Devil May Cry 4 devs may talk

  • By Walt Wyman, GameSpot
  • Posted Sep 11, 2006 12:00 pm PT

Hiroyuki Kobayashi and Hideaki Itsuno discuss the series' new hero, hint at surprises in store for the game.

Devil May Cry protagonist Dante is being replaced for the fourth installment in the series, a move the game's developers explained in the new Famitsu PS2. The magazine interviewed Devil May Cry 4 producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi, whose credits include Basara 2 and the GameCube version of Resident Evil 4, and Devil May Cry series veteran Hideaki Itsuno.

Itsuno revealed some of the reasons why Dante was replaced with his younger look-alike Nero. "First of all, Dante sort of peaked out in the last game. Also, the introduction of the new protagonist, levels the playing field for veterans and new players," Itsuno told the magazine.

As for the similarities in appearance between Dante and Nero, Kobayashi gave a couple of reasons for that design choice. "The silver hair and coats are symbols that make it easier to recognize the series' protagonist," Kobayashi said. "There is also a deeper meaning [to their similarities]..."

Nero is a member of a religious group called the Kyoudan Kishi, or "Order of Knights." Kobayashi said he will have some new powers, including the abilities to pull enemies toward him or throw them. The awakening of these powers in Nero will apparently make up one of the plot elements in Devil May Cry 4. Regarding Nero's ability to pull or repel enemies, he said: "Nero's right arm uses a new system we're calling the 'Devil Bringer.' This system could have been done on the current hardware, but due to problems with the PlayStation 2's specs, it would have looked primitive. However, with the PlayStation 3 we were able to get the visual aspects right."

A close examination of the screen shots provided in Famitsu PS2 reveals a strange, life-bar-like graphic in the upper left-hand corners. Itsuno explains, "This is like the throttle and clutch on a motorcycle... The sword has a sort of will of its own. Nero has tuned it himself, turning it into a very powerful weapon. I can't talk about the specifics of the system, but we'd created a new style of game-play for the sword."

Despite the focus on Nero, it seems that he may not be the game's only playable character. When asked if it would be possible to play as Dante, Kobayashi replied with another question. "Do you want to be able to play as Dante," he laughed. "In order to proceed through the story, the player's point of view will change but...who knows?"

Expect more details about the game to be revealed later this month at the 2006 Tokyo Game Show. Kobayashi noted that in addition to the playable demo of the game at the show, "the stage event will include a real-time demonstration of the game... There will also be some surprise announcements!"

210 Comments

  • Tangbui

    Posted Jun 7, 2007 11:55 pm PT

    Hiroyuki, when are you going to put the demo in the Playstationstore@, because I m a big fan of your work and I would have the time trying your demo. I beat every seires of Devil May Cry in ps2, mow i want to try it on ps3. I start playing it since the frist game came out. Now I turn 12, My dad is going to get it on the day it comes out but I cant wait no longer. I want to try out the game as the demo and play the real game till it comes out

  • s0ild_snake

    Posted Jan 15, 2007 5:51 am PT

    i like this game

  • zeroninja

    Posted Nov 27, 2006 4:19 pm PT

    of corse we wud want dante as a playable character he's the best character when ye play any of the devil may cry's u just want to be dante, it will be a let down if you cant play as dante, am still goin to buy it either way tho, nero mite be his son or sum wer along them lines maby AN NO DONT RELEASE DEVIL MAY CRY 4 FOR THE PC OR THE IMMA be cos the DMC series shud only be on playstation an stay on playstaion

  • snake_satan

    Posted Nov 13, 2006 3:10 am PT

    ki gogot!!

  • chavez_1234

    Posted Nov 11, 2006 5:39 pm PT

    i think you will be able to play as dante, both dante and nero i think they will do like what they did in resident evil 4 you play as leon first then you play as ada and find out some mysteries in the game like who rang that bell at the begining of the game and made the zombies go inside, we play as ada then we find out she rang it and why So i think in devil may cry 4 you would play through in nero's POV first and how he see's everything as it is happening like dante killing all the those what's up with that right, we would play through then play as dante to find why he killed those people i'm sure he had a good reason, even if he didn't who cares it would just make dante more bad ass. Sorry if i didn't explain this well i'm not good at putting my thoughts into words.

  • sieg6529

    Posted Oct 24, 2006 2:38 pm PT

    Why? Just why? If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

  • MALMSTEEN4774

    Posted Oct 17, 2006 12:18 pm PT

    hmmm nero who the hell is he?? wats his story from where did he came?? anyway the game is gonna be the best action game ever. i played dmc1 2and 3 .but i also prefer dante his who makes the game exicting.

  • gio28

    Posted Oct 15, 2006 6:40 pm PT

    I really hope Devil May Cry 4 if a "T" rated game for some of the players because not all parents would buy a "M" rated for their kids, which is unfair.

  • TheThundermaker

    Posted Oct 13, 2006 8:44 pm PT

    From what I've noticed there's alot of confusion about Vergil. But in the short and sweet version in DMC 3 he lost to Dante in the Demon World, fell over the waterfall, and challenged Mundus. We can assume that he lost. In DMC 1 Vergil is Nelo Angelo, and is either in Mundus' service or enslavement. Either way Dante defeats Nelo Angelo/Vergil and last we see of him his half of the amulet drops and he rises into the air and presumably dies, but that could be left open to interpretation. So then there's a possibility for Vergil to return. But how is what I want to know

  • CloudImpact

    Posted Oct 7, 2006 4:22 am PT

    RELEASE THE GAME FOR PC ZAMG OR IMMA CRY

  • Aperion89

    Posted Sep 27, 2006 1:57 am PT

    the devil may cry series is based on the divine comedy ("Dante's Inferno")
    a story about a charecter named dante who is led through hell by vergil only to emerge from the inferno tainted.
    dante being a bad guy could possibly be a reference to this.

  • kent6650

    Posted Sep 25, 2006 10:50 am PT

    We want Dante! Dante FTW! w00t w00t! ^^

  • IceTeaMix_basic

    Posted Sep 24, 2006 6:43 pm PT

    Im confused cause in the first DMC one of Dante's main nemesis in the game was the blue demon named Nero Angelo/Vergil Dante's twin bro. This new character is named Nero is there a connection?. and Is Dante a bad guy now...In the second DMC at the end He says "yea lets go all the way to hell" so im guessing he came back out of hell a bad guy...idk confused

  • InzaneJuggalo

    Posted Sep 23, 2006 10:38 am PT

    I like roast beef.

  • duabemoiyeu

    Posted Sep 23, 2006 9:17 am PT

    damn it.......
    i hate that's guys name is Nero......
    damn, i just want my own charater......Dante (

  • Sora-Dante

    Posted Sep 21, 2006 7:39 am PT

    Let's rock, baby!

  • phucvantran

    Posted Sep 20, 2006 4:01 pm PT

    Is nero actually a demon, cause devil may cry implies that a demon may cry for his loved ones right, but if Nero only got the demon hand thingy it's just all wrong. And as for the nero is dante son scenario which is unlikely, cause it';s to predictable, wouldn't it be nice if vergil would woop ass to help out his nephew xP

  • metalcry

    Posted Sep 20, 2006 1:35 pm PT

    If a zelda game came out without link that would be terrible that would ruind the hole game, anyway Dante is in the dmc4 tho ,just not the main character, and i hope we will get some heavy suprise in the game ,=)

  • SoraTheExtreme

    Posted Sep 20, 2006 9:32 am PT

    theGrynch: meh, I don't really care about that... A Zelda game without Link? Sounds quite a good an idea... a little change now and then is fun... Link has'nt had much personallity in the past anyway so why miss him? cause of the clothes?

  • theGrynch

    Posted Sep 20, 2006 5:39 am PT

    I think it's a terrible design choice, replacing Dante. I wouldn't be surprised if that alone kept people from buying tht game. And I know what you're thinking, "don't knock it till you try it!" That doesn't matter. If a Zelda game came out and Link wasn't the protagonist, it'd flop. End o' story. When I play DMC, I wanna be Dante, plain and simple.

  • SoraTheExtreme

    Posted Sep 19, 2006 6:13 pm PT

    Let's see if this Nero-guy can really replace Dante... "Let's rock, baby..." who else can do that and still look cool?

  • TongLong

    Posted Sep 18, 2006 6:33 pm PT

    I hope Skullomania is an unlockable character!

    Sounds cool!

  • METALHEAD06

    Posted Sep 18, 2006 11:34 am PT

    IM SO FRIGGEN EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • TomasBaravykas

    Posted Sep 18, 2006 7:06 am PT

    Gogandontas07 VErgil is alive or dead because is u didin't remember he fell in the pit of the Demon World and he haved to fight whit the Devil Prince or something like that and who knoows did hi did it or not well the point is I'm looking foward at the new Character but I liked the Dante in DMC2 more then in DMC3.

  • Gogandontas07

    Posted Sep 18, 2006 3:50 am PT

    to dondidit2u, ...wouldnt that just be Virgil? who, by the way is dead...I think, well it he isnt dead then he wouldn't look like a young dante anyway. I think im just gonna wait for more details.

  • Ankitgarg

    Posted Sep 18, 2006 3:05 am PT

    Looks good and all.. DMC for me has always been abut Dante. Ok a new character is Welcome if he is given a good personality even though a grey one... here is my speculation to the thing..as the game posters, site and screens do show a lot of Dante and Nero... equally.

    We do get to play both as Dante and Nero in the game. The story is more Nero oriented as they would want to build the new character.. we already know a lot abut Dante. But yeah he would be as Bad Ass ever.... Capcom want to build up the new hype for the new character and his cool moves and all.. but they might be hiding the gameplay area of Dante and want the ppl to go WOW when they play with Dante tooo.... so basically I think we would get to play both as Dante and Nero... Wht after this series I dont really know who would it be in DMC 5 if there is a DMC 5.. also I feel Nero is Vergil.

    Finally Dante Fan all the way.. it would be really sad not to play as Dante or to play very less portion as Dante.. .. Plz dont screw up the Fan following.

  • hgadson

    Posted Sep 17, 2006 5:02 pm PT

    whoever said wii and ps3 will smash xbox360 is a stupid retard because ps3 and 360 are about the same but have some different games and wii is cool but isnt in this fight

  • Shouter202368

    Posted Sep 17, 2006 10:29 am PT

    goddammit, tommykerr13! STOP WITH THE FANBOYISM OR SYSTEM-HATING!!! this article had nothing to even do with the systems

  • Kartel101

    Posted Sep 17, 2006 10:27 am PT

    I KNOW for sure that Dante will be playable, I mean it makes sense. They made DMC3 special edition to give players what they wanted which was another playable character, so it would make a whole lot of sense to just do that from the get go this time around. And who knows with the capacity of the blu ray we might be looking at separate story lines for the different character/s (not like in DMC3 sp. ed. where both Dante and Vergil went through the same storyline basically).

  • dondidit2u

    Posted Sep 17, 2006 9:00 am PT

    Wow interesting concept, would have been better if it was a pure evil clone of dante to attempt to ressurect his father to bring damnation to hell

  • sketchley

    Posted Sep 16, 2006 12:51 pm PT

    metal cry dante doesnt age like we do hes demon look it up on wiki

  • tommykerr13

    Posted Sep 16, 2006 8:02 am PT

    PS3 and Wii are going to smash Xbox 360 into the ground.

  • VortexViper16

    Posted Sep 16, 2006 7:21 am PT

    Personally i think that they are gonna surprise everyone by making dante and nero the same character. The thing on his arm could be like a liquid snake and oceleot thing, and dante could jus have a different side to him, and he could have a reversable jacket das black on one side and red on the otherside YOU NEVER KNOW, or dante and that girl from DMC 2 could of had a child and dante named him nero in rememberance of his now lost brother vergil, who knows what they are gonna throw at us next.

  • omi1

    Posted Sep 16, 2006 4:55 am PT

    definately need to play this

  • Xxorbitang3lxX

    Posted Sep 15, 2006 10:55 pm PT

    I think Nero is reffering to Vergil.
    Because in DMC 1 he was none other than Nelo Angelo.
    Nelo = Nero. The whole Japanese R thing.
    If you look at the website, Nero's wearing blue.
    And the logo shows a blue silhouette, and the interiew thing said that Nero has a new power, meaning Nero has allready been introduced in the series, so it should be Virgil.
    Plus int he screenshots in the website, he's wearing a blue coat.
    And of course he looks different, he died, and aged.

  • metalcry

    Posted Sep 15, 2006 10:29 pm PT

    in DMC3 Dante is 18 years old, dmc1 dante is26 years old, in DMC2 he is 43 lol, and think he is around 30-36 years in dmc4

  • Lahard

    Posted Sep 15, 2006 7:24 pm PT

    nero is the reincarnation of virgil

  • demonik_one

    Posted Sep 15, 2006 6:26 pm PT

    i think nero is dante's son rather than an brother

  • omi1

    Posted Sep 15, 2006 12:05 pm PT

    OH and why the hell does Nero look like Dante? third son of Sparda is not gonna fly, and and I'm not liking the thought of Virgil or Dante having a long lost kid -

  • omi1

    Posted Sep 15, 2006 12:00 pm PT

    you know I don't mind Dante being older looking but geez man, DMC3 dante is suppose to be 18 I think, DMC he's around 38 (they say DMC3 takes place twenty years before the 1st game). DMC2 he's what? Now DMC4 which we still don't know what oder these games are in. 3-1-2-4, 3-1-4-2 somebody help me here.
    I don't know why Capcom is hell bent on aging these characters so quick

  • Newager

    Posted Sep 15, 2006 11:07 am PT

    yeah it was kind of true that dante was already peaked out in the 3 sequels they have. However, removing dante from the game totally is just ridicullous. they should have other character going beside him so like metal gear 2, the story develop from 2 point of view that should be great. I don't mind changes, changes are great things. Just don't kill dante and don't forget capcom! Don't make dante's personalitty change again like in DMC2 he looked quieter and calmer somehow. Maybe the costume? He looked older. Dang... it! Go Devil May Cry!

  • Dark_Pheonix01

    Posted Sep 15, 2006 9:34 am PT

    This is starting to sound like an exciting game, I cant wait to see what else develops.

  • metalcry

    Posted Sep 15, 2006 5:53 am PT

    No nero is not vergil. Nero is in an organization called Order of Knights and are trying to undo the seal of Sparda, but are stopped by none other than Dante.!!

  • shamarke

    Posted Sep 15, 2006 5:05 am PT

    Nero looks like Dante is it Vergil?????? vergil dont like guns????????

  • metalcry

    Posted Sep 15, 2006 3:56 am PT

    they have updated http://www.capcom.co.jp/devil4/ go and take a look!! New Pics!

  • metalcry

    Posted Sep 15, 2006 3:49 am PT

    just one week to TGS!!!!! cant wait!

  • dualblades

    Posted Sep 14, 2006 11:38 pm PT

    In response to Guest_1001
    Vergil maintains honor as Nelo Angelo as well. In fact I believe the first thing Dante says to him in DMC is "A man with guts and honor.... I like that. But it's a shame you serve mundus."

  • Kinki_G_25

    Posted Sep 14, 2006 6:27 pm PT

    Dante... replaced...??

    Well I suppose I will still check it out... but Dante was awesome...

  • _Sam_

    Posted Sep 14, 2006 3:53 pm PT

    hope it's good

  • Aperion89

    Posted Sep 14, 2006 1:21 pm PT

    ?! your not playing as Dante?

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