Mike Bantick
Thursday, 28 February 2008 16:01
Opinion and Analysis
Page 2 of 3
Complex and deep combinations of sword and gun play are needed to defeat these hoards, along with a smattering of puzzles that should only tax veterans of the series lightly. Levelling up of moves and items is achieved at points during the came by expending soul orbs gathered during game-play.
The Exceed system provides a 'rev up' of three power levels for sword play, and adds another layer – perhaps underutilised – to the Combo system.
And then there are the style points. Completing the mission in a good time, gathering as many orbs as possible and dispatching creatures in a stylish fashion (ie. Using different moves and not taking hits) all contribute to a ranking of the mission. This in turn gives Proud Orbs that can be expended on new moves, attacks and talents.
There are hidden Blue Orbs to be collected as well as many a side mission to distract Nero and Dante from the main story line, giving a satisfying depth of play and value.
There are some problems however: Only limited camera control is available, causing some frustrating moments and sometimes even death as a sudden camera swing reverses the direction of movement , or does not give an extensive enough field of vision to up-coming hazards.
There are only two choices of difficulty (until the game is played through a few times) and these may seem too easy for veterans of the series. On these levels, the challenge never seems to ramp up too much, and even the impressive boss creatures go down a little too easily.
