This isn't a flame post. I'm just curious if anybody else found DMC4 to a bit underwhelming put side-to-side to DMC3. Its a fun game, I enjoyed the storyline and the characters. The script of course is always amusing. My problem was that in DMC3 you had 4 combat styles to master, plus a small arsenal of weapons. Then you had Virgil who had less to him, but was sufficiently kick ass in his own way.

Now, in DMC4 we have Nero, who has a gun, sword and fist. Interesting enough. You have Dante with his sword, pistols and shotgun also having his 4 styles that, unlike previously, are simply a small gimmick.

While you have two characters that are balanced out more in terms of focus, I found myself having far more fun trying to master the 4 seperate styles that required a unique style of gameplay depending on which one you chose, as opposed to just fighting the same way, every single level, with the occasional option of pressing b to do something almost nifty.

Again, DMC was fun. But I found the removal of the style focus to be disapointing in the extreme. Even more so when I found the styles that dante did have were basically just a different b button without any real modification to the actual gameplay.

I'm all for the new character, but please give him at the very least his own fighting styles if you want to separate him from Dante. And please give me the option of playing an effective 4 characters in one again.

It feels like I had 5 characters to choose from in DMC3, and in DMC4 I have 2. Anybody else feel the same way?

-Raises hand- yo right here.

I'll go one further - I found the game to be a total yawn. Devil May Cry 3 represented, to me, the apex of the series. Apart from the slightly dull locations, there wasn't much you could do to improve the game. Throwing in a new character with a gimmick that's been used a million times before (Bionic Commando anyone?) and making the plot even more contrived than ever isn't going to do it, nor is shinier graphics.

In all honesty, DMC has gone as far as it can go. Like several other of my favourite last-gen series' - Soul Calibur, Silent Hill and Metal Gear Solid spring to mind - The only options left seem to be a total rework which would alienate many fans (And why not make a totally new game while you're at it?), or to continue churning out cash-in sequels, sullying the stellar reputation of earlier outings. DMC3 needed to happen in order to wash away the bitter taste of the second game, but a fourth installment? I finished the previous games on DMD, but I didn't even bother playing to the end of DMC4.