By Matt Vickery

The Devil May Cry series has been a smash hit on the Playstation 2 and now Dante is to make is "next-gen" debut.  There’s something different this time:  Dante has stepped down, and a new-comer named Nero has taken his place as the leading man. 

Nero is a member of the Order of the Sword, a group of warriors who worship Sparda.  Something happens to Nero and his arm becomes possessed, becoming what is known as the "Devil bringer."  Dante makes his first appearance by entering the Order’s catherdral and slaying the legendary warriors. 

As Nero, you will go through the game hunting down Dante and trying to kill him after Dante mysteriously came in and killed Nero’s partners.  Nero will control in a way like Vergil (Dante’s twin brother) did in DMC3SE.  You will control Nero’s Devil Bringer arm with the style button much like Vergil’s Dark Slayer style.  Nero will also support a large customized sword known as the Red Queen and a single revolver known as the Blue Rose.

Dante, the son of the legendary Dark Knight Sparda, is known as a Devil Hunter and follows in his father’s footsteps by protecting the human race.  You will play as Nero throughout the game but at some point later on in the game you will finally be able to play as Dante.  Dante will be a copy and paste of his Devil May Cry 3 counterpart but will have his own levels and part of the story unlike Vergil  did in the special edition of DMC3. 

Dante has a few new additions to his move list, such as his famous Round Trip; the move was missing in action in Devil May Cry 3.  Dante also has a more powerful Drive attack that was first introduced in DMC3, where Dante charges up the power in his sword and sends a shockwave of energy towards the enemy. 

A new addition to Dante that many fans are excited about is the on-the-fly style switching.  Dante’s fighting styles are the way you have access to most of his moves (you can’t use a Sword Master technique while in the Gun Slinger style). The fighting style system was first introduced in the third installment of the series. Many people were frustrated that you could have use one style at a time, since you’re only allowed to switch styles between stages or at save points.  While in the middle of a battle in one style, you can press the d-pad and Dante will instantly switch to a different style such as Royal Guard, which allows you to block enemy attacks.  This addition will make veterans of Devil May Cry very happy.

Throughout the game, you will do many things to complete levels.  You will have to defeat a boss in most levels or solve puzzles, but the game will be filled with intense action and focuses mainly on the action.  You will also visit many places, like the massive city of Fortuna where Nero and the Order of the Sword resides, and even a Gothic castle on top of a snowy mountain, which was first seen in the E3 2005 trailer. The game will have a similar Gothic style like the first Devil May Cry and the music will be similar to the first games, so fans of the first will feel right at home and new comers will love the Gothic settings. 

This is the first Devil May Cry to appear on another console besides the Playstation.  Devil May Cry 4 will release on both the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3 and will both contain the same features, so you get the same experience on both consoles. Fans will even get a PC version of the game a few months after the console versions are released. The game is expected to be ready for a Fall 2007 release date.