Devil May Cry 4

General Tips

• The dice game isn't random. Before being hit, it rotates in a specific sequence and the number rolled depends on what attack you hit it with. A simple way to guarantee the number you want is to watch the die's sequence and prepare yourself. Hitting it with a buster when the face up number is the one you want will guarantee that number.

• For a ridiculously easy SSS rank - fight the Angelo trio of two blue knights and a gold leader. They're found various times in the level or two with Magnus during Nero's story. Avoid attacking any of them while charging a Blue Rose shot, and wait for the group to charge a huge projectile together (pad rumbling lets you know this is happening and you can see a reflective ball growing). Wait until the moment after they release it towards you and then let the charged shot fly. It'll reflect the attack and kill all three. Instant SSS.

• This game is much easier than Devil May Cry 3 on the highest difficulty.

• After beating the Demon Hunter (Normal) difficulty, the enemies change. For all four subsequent difficulty settings, you'll run into fewer Scarecrows and more of the Forsts (ice guys) and Assaults (lizards). You'll even see more Blitzes (electric guys).

• Try Nero in the Bloody Palace, first.

• Dante is usually more fun to use and more complex, but Nero is much more powerful thanks to the Buster, Snatch, and Level III charged shot.

• Nero's charge shot level III hurts on impact and explodes after a few seconds. The explosion hurts enemies close to your victim and can keep one demon busy for a good seven to ten seconds while you beat up on a different demon and charge another shot.

• Assign "shoot" to a trigger you can easily charge shots with both characters and fight at the same time.

• Dante's Lucifer seems boring and useless, but ends up being his most powerful weapon against the plant boss, the ice frog, and the fire boss with the use of the Pin Up attack and Swordmaster style.

• Dante's Gilgamesh has an attack called Real Impact. If you activate Devil Trigger after Dante jumps into the air, Dante will inflict an extra hit and do almost twice as much damage.

• You can actually get in two extra hits. RIGHT after the moment of impact, when the action pauses for a second, press the DT button, and you'll get an extra, full power hit. Press the DT button in the air again after the third hit, when the action pauses AGAIN, and you'll get ANOTHER extra, full power hit.

• You don't have to be regular or DT'd to start this. It works either way.

• Even on DMD, this will take away at least 1/4th of a boss's health.

• Nero is easier to make powerful, but Dante's normal Rebellion slashes are as strong as Nero's Exceed slashes, and he has better alternatives to Snatching in a lot of cases.

• Make sure you remap the controls so you can always hold down Shoot comfortably for charged shots, they're pretty good upgraded.

• If you're not sure what you're doing, definitely start on "Human" difficulty. It'll get you more comfortable with the playstyle, teach you some enemy patterns, and importantly, give you a ton of proud souls to start Devil Hunter mode with.

• In general, you are safe in the air. Practice doing Buster combos with Nero aerially especially pulling enemies up to you, beat them up, throw them down, repeat often works wonders for your health.

• Speaking of safety, unless an enemy has already started its attack animation, it cannot attack you from offscreen. Use this to your advantage.

• As Dante, learn how to use Trickster (D-pad UP) first. Not taking damage is, as a rule, far better than dealing it. Worry about kicking ass once you're not getting your own ass kicked.

• As well, once you have all of Dante's weapons, figure out which ones work best when (Rebellion in general, Gilgamesh for power hits, and Lucifer is just really weird, but wonderful once it becomes "natural"). Guns too, though Pandora + Gunslinger or when triggered is excellent once you've bought the upgrades.

• Finally, remember that when you use Devil Trigger, there's a brief explosion that knocks back enemies and deals a half decent amount of damage to them - don't be afraid to pop DT then turn it right back off to buy you some time around you.

Tips For Specific Enemies

Fausts/Mephistos (flying cloak enemies)

Nero: Charge Shot 3 gets rid of cloaks instantly, but while its charging hitting them with Buster and Snatch if they run away is the quickest way to do it. If you charge shot before their cloak comes back up, the explosion can kill them with the cloak up.

Dante: Switch to Gunslinger, equip the shotgun, jump in as close as possible and hit O. You'll probably knock off their cloak instantly, if not fire a couple more shotgun shots. You can real impact to instantly kill them afterwards on some difficulties.

Blitzes (Lightning enemies)

Nero: Charge shot whenever he leaves himself exposed, don't bother spamming bullets otherwise. Devil trigger and keep Bustering afterwards. Remember to keep pressing Square during the Buster animation; those knives that are summoned when firing your gun in DT can be summoned while you're doing a Buster, too.

Dante: You can actually attack him with his lightning up. Switch to Royal Guard, hit him and instantly hit block. It takes a while to learn the timing, but when you get it right you can just attack him until his shield is gone instead of having to wait and dodge and shoot while he runs around being unpredictable.

Blanco Angelo / Alto Angelo (iron statues)

Nero: You can Buster them when their shields are red to break them. The Spear types can be bustered from the back, but it leaves you vulnerable to other enemies; it's usually better to launch them from the back and do an air combo. the Sword types it can be better to Buster; their animation leaves you less vulnerable and also does loads of damage to them. If they're together and do that Black Hole charging thing they have, hit it with a charge shot to kill them all instantly and get an SSS rank.

Dante: Don't bother with the shields. Run behind them and hit them and they'll die really fast, because he does so much damage. They're good targets for Real Impact after a launch, they're not going anywhere.

Frosts:

Nero: Keep snatching. Normal attacks won't always interrupt their attacks, but Snatches will. Whenever you see yourself in potential danger, Snatch and they'll trip and you can go back to hitting them.

Dante: No tricks like Nero here. Just pay attention to when they aren't being stunned and don't use moves with long recovery times.