Devil May Cry 4

We, the undersigned, are all Devil May Cry fans who were disappointed with the latest installment in the series, Devil May Cry 4.

It feels to us like the Devil May Cry series is heading in the wrong direction after the release of Devil May Cry 4, and that in many regards the game failed to meet the standards set by the fantastic Devil May Cry 1 and Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition, or our expectations as Devil May Cry fans. It is understandable that as a business as well as a developer, you have to consider sales and mass appeal, however, as long time fans and supporters of the series, we feel that too many steps have been taken to escape the series' previously niche image and target a more casual mainstream audience, leading to severe shortcomings within the game itself. Although Devil May Cry 4 has been greeted with a generally positive critical reception by casual gaming review sites/magazines, newcomers and non-Devil May Cry fans alike, these sources were largely unaware or unappreciative of the series' previous quality and standard in the genre. It is in our worry that given the success Devil May Cry 4 has enjoyed, later entries in the series will likely follow a similar path and continue to betray its original fanbase.

Therefore, the undersigned hereby agree to boycott all the Devil May Cry series' next iterations and affiliated games, be it Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition or Devil May Cry 5, if any of the following complaints listed aren't rectified (Note: These complaints weren't present in Devil May Cry 1 and Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition):

- Abysmal story and script;

The plot is lackluster, clichйd and uneventful in the context of the existing canon, a disappointment considering the advances made in the narrative of Devil May Cry 3. Further, many fans felt the story is too disconnected from previous games in the series, and both fans and non-fans agree that by the end of the game, many questions are left unanswered.

- Shallow limited gameplay;

Compared to the incredible depth Devil May Cry 3 offered, Devil May Cry 4 is a huge step backwards. Nero has only two weapons and no on the fly switching mechanics for weapons or styles, while Dante has only six and a half weapons compared to the ten he had in the previous game, and although on the fly switching mechanics for styles has been added to his arsenal, all of them have been considerably cut down. Furthermore, the extremely popular "Crazy Combo" mechanic from Devil May Cry 3 has been taken out. Altogether, both characters don't even approach Devil May Cry 3 Dante's depth, and Nero is in fact surpassed by the playable Vergil in Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition alone. While the combat system is as seamless as ever, players lack options in Devil May Cry 4, seemingly a product of splitting the content between two characters and watering down gameplay for new players.

- Unbalanced and broken gameplay elements;

Within a few weeks of Devil May Cry 4's release, it became clear that many abilities and mechanics in the game were overpowered and abusable. Pretty much all the Bosses can be killed in under 40 seconds, even on "Dante Must Die" difficulty, and many can be trapped in inescapable attack loops due to bad AI (the Dante Boss fight is an example, which contains no less than 3 loops that can defeat him). Additionally, many fans feel the "Devil Bringer", although a welcome addition to the series, cheapens the gameplay considerably. The move "Snatch" instantly renders enemies helpless, and the grab "Buster" does too much damage, especially in "Devil Trigger" mode.

- Repetition of content and backtracking;

Both bosses and environments were re-used too often in Devil May Cry 4, something both fans and non-fans alike found frustrating. It's true, Bosses were repeated in the previous games, but they increased in difficulty, their attack patterns and AIs were altered, and they were all in completely new environments, and although backtracking was also common in the previous games, it was not seen to such an extent. In Nero's section of the game, we see what could be considered acceptable backtracking, but then as the player gains control of Dante, he basically revisits every area and fights the exact same bosses yet again, but only in reverse order. This is ridiculous and needs addressed.

- Replacement of the protagonist;

Although willing to accept new characters and dimensions in the series, many fans were offended at Dante, a popular and much loved protagonist, being replaced so forcefully by a new character with absolutely no previous connection to the story, clearly not for the improvement of the game itself, but again to open the game out to the mainstream and non-fans. This is especially negative when his gameplay isn't as deep or compelling as Dante's, and despite claims to the contrary, the "Devil Bringer" could easily have been a mere style choice, or the "Swordmaster" style element of a weapon, given its simplicity and button requirements. It could be claimed Dante and Nero share the game, but Dante has a mere 7 missions in comparison to Nero's 13, so it is clear he has been relegated to a secondary position.

- Lack of unlockable content and lasting appeal;

Whereas in previous games of the series unlockable costumes were a staple element, Devil May Cry 4 offers no real rewards for completion of the later modes save the two "Super" costumes, compared to Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition, where even the added playable character Vergil got new costumes. Finally, due to the shallow, limited and broken nature of many of the game's elements, as well as over-repetition of the content, Devil May Cry 4 does not offer the same replayability and continuing depth of combat Devil May Cry 3 offered before it.