Back in 2013, DmC: Devil May Cry was released. Developed by Ninja Theory this was a reboot of the classic Devil May Cry (DMC) franchise which debuted on the PS2 in 2001. At the time a lot of DMC fans thought this was the death of the original hack and slash franchise.
There was quite a bit of uproar within the DMC community, and now 2 years later it seems as though Capcom have listened. This year we will see the release of Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition (DMC4:SE), a re-release of the 2008 game Devil May Cry 4. This game promises a bucket load of new content such as the increased appearance rate of proud souls and red orbs, allowing players to upgrade their characters faster, and the inevitable 60fps 1080p upgrade. So what other new additions can we expect from DMC4:SE?
(Note: A question mark (?) signifies that this hasn’t been confirmed by capcom yet and is opinion and/or rumor)
Story
Unsurprisingly the DMC4:SE story is the same as the original game, centring around Nero and Dante as they battle against each other and the Order of the Sword.
It has been confirmed that Vergil’s storyline will be set prior to DMC3. Does this mean we will get solid confirmation that Vergil is indeed Nero’s father? And will this be set a year before DMC3, giving Dante’s quote “It’s been a year since we last met…” from DMC3 more meaning?
We know that Vergil will be able to play through all of Nero and Dante’s missions, which we can only assume means all of the boss battles as well. Does this mean they will give Dante a young Dante skin for his boss fights? We can only hope!
5 playable characters:
Possibly the biggest thing to come out of DMC4:SE is the addition of 3 more playable characters. As well as Dante and Nero, players will be able to take control of Trish, Lady and everyone’s favourite evil twin brother – Vergil. Here is a run down of each new character.
Vergil
Dante’s brother Vergil was a major fan favourite in DMC 3. They made him playable in DMC3:SE and have given him the same treatment in DMC4:SE. From the outside he looks like pretty much the same as he did in 3. But he has some new tricks up his sleeve.
Play Style
Much to some fans disappointment. Vergil’s Darkslayer fighting style has been removed for DMC4:SE. However as this is an updated version of the character he has been given a brand new Concentration meter which makes his attacks more powerful as the meter fills. Dodging and killing enemies is key as this will fill the concentration bar and give Vergil access to more moves.
Vergil will also come complete with his own Devil Trigger which will enable him to replenish his health meter and give him a boost in attack making his moves even more powerful. Much like his DMC3:SE incarnation, his Devil Trigger will change in appereance depending what weapon he is using at the time.
Weapons
Yamato
His standard weapon, the demonic katana was given to Vergil by his father Sparda.
Force Edge
A sword that originally belonged to The Legendary Dark Knight Sparda, this Devil arm’s full power has yet to be released.
Beowulf
Taken from the light beast which resides in the Devil Worshippers’ tower Temen-ni-gru. This set of Gauntlets and Greaves are perfect for destructive hand to hand combat.
Summoned Swords
Vergil’s answer to a projectile weapon, his summoned swords can also be used as markers for Vergil’s teleport ability as well as dishing out a great deal of damage.
Trish
A character who first appeared in DMC1, Trish was created by Mundus in Dante’s mothers image. Starting off as one of Dante’s enemies she soon allied with the devil hunter and has been a major protagonist in the franchise since. She will be playable in Dante’s missions only.
Play Style?
As Trish was playable in Devil May Cry 2 we can suspect she will be bringing the same sort of play style to DMC4:SE. Based on her DMC2 incarnation Trish could use a mixture of the Sparda sword, her fists, her two pistols Luce & Ombra and a lot of electricity based powers. Trish will be playable in Bloody Palace and Dante’s missions. While we’ve seen her HUD, not a lot has been revealed regarding her specific gameplay mechanics.
Weapons
Sparda
What was once known as the Devil Arm Force Edge, Sparda is a fully awoken weapon that originally belonged to the Legendary Dark Knight with the same name. While Trish has been confirmed to do away with the L2/R2 weapon-switching mechanic, it’s possible she will be able to focus on hand-to-hand combos by planting Sparda in the ground, if Capcom go a similar route to DMC2′s Trish.
Luce & Ombra?
A pair of customised semi-automatic pistols which also belonged to the Legendary Dark Knight. Luce & Ombra bear a close resemblance to Dante’s pistols Ebony and Ivory. These guns were used by Trish in DMC2, so it’s possible they may return in this – unless she does away with them to focus on long range-lightning attacks.
Lady
Daughter to Arkham – the main antagonist in DMC3 – Lady is the only human Devil Hunter in the DMC franchise. She wields Kalina Ann, a rocket launcher named after her mother. Lady will be playable in Bloody Palace and Nero’s missions only.
Play Style?
As this is the first time that Lady has been a playable character in the franchise we can only predict what her play-style will be like, however it has been said that she will feel unique with her projectile-oriented arsenal. Could she incorporate elements of Dante’s Gunslinger style? She does have a “Devil Trigger” like gauge, but given her human nature we will have to wait and see how she uses it.
Weapons
Kalina Ann
A rocket launcher with a bayonet attachement. This rocket launcher was used by Lady and Dante in DMC3 and deals a massive amount of damage when fired. The rocket launcher also has a grappling hook attachment which will help in Nero’s missions, in place of his Devil Bringer.
Pistols, SMGs and Bombs?
Given what we’ve seen of Lady in DMC3, it’s likely that she will have access to her trusty pistols and SMGs, which are rapid fire and probably low damage, as more of a support weapon. Also, her boss battle involved placing proximity bombs, so it wouldn’t be too surprising if she utilises something similar somewhere in her move set.
Game Modes:
Legendary Dark Knight Mode - This mode which was originally only available for the PC version of DMC4. Its best described as a horde mode that floods each mission with hundreds of enemies.
Turbo Mode - This mode will increase the gameplay by 20% for some extremely fast action.
Gods Must Die mode? - A game mode that was created for DmC: Definitive edition. The next step up from Dante Must Die mode. All enemies spawn in Devil Trigger mode and no items are allowed. Whether it will make the transition to DMC4:SE has yet to be confirmed.
Must Style? - A game mode that was created for DmC: Definitive edition. Enemies only take damage at S rank or above, so you need to be Stylish. Could this make the cut here too?
Costumes.
Confirmed
Trish – Gloria costume confirmed as DLC for the collectors edition of DMC4:SE in Japan.
Lady – DMC3 costume confirmed as DLC for the collectors edition of DMC4:SE in Japan.
Unconfirmed?
Vergil- Could we see DMC3:SE’s Corrupt Vergil, Super Vergil and Super Corrupt Vergil costumes make a return? A lot of fans would more than likely love to see Nelo Angelo return as a powerful Devil Trigger.
Dante – Could a young Dante costume make an appearance to fit him into Vergil’s prequel story? Could we also see the Legendary Dark Knight costume back in the mix?
Nero, Trish and Lady – If we see Corrupt Vergil and Legendary Dark Knight costumes for Dante and Vergil. Lady, Trish and Nero would hopefully need an equivalent each, too. Also, presumably we will see “Super” infinite-DT variants for each new fighter, too.
Going on previous games, it’s possible we may also see “Coatless” variants for the three male protagonists.
That’s all we know so far. This post will be updated as more information is confirmed. Whilst we wait for some more info check out the video below showcasing Vergil and Legendary Dark Kight Mode
Garv