History YMMV / DevilMayCry4

** As mentioned by Sanctus, Nero is eventually revealed to [[spoiler:have inherited the blood of Sparda.]] What's the reaction of the cast? '''Nobody cares.''' Dante mostly ignores it, Kyrie and Nero never learn it, especially when they were [[spoiler:being absorbed into The Savior when Sanctus revealed it to Dante]]. All anyone gets out of it is Nero acquiring Yamato and accessing his [[SuperMode Devil Trigger]].
** Vergil's inclusion in ''4:SE'' was likely an attempt to rectify Vergil Mode in ''3:SE'', itself being an example of TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot in a different way, namely giving players a look at what Vergil was up to in Fortuna prior to the events of ''3''. Unfortunately, it's just as [[ExcusePlot woefully brief]] as the new story material added in ''3:SE''.

* SignatureScene: Dante suddenly appearing in the Mitis Forest and quoting "What the hell is this?". It the most memorable part of the game even after several years, partly because it's another ''Devil May Cry'' [[MemeticMutation meme reaction clip]] that spread to other fandoms. The meme saw a resurgence in 2020 when it was used to express bafflement over certain characters appearing in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'' before Dante. And when the [[UpdatedRerelease Special Edition]] of ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'' arrived on the same year, this scene is also referenced as a game clear art for the latter, with Dante doing a nearly-identical pose like what he did in ''4'' while Nero and [[spoiler:Vergil]] are casually taking in the scenery.

** The Special Edition of this game revamped the save system so that it consolidates all your progress across the Nero/Dante, Lady/Trish, and Vergil campaigns into a single file. This is well-received because you don't have to re-obtain some collectibles, upgrades and unlockables when you switch between the characters. It's a step up over the old slot-based system in ''3:SE'' where your progress in Dante and Vergil campaigns are independent from each other. This is also seen as a response over a GameBreakingBug in ''3:SE'' where a separate Vergil save file can leak into and corrupt the data of a Dante save file.

** Vergil in ''4:SE''. Carefully using the Concentration Gauge coupled with the Devil Trigger and Beowulf makes The Savior a 2-hit job. From a platforming standpoint, Vergil now also has the ability to collect orbs at a distance by hitting them with his Summoned Swords. This renders the challenge of retrieving most of the hard-to-reach orbs scattered throughout the game completely moot, due to the sheer range at which the Summoned Swords are able to travel.

* LateArrivalSpoiler: Gloria is actually [[spoiler:Trish in disguise]]. Later installments or related media casually revealed it because this game's ''Special Edition'', ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3'', and ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'' have {{Palette Swap}}s of dark-skinned [[spoiler:Trish]] in white clothes (matching Gloria's colors) as unlockable cosmetics or DownloadableContent. It's also revealed in one of the Pachislot spin-offs' cutscenes.

* NarmCharm: Dante's costume in this game, which includes ass-less and crotch-less chaps, though given how stylishly "American" Dante's design is perceived by fans (despite being pretty anime-influenced for a guy who seemingly lives in the States, [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools though that's not necessarily a strike against him]]) and [[CrazyAwesome how over the top his antics are in this game]], it works as a whole, though perhaps not ''as'' well as his other outfits (the first and third games in particular). His "cowboy" outfit also features slight Italian touches, which happen to match how Fortuna's Gothic architecture draws inspiration from UsefulNotes/TheRenaissance.

* DisappointingLastLevel: Dante's share of missions feature ''excessive'' {{backtracking}} and recycled bosses, and when you switch back to Nero, you're treated to a return of [[ScrappyMechanic the dice game]] from [[ThatOneLevel Mission 6]] combined with a BossRush for Mission 19. The second half of the game, though not without its enjoyable moments, is generally agreed to be much weaker than the first because of the lack of originality. Later interviews confirmed that the second half re-used the previous levels because ''[=DMC4=]'' was underfunded and rushed to follow a schedule.

* ItsTheSameNowItSucks: A major criticism is directed against the boss fights, or specifically, the amount of times you have to fight the same bosses. Berial, Bael/Dagon, Echidna, and Angelo Angus are each fought three times in a single playthrough, but without any significant variations to spice up the succeeding fights (Dagon is just a [[PaletteSwap recolored]] Bael, but he fights exactly like his blue-colored counterpart). The last instances of these fights also take place on the BossRush section of Mission 19, a stage that's already considered a DisappointingLastLevel. This criticism sometimes extends to another boss; when playing as Dante in the Bloody Palace, the final boss... is [[PaletteSwap Shadow Dante]]. There's no A.I.-controlled boss version of the other playable characters, just another Dante fight.

* ItsTheSameNowItSucks: A major criticism is directed against the boss fights, or specifically, the amount of times you have to fight the same bosses. Berial, Bael/Dagon, Echidna, and Angelo Angus are each fought three times in a single playthrough, but without any significant variations to spice up the succeeding fights (Dagon is just a [[PaletteSwap recolored]] Bael, but he fights exactly like his blue-colored counterpart. The last instances of these fights also take place on the BossRush section of Mission 19, a stage that's already considered a DisappointingLastLevel. This criticism sometimes extends to another boss; when playing as Dante in the Bloody Palace, the final boss... is [[PaletteSwap Shadow Dante]]. There's no A.I.-controlled boss version of the other playable characters, just another Dante fight.

* ScrappyMechanic: Collecting Red Orbs now counts towards your ranking. Problem is, completion time is still a factor, meaning you have to juggle between finishing the level as quickly as possible and scrounging around to collect as many Red Orbs as possible.

** Nero is eventually revealed to [[spoiler:"have the blood of Sparda."]] What's the reaction of the cast? '''Nobody cares.''' Dante mostly ignores it, Kyrie and Nero never learn it. All anyone gets out of it is Nero acquiring Yamato and accessing his [[SuperMode Devil Trigger]].
** When playing as Dante in the Bloody Palace, the final boss... is [[PaletteSwap Shadow Dante]]. You never get to fight an A.I.-controlled Nero when playing as Dante.

* ThatOneBoss: Quite logically, Dante will kill an inexperienced player countless times. Using cheap moves, incredible combos, and with few openings to attack him, he will brutalize the player all too often.

** The Special Edition of this game revamped the save system so that it consolidates all your progress across the Nero/Dante, Lady/Trish, and Vergil campaigns into a single file. This is a well-received change because you don't have to re-obtain some collectibles and unlockables when you switch between the characters. It's a step up over the old slot-based system in ''3:SE'' where your progress in Dante and Vergil campaigns are independent from each other.

** Bael isn't a difficult boss fight, probably because [[HardLevelsEasyBosses he comes after a long slog through the castle collecting all the Gyro Blades]]. He telegraphs his attacks from a mile away, they're all easy enough to dodge, and he gives you tons of opportunities to damage him. He can become a pain in the highest difficulties though, especially when he enters his own [[SuperMode Devil Trigger]] phase. These also apply to Dagon.

* PolishedPort: The original PC version, which not only runs very smoothly on a wide array of systems, but puts higher-end systems to the test with ''[[IdiosyncraticDifficultyLevels Legendary Dark Knight Mode]]'', which [[ZergRush fills the screen with enemies]]. Unlike the PC port of ''[=DMC3=]'', this is quite the breath of fresh air for PC gamers. It doesn't have a leaderboard though.

* HeartwarmingInHindsight: Midway through the story, Dante fights Nero for the rightful possession of the Yamato, saying that it has to "stay in the family" (the weapon belongs to his twin brother Vergil). By the end of the game, Dante lets Nero keep it instead as a form of ItWasAGift. Later installments such as ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'' would outright confirm that [[spoiler:Nero is Vergil's son]], while Dante already had his suspicions about it when they first met and was more certain when he saw Nero holding the Yamato. This retroactively means that Dante allowed Nero to keep the Yamato because he already realized that [[spoiler:Nero is his nephew]].

* HeartwarmingInHindsight: Midway through the story, Dante fights Nero for the rightful possession of the Yamato, saying that it has to "stay in the family" (the weapon belongs to his twin brother Vergil). By the end of the game, Dante lets Nero keep it instead as a form of ItWasAGift. Later installments such as ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'' would outright confirm that [[spoiler:Nero is Vergil's son]] and Dante already had his suspicions about it when they first met. This retroactively implies that Dante allowed Nero to keep the Yamato because he already realized that [[spoiler:Nero is his nephew]].

* {{Fanon}}:
** Vergil's prologue cutscene in the ''Special Edition'' shows him walking between a crowd in Fortuna. Despite his face partly being [[InTheHood concealed by his robe]], a woman dressed in red stops in her tracks and takes a short while to glance at Vergil. It has then been speculated that this "woman in red" is [[spoiler:Nero's mom]].
** The series' AnachronicOrder was [[{{Retcon}} updated]] to make ''[=DMC2=]'' take place between [[Anime/DevilMayCryTheAnimatedSeries the anime]] and ''4'', a decision that was [[AuthorsSavingThrow better received]] because Dante's personality in ''2'' is [[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation more cohesive]] if it follows the anime. However, it can be argued a few plot holes still exist if the events of ''4'' are considered; the biggest one likely being why Dante didn't use the Ultimate Devil Trigger in ''4'' if he already had access to it in ''2'' (A "Double Devil Trigger" was actually conceptualized for ''4'' before being [[WhatCouldHaveBeen scrapped]]). A common fan explanation mentions that neither ''2'' nor ''4'' depict Dante activating his regular Devil Trigger for combat purposes as opposed to the first and third games. (The closest he comes is when he partially transforms after his first fight with Nero in ''4'', seemingly an involuntary reaction to Nero's Devil Bringer.) This suggests he was at a level of power where the threat of either game didn't necessitate his full strength, which would be in line with ''4''[='s=] claim that [[SuperiorSuccessor Dante had surpassed Sparda]].

* {{Fanon}}: Vergil's prologue cutscene in the ''Special Edition'' shows him walking between a crowd in Fortuna. Despite his face partly being [[InTheHood concealed by his robe]], a woman dressed in red stops in her tracks and takes a short while to glance at Vergil. It has then been speculated that this "woman in red" is [[spoiler:Nero's mom]].
** The series' AnachronicOrder was [[{{Retcon}} updated]] to make ''[=DMC2=]'' take place between [[Anime/DevilMayCryTheAnimatedSeries the anime]] and ''4'', a decision that was [[AuthorsSavingThrow better received]] because Dante's personality in ''2'' is [[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation more cohesive]] if it follows the anime. However, it can be argued a few plot holes still exist if the events of ''4'' are considered, with lore-minded fans having debates on how they can be justified.

** When playing as Nero, being able to execute a Buster (or especially, a Devil Buster) is so satisfying to watch. That boss who's giving you trouble becomes momentarily helpless while you take out a significant chunk of their health bar.

* {{Fanon}}: Vergil's prologue cutscene in the Special Edition shows him walking between a crowd in Fortuna. Despite his face partly being [[InTheHood concealed by his robe]], a woman dressed in red stops in her tracks and takes a short while to glance at Vergil. It has then been speculated that this "woman in red" is [[spoiler:Nero's mom]].

** In the Special Edition, Trish has an attack called "V Divider". It's quite an interesting attack name at first, but in ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'', the new playable character V and the new BigBad Urizen are both revealed to be a [[spoiler:LiteralSplitPersonality of Vergil]]. In other words, they are [[spoiler:Vergil divided in two]].

** Some ''DMC'' fans play the [[UpdatedReRelease Special Edition]] of this game because it's the first time where Lady becomes [[PromotedToPlayable playable]]. Trish and Vergil were playable in older ''DMC'' games, but fans are still interested to see their movesets here.

* BestBossEver: [[spoiler:Angelo Credo]] is often praised as one of the most memorable boss fights from this game. From a storytelling perspective, [[spoiler:you fight him during an impactful event while playing as Nero]], and from a gameplay perspective, he's an overall challenging boss who moves and attacks fast, can block your attacks with his shield, and is more of a boss who tests the player's dexterity than a [[ThatOneBoss boss who has cheap, lethal gimmicks]]. Nero's Buster also has has multiple unique interactions against him. He has a cool angelic design on top of everything else.

** The Proud Soul System, which works as another currency system, and the only way to purchase new skills. Some argue it that works due to allowing customizability (and allows Dante to hit the ground running with a variety of upgrades as soon as his section of the campaign starts, since he is sharing his total Proud Soul count with Nero, but not sharing the unspent total). On the other hand, say that it's frustrating due to only getting them at the end of every mission.

** Some ''DMC'' fans play the [[UpdatedReRelease Special Edition]] of this game because it's the first time where Lady becomes [[PromotedToPlayable playable]]. Trish and Vergil were playable in older ''DMC'' games, but fans are still interested to see their movesets.
* LateArrivalSpoiler: Gloria is actually [[spoiler:Trish in disguise]]. Later installments or related media casually revealed it because this game's ''Special Edition'', ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3'' and ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'' have {{Palette Swap}}s of dark-skinned [[spoiler:Trish]] in white clothes (matching Gloria's colors) as unlockable cosmetics or DownloadableContent. It's also revealed in one of the Pachislot spin-offs' cutscenes.

** Nero's theme, "The Time Has Come" and "Shall Never Surrender" can be easily misinterpreted, especially the first line of the song, "The time has come and so have I!" It quickly gained [[MemeticMutation memetic status]].

* BestBossEver: [[spoiler:Angelo Credo]] is often praised as one of the most memorable boss fights from this game. From a storytelling perspective, [[spoiler:you fight him during an impactful event while playing as Nero]], and from a gameplay perspective, he's an overall challenging boss who moves and attacks fast, can block your attacks with his shield, and is more of a boss who tests the player's dexterity than a [[ThatOneBoss boss who has cheap, lethal gimmicks]]. When playing as Nero, he also has multiple unique interactions with the Buster. He also has a cool angelic design on top of those.

** Nero's Exceed mechanic is one of the most difficult aspects to master, especially in combos. Being able to activate it on demand to create flashy and extensive combos is one of the greatest hallmarks of a good player.

** Bael isn't a very hard boss fight, probably because [[HardLevelsEasyBosses he comes after a long slog through the castle collecting all the Gyro Blades]]. He telegraphs his attacks from a mile away, they're all easy enough to dodge, and he gives you tons of opportunities to damage him. He can become a pain in the highest difficulties though, especially when he enters his own [[SuperMode Devil Trigger]] phase. These also apply to Dagon.

** The biggest point of contention in the fandom (''[=DmC=]'' notwithstanding) likely comes from the canonical status of ''Devil May Cry 4: Deadly Fortune'', a two-volume light novel written by Bingo Morihashi, the scenario writer for ''[[VideoGame/DevilMayCry3DantesAwakening 3]]'', ''[[VideoGame/DevilMayCry4 4]]'', and ''[[VideoGame/DevilMayCry5 5]]'', and his assistant Yasui Kentarou. Bingo considers the novel to be the definitive version of ''4'''s story, but it deviates from the game's plot at multiple points and was written ''after'' he had left Creator/{{Capcom}}'s employ. Because of this, it's been questioned if the novel can be considered anything more than [[WordOfSaintPaul semi-canon at best]], and not all fans ([[http://devils-lair.org/dmc4novel.html for example]]) are on board with certain portions of the narrative, such as [[spoiler:Nero's mother being some nameless prostitute that Vergil had a one-night stand with when he visited Fortuna less than two decades prior (to learn more about Sparda's legacy). ''[[VideoGame/DevilMayCry5 5]]'' confirms that Vergil ''did'' have a one-night stand that resulted in Nero, but never knew about Nero until Dante spells it out for him in the climax, Bingo once again as the scenario writer.]]

** The Proud Soul System, which works as another currency system, and the only way to purchase new skills. Some have argued it that works due to allowing customizability (and allows Dante to hit the ground running with a variety of upgrades as soon as his section of the campaign starts, since he is sharing his total Proud Soul count with Nero, but not sharing the unspent total). On the other hand, some have stated that it's frustrating due to only getting them at the end of every mission.

* ComplacentGamingSyndrome: When playing as Nero, players would mostly save up the DT gauge so that he can use a [[SuperMode Devil Buster]] instead of a normal Buster because the former deals more damage on top of having more brutal animations. This is especially evident during boss fights. In addition to this strategy, players also have a habit of mashing the shoot button to pierce the enemy with Summoned Swords during the lengthy Devil Buster animations. After all, you can't go wrong with some additional damage.

** Chimera Assaults are especially so. To put it simply, on higher difficulties, simply trying to get near them is '''potential suicide'''. Mission 14 puts them in the same room as Faults for extra frustration.
** Then there's Alto Angelo. Its lesser brethren, Bianco Angelo, can't fight back if backstabbed, but Alto can and will teleport in retaliation. It's impossible to land a Buster on an Alto unless its shield is down, and like Bianco, it cannot be [[YouWillNotEvadeMe snatched]], ever. [[note]]At least trying to use the Snatch on them doesn't hurt you or anything; the game just treats them like a grapple target from the platforming sections.[[/note]]

* DisappointingLastLevel: Dante's share of missions feature ''excessive'' {{backtracking}} and recycled bosses, and when you switch back to Nero, you're treated to a return of [[ScrappyMechanic the dice game]] from [[ThatOneLevel Mission 6]] combined with a BossRush for Mission 19. The second half of the game, though not without its enjoyable moments, is generally agreed to be much weaker than the first because of the lack of originality.

** Because Dante wasn't tested in-depth due to the game being rushed, [[GoodBadBugs he has several mechanic exploits]] that turn him, [[DifficultButAwesome a character who already has a high execution barrier]], into something that can only be likened to a death machine traveling at Mach 2. One of the cornerstones of his inhuman mobility and combo potential revolves around [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOLRLcRQj_0 a mechanic]] referred to as [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Urn_z0bzgs0 "Inertia"]], wherein [[LagCancel jump-canceling]] specific moves with horizontal momentum (e.g. Sky Star, Killer Bee, Full House) in a certain way will cause Dante to [[JumpPhysics drift through the air in various directions]]. From there, you get to techniques like "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1K_fABSqeAI Guard]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhMxmOk8Srg Flying]]" (a.k.a. "Flying Guard"/"Sky Running"), where canceling inertia-generated movement with his Guard will cause Dante to zip around the air at the player's whim. A similar but distinct trick is "[[https://sites.google.com/site/darkwavestyle/games-research/devil-may-cry-4/dmc4---dante/action-loops-starraves-etc Star Rave]]", which involves canceling the first hit of Swordmaster's Aerial Rave with Trickster's Sky Star, then switching back to Swordmaster and jump-canceling into another Aerial Rave--all in one fluid motion--for a potentially endless loop. [[SomeDexterityRequired Needless to say, your index fingers and thumbs will require A LOT of training.]]

** In the Special Edition, Trish has an attack called "V Divider". It's quite an interesting attack name at first, but in ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'', the new playable character V and the new BigBad Urizen are both revealed to be a [[spoiler: LiteralSplitPersonality of Vergil]]. In other words, they are [[spoiler: Vergil divided in two]].

* JustHereForGodzilla: Some ''DMC'' fans play the [[UpdatedReRelease Special Edition]] of this game because it's the first time where Lady becomes [[PromotedToPlayable playable]]. The same can also be said for Trish, but another related thought stems from the interest of knowing Gloria's role, especially when [[spoiler:''[=DMC5=]'' added a PaletteSwap of Trish as a nod to her time disguised as Gloria]].

* NarmCharm: Dante's costume in this game, which includes ass-less and crotchless chaps, though given how stylishly "American" Dante's design is seen to be by fans (despite being pretty anime-influenced for a guy who seemingly lives in the States, [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools though that's not necessarily a strike against him]]) and [[CrazyAwesome how over the top his antics are in the fourth game]], it works as a whole, though perhaps not ''as'' well as his other looks, the first and third games in particular. His "cowboy" outfit also features slight Italian touches to it which happen to match how Fortuna's Gothic architecture draws inspiration from UsefulNotes/TheRenaissance.

* ReplacementScrappy: Many fans saw Nero as one [[TaintedByThePreview before this game finally came out]], that he would completely replace Dante as the main protagonist. However after the release of ''VideoGame/DMCDevilMayCry'', most agree that the hate was ill-placed, and that [[RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap Nero has come into his own]] in later games such as ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5''.

* SequelDifficultyDrop: ''[=DMC4=]'' is considered to be easier than ''[=DMC3=]''. From the playable characters alone, Nero has a powerful {{grapple move}}, Buster, that can quickly take a significant chunk of the enemies' health. For Dante, he can now access all of his weapons and styles in real-time, and they are much easier to manage and upgrade compared to the previous game locking him to one style at a time. The Western release of ''3'' being infamously difficult also contributes to this in retrospect.
* SpiritualAdaptation: The original PC version (and the ''4:SE'' version on both consoles and PC) on Legendary Dark Knight is considered as the best ''VideoGame/DynastyWarriors'' game ever made.
* SuspiciouslySimilarSong: Nero's battle theme, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLBAFJWbd30 "The Time Has Come,"]] sounds rather similar to Music/RobZombie's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPuHCzSqR6U "Reload,"]] which appeared on the soundtrack to ''Film/TheMatrixReloaded''. Fitting, as both franchises and the artist came into prominence in the early [=2000s=].

* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotPolitical: The [[spoiler:[[CorruptChurch Order of the Sword]]]] seems like an obvious TakeThat against UsefulNotes/{{Christianity}}, but the game's director, Hideaki Itsuno, denies this is the case.

* ComplacentGamingSyndrome: When playing as Nero, players would mostly save up the DT gauge so that he can use a [[SuperMode Devil Buster]] instead of a normal Buster because the latter deals more damage on top of having more brutal animations. This is especially evident during boss fights. In addition to this strategy, players also have a habit of mashing the shoot button to pierce the boss with Summoned Swords during the lengthy Devil Buster animations. After all, you can't go wrong with some additional damage.

* CatharsisFactor: Seeing Nero gut Sanctus without fear when the [[DirtyCoward latter tries to hold Kyrie hostage]] [[SoreLoser a second time upon defeat]] is so satisfying.

* BestBossEver: [[spoiler:Angelo Credo]] is often praised as one of the most memorable boss fights from this game. From a storytelling perspective, [[spoiler:you fight him during an impactful event while playing as Nero]], and from a gameplay perspective, he's an overall challenging boss who moves and attacks fast, can block your attacks with his shield, and is more a test of the player's dexterity than enduring lethal gimmicks. When playing as Nero, he also has multiple unique interactions with the Buster. He also has a cool angelic design on top of those.