometimes feel punishing, but never unfair, and the more you learn to slow down, watch your enemies and time your inputs, the more you breeze through obstacles that previously seemed insurmountable.

I've played a ton of DMC3 and DMC4 before, but never revisited the first two in the series before this collection. I was pleasantly surprised by how well the first one holds up, and DMC2 is, well... it's there! DMC1 is not quite as punishing as the third title, but still offers a solid level of challenge. It still has great art direction, good boss battles, some really satisfying weapons to master, and an endearingly earnest and simple story, held back (or enhanced) only by the classical quality of early 2000s voice acting and writing of localized Japanese games. But hey, for Uncle Dante's first outing, his character and boss banter still shines through, and adds tons of entertainment.

DMC2 is... a video game, ostensibly of the same genre. However, it had a very troubled development cycle, carried out by a team with little experience outside of arcade games, and it only started taking shape in the last 6 months of its development, and... it really shows. It's not an irredeemable title, and it does introduce a lot of new ideas that would end up becoming series staples. It's just... really, really boring to play. The team clearly had some misguided ideas of how to expand on the first game: there's bigger levels making the distance between you and enemies bigger, and your gap-closer move ends up increasing the gap by knocking enemies further away from you; the combat is easier, so easy in fact that you can often stand around and do nothing in many encounters, desperately waiting for an attack to actually touch you; Dante is basically mute throughout the game; the camera seems to want to focus on anything but the monster you're actively fighting at the moment; there's an overabundance of enemies that are either damage sponges, or exclusively aerial requiring you to pick away at them with your guns, or both, etc. etc. The only blessing is that the game is mercifully short and can be rushed through in one sitting.

DMC3 is still the absolute GOAT, man, what a game. This is where the series really started firing on all cylinders, and until DMC5 it was easily the peak of the series (arguably still is). The combat is so crunchy yet smooth to control, difficult and challenging but never unfairly so and with lots of forgiving handicaps if you need them; visually it looks lovely with tons of great design; so many great weapons to play around with; the style system is an amazing addition in order to vary up your moveset; and even the story, of all things, is really well executed. Vergil is probably the greatest motivational coach for getting gud, you could ever encounter. I can't say enough good things about it. If nothing else, I'm thankful to this collection for giving DMC3 a good PC port.

All three games also originally include lots of extra content aside from just their main campaigns, which is all still here in this collection - new game+ modes, unlockable difficulty modes, new characters with unique movesets, Bloody Palace mode (think survival mode) in 2 and 3. There's plenty of replay value here, if you really want to get hooked on mastering the combat mechanics.

In terms of the port itself, in my time with it through all three games, it has looked great and ran buttery smooth the whole time, even on my relatively low-end hardware. There's not a ton of bells and whistles - settings are limited to resolution and toggling AA on or off. But I can't say I've run into any issues. I know some of the games have had some graphical features (depth of field effects and such) removed, but their absence was never noticeable or distracting for me. And I've heard some reports of the cutscenes in DMC3 lagging and desyncing from the audio, even on strong hardware - this never happened to me, but your mileage may vary. The only genuine issue I have with this port is the absence of cloud saves, especially considering the fact that it used to have them, and then they were inexplicably removed, requiring you to manually find the save file directory and back it up, if you don't want to lose all your saves and unlocks.

All in all, this collection is a great value proposition, even in spite of the presence of DMC2. Lots of great action and satisfying combat. I highly recommend it!

-Actual exchange of dialogue in the game.

TL;DR- His hair is the wrong color. Bad game.

I kid, I kid, but really. Even a decade later, after all the dust has settled and tempers have died down and we can be relieved that this did not end up being the direction the franchise took, I cannot in good conscience recommend this game. It's not terrible, Ninja Theory are a competent developer, and there's quite a few things to enjoy about it, but so many bad choices were made during the design and writing that playing through it left me with such a long-lasting bad taste in my mouth that I can't imagine promoting it to anyone. If the Definitive Edition hadn't stayed locked to console exclusivity, then that would have inched the game just barely into recommendable territory. Alas. At least it's not DMC2?

The gameplay is simultaneously the game's most redeeming aspect, yet also one of its biggest letdowns. If you're a newcomer to these types of hack and slash games, you might find this a very welcoming entry point as the combat is very newbie-friendly. However, if you're interested in trying out the rest of the series, you should not start with this, as it will teach you all the wrong combat lessons and you'll end up struggling more when you move on to the others. Combat has never been slower, more sluggish, or more bare-bones across the franchise as it is here. Dante's moveset is barren, and some moves have been reduced to single inputs - there's no manual lock on, so no directional inputs. No skill required for staying in the air - you can stay up there as long as you like. Enemies take forever winding up and telegraphing their attacks. Parrying is stupidly easy. All in all, it just feels way too easy, the whole way through. The only new idea introduced, to try and mix things up, is the angel/demon system, where your weapons and some enemies are color-coded, so that you can only damage enemies with the right weapons. I get what they were going for - an extra layer of mid-combat multi-tasking to keep track of - but ultimately it just ends up feeling restricting and cumbersome. Still, if you've never played, and don't plan on ever playing, another DMC game, then the combat is still functional, easy to get into the flow of, and sometimes can actually be quite fun. The worst part is, is that many of the gameplay issues were addressed and improved in the Definitive Edition of the game. If you can find a copy of that, then you might actually have a good time with it.

One thing I can't fault the game for too much is its presentation. The game is quite pretty, much of the time. Vibrant colors and creative aesthetical designs litter many of the levels. Sometimes it goes a bit too far, and the colors are so intense that it genuinely becomes eye-straining to look at, but it certainly doesn't look boring. The soundtrack is also very well done, and fits this game's era of style perfectly.

But then comes the one part, even Definitive Edition couldn't fix, and also the worst aspect of this game for me - the writing. Again, Ninja Theory are competent developers and have shown they can craft really solid stories. So I'm still shocked how they could churn out something that barely passes for a 16 year old's first "rebels rise up against the evil government" story, with some of the most cringe-inducing dialogue I've heard in a game to this day. What used to be a series about appreciating the strength and virtue of the human soul, is now "Fox News is evil. Join Anonymous to stop them. And everyone says '♥♥♥♥ you' a lot." Dante and Vergil are unrecognizable, as characters - what used to be a tragic ideological clash of brothers with opposing beliefs on their humanity in the face of their demonic ancestry, still underlined by an unspoken mutual love and respect, is now two would-be school shooters, one of whom just fantasizes about it but would back out at the last second, while the other would actually do it if given the chance. The amateurishness and deviance from series norms in the writing would still be tolerable, if the whole thing just didn't feel so mean-spirited. Not a single likable character, constant unmotivated swearing in place of decent writing, and that one Baby Boomer scene, you know the one, just leave you feeling dirty and disgusting. There's so much misdirected spite, seemingly aimed at the audience, coming through that it just feels like the game is constantly insulting you. Skip the story, you say? Good luck skipping the unskippable mid-boss custcenes, that play every, single, time, you fight that boss.

All in all, just an unpleasant and off-putting game to get through, in spite of some pretty scenery and occasionally fun combat. If you want a good entry-level modern DMC-style game, just get DMC5 and never play anything else, ever again.

A thoroughly enjoyable and engaging lighthouse maintenance simulator, with a nostalgic retro aesthetic! The gameplay loop is simple, but addictive: wake up, gather supplies, clean the floors, carry bags, turn winches and bring oil upstairs. Occasionally the game will throw you for a loop with unexpected bonus tasks, such as fixing your house after a storm, but it's always rather manageable.

You've got a week to do all this, before the old keeper comes to visit. Just try not to lose your mind 'rom the loneliness. And don't mind the strange noises, or haunting figures you see.

Good wholesome fun, would recommend!

I should be very clear about this - Halo: Combat Evolved might possibly be my favorite video game of all time. It's certainly been one of the most important and influential in my life. I lost my entire formative years, playing the original PC port. I made and lost so many friends to its multiplayer. My point being that I cannot even begin to be objective about the game, and whether or not it might be as enjoyable to someone without my level of emotional attachment to it. All I can say is, I think it's pretty good!

For better or worse, this is definitely one of the most influential first person shooters of all time, almost rivaling the original Doom. You can feel its DNA in just about every shooter to this very day, and it isn't difficult to see why - the mechanics are very solid. Just a few levels in, and you might start to realize just how much fun the moment-to-moment gameplay is, thanks to the wild sandbox of fun and polished mechanics that each level gives you access to. The guns feel very satisfying to use, the vehicles provide a lot of variety to combat encounters, the dynamic enemy AI helps keep you thinking on your feet, the two weapon limit keeps you adjusting your loadout for different encounters and the shield+health system encourages you to play more aggressively. There's so many tools and options for experimenting with, that despite the campaign being rather linear, two separate playthroughs can end up feeling very different.

If nothing else, this is easily my most replayed campaign of all time. At this point, I could run all these levels in my sleep. I can recite all the cutscene dialogue by heart. And frankly, I think all of that has more to do with just how good the campaign is, than anything else. It's a well-paced ride that does a great job of building a world and lore, getting you invested, and maintaining that interest throughout. A solid mystery plot that unravels as you go through the game's levels, and ends on a thrilling bittersweet note. All punctuated by an incredible soundtrack that probably does way more of the emotional heavy-lifting than the writers would care to admit (not to say that the dialogue is a slouch). For an original Xbox launch title, that was repeatedly scrapped and rebuilt from scratch, and ultimately rushed to completion, it's genuinely incredible just how much they were able to cram into this campaign, while still maintaining a strong feel of cohesion and polish. There are a couple of low-points in the second half - The Library definitely drags on longer than it should for a repetitive endurance level, and you might find Two Betrayals a slog, considering it's essentially Assault on the Control Room but in reverse - but for me they're nowhere near low enough to detract from just how enjoyable and engaging the whole affair is.

The multiplayer is also still tons of fun. The map selection for CE isn't quite as iconic and polished as they would become with H2, but you've got plenty of winners here, too. Battle Creek, Blood Gulch, Hang 'Em High, Sidewinder and Prisoner are always a joy to jump into. Though there are some weak links too (Longest can go ♥♥♥♥ itself). It definitely feels like playing a multiplayer mode from almost 20 years ago, but you shouldn't sleep on it either.

Now, as for this particular port of the Anniversary Edition, that's where things become a little less positive. Though, truth be told, considering the fact that this is a PC port of an Xbox One port of an Xbox 360 port of a PC port of an original Xbox game, I'm just happy it all holds together and works as well as it does. Don't get me wrong, the game is perfectly playable and enjoyable in the state that it's in, but the Anniversary graphics leave a lot to be desired. Though they can look quite pretty at times, they tend to ruin the mood and atmosphere of many of the levels, and often actually interfere with gameplay - there's nothing quite like constantly shooting into invisible geometry due to the Anniversary models not lining up with the collision of the old ones. And the animation quality is sometimes genuinely awful - cutscenes are distractingly bad in Anniversary graphics, because of this. And then there's several visual features from the original Xbox port that were lost in the original PC port, and have yet to be restored in this one, despite constant requests by fans and promises by 343. The best thing I can say about Anniversary is the fact that the new graphics are entirely optional, and you don't have to touch them at all.

All in all, despite the shortcomings of the Anniversary port, this is still a perfectly viable way to play one of (in my humble opinion) greatest first person shooters of all time. And for this price, it's a steal!

I might be a little biased in saying this, considering these games have been immensely important to me and close to my heart for the last 17 years, and I've just been overjoyed to be able to play them again on PC, but uhh, these games are good, I think, and you should consider buying them!

Out of the six games included there isn't a single dud. Consistently strong campaign modes, and enough multiplayer content to keep you occupied for years (trust me on that), and all for less than it costs to buy a single new AAA game. I cannot emphasize enough how good the value is.

You know what Halo is, you don't need me to tell you. So I'll just boil it down for the people in the back - a series of terrific sci-fi shooters, with really engaging and fun campaigns, interesting lore and likeable characters to get invested in, and some of the most fun multiplayer in the game's industry - both co-op for the campaigns, and its competitive modes. With multiplayer content from all 6 games, and each game having several different gamemodes, you can play anything from fast paced arena shooter-esque matches, to slower tactical high-TTK modes, to bombastic 8v8 vehicle-heavy fights. Whatever kind of shooter fan you may be, there might be something here for you.

As far as the quality of the ports goes, it's generally very impressive. The performance is rock solid, even on lower-end hardware. There's a few bugs and quirks here and there, but nothing too bad. Seeing all these games run at high-res with a rock solid 60+ FPS is a dream come true, and really helps appreciate the quality of the visual design and animation work - they're all gorgeous games to look at, in their own right (even OG H:CE). There are a few minor content omissions here and there, but with 343's solid track record in supporting the collection with continuous updates, I remain optimistic that even those will eventually be rectified. I have mixed feelings about 343's output since they took over the series, and they have made some missteps with the MCC, but they've also went above and beyond in showing that they care about improving things as much as possible, and they've been fantastic about communicating with the community and taking feedback, so I'll give them massive props for that.

These games are great, this collection is a great way to play them, and you should play them!

This is a solid port of an often overlooked treasure from DOOM's legacy. A different, but not entirely unfitting, take on the classic DOOM formula, 64 is a much more tense and atmospheric horror shooter than its predecessors, with an outstanding ambient soundtrack by Aubrey Hodges. In addition to the main 32 level campaign, this port, adds a brand new episode with even more new levels, which I found thoroughly enjoyable to play through.

I've found very little off or questionable about this port from my boys at Nightdive, aside from a couple of very minor quirks. The default brightness was a tad high for me and messed with the original's moody darkness, but thankfully turning the overall brightness setting down all the way seems to get it about on-par with the original. And I find the time between booting the game up and being able to actually start playing to be just a tad too long, thanks largely to the lengthy company intros (which are thankfully skippable by just deleting the files from the directory) and the wait time for the game to check its connection to Bethesda's servers (thankfully, actually using a Bethesda account appears to be completely optional).

Otherwise the port seems to be everything I could have hoped for! The controls seem well-adapted for keyboard and mouse, and are completely rebindable (even if the menu is a bit annoying about how it shows alternate inputs, by just shuffling between them). There's a decent handful of video customization options for enabling texture filtering and anti-aliasing, and increasing the FOV. And the mad lads, for no real reason other than posterity, have left the original game's password save system intact, despite adding proper save games. Completely unnecessary, and entirely appreciated for the novelty!

The performance seems rock-solid, for me, and seems to be pretty well-optimized. Those minimum system requirements are greatly inflated. I have no trouble keeping a steady 60 at 1680x1050, on an old Core 2 Duo with 3 gb of RAM and a Radeon HD 7800. Your old toasters should have no trouble here!

It might be tempting to let this release be overshadowed by Bethesda's criminal decision of locking it to Eternal's release date, but for real don't sleep on DOOM 64 - you'd be missing out! It's a solid port of an excellent game!

Sonic Mania is a fine Sonic title, a fine 2D platformer and a damn fine video game, through and through! If you've been looking for that true Sonic 4 experience, then this is the closest we've gotten so far. It nails the mechanics, and does a lovely job with the design and aesthetics.

The level design really shines. It's clear that the team behind this really understands the pacing and layout of a good Sonic level, and the importance of spectacle. There's plenty of different paths, little secrets and great set pieces throughout each act. I'll admit to being a bit turned off by the heavy reliance on old and familiar levels, even with the new twists and overhauls to the layout. I already played and loved that same idea in Generations. But thankfully the game isn't just old levels - as the game progresses, you start getting brand new levels, which are all very well done! And then there's some genuinely unexpected twists on the familiar nostalgic stuff that made my jaw drop. And even then, the old levels are still remixed and redone enough to throw many a curve ball at you, even if you know the original levels inside-and-out.

There are plenty of great new mechanics sprinkled through the levels and new creative enemies, each with their own little gimmick. The new boss battles are a joy. The pixel art is positively lovely as well, with some of the new level aesthetics being flat-out gorgeous, and the soundtrack is an absolute joy to listen to.

If you like the old Sonic games, or colorful 2D platformers in general, then Sonic Mania is absolutely worth picking up! It might be a bit of a hard sell at full price, when so much of it feels like retreads of old content, but don't miss it on a sale at least. Fingers crossed that these lads are given the greenlight to do a follow-up which they can get even more creative with, instead of relying so much on established nostalgic elements. I really feel like this team can do a lot more with a 2D Sonic game, if allowed to toss aside the nostalgia cards. Even so, if Mania is all we ever get from them - it won't have been a waste.

TL;DR- In spite of all its flaws, and even in the face of a better EDF alternative on the PC, Insect Armageddon still remains an enjoyable shooter that can still deliver many hours of funtimes. Wanna run around and shoot big bugs - this is not a bad game to do so in.

As a quick primer for the uninitiated, Earth Defense Force is a series of third person shooters, developed by Japanese studio Sandlot, which puts players in large fully-destructible levels, equips them with hundreds of wildly different weapons and faces them off against overwhelming numbers of giant insects, UFOs and giant robots. It is beloved by its fans for its fun, frantic gameplay, the ridiculous scale of many of the battles, the ludicrous variety of weapons and the endearingly camp tone of its story and presentation. I am one of these fans, and I absolutely adore these games, having played through EDF 2, 3 and 4.

Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon is near-universally considered the black sheep of the Earth Defense Force series, and rightfully so. It was the first title in the series to be outsourced to a developer other than Sandlot, and a shift in priorities is immediately noticable. While previous entries in the series focused on massive numbers of large enemies on-screen at once, at the cost of graphical fidelity and performance, Insect Armageddon goes the opposite route - the graphics are prettier and the performance is more stable, but there are much less enemies to fight at any given moment and they are nowhere near as titanic in size as they could get in EDF proper. The game also takes a shift in tone, going from earnest camp to tongue-in-cheek humor. And possibly most criminal of all, the game just feels unfinished in terms of content. Whereas Sandlot's EDF games could give you 50-80 levels to complete, usually building up to a genuinely epic final confrontation, Insect Armageddon has 15 levels, the final of which teases a massive enemy mothership fight that the game never delivers. Instead the game blue-balls you, by just sort of... ending, very suddenly and anti-climactically.

So with all these problems in mind, you might be thinking that you'd be better off setting your sights on Earth Defense Force 4.1 which is also available on Steam now. And to that I say... you'd be absolutely correct. If it comes down to 4.1 or Insect Armageddon, especially if you're only just now looking to get your first taste of the series, then you should absolutely go straight for 4.1. However, I'd also like to make a case for why Insect Armageddon isn't worth avoiding entirely, and can still be worth playing.

It should be noted that all of Sandlot's EDF games feel very iterative; that they are taking the same core mechanics and polishing them up and adding new content with each new entry they develop. That isn't to say that it is a bad thing by any means; "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" holds very true for these games. However this, I believe, is what gives Insect Armageddon its greatest value - it is a different take on the same formula. Because it was made by a different developer, working from the ground-up with a different engine, different designs and different assets, yet still aiming to capture that fundamental core of what makes EDF so fun to play, it ends up being a fresh experience for someone who may have pumped hundreds of hours into the other EDF games. The level structure is different, the movement and shooting feel different, the sense of scale feels different, the tone feels different, the enemies feel different, yet it feels like it is all built on a foundation that is very much EDF. Even after playing tons of 4.1, I can't help but occasionally want to come back to Insect Armageddon for an hour or two, just to switch over to IA's particulal flavor of EDF. It may not be a flavor that is as tasty as 4.1's, but it still isn't bad, and it tastes different, and sometimes you just want something a bit different.

And hell, even the worst EDF game is still an EDF game, and Insect Armageddon still manages to deliver enough of the core fundamentals to be an enjoyable romp. Shooting giant ants with different weapons is still a good time. The four different classes that you can play as all feel fairly distinct from one another and helps pad out the replayability of the otherwise criminally rushed campaign. The movement actually feels very fast, tight and slick, and helps make the combat feel very satisfying. There is the addition of a Survival mode, which is still the only iteration of such a mode in any EDF game. And I still found the tone to be very endearing, though in a different way. IA's tone isn't endearing as Sandlot's tone is for being completely straight-faced and earnest in its sillieness; no, IA decides to poke fun at itself at every turn and though the jokes and quips can often be very hit-or-miss, they still endear me to the game's tone, simply for how hard it feels like the developers were trying, and just how over-the-top goofy many of the lines can be, even if they don't always land.

I think Insect Armageddon is easily the weakest individual entry in the Earth Defense Force series, but I also think it still holds value and is worth giving a try, even for an EDF veteran who might just be looking for his next EDF fix, just as long as you temper your expectations and be mindful of the differences that IA has from the main series. It's just a solid and enjoyable third person shooter, that can be a lot of fun to sink a few hours here and there into. Especially when applying the 60fps mod, just to make the gameplay that extra little bit more smooth and enjoyable.

TL;DR- A really fun little rougelike dungeon crawler, that is simple to get into, but quite challenging and addicting to try and beat. Really fun in multiplayer as well. If that sounds like your cup of tea, then you can't go wrong with Barony.

I certainly didn't have high expectations when starting up this rather basic-looking roguelike, but boy does Barony know how to surprise and impress. It exceeded all of my initial expectations, and it's been hard for me to stop playing it, ever since I started. In fact, after I'm done writing this, I will probably start up a new game. Hopefully this time I won't get splattered by another boulder trap...

Barony is astounding in how simple and smooth, yet deep and engaging it can be. The visuals are appealing enough, the soundtrack is wonderfully soothing, a lot of the writing can be pleasantly amusing, and the combat is deceptively simple, yet endlessly satisfying. You'll quickly find yourself desperately underequipped for even the most basic foes (especially if you pick one of the harder difficulty classes - the Rogue is my personal favorite choice), and forced to scavenge every single corner and chest for even the most mildly useful items, in order to survive - and there's a fair variety in these items and effects that they can have.

But even when you have a grip on the basics of fighting, there's so many elements to constantly juggle around - you can't see very far ahead of you, without light; almost all items you find might be cursed, so you need to identify ("appraise") them in order to figure them out, but not all classes are particularly good at this; you have to keep yourself from starving to death, but food can be scarce, and some of it is mouldy with a 50/50 chance of starving you further; there's traps around every corner that can instantly put a stop to an otherwise great run, if you're not paying attention; and of course there's The Minotaur, which is Barony's version of Nemesis, that appears in some levels to chase you down and crush you to a puddle of blood, if you don't find the exit in time. All of these elements working together simultaneously make Barony play at an exhilirating pace, and this pacing is where the game really shines through and becomes something special.

While you're constantly multi-tasking yourself along these external factors, you'll find yourself constantly limited by the restrictions of your character. Your inventory is fairly limited, and carrying heavy items will slow you down to a crawl, making it easy for monsters to chase you down. And you can't have it all - you can't have your character excell at everything; you have to pick between having a torch for light, or a shield for protection at any given moment; you have to pick the kind of weapon you want to be good with and stick with it, to raise your skill with that weapon class; you can only have one ring on a time, so pick your boost wisely. Do you want to be able to heal often, or do you want to protect yourself from losing health in the first place? Do you want to be able to pick enemies off at a distance, while walking backwards, or do you want to slice them down quicker up-close-and-personal?

There are so many things to pick and choose from, and to consider, that there's a variety of different playstyles that are accomodated. But there's also online co-op, where you can form a powerful, unstoppable party, with balanced characters, where everyone can perform a different role. It's loads of great fun, and a great choice for any co-op sessions.

Barony is an absolute gem of a little game, and I highly recommend anyone interested, to pick it up and play it. I see myself playing it regularly for the forseeable future, and I hope that the developers will continue adding new content to it, as well.

TL;DR- do you like spectacle fighters? Do you like mastering in-depth combat movesets and learning how to beat up monsters as SSStylishly as possible? Then you're looking at one of, if not the deepest and bestest combat systems of them all right here. Even if you're just looking to smash baddies casually, DMC4 is a really fun game which to do so in.

Devil May Cry 4 is a very tragic case-study of rushed development. The dev team were only given a year to finish the game, forcing them to cut out tons of planned content, rewrite a lot of story and re-use most of the levels, to save time. Thinking about it just breaks my heart completely, because I can't help but think - if a rushed, watered-down and cut version of DMC4 still manages to be this good, then just how much more incredible could it have been?

Make no mistake about it - Devil May Cry 4 is a ridiculously good game, and a credit to its genre. It is fast, exciting and challenging to play, with a skill ceiling for years; it's gorgeous to look at, and buttery-smooth in motion; and it has an enjoyable story with likeable characters. Even in the face of its rushed development, and problems that start seeping through as you play, it still manages to be one of the finest Hack 'n' Slash-Spectacle Fighters around, paled only in comparison to Devil May Cry 3.

The combat in DMC4 is almost a form of art in itself. There is a ton of depth and nuance in the combat and the game invites you to experiment with it, and discover how best to tackle its many challenges. Experimenting, applying a variety of different moves and combos, and generally performing well during combat earns you higher style rankings, that rewards you for not only defeating your enemies, but lookin' good while doing it. It's like a Tony Hawk game, but with fighting. The controls are responsive as can be and the enemies seem well balanced for the most part, making enemy encounters often challenging, but never unfair. The levels are mostly well-designed, though as with the other titles in the series - the platforming sections can be a real pain, when the game doesn't seem to want to cooperate with you. There is also Turbo Mode, which makes the game play at break-neck speeds.

You get two characters to play with, each of whom has a distinct design philosophy built around their moveset. Nero is designed around his grab ability, for quickly shortening the distance between him and enemies, among other things. This makes him very accessible to play as a newcomer, yet fun to learn for a veteran. Eventually you get to the missions with Dante, and this is where the combat really opens up. He is designed around switching on-the-spot between various combat styles and an arsenal of different weapons, which can be switched instantly, and strung together during combos. This provides seemingly endless possibilities in experimentation. It is honestly overwhelming to try and visualize the different possible combos a skilled player could string together, using all these tools. Playing as both characters, you will end up facing a lot of the same obstacles, which provides you with the chance to approach fighting different enemies using different styles of play. This especially comes through in boss fights, which do feel quite different, depending on which character you're fighting as.

It's towards the end of the game that the cut-content and rushed nature of DMC4's gameplay shines through, though. I didn't mind backtracking through the same levels as Dante, since his movelist feels so different and more open than Nero's, but I couldn't help but feel that there was just not enough Dante in the game. By the time you've grown accustomed to his style of play, and feel like you're ready to really let loose with his moves, you're put back in Nero's shoes, for the endgame. And you really do miss Dante's weapons and styles, once you lose them. There's also no denying that the last few boss fights are underwhelming, to say the least. Dante's final boss is the worst boss in the entire game, followed by Nero taking on a recycling of a previous boss fight, which is then followed by, what amounts to, little more than a short QTE fight. The endgame of the campaign certainly leaves a lot to be desired, though a lot of the levels are very replayable, and you do unlock Bloody Palace (survival mode), which is an all-around good time. And at least the story ends on a high note. Speaking of which...

Taking cues from the previous entry in the series, DMC4 brings an engaging character-driven story to tie all the fighting together. It continues the themes of humanity, and is driven by a sentimental, if rather cheesy, emotional core of love. The characters (mainly Nero and Dante) and the ways they play off each other, both directly and thematically (especially if you're just coming off of DMC3), are a real treat, and the game has no shortage of great banter and dialogue from Dante (though Nero does bring some enjoyable snarky lines in his cutscenes, as well). It is, by no means, on par with DMC3 or the clashing themes and ideologies of its main characters, but it does provide enough incentive to keep you going to see what happens next.

On every technical front, DMC4 performs brilliantly, as well. It is a gorgeous looking game, and is so-well optimized that it runs like a dream, even on low-end hardware. A controller is certainly recommended, but honestly I personally didn't have all that much trouble getting a grip on the keyboard controls, so it's not entirely a necessity.

Overall, if you're looking for a fast, challenging, over-the-top game that pits you against overwhelming odds, and challenges you to beat them in the most stylish way possible, then DMC4 is an excellent choice, whether you're a newcomer to the series, or a veteran in being the one to fill dark souls with light. At this point in time, you'd probably be better off getting the Special Edition, as it seems Capcom has no intention of cutting the price on this release, or ever putting it on sale again, but I can't attest to the quality Special Edition personally, so buy it at your own discretion.