Okami versionD

Okami versionD theme by Deemy

Download: Okami_vD.p3t

Okami vD Theme
(12 backgrounds)

P3T Unpacker v0.12
Copyright (c) 2007. Anoop Menon

This program unpacks Playstation 3 Theme files (.p3t) so that you can touch-up an existing theme to your likings or use a certain wallpaper from it (as many themes have multiple). But remember, if you use content from another theme and release it, be sure to give credit!

Download for Windows: p3textractor.zip

Instructions:

Download p3textractor.zip from above. Extract the files to a folder with a program such as WinZip or WinRAR. Now there are multiple ways to extract the theme.

The first way is to simply open the p3t file with p3textractor.exe. If you don’t know how to do this, right click the p3t file and select Open With. Alternatively, open the p3t file and it will ask you to select a program to open with. Click Browse and find p3textractor.exe from where you previously extracted it to. It will open CMD and extract the theme to extracted.[filename]. After that, all you need to do for any future p3t files is open them and it will extract.

The second way is very simple. Just drag the p3t file to p3textractor.exe. It will open CMD and extract the theme to extracted.[filename].

For the third way, first put the p3t file you want to extract into the same folder as p3textractor.exe. Open CMD and browse to the folder with p3extractor.exe. Enter the following:
p3textractor filename.p3t [destination path]Replace filename with the name of the p3t file, and replace [destination path] with the name of the folder you want the files to be extracted to. A destination path is not required. By default it will extract to extracted.filename.

Devil May Cry #3

Devil May Cry theme by Livin Legend 81

Download: DevilMayCry_3.p3t

Devil May Cry Theme 3
(1 background, different for HD and SD)

Devil May Cry
Genre(s)
Developer(s)
Publisher(s)Capcom
Creator(s)Hideki Kamiya
Platform(s)
First releaseDevil May Cry
August 23, 2001
Latest releaseDevil May Cry 5: Special Edition
November 10, 2020

Devil May Cry[a] is an urban fantasy action-adventure game franchise created by Hideki Kamiya. It is primarily developed and published by Capcom. The series centers on the demon hunter Dante and his efforts to thwart various demon invasions of Earth. Its gameplay consists of combat scenarios in which the player must attempt to extend long chains of attacks, avoiding damage and exhibiting stylized combat by varying their attacks; this combat, along with time and the number of items collected and used, are considered in grading the player's performance.

The series alludes to Italian poet Dante's Divine Comedy. Hideki Kamiya created Devil May Cry after a failed attempt to develop a Resident Evil game with the first game originally being conceived as Resident Evil 4. Kamiya wanted to create a game with more action features, which Capcom felt the series did not need. The games were directed by Hideaki Itsuno and writer Bingo Morihashi. Capcom announced a new game, DmC: Devil May Cry (developed by Ninja Theory and supervised by Capcom), during the 2010 Tokyo Game Show. A high-definition remastering of the three PlayStation 2 titles was released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2012, and in 2018 for the PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One. The latest game is Devil May Cry 5, released on March 8, 2019.

The series has been successful; the main entries has sold 31 million copies worldwide and received Capcom's Platinum Title award.[1] The success of the video-game series has led to comic books, novelizations, two animated series, guides, collectibles, publications, and a variety of action figures.

Games[edit]

Release timeline
2001Devil May Cry
2002
2003Devil May Cry 2
2004
2005Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening
2006Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening – Special Edition
2007Devil May Cry (mobile)
2008Devil May Cry (mobile)
Devil May Cry 4
2009
2010
2011
2012Devil May Cry HD Collection
2013DmC: Devil May Cry
2014
2015Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition
2016
2017
2018Devil May Cry HD Collection (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
2019Devil May Cry 5
2020Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition
2021
2022
2023
2024Devil May Cry: Peak of Combat
  • Devil May Cry: Players assume the role of Dante, a skilled demon hunter. The gameplay focuses on fast-paced, highly stylized combat; a high style ranking requires long attack and evasion strings while avoiding damage. Although the game also features puzzle-solving and exploration elements retained from its survival-horror origins, they are downplayed in favor of action. In later games, the system was modified; players had to vary their attacks to maintain their style rank.[2] The Devil Trigger enables a player's character to assume a devilish form with additional powers (based on their current weapon), while the character's strength and speed increase, and health is slowly restored.[2]
Screenshot
Dante attacks an enemy with the sword Alastor. The word "Cool!" assesses the player's performance in combat.
  • Devil May Cry 2: Dante is generally the game's lead character. Two other playable characters, Lucia and Trish are also available. The ability to perform combination attacks in mid-air and evasion and weapon-change buttons were introduced. With the latter, a player can cycle through ranged weapons without switching to the inventory screen.
  • Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening: A selection of gameplay styles were added, allowing the player to focus on favorite techniques or weapons. Each of the four styles gains experience points, which unlock more techniques and abilities without costing red orbs (the series' currency). A second weapon-change button was added, allowing the player to cycle through a character's melee weaponry.[3] The game was re-released as Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition with new skills for Dante and the ability to play as Vergil.[4]
  • Devil May Cry: Two different mobile games for feature phones were released in 2007–2008. One has similar gameplay to Devil May Cry 3 and uses enemies and characters from that game. The other one is a 2D side-scrolling beat 'em up.[5]
  • Devil May Cry 4: This entry introduces a new protagonist, Nero, who is playable alongside the returning Dante. Nero's Devil Bringer arm gives players the ability to pull distant enemies in to be attacked or destroyed. Nero is also armed with a sword which can be throttled up, allowing players to pre-charge it for extra damage on the next hit; with precise timing, it can be charged after each attack for extra damage and style. As Dante, players can switch fighting styles in mid-combat, allowing more varied and unique combos.[6] The game was re-released as Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition, featuring the ability to play as Vergil as well as returning characters Lady and Trish.
  • Devil May Cry HD Collection: A collection of the series' first three games for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, ported by Pipeworks Software and Double Helix Games, eventually released on March 22, 2012, in Japan and March 29, 2012, in the US.[7] It was later ported to the PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One on March 13, 2018.[8][9]
  • DmC: Devil May Cry: This reboot of the series introduced a new continuity. Players could reach hidden areas with the Ophion whip and grappling hook. The environment often "attacks" Dante by changing its architecture and infrastructure to a more-hostile form, prompting fast-paced chase sequences and platforming scenarios.[10][11]
  • Devil May Cry 5: This game continues the original continuity from Devil May Cry 4. It again features Nero and Dante as playable characters, as well as a new character named V. Nero's Devil Bringer arm is replaced with a selection of swappable cybernetic arms dubbed Devil Breakers, each one featuring distinct gameplay mechanics. V remotely commands three demons in battle due to his weak physical state.[12] The game was re-released as Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition, featuring the ability to play as Vergil.
  • Devil May Cry: Peak of Combat: A mobile-phone game by Yunchang Games, based on Devil May Cry 3. Its rendition of Dante's appearance was criticized, and the developers promised to fix it when the game left the beta period for release in 2020.[13]

Plot[edit]

The series begins two millennia before the first game with the demon Sparda, the Black Knight, defeating Demon World ruler Mundus. Sparda stops Mundus from conquering the human world by sealing several Hellgates and Temen-Ni-Gru (the last portal) with a ritual requiring his blood and the aid of a human priestess. Sparda meets Eva, who gives birth to his twin sons Dante and Vergil.

The plot begins with Devil May Cry 3, a year after Dante has a falling-out with Vergil.[14] A large tower erupts from the ground near the shop, and Dante interprets it as a challenge from Vergil.[15] Dante is defeated in Temen-Ni-Gru by Vergil, who takes his locket and leaves with Arkham. Dante's dormant devil power revives him, and he resumes pursuing his brother. Vergil wants to use the pendants their mother gave them in a ritual to create a portal to the Demon World. The battle is joined by Lady, who wants to avenge her mother's death by Arkham; Arkham manipulated the three into completing the ritual, which would allow him to acquire Sparda's sword: the Force Edge.[16][17] Dante and Vergil defeat him, and resume battling each other. The portal begins to close, and Vergil approaches it. Dante pleads with his brother not to go, but Vergil leaps into the Demon World before the portal closes. Vergil is tested and encounters Mundus, his mother's killer. When Lady returns to the human world, she coins the phrase "devil may cry"; Dante uses it for the shop.[18][19]

Dante is confronted in Devil May Cry by Trish, who reveals that Mundus is planning to return and only a descendant of Sparda can defeat him.[20] He explores Mallet Island (where Mundus is set to return), encountering demons which include Mundus' general:[21] the undead Vergil, Nelo Angelo.[22] As Dante approaches Mundus, he falls into a trap which reveals that Trish is the demon's agent; he saves her, however, because she resembles his mother. Trish saves Dante from Mundus, and Dante realizes his father's power.[23] Dante defeats Mundus when Trish helps him return Mundus to the Demon World.[24] Dante and Trish escape as the island collapses and work together in the Devil Never Cry shop.

In the Devil May Cry: The Animated Series anime, Trish is a demon hunter; Dante is the bodyguard of Patty, a young heiress who becomes obsessed with him. Patty's mother is descended from a sorcerer who sealed the power of Abigail, an ancient devil lord. Patty is targeted by Sid, a demon seeking Abigail's power. Lady and Trish fight demons summoned by Sid, and Dante kills him.

Dante is invited by Lucia in Devil May Cry 2 to meet her mother, Matier. Dante learns that Arius is collecting artifacts (Arcana) to summon the demon lord Argosax.[25] Dante flips a coin, and decides to help.[26] Lucia confronts Arius, who reveals that he created her.[27] Lucia gives Dante the last of the Arcana before facing Arius alone.[28] Dante encounters Matier, who asks him to take the Arcana to save Lucia from Arius.[29] Lucia attacks Arius, but he captures her. Dante arrives, trades the Arcana for Lucia, and attacks Arius (who escapes).[30] A stream of energy strikes the Ouroboros tower, and a portal to the demon world opens. Dante and Lucia argue about who will enter, and Dante determines that he will go.[31] After Dante leaves, Arius returns to the human world and Lucia defeats him.[32]

In Devil May Cry 4, Dante and Trish discover foul play within the Order of the Sword and investigate while learning its religious leader's scheme to conquer the world using demonic power. Dante seemingly assassinates the Sanctus, only to face a young holy knight named Nero, who awakened his demonic forces as a descendant of Sparda. Nero quests to capture Dante while gaining Yamato, only to learn the Order's dark secrets before being captured by Sanctus through his girlfriend. Dante manages to cripple Sanctus's plans before freeing Nero to finish the job. The two part ways on good terms with Nero allowed keeping Yamato.

In Devil May Cry 5, set several years after Devil May Cry 4, Nero runs a mobile branch of Dante's Devil May Cry business.[33] He befriends Nico, a weapons artist and descendant of the gunsmith who crafted Dante's Ebony and Ivory handguns.[34] Nero's Devil Bringer arm from Devil May Cry 4 is stolen; armed with a prosthetic Devil Breaker created by Nico, he leaves with Dante and the demon hunter V to face their "strongest foe yet".[35][36]

Although the series' timeline had placed Devil May Cry 4 before Devil May Cry 2, it was retconned with the release of Devil May Cry 5.[37][38] DmC: Devil May Cry, developed by Ninja Theory, is not part of the timeline and takes place in an alternate universe from the main series. Along with a very different looking Dante, it moves away from the gothic look of the previous games to a more contemporary setting with some social commentary on mass media and culture.[39]

Development[edit]

16th-century painting of Dante Alighieri
The series is loosely based on the Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri (pictured).

After the completion of Resident Evil 2 in 1998, preliminary work on a PlayStation 2 installment of the Resident Evil series began by Team Little Devil under the direction of Hideki Kamiya.[40] Early research and development included a trip to Spain to examine castles as a basis for the game's environments. Its prototype, however, was a radical departure from the Resident Evil formula and the survival horror genre. Kamiya rewrote the story and changed its premise, drawing from Italian poet Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy[41][42] for Devil May Cry.[43]

Strider, another Capcom franchise, is cited as a vital influence on the Devil May Cry games and their action, particularly in their inclusion of the "boss rush".[44][45]

Despite the success of the original game, its sequel was not created by Kamiya or Team Little Devils.[46][47] Although an unidentified director was placed in charge of the project, Capcom was dissatisfied with their work and assigned Hideaki Itsuno "with only 4 to 5 months remaining in development" to steer the project back on course.[48] Despite Itsuno's limited time on the project, he is the only person credited as director in the final version of the game.[49] According to producer Tsuyoshi Tanaka, the design aim was to make Devil May Cry 2 bigger than its predecessor; Tanaka estimated that the game's environments were about nine times larger than the first.[50]

After Devil May Cry 2's mixed reception, Capcom decided to develop the next game like the more critically successful Devil May Cry. Gameplay elements, such as environment size and battle engine, were reconsidered.[51] In the original game, Vergil was killed by demons early and his soul was controlled by Mundus; Bingo Morihashi wanted to create an alternate universe in which Vergil was alive. However, Kamiya gave Morihashi the freedom to rework Vergil's backstory and make him a living teenager for Devil May Cry 3.[52] As a result, the game was designed as a prequel to the series, set several years before the events of the first game.

Development of Devil May Cry 4 began shortly after its predecessor's success.[53] The development team had 80 members.[54] A new protagonist was discussed many times at Capcom, but was not approved until producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi said that Dante had to be in the game.[55] Kobashi said before the game's release that they wanted to make Dante seem significantly more powerful than Nero, to create an obvious difference between the strength of a "veteran" compared to a "rookie".[56] Writer Morihashi collaborated with film director Yuji Shimomura, who worked on the earlier games. Morihashi left Capcom at one point, but returned at Itsuno's request. It took him a year to finish writing the game; he had difficulty with the characterization of Nero, the new protagonist. Dante returned as a supporting character.[57]

Although the fourth game was a commercial and critical success, the staff considered rebooting the series because other game series had better sales.[58] They chose Ninja Theory, impressed with their work on Heavenly Sword (which the staff thought would work with a Devil May Cry game).[59] However, in 2013 Itsuno expressed interest in developing a fifth installment.[60] It was originally thought that Itsuno intended for the series to go on hiatus or end if Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition was not a commercial success,[61] but he said in a GameSpot interview that the series' future did not depend on Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition's sales. He alleviated fears that DmC: Devil May Cry's sales would kill the series, confirming that Capcom was satisfied with them.[62] In mid-January 2016, Itsuno tweeted that he had begun work on a new project.[63] Reuben Langdon and Johnny Yong Bosch, who had done voice acting and motion capture for Dante and Nero in Devil May Cry 4, took pictures of themselves in motion-capture gear in March 2016; this led to speculation that a new Devil May Cry game was in development.[64] According to Capcom Vancouver, "It's not a game that [they] announced that [they are] working on at [their] studio".[65] On May 17, 2018, the domain name "DevilMayCry5.com" was registered under Capcom's Onamae domain register.[66]

Devil May Cry 5, featuring the return of Dante and Nero, was confirmed at E3 2018 for release the following year.[67] Most of the team had worked on the recently released Resident Evil 7, and were experienced with the game engine; Itsuno was influenced by his work in Monster Hunter: World to provide content appealing to new gamers but also felt that making the game challenging would appeal to long-time fans.[68] Other members of the staff had worked on the reboot game DmC: Devil May Cry, but the Osaka team was more willing to make a sequel to the fourth installment of the main series. The team listened to fan opinions about previous games to ensure that the new game appealed to them; an "auto" mode facilitated combos.[69] Itsuno was moved to tears by a film in which three robots combined into a giant robot to overcome their foe, and wanted to create similar moments.[70] He wanted to convey the style of a Hollywood movie such as Marvel's Avengers series.[71] In November 2017, Kamiya expressed interest in making a remake of the first installment and a crossover game with Dante and Bayonetta.[72]

Other media[edit]

Light novels[edit]

The series has several print adaptations. Two Devil May Cry light novels, written by Shinya Goikeda and illustrated by Shirow Miwa, were published in Japan in 2002 and translated and published in the United States in 2006. The first, Devil May Cry Volume 1, was published in Japan in conjunction with the release of the first game and explored Dante in an adventure set before the game's events. The second, entitled Devil May Cry Volume 2 in the US, was published in Japan to coincide with the second game's release and is set after the first game's events. Tokyopop published the books in the United States in June and November 2006, respectively.[73][74]

Bingo Morihashi wrote a Devil May Cry 4 novel entitled Devil May Cry 4 Deadly Fortune. The two-volume novel, published in Japan in 2009, has a number of scenes which were not included in the original game due to time constraints.[75][76] A prequel novel by Morihashi titled Before the Nightmare, set before Devil May Cry 5 and leading to the beginning of the game, was published on March 1, 2019.[77]

Comics and manga[edit]

Three issues of a comic adaptation of the first game were published by the Canadian Dreamwave Productions in 2004, but the series was left unfinished when the company went bankrupt the following year.[78] On July 25, 2008, WildStorm (a DC Comics imprint) and Capcom announced that they would collaborate on a Devil May Cry comic-book series. Details about the series were planned to be announced at a later date,[79] but no new information has been provided.

Two volumes of a planned three-part Devil May Cry 3 manga series have been published in Japan and the United States. Set a year before the events of Devil May Cry 3, the manga describes how the characters come to be at the beginning of the game.

On March 7, 2019, Capcom announced that a tie-in manga entitled Devil May Cry 5 Visions of V would be serialized on the Japanese manga-hosting site Line Manga (LINE マンガ).[80] The manga's prologue was published before the serialization began. Illustrated by Tomio Ogata, the manga (only available in Japan) would update every other Sunday beginning on April 27.[81][82][83]

Animation[edit]

Anime[edit]

An anime series, Devil May Cry: The Animated Series, premiered on Japan's Wowow TV network on June 12, 2007. The 12-episode series,[84][85] produced by Madhouse, was directed by Shin Itagaki. Bingo Morihashi, a writer of the third and fourth games, was one of its writers.

Animated series[edit]

In November 2018, Adi Shankar announced that he had acquired the rights to produce a Devil May Cry animated series for Netflix.[86] Shankar, who has been completing a similar animated series for Konami's Castlevania franchise, said that he considered both series part of a shared "Bootleg Multiverse".[87]

In November 2021, Shankar revealed that the show's first season will have 8 episodes.[88] He also have plans for a connected "multi-season arc", like what he did with Castlevania, and that fan-favorite characters will make their debut throughout the series.[88] In November 2023, Netflix announced that the series will premiere in 2024.[89]

Film[edit]

On February 28, 2011, Screen Gems (which made Resident Evil into a film series) had purchased feature-film rights to the Devil May Cry series.[90] Kyle Ward was hired to write the screenplay for the film (based on DmC: Devil May Cry), which would be Dante's origin story.[91][92][93] No news has emerged about the project's status.

Plays[edit]

Capcom produced Sengoku Basara vs. Devil May Cry a staged amalgam of the Devil May Cry and Sengoku Basara series, in August 2015. In the play, Dante, Lady, Trish, and Vergil encounter mysterious historical ruins while chasing a devil and are sent back in time to Japan's Warring States period; there, they meet Date Masamune, Sanada Yukimura, and other characters from the Sengoku Basara franchise. The play ran at the AiiA 2.5 Theater in Tokyo for 18 performances. Masanari Ujigawa wrote and directed the play, and Hideaki Itsuno and Izaki Matsuno collaborated on the scenery. Kazushi Miyakoda and Tetsuya Yamaura were the producers, supervised by Hiroyuki Kobayashi and Makoto Yamamoto.[94]

Devil May Cry: The Live Hacker, a musical, ran for 13 performances in March 2019 at Zepp DiverCity in Tokyo. Jun Yoriko wrote and directed the musical and its video,[95] and a DVD was released in late August of that year.[96]

Soundtracks[edit]

The Devil May Cry series has seen the release of seven separate soundtracks. Initially, Capcom was very reluctant to release an officially sanctioned soundtrack for the Devil May Cry series, due to worries that the products would sell poorly. As a means of testing the market, Capcom decided to ask for pre-release sales.[97]

In other games[edit]

Devil May Cry characters appear in the PlayStation versions of the Viewtiful Joe games, another Capcom series created by Hideki Kamiya; Dante is a playable character in the PlayStation 2 port of the first Viewtiful Joe. The PSP version of Viewtiful Joe: Red Hot Rumble also includes Dante and costumes based on Vergil, Trish, Sparda, Marionette, and Plasma.

In a deal between Capcom and Atlus, Megami Tensei character designer Kazuma Kaneko created Dante and Vergil's demonic forms in Devil May Cry 3. In return, Atlus included Dante in his Devil May Cry 2 costume as a character in an enhanced release of Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne (Maniax in Japan). The English localization of Nocturne was based on the game's Maniax edition.[98]

Dante and Trish are playable characters in Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds, and Vergil, Dante, and Trish are playable characters in its Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 update. Dante and Vergil retain their Kazuma Kaneko-designed Devil Trigger forms since they are based on the third game of the Devil May Cry series. Dante is also a playable character in Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite.

The DmC: Devil May Cry version of Dante is a playable character in PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, and he is a playable character in Project X Zone for the Nintendo 3DS as half of a pair with Darkstalkers' Demitri Maximoff; Lady is a separate character. Dante returns in its sequel, Project X Zone 2, with Vergil; Vergil's future self, Nelo Angelo, is a rival character.

On June 28, 2021, it was announced that a Mii costume based on Dante would appear in the crossover fighting game

Dynasty Warriors

Dynasty Warriors theme by Musu

Download: DynastyWarriors.p3t

Dynasty Warriors Theme
(9 backgrounds)

Dynasty Warriors
Genre(s)Hack and slash
Fighting
Beat 'em up
Action role-playing
Developer(s)Omega Force
Publisher(s)Koei (1997–2010)
Koei Tecmo (2010–present)
Platform(s)Game Boy Advance
PlayStation
PlayStation 2
PlayStation 3
PlayStation 4
PlayStation 5
PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Vita
Nintendo DS
Nintendo 3DS
GameCube
Wii
Wii U
Switch
Xbox
Xbox 360
Xbox One
Xbox Series X/S
Windows
iOS
Android
First releaseDynasty Warriors
February 28, 1997
Latest releaseDynasty Warriors 9: Empires
December 23, 2021
Parent seriesRomance of the Three Kingdoms

Dynasty Warriors (真・三國無双, Shin Sangokumusō, lit. "True Three Kingdoms Unrivaled") is a series of Japanese hack and slash action video games created by Omega Force and Koei (now Koei Tecmo). The series is a spin-off of Koei's turn-based strategy Romance of the Three Kingdoms series, based upon the Chinese novel of the same name, which is a romanticised retelling of the Chinese Three Kingdoms period.

The first game in the series, titled Dynasty Warriors in English and Sangokumusō in Japanese, was a fighting game, a separate genre from the rest of the games in the series. Koei later created a new game as a spin-off and added the word shin (, true, genuine) to the beginning of the title to differentiate it from its predecessor. When the game was localized for the North American market, the name became Dynasty Warriors 2. Since then, all English titles have been numbered one larger than their Japanese counterparts. Because the original Dynasty Warriors game belongs to a separate genre and has a different series title in Japan, Koei Tecmo does not consider it a formal entry in the Dynasty Warriors series.[Note 1] This is evidenced by Koei-Tecmo's celebration of the series' 20th anniversary in 2020, two decades after the release of Dynasty Warriors 2.[1]

In 2008, it was Koei's most successful franchise,[2] and as of February 2020, the series has sold more than 21 million copies worldwide.[3]

Main series[edit]

Release timeline
1997Dynasty Warriors
1998
1999
2000Dynasty Warriors 2
2001Dynasty Warriors 3
2002
2003Dynasty Warriors 4
2004
2005Dynasty Warriors 5
2006
2007Dynasty Warriors 6
2008
2009
2010
2011Dynasty Warriors 7
2012
2013Dynasty Warriors 8
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018Dynasty Warriors 9
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025Dynasty Warriors: Origins

The first Dynasty Warriors (Sangokumusō) is a traditional one-on-one fighting game, released in 1997 for the PlayStation. Its gameplay style is reminiscent of Samurai Shodown, The Last Blade, Virtua Fighter and Soul Blade.

The next game was released in Japan as Shin Sangokumusou. This game was released in other countries as Dynasty Warriors 2, leading to the discrepancy in title numbers. From this game onwards, the player chooses a playable character and plays a number of levels representing particular battles in the Three Kingdoms period, eventually defeating all other rival kingdoms and uniting China under a common ruler. In this game mode, known as "Musou Mode", the generals are usually chosen from one of the three kingdoms (Wu, Shu or Wei; however, from Dynasty Warriors 3: Xtreme Legends onwards, independent generals were given full stories as well). Dynasty Warriors 3 has two secret characters, Nü Wa and Fu Xi, that are not playable in Musou Mode.

Dynasty Warriors 2, Dynasty Warriors 3, Dynasty Warriors 5 and Dynasty Warriors 6 have individual Musou Modes for each character. In Dynasty Warriors 4, Dynasty Warriors 7, and Dynasty Warriors 8, each of the Three Kingdoms has its own Musou Mode, which all characters from a particular kingdom would play. The stages are presented in a third-person view, with the camera set behind the player as they engage the enemy forces. Each scenario can have different win/lose conditions, but the common losing conditions (defeat of the commander-in-chief, health bar reaching zero and maximum time limit reached) still hold. As for the other characters not from either of the Three Kingdoms, their Musou story modes are purely fictional since in Romance of the Three Kingdoms, most or all of them were eliminated until only the Three Kingdoms were left.

In Dynasty Warriors 5, a relatively more realistic Musou Mode is introduced for each character. Instead of participating in the entire set of their kingdoms' events, the characters appear only in certain battles that they had fought in, as according to the novel or factual history. Therefore, characters will start at different points in time and they may never have opportunities to encounter some of the other characters (e.g. Zhuge Liang will never meet Lü Bu or Dong Zhuo in his Musou Mode). In between stages there are some dramatic cutscenes, in which the character will express their thoughts on the situation, adding a more personal touch and keeping the player updated on the events. Besides, a character's Musou Mode may end before the unification of China at any point of time, stopping for most at their historical point of death. However, some characters such as the three founders may continue to participate in battles that occurred after their deaths (e.g. Cao Cao appearing in Battle of Wuzhang Plains), representing an extended leadership under more successful circumstances.

In Dynasty Warriors 8, an "if" route is added for each country. By fulfilling conditions in previous battles, the player can unlock a hypothetical route for each country where it manages to achieve what it failed to do in actual history. For example, the player can help Wei avoid defeat in the battle of Chibi and unite China with all Wei characters alive.

Dynasty Warriors 9 sought to introduce an "open world" style of gameplay.

Xtreme Legends and Empires[edit]

In 2002, an Xtreme Legends (猛将伝, Mōshōden) expansion was first released for the main games, beginning with Dynasty Warriors 3. This expansion features new Musou Modes for the characters in the Other category as well as new stages, weapons, items, and modes. The Xtreme Legends expansion only have the new content, and so players would require the original game disc and use the "Mixjoy" option to access all features. The following games would continue the tradition by having Xtreme Legends expansion, save for Dynasty Warriors 6. New characters were also added through the Xtreme Legends starting with Dynasty Warriors 7.

Beginning in 2004, another expansion line, titled Empires was first released for Dynasty Warriors 4. In Empires, the game would combine the action gameplay of the regular series with strategical and tactical elements from Koei's earlier series Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Unlike the Xtreme Legends, Empires did not require the original game disc to access all of its features as it is considered a unique game of its own. Again, the following games would continue having the Empires expansion, including Dynasty Warriors 6, which did not receive an Xtreme Legends expansion.

Portable games[edit]

In 2004, Koei created the first Dynasty Warriors title for portable game handhelds, Dynasty Warriors, on PlayStation Portable, and in the following year, Dynasty Warriors Advance for Game Boy Advance. The sequel of the first PSP game, Dynasty Warriors Vol. 2 was released in 2006. In 2007, Koei released Dynasty Warriors DS: Fighter's Battle for the Nintendo DS. Another PSP game based on Dynasty Warriors 6, Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce was released in 2009, which was followed up by a sequel, Shin Sangokumusō: Multi Raid 2 in 2010. A PlayStation Vita game, Dynasty Warriors Next, was released in 2011 as a launch title, and a Nintendo 3DS game, Shin Sangokumusō VS (真・三國無双 VS), was released in April 2012. Another portable game was announced in September 2020 for iOS and Android, titled Shin Sangokumusō (真・三國無双).[4]

Other than titles specifically made for handhelds, select main Dynasty Warriors titles have also been ported to handhelds, all of which are only available in Japan. The PS2 version of Dynasty Warriors 6, Dynasty Warriors 6: Special was also ported to the PSP, which was soon followed by the Empires expansion in 2010. A port of Dynasty Warriors 7, Shin Sangokumusou 6: Special was released in 2011 for PSP, based on the Xtreme Legends expansion but without including the three new characters added for the expansion. A PS Vita port of Dynasty Warriors 8 was released in 2013, which includes features from the Xtreme Legends expansion for that game. Later, in 2015, the Empires expansion of Dynasty Warriors 8 was also released on the PS Vita, notably also compatible with the PlayStation TV.

PC games[edit]

Dynasty Warriors 4: Hyper in 2005 is marked as the first DW game for the PC. Hyper was a port of Dynasty Warriors 4 for the PS2, and had harder AI, more enemies on screen and smoother textures.

In 2006, Dynasty Warriors BB (renamed Dynasty Warriors Online in 2007) was released as an online game. As of January 10, 2014 Aeria Games shut down the servers for Dynasty Warriors Online in America.[5] Next to Dynasty Warriors 4: Hyper, Dynasty Warriors 5 Special was released for PC in 2006, Dynasty Warriors 6 was released for PC in 2008. Also Samurai Warriors 2 released in 2009. The PC port of Dynasty Warriors 7 with Extreme Legends was released on March 9, 2012.

Dynasty Warriors 7: Xtreme Legends - Definitive Edition released on Steam on December 6, 2018.[6]

Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends - Complete Edition released on Steam on May 13, 2014.[7]

Dynasty Warriors 8: Empires released on Steam on February 27, 2015.[8]

Dynasty Warriors 9 released on Steam on February 13, 2018.[9]

Dynasty Warriors 9: Empires was announced on September 27, 2020, and was released in Japan in December 2021 and the rest of the world in February 2022.[10]

Characters[edit]

The Dynasty Warriors game series, although referenced to factual people, is known for changing the traditional ways of how some of the historical characters were depicted in Romance of the Three Kingdoms or in historical records. For example, Zhang He appears to be more feminine while Wei Yan becomes a bestial tribal warrior, while historical accounts depict both to be relatively normal generals with no outstanding characteristics such as these. Some of them also wield weapons that are anachronistic, such as Ling Tong's nunchaku and Sun Ce's tonfas. A touch of mysticism is also added, as some characters such as Zhuge Liang, Sima Yi and Zuo Ci have the ability to use magic in their attacks. Female characters (except Zhurong and Wang Yi) who did not participate in any battles in the novel or in history are depicted as fearsome female warriors with exceptional fighting skills and weapons.

A total of 96 characters have been made playable at some point in the series (not counting spin-offs); however, only 94 currently make mainstay appearances as of Dynasty Warriors 9. Each of these characters is armed with a weapon that may be a conventional historical one, an exotic martial arts weapon or a magical weapon that enhances their mystical powers. From Dynasty Warriors 3 onward, each character can choose from a range of weapons with their own power-ups and ability enhancements, as well as higher-level weapons that extend their attack chain.

Spin-offs and licensed games[edit]

Following the success of Dynasty Warriors, Koei released Dynasty Tactics in 2002 and its sequel, Dynasty Tactics 2 in the following year, focusing on strategy and tactics in the same Three Kingdoms setting.

Probably the third most recognized franchise of Koei, Samurai Warriors (Sengoku Musou in Japan) series, was introduced in 2004. Instead of the Three Kingdoms era, the series uses Japan's Sengoku period. As a result, the game's roster consists of characters from that era, while having gameplay similar to that of Dynasty Warriors. The game would be followed by Samurai Warriors 2 in 2006, Samurai Warriors 3 in 2009, Samurai Warriors 4 in 2014, and Samurai Warriors 5 in 2021.[11] as well as numerous other spin-off titles. As with the original series, Samurai Warriors also has the Xtreme Legends and Empires expansions, with the former beginning on the first game and the latter on the second game.

A tactical role-playing game, Dynasty Warriors: Godseekers was announced on April 5, 2016, with a Japanese release date in 2016 for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation Vita. It will be the series' first strategy RPG, featuring a turn-based system and a world map. The game will also completely deviate from history by introducing a completely new story line involving fictitious mystical elements, with Zhao Yun as the main protagonist.

Other related titles include:

  • Dynasty Warriors Mahjong (Jan Sangoku Musou in Japan), which is completely different from the rest of the series, as it has the same characters play the game of mahjong, rather than having the gameplay of the original games.
  • Dynasty Warriors: Gundam (Gundam Musou in Japan) was released in 2007, combining the popular Gundam franchise with Dynasty Warriors gameplay. The game would be followed by three more sequels: Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 2 released in 2008, Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 3 in 2010, and Dynasty Warriors: Gundam Reborn in 2013,[12] which also serves as a remake of the entire series.
  • Warriors Orochi (Musou Orochi in Japan), released in 2007 crosses the Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors series to create a fictional crossover. The game introduces the three-man team and have a modified gameplay from both series. The game was followed by a direct sequel Warriors Orochi 2 (called Musou Orochi: Mao Sairin in Japan) which reuses the same gameplay of the original game with the focus on adding new stories. A compilation of the two games, Musou Orochi Z was released in 2009, thus far has not been brought overseas. The third game, Warriors Orochi 3, was released in 2011. The game had a different engine and gameplay than the first two games, and noticeably titled Musou Orochi 2 in Japan (as the second game is considered as an expansion to the first game). The third game would have several ports and updates that would expand on the content, including a port for PlayStation Portable and Wii U in 2012, and an Ultimate update in 2013, which was re-released as a definitive edition including all downloadable content for the game in July 12, 2022 on PC. A fourth game titled Warriors Orochi 4 (released in Japan as Musou Orochi 3) was released September 27, 2018.
  • Bladestorm: The Hundred Years' War, a historical real-time tactics spinoff, released in 2007. The game is loosely based on the Hundred Years' War between the Kingdoms of England and France in the 14th and 15th centuries.
  • Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage (Hokuto Musou in Japan), a spin-off based on the manga and anime series Fist of the North Star,[13] was released in 2010. It is the first game in the Warriors series to receive an M rating by the ESRB, due to its faithful depiction of the manga's highly graphic and violent fight scenes. It was followed by a sequel, Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage 2 (Shin Hokuto Musou in Japan) in 2012, which other than featuring a continuation of the first game's story with revamped gameplay, also serves as a remake of the first game. The sequel was made to celebrate the manga series' 30th anniversary.
  • Warriors: Legends of Troy (Troy Musou in Japan), the second game in the Warriors series to receive an M rating by the ESRB, released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2011.
  • One Piece: Pirate Warriors (One Piece Kaizoku Musou in Japan), a game inspired by the anime and manga series One Piece was released in 2012 for PlayStation 3. The game was followed by three sequels, One Piece: Pirate Warriors 2, released the following year in 2013, which features an original story instead of a continuation of the series' canon, One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3, released in 2015 for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita in addition to the PS3 and PC and One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 released for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC on March 27, 2020.
  • Hyrule Warriors (Zelda Musou in Japan), a game inspired by The Legend of Zelda video game franchise owned by Nintendo. The game was originally released in 2014 exclusively for the Wii U.[14] An enhanced port for Nintendo 3DS featuring additional characters and story content, Hyrule Warriors Legends, was released in 2016, with the additional characters and future downloadable content also releasing on the Wii U version.[15][16] A third version for the Nintendo Switch, Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition, was announced and released in 2018, with all the features and downloadable content from previous versions of the game.[17]
  • Arslan: The Warriors of Legend (Arslan Senki x Musou in Japan), a game inspired by The Heroic Legend of Arslan fantasy novel series by Yoshiki Tanaka. It was based on the 2015 anime television adaptation sponsored by Koei Tecmo, which in turn is based on the 2013 manga adaptation by Hiromu Arakawa. It was released on October 1, 2015, for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4. An Xbox One version was released as well, but only in Europe and North America. Arslan was released February 10, 2016 on Steam for PC.
  • Berserk and the Band of the Hawk (Berserk Musou in Japan), a game inspired by the Berserk manga series. It was released for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita in Japan on October 27, 2016. The game is confirmed for a western release, which was revealed at Tokyo Game Show 2016 as February 21, 2017. A European release date for February 24, 2017 was also announced. The PlayStation 3 version will not release outside Japan and a PC version is in development for a simultaneous release with the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita versions on the western markets. It is the fourth Warriors title to be rated M.
  • Warriors All-Stars, a game based similar to the Warriors Orochi series featuring characters from various Koei Tecmo franchises such as Ninja Gaiden, Dead or Alive, Toukiden and Atelier. The game was released in Japan on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita on March 30, 2017; an English release was released on August 29, 2017.
  • Dynasty Warriors: Godseekers, is a tactical game with new and old characters, that was released on February 1, 2017.
  • Fire Emblem Warriors (Fire Emblem Musou in Japan), a crossover between the Warriors franchise and Nintendo's Fire Emblem series of tactical role-playing games, was released for the Nintendo Switch and New Nintendo 3DS on September 27, 2017.
  • Persona 5 Strikers (Persona 5 Scramble: The Phantom Strikers in Japan), a crossover between the series and Atlus's 2016 role-playing game Persona 5, takes place six months after the events of the original game. It was released in Japan for the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch on February 20, 2020, with a worldwide release on February 23, 2021. It is the fifth M-rated Warriors title.
  • Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity (Zelda Musou: Calamity Apocalypse in Japan), a successor to Hyrule Warriors and an alternate-universe prequel to the events of the 2017 game The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, was released exclusively for the Nintendo Switch on November 20, 2020. Within its first four days, the game shipped over 3 million copies worldwide, making it the single best-selling game in the entire Warriors franchise.
  • Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes, a successor to Fire Emblem Warriors, was released exclusively for the Nintendo Switch on June 24, 2022. The game features an alternate story set in the universe of the 2019 game Fire Emblem: Three Houses and is likewise split amongst three different routes, each with their own unique playable characters, scenarios, and outcomes.

Future[edit]

In January 2018, the president of Koei Tecmo, Hisashi Koinuma, said tha

Hitman #3

Hitman theme by Elvfam. Icons by Trossinger

Download: Hitman_3.p3t

Hitman Theme 3
(1 background)

Redirect to:

Megaman v1.1 w/ Custom Sounds

Megaman v1.1 theme by Caleb Frey (aka Frey)

Download: Megaman1.1.p3t

Megaman v1.1 Theme
(5 backgrounds)

P3T Unpacker v0.12
Copyright (c) 2007. Anoop Menon

This program unpacks Playstation 3 Theme files (.p3t) so that you can touch-up an existing theme to your likings or use a certain wallpaper from it (as many themes have multiple). But remember, if you use content from another theme and release it, be sure to give credit!

Download for Windows: p3textractor.zip

Instructions:

Download p3textractor.zip from above. Extract the files to a folder with a program such as WinZip or WinRAR. Now there are multiple ways to extract the theme.

The first way is to simply open the p3t file with p3textractor.exe. If you don’t know how to do this, right click the p3t file and select Open With. Alternatively, open the p3t file and it will ask you to select a program to open with. Click Browse and find p3textractor.exe from where you previously extracted it to. It will open CMD and extract the theme to extracted.[filename]. After that, all you need to do for any future p3t files is open them and it will extract.

The second way is very simple. Just drag the p3t file to p3textractor.exe. It will open CMD and extract the theme to extracted.[filename].

For the third way, first put the p3t file you want to extract into the same folder as p3textractor.exe. Open CMD and browse to the folder with p3extractor.exe. Enter the following:
p3textractor filename.p3t [destination path]Replace filename with the name of the p3t file, and replace [destination path] with the name of the folder you want the files to be extracted to. A destination path is not required. By default it will extract to extracted.filename.

Right Arm of the Devil Nero (DMC4)

Right Arm of the Devil Nero (DMC4) theme by Genesis

Download: RightArmoftheDevilNero.p3t

Right Arm of the Devil Nero (DMC4) Theme
(3 backgrounds)

P3T Unpacker v0.12
Copyright (c) 2007. Anoop Menon

This program unpacks Playstation 3 Theme files (.p3t) so that you can touch-up an existing theme to your likings or use a certain wallpaper from it (as many themes have multiple). But remember, if you use content from another theme and release it, be sure to give credit!

Download for Windows: p3textractor.zip

Instructions:

Download p3textractor.zip from above. Extract the files to a folder with a program such as WinZip or WinRAR. Now there are multiple ways to extract the theme.

The first way is to simply open the p3t file with p3textractor.exe. If you don’t know how to do this, right click the p3t file and select Open With. Alternatively, open the p3t file and it will ask you to select a program to open with. Click Browse and find p3textractor.exe from where you previously extracted it to. It will open CMD and extract the theme to extracted.[filename]. After that, all you need to do for any future p3t files is open them and it will extract.

The second way is very simple. Just drag the p3t file to p3textractor.exe. It will open CMD and extract the theme to extracted.[filename].

For the third way, first put the p3t file you want to extract into the same folder as p3textractor.exe. Open CMD and browse to the folder with p3extractor.exe. Enter the following:
p3textractor filename.p3t [destination path]Replace filename with the name of the p3t file, and replace [destination path] with the name of the folder you want the files to be extracted to. A destination path is not required. By default it will extract to extracted.filename.

Armored Core #2

Armored Core theme by Elvfam. Icons by Nebuloso

Download: ArmoredCore_2.p3t

Armored Core Theme 2
(1 background)

Armored Core
Genre(s)Third-person shooter
Developer(s)FromSoftware
Publisher(s)
Platform(s)
First releaseArmored Core
July 10, 1997
Latest releaseArmored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon
August 25, 2023

Armored Core[a] is a third-person shooter mecha video game series developed by FromSoftware. The series centers on a silent protagonist who takes on work as a mercenary pilot in the far future, operating large robot combat units known as Armored Cores at the behest of corporate and private clients. As the player completes missions for these clients, they gain credits to improve their Armored Core and unlock further opportunities to make money. Some games include an "Arena" mode in which the player fights other Armored Core pilots in head-to-head battles, which can reward the player with further income or prestige.

Several story continuities exist, spread across 13 main games, seven spin-offs, and three remastered re-releases, with different releases divided by a different set of "generations" of sequels that starts with every numbered entry. The first game in the series, Armored Core, was released in 1997, while the most recent, Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon, was released in 2023.[1][2] The series has been released on the PlayStation, PlayStation 2, mobile phones, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

Premise[edit]

In the original continuity established by 1997's Armored Core through 2001's Armored Core 2: Another Age, Earth experienced a cataclysm known as the "Great Destruction" and humanity has been forced underground. Corporations begin fighting for dominance, leading to the increasing reliance on Armored Core pilots called Ravens.[3] Following the events of 1999's Armored Core: Master of Arena, humanity rebuilds and colonizes Mars. Through 2000's Armored Core 2 and its expansion, Another Age, the fledgling Earth government struggles to maintain power as opportunistic corporations exploit the power gap and rebel groups resist against the hegemony of government and business interests.[4][5]

The series was rebooted with 2002's Armored Core 3, beginning a new story arc that concluded with Armored Core: Last Raven in 2005. Following a global nuclear war, humanity has retreated underground. Following centuries of rule by an artificial intelligence called The Controller, its decay leads to the destruction of much of humanity's underground network, causing them to look toward the surface for safety.[6] By the end of 2003's Silent Line: Armored Core, humanity has fully returned to the surface of Earth.[7] The final two games of this continuity, 2004's Armored Core: Nexus and 2005's Armored Core: Last Raven involve the end of the existing power dynamic of corporations and Ravens fighting over the surface.[8][9]

2006's Armored Core 4 rebooted the series yet again. Here, corporations have seized control of Earth governments and are waging war across the surface for dominance. A war waged over the course of the game pollutes the environment, leading to the creation of floating cities in 2008's Armored Core: For Answer. Depending on the player's choices, humanity either barely survives the fallout of For Answer's conflict or is completely eradicated.[10][11]

The third continuity of the series continued with 2012's Armored Core V. A single corporation has dominance over a contaminated Earth and is being opposed by a resistance faction that seeks to overthrow them. 2013's Armored Core: Verdict Day details the outbreak of another war 100 years later following an apocalyptic event.[12][13]

Another continuity has begun with 2023's Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon. For the first time in the series, it takes place far away from Earth in a human-colonized solar system on the planet Rubicon 3. Decades prior to the game's start, a powerful resource called Coral was discovered, leading to significant technological advancements, but a disaster called the Fires of Ibis scorched the entire Rubicon system and left it highly contaminated. However, the Coral, thought to have all burned, has begun to reappear, bringing multiple corporations into conflict for control of it which, in turn, has brought the attention of mercenaries. Added into the conflict are the Planetary Closure Administration, an organization tasked with quarantining Rubicon, and the Rubicon Liberation Front, a resistance group who venerate the Coral, wishing to end its exploitation and free the planet.

Gameplay[edit]

Armored Core's missions can involve multiple objectives and pit the player against computer controlled opponents.

Within the core games of the franchise, the gameplay is generally focused on the player taking the role of a mech-piloting mercenary, taking on missions for various clients and gaining currency from completing them.[14] Missions can involve multiple objectives and pit the player against computer controlled opponents, some of which pilot mechs as well.[15] Upon completion of a mission, the operating costs of the mech, such as repairs and ammunition, are deducted from the total earnings of the player, as well as compensation for destroying valuable objects within the mission area. Likewise, if the player loses a mission, those same deductions occur from the player's direct balance.[16]

The game's mechs, called Armored Cores (or ACs for short), are highly customizable with hundreds of parts and weapons that can be purchased from an in-game shop or by fulfilling certain requirements.[17] Different parts can provide gameplay advantages in certain terrains or against certain enemies, which forces the player to put thought into how to approach the construction of their mech as each sortie often has different obstacles and hazards to overcome.[14] The customization of Armored Cores is strictly limited by multiple factors such as the maximum weight load of their leg parts, or the energy output of their generators supplying power to all equipped parts of the AC. As such, an Armored Core's performance varies depending on the parts which compose it.

Many of the franchise's games feature a branching storyline where taking on certain missions can block off others, with consequences of a player's decision in mission being relayed to them at the end of a mission. Certain games require multiple playthroughs to access additional contents, such as missions inaccessible during initial playthrough, and even different endings that adds additional lore and context to the games.[18]

An Arena mode introduced in Armored Core: Project Phantasma gave players the opportunity to fight opponents outside of missions for additional rewards. Project Phantasma also introduced the import feature, allowing players to retain their progress from a previous entry when starting a new one.[19] This import feature would become a mainstay of the franchise, with "expansion" titles like Silent Line: Armored Core allowing for importing save data.[20]

Multiplayer[edit]

Since its first release, the Armored Core games have featured multiplayer options in some form. In the original PlayStation era, local split-screen multiplayer modes were the primary method, generally featuring head-to-head battles.[21] A PlayStation Link Cable feature, allowing for the connection of two PlayStation consoles, was included in all three original Armored Core titles.[22]

With the PlayStation 2, split-screen and console linking continue to be the primary source of multiplayer. 2004's Armored Core: Nexus introduced the LAN multiplayer mode, in addition to connecting through their internet service and allowed up to 4 players to fight in matches together.[23]

Online multiplayer was first introduced in the Japanese release of Armored Core 2: Another Age, but was removed in other regions due to the PlayStation Network Adapter not being ready in time.[24] No PlayStation 2-era game after this release would include online play either, with the first game to do so being Armored Core 4.[10]

Games[edit]

Release timeline
1997Armored Core
Project Phantasma
1998
1999Master of Arena
2000Armored Core 2
20012: Another Age
2002Armored Core 3
2003Silent Line
2004Nexus
Nine Breaker
Formula Front
2005Last Raven
2006Armored Core 4
2007
2008For Answer
2009–2011
2012Armored Core V
2013Verdict Day
2014–2022
2023Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon

Armored Core[edit]

The original trilogy of Armored Core games were developed for the original PlayStation by FromSoftware and established many of the core themes and mechanics that would be found in the rest of the series. The debut title, Armored Core, was released on July 10, 1997, in Japan.[25] Story elements like corporate-funded conflicts, post-apocalyptic settings, and silent protagonists were introduced in the first game. The game's mechanics revolve around taking on missions from various clients for pay, using earned money to customize the player's Armored Core unit.[14]

Armored Core: Project Phantasma was released as a stand-alone expansion to the original game, released on December 4, 1997.[26] Project Phantasma introduced an Arena mechanic that would be expanded on in later titles, as well as an import mechanic that would become an important feature through the franchise. Players were able to import save data from earlier Armored Core games and bring their existing Armored Core units into the expansions.[19]

A second stand-alone expansion, Armored Core: Master of Arena, was released on February 4, 1999, and was the final game released for the original PlayStation.[27] It concluded the core arc of the original Armored Core and greatly expanded on the Arena mechanic introduced in Project Phantasma.[28] Like its predecessor, Master of Arena allowed players to import save files from both the original Armored Core and Project Phantasma to continue their progress.[29]

All three games from the original PlayStation era were re-released on the PlayStation Network in 2007 for the tenth anniversary of the original title.[30][31][32] The original Armored Core was also released on the Japanese PlayStation Classic in 2018.[33]

Armored Core 2[edit]

With the transition to the PlayStation 2, FromSoftware released Armored Core 2 as a launch title in Japan on August 3, 2000.[34] As a narrative sequel to the original trilogy, Armored Core 2 transitioned the series away from the post-apocalyptic setting and added more science fiction elements, such as Mars colonization. Much of the gameplay remained the same, including the mission structure, customization, and Arena modes.[35][4] The title did overhaul the visuals from the original game, taking advantage of the added power of the new console, but overall designs stayed similar.[36] Unlike Project Phantasma and Master of Arena, players could not import their saves to the new game.

Armored Core 2: Another Age was released on April 12, 2001, as a stand-alone expansion.[37] It allowed players to import their save files from Armored Core 2 and continue with their existing Armored Core units.[38] The game introduced movement controls using the DualShock analog sticks and cooperative mission mode.[39] The Japanese version of Armored Core 2 was the first title to include online broadband play, allowing players to fight each other over the internet.[24]

Armored Core 3[edit]

Armored Core 3 was released on April 4, 2002, and served as a reboot for the franchise.[40] The story returned to a post-apocalyptic setting and retained the core concept of corporate warfare and mercenary mission structure. Very little gameplay was changed from the earlier PlayStation 2 titles, instead focusing on incremental improvements and minor features like USB mice, computer-controlled allies, and surround sound.[6][41][42] Due to its nature as a reboot, players could not import save data from Armored Core 2 or Another Age.

A stand-alone expansion, Silent Line: Armored Core, was released on January 23, 2003, and was a direct sequel to Armored Core 3.[43] Like other expansions in the franchise, players could import their progress from Armored Core 3 into Silent Line, retaining their parts and credits from the earlier game.[20] Silent Line introduced new gameplay mechanics, including computer-controlled companions and a first person mode.[44][45]

Armored Core: Nexus was released on March 18, 2004, as a direct sequel to Silent Line.[46] Unlike its predecessor, Nexus was treated as a core entry rather than an expansion and did not allow for save data import.[47] While carrying over parts from 3 and Silent Line, mechanics changed significantly compared to past expansions. The heat mechanic introduced in Armored Core 2 was made much more influential, especially with the introduction of booster heat. All part stats were also totally redistributed. The game was the first in the franchise to include support for dual analog sticks. It also introduced a new LAN multiplayer mode that allowed up to 4 players to participate in matches against each other.[23]

Armored Core: Last Raven was released on August 4, 2005, and served as the conclusion to Armored Core 3's story arc.[48] The game is structured around a 24-hour clock that moves forward as missions progress. At the end of the 24-hour period, choices made by the player can alter the outcome of the plot.[49] The game introduced a component damage system, allowing for individual parts to be broken in combat.[50]

Armored Core 4[edit]

Armored Core 4 was released on December 21, 2006, for the PlayStation 3, serving as another reboot for the franchise. An Xbox 360 version, the first instance of a main title in the franchise being released outside of the PlayStation ecosystem, was released on March 22, 2007.[51] Gameplay in Armored Core 4 has been sped up and streamlined from its predecessors in an attempt to make the game more accessible to new players.[52] The game marks the first instance of online multiplayer outside of the Japanese release of Armored Core 2: Another Age.[53]

Armored Core: For Answer was released on March 19, 2008, as a standalone expansion to Armored Core 4.[54] It incorporates an online co-operative mode and a branching storyline.[55] The game was noted for its technical problems on the PlayStation 3 version.[56] Like Nexus, this game did not simply add content to its predecessor and changed gameplay by greatly increasing booster speeds and increasing generator performance.

Armored Core V[edit]

Armored Core V was released on January 26, 2012, for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and acts as indirect sequel to Armored Core 4 and Armored Core: For Answer.[57] The game focuses on the online multiplayer component and includes far fewer offline story missions than its predecessors.[12] In the game's online mode, players battle for territory in teams of up to 20 players. A co-operative mode is included for players to fight NPCs alongside other players for various rewards.[58]

Armored Core: Verdict Day was released on September 24, 2013, as a standalone expansion to Armored Core V.[59] The game retains its predecessor's multiplayer focus, though it allows players to create teams of AI companions instead of requiring teams composed entirely of players.[60] A full-length story mode returns alongside a newly implemented "hardcore mode", and players can import their saved games from Armored Core V to retain their personalized mechs.[61]

Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon[edit]

Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon was announced at The Game Awards 2022 on December 8. It is another reboot of the series, unrelated to any past games, set in an alternate future where humanity has developed an interstellar civilization. The player character, codenamed "C4-621" is an augmented Armored Core pilot sent to the distant planet Rubicon 3 to fight in a war between corporations, the government and the local inhabitants for the control of a highly valuable resource called "Coral" which only exists there. The game was released on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on August 25, 2023.[62][63]

Spin-offs[edit]

In 2004, FromSoftware released two spin-offs from the main Armored Core series. The first, Armored Core: Nine Breaker was released on October 28, 2004, for the PlayStation 2.[64] Removing the focus from story-based missions, the game is instead built around an Arena mode where the player must compete with computer-controlled opponents to increase their rank.[65] Minigames designed as training exercises were included to allow players to practice specific skills.[66]

Armored Core: Formula Front was released on December 12, 2004, for the PlayStation Portable.[67] Like Nine Breaker, its focus was on Arena-style gameplay, though a new mechanic put a focus on building an artificial intelligence strategy for the Armored Core units to execute.[68] Formula Front was later released for the PlayStation 2 in Japan.[69]

Several mobile games were released in the Armored Core franchise from 2004 to 2008, but they were never released outside of Japan.[70] An American version of these mobile games was in development around 2005, but the title was never released.[71]

Other media[edit]

Armored Core: Tower City Blade is a manga by Fujimi Shobo based on the game. It was serialized in Dragon Age Pure between March 14 and April 14, 2007. A project called Armored Core: Fort Tower Song was to consist of a book and an anime also released in 2007. The book was completed but the anime was not.[72] From Software announced in 2011 that the anime had been canceled due to View Works shutting down.[73]

Legacy[edit]

The making of Armored Core solidified FromSoftware's development skills, and in July 1999, they released the multiplayer action game Frame Gride for the Sega Dreamcast.[74] The company's focus would shift from RPGs to mech games due in part to the success of the Armored Core series. In 2002, FromSoftware released the mech action game Murakumo: Renegade Mech Pursuit for the Xbox.[74] In 2004, they released another Xbox title, Metal Wolf Chaos. In 2005, FromSoftware would start to produce a series of licensed games based on the various anime properties under the banner Another Century's Episode.[75] Kenichiro Tsukuda, the producer of the Armored Core series produced a very similar video game called Daemon X Machina that was released for the Nintendo Switch and Microsoft Windows.[76]

Footnotes[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Japanese: アーマード・コア, Hepburn: Āmādo Koa

References[edit]

  1. ^ Diaz, Ana (2022-12-08). "FromSoftware reveals a reboot for Armored Core". Polygon. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
  2. ^ Plunkett, Luke (2022-12-09). "Armored Core VI Announced, Which Isn't A Souls Game". Kotaku. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
  3. ^ Chang, Clint (November 4, 1997). "Armored Core Review". Game Revolution. CraveOnline. Archived from the original on October 18, 2012. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
  4. ^ a b

    Black Label Clan

    Black Label Clan theme by capone

    Download: BlackLabelClan.p3t

    Black Label Clan Theme
    (1 background)

    P3T Unpacker v0.12
    Copyright (c) 2007. Anoop Menon

    This program unpacks Playstation 3 Theme files (.p3t) so that you can touch-up an existing theme to your likings or use a certain wallpaper from it (as many themes have multiple). But remember, if you use content from another theme and release it, be sure to give credit!

    Download for Windows: p3textractor.zip

    Instructions:

    Download p3textractor.zip from above. Extract the files to a folder with a program such as WinZip or WinRAR. Now there are multiple ways to extract the theme.

    The first way is to simply open the p3t file with p3textractor.exe. If you don’t know how to do this, right click the p3t file and select Open With. Alternatively, open the p3t file and it will ask you to select a program to open with. Click Browse and find p3textractor.exe from where you previously extracted it to. It will open CMD and extract the theme to extracted.[filename]. After that, all you need to do for any future p3t files is open them and it will extract.

    The second way is very simple. Just drag the p3t file to p3textractor.exe. It will open CMD and extract the theme to extracted.[filename].

    For the third way, first put the p3t file you want to extract into the same folder as p3textractor.exe. Open CMD and browse to the folder with p3extractor.exe. Enter the following:
    p3textractor filename.p3t [destination path]Replace filename with the name of the p3t file, and replace [destination path] with the name of the folder you want the files to be extracted to. A destination path is not required. By default it will extract to extracted.filename.

Devil May Cry 4

Devil May Cry 4 theme by lalilelelomgs

Download: DevilMayCry4.p3t

Devil May Cry 4 Theme
(1 background, DMC background HD only)

Devil May Cry 4
Developer(s)Capcom
Publisher(s)Capcom
Director(s)Hideaki Itsuno
Producer(s)Hiroyuki Kobayashi
Writer(s)Bingo Morihashi
Composer(s)
SeriesDevil May Cry
EngineMT Framework[1]
Platform(s)
Release
January 31, 2008
  • PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
    • JP: January 31, 2008
    • NA: February 5, 2008
    • AU: February 7, 2008
    • EU: February 8, 2008
    Microsoft Windows
    • NA: July 8, 2008
    • AU: July 10, 2008
    • EU: July 11, 2008
    • JP: July 24, 2008
    Android, iOS
    • WW: February 3, 2011
    Shield Android TV
    • WW: 2016
Genre(s)Action-adventure, hack and slash
Mode(s)Single-player

Devil May Cry 4[a] is a 2008 action-adventure game developed and published by Capcom. It was released for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Microsoft Windows platforms. It is the fourth installment in the Devil May Cry series and is written by Bingo Morihashi and directed by Hideaki Itsuno. The story follows Nero, a young man possessing demonic powers who is on a mission to stop the series' main character, Dante, after he assassinates the leader of the Order of the Sword. The player assumes the role of both Nero and Dante as they fight enemies using their demonic powers and a variety of weapons.

Devil May Cry 4 is the first entry in the series to be released simultaneously for multiple consoles. During its development, Capcom focused on each version achieving the same visual quality using the MT Framework game engine. Around eighty people formed the team that created the game. Nero was introduced to attract the new gamers. Dante's popularity with gamers proved challenging because the developers needed to use him as a supporting character in the story.

Critical reception to Devil May Cry 4 was positive. It was praised for its challenging difficulty, its visuals and Nero's characterization as a new protagonist. However, it was criticized for its backtracking in Dante's stages and a troublesome camera. The game sold over three million units worldwide, becoming the series' best-selling title before the release of its sequel. Bingo Morihashi adapted it into a two-volume light novel.

It was released on iOS as Devil May Cry 4: Refrain in February 2011. A remastered version of the game was released in June 2015 as Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition which adds both English and Japanese voice tracks, improved visual effects and textures, in-game re-balancing, additional costumes, and three bonus playable characters: Vergil, Lady and Trish. A sequel, Devil May Cry 5, was released on March 8, 2019.

Gameplay[edit]

Gameplay in Devil May Cry 4 is like previous games in the series. The player must fight through levels called "missions", occasionally solving puzzles or gathering items. Performance in a mission is graded from "D", the lowest grade, to "A" then "S", "SS", and "SSS", the highest grade. Grades are based on items used, Red Orbs gathered, time taken, and the number of Style Points accumulated. Each Style Point grade has its own tag-word. The stylish grade shows up on the side of the screen and begins at "Deadly" (D); progresses through "Carnage" (C), "Brutal" (B), and "Atomic" (A); then, advances through one last bar of grades containing the phrases "Smokin'" (S), "Smokin' Style" (SS), and lastly "Smokin' Sick Style" (SSS). Stylish combat is the focus of the game, conveyed through unbroken combos of varied attacks while avoiding damage. The player must avoid enemy attacks to continue performing combos, often by memorizing attack patterns.[2] The Devil Trigger is a super state that enables the player to become more powerful adding a slow but steady health regeneration, with increased damage done. Devil Trigger can be activated by pressing the button to trigger it when the gauge is filled.[2]

Some changes introduced in Devil May Cry 4 are the presence of two playable characters, Dante and Nero, and a slight modification to the shop system. A new currency, Proud Souls, is used to buy new abilities while Red Orbs are used to buy items. Proud Souls are rewarded at the end of missions; the amount varies depending on how well the player performed. The cost of abilities increases with the purchase of other abilities, though all abilities can be sold back for their original price.[2]

Nero uses his Devil Bringer ability to parry Dante's attack. The green bar at the top shows Nero's health while the yellow one shows Dante's.

The player plays as Nero throughout most of the game. He is equipped with the Red Queen sword, Blue Rose revolver, and the powers of his Devil Bringer. The Red Queen features an Exceed Gauge that can be charged up to the 3 stages, allowing for subsequent attacks that are more powerful than regular slashes, until the gauge empties. Nero also has the powers of his Devil Bringer and can use it to pull himself towards enemies or vice versa. The Devil Bringer may also be used for context-sensitive throw attacks, leading to high damage and various effects depending on the enemy. Nero's Devil Bringer also gains new abilities during the game, including being able to detect secret missions or caches of Red Orbs. Nero eventually gains the ability to use Devil Trigger after getting the katana known as Yamato. This increases his Devil Bringer's power changing its attacks into more powerful versions with different animations.[2]

The player plays as Dante through seven missions, taking over halfway through the game. His gameplay is like that in Devil May Cry 3. He has access to multiple melee and ranged weapons which he gains after boss battles. He is able to cycle through them freely in combat and is no longer limited to equipping two weapons of each type as he was in the previous game. Dante also begins with his four styles, each of which grants him different abilities. But, unlike in Devil May Cry 3, he may now switch them at will with buttons or pads on the controller.[3] He also gains the Dark Slayer style near the end of his appearance, which only has one style level. Styles do not level up through experience as in the previous game, but instead must be upgraded like other skills in the shop screen in between missions or at statues. Dante can also enter Devil Trigger where he gains most of the benefits that Nero's Devil Trigger has. Since he does not have the Devil Bringer, he gets animation and property changes on some of his normal attacks instead.[2]

Plot[edit]

Nero is a young demon hunter who lives on the isolated island of Fortuna and is also a member of the Order of the Sword: a religious sect of knights who worship the Legendary Dark Knight Sparda as a God. Dante arrives, and murders The Order's leader, the High Priest Sanctus, in front of the entire congregation. At the same time, an army of demons invade the city, putting everyone, including Nero's love interest Kyrie, in danger. Tasked with stopping Dante by Kyrie's brother Credo,[4] the Captain of the Holy Knights, Nero's journey leads him to discover that he is in fact a descendant of Sparda himself, and Dante is not his enemy.[5] Under orders from Sanctus, Agnus, has been siphoning the power of the long lost Devil Arm Yamato, the sword of Dante's brother Vergil, to create a demonic army, and imbue high-ranking members of the Order with demonic power.[6] To Agnus' shock, the shattered Yamato restores itself in Nero's presence, and flies to Nero's aid.[7] With The Order's plans revealed, Agnus flees to inform the newly resurrected Sanctus.

As Nero sets his sights on The Order, he discovers to his dismay that Credo is part of the conspiracy, until he ends up being deceived as well when they witness Kyrie being kidnapped by Sanctus. He intends to use a creature known as Savior to defeat the demon army he's created, as a means of strengthening the people's worship of Sparda. With the Sparda Sword already in his possession, and needing the blood of a descendant of Sparda along with the Yamato, Sanctus captures Nero to power The Savior's core.[8] Dante arrives, with Trish, who was revealed to be a spy within The Order, and makes a promise to the dying Credo to save Nero and Kyrie.[9] Splitting up, Trish evacuates Fortuna's human residents, while Dante destroys all the Hell Gates scattered over Fortuna, and defeats Agnus, reclaiming the Yamato sword for the last time. Confronting the Savior in a sky battle above Fortuna, Dante drives the Yamato through The Savior's chest,[10] where Nero recovers it inside, freeing himself and Kyrie, and defeating Sanctus.

Nero is able to make peace with the power it has given him to protect those he cares about. Before Dante leaves, he decides to entrust Nero with the Yamato,[11] and Kyrie and Nero share their first kiss in the ruins of Fortuna.[12] Back at Dante's office, Lady arrives. As previously revealed in the game, it was Lady who sent Dante and Trish to Fortuna in the first place as The Order had begun butting in on some of her jobs, which was why Trish immediately went undercover to expose The Order's true colors. As Trish and Lady bicker over the small reward, Dante gets a phone call from a customer and the trio moves out of the office for a new mission.

Development[edit]

Vatican City was one of the main inspirations for the fictional city of Fortuna.

Development of Devil May Cry 4 began shortly after its predecessor was a success.[13] A total of eighty people formed the development team.[14] The first teaser was that of Dante on a snowy peak shown at E3 2005,[15] while the Tokyo Game Show 2005 trailer showed Dante doing multiple moves in front of a camera,[16] both containing elements that were not included in the finished product. Capcom only made the E3 2005 video to confirm their staff had begun work on the game.[17] Since they had just finished Devil May Cry 3 and Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition, the developers initially were confused in regards to what they had to do in order to innovate the gameplay mechanics they developed previously.[18] The team wanted to introduce new gameplay elements and a new character allowed them to do this. This was the first Devil May Cry not to be released for PlayStation 2, because it was designed for the next generation of hardware. This allowed the team to try new play mechanics and expand the series' plot.[19] While not intending to send a religious message, members from the Capcom team did research in Vatican City and Istanbul.[20]

On September 6, 2006, Japanese video game magazine Famitsu reported that the previous games' main character, Dante, would not be the protagonist in Devil May Cry 4. Instead, a new character named Nero, voiced and motion captured by Johnny Yong Bosch, took the lead.[21] The use of a new protagonist was discussed many times at Capcom but was not approved until producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi said that the Dante character had to be in the game.[18] Fearing negative feedback, as happened when Konami's stealth game Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty introduced a new character, replacing protagonist Solid Snake with newcomer Raiden, producer Kobayashi said Capcom aimed to make Nero fun to play like Dante and intended to make him stronger at some point.[22]

Two of the game's PC exclusive features are Turbo Mode (previously used only in Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition) giving the game a twenty percent speed boost, and a new difficulty mode called Legendary Dark Knight Mode which can display over 100 enemies in some missions at once.[23] Both features returned in the Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition release.[24]

The PC version also has both DirectX 9 and DirectX 10 mode. It is labeled Games for Windows and runs on Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7.[23] It assumes a Gamepad is present and only uses the mouse in the menus, providing the same interface as the Xbox 360 version.

Engine[edit]

Hiroyuki Kobayashi noted the production team began working with the game using a PC-based engine. He said that this was the first PlayStation 3 game developed by Capcom, and making this transition was a "hard step", particularly because no member of the production team was familiar with the console's capabilities.[25] Capcom justified the game's multi-platform crossover by emphasizing the Xbox 360's success in the North American and European markets, labeling the move as "natural". The final version of Devil May Cry 4 uses Capcom's internally developed MT Framework engine.[25] In a thread questioning the move on the official Capcom message board, the company's senior director of strategic planning and research, Christian Svensson, responded by saying that they were moved by people's strong feelings about the decision, but that it was the best decision for the company and consumers.[26] He also claimed that the contents would be identical, except that "the feel of the controller" may cause a slight difference.[27] Despite Capcom having already used the MT Framework to create two Xbox 360 games-Dead Rising and Lost Planet, the team found difficulties with this engine.[17] The developers first showed a demo of the game at Tokyo Game Show 2006 where Dante fought the boss character Berial. [28] The visuals satisfied the Capcom staff to the point where they called them a "miracle".[20]

Itsuno said in the Famitsu article that the visuals attempt to deliver a satisfying feel of being in the air. The actions of Nero's Devil Bringer could not be done on second generation consoles, but they could be done on the new generation of consoles such as the PlayStation 3.[21] Kobayashi said the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions would be identical, although he did not comment on the PC version.[29] Kobayashi confirmed the PC version "would be great, because the same team is working on both".[27] The PlayStation 3 version requires the user to install 5GB of game data which takes 20 minutes and shortens the length of the loading screens throughout the game.[30]

During production, new gameplay options were implemented to "keep up with fresh action games"; among these is the Devil Bringer's ability to bring enemies towards the characters.[31] Unlike Dante's progress in Devil May Cry 3, Nero was designed to become stronger by upgrading his Devil Bringer ability instead of receiving new weapons after defeating boss characters. During development the production team decided that Nero would be one of two main characters and that Dante was not going to be the only character from previous entries to appear in the series.[32] Producer Hiroyuki Kobashi noted before the game's release they wanted to make Dante seem significantly more powerful than Nero. This was done to create an obvious difference between the strength of a "veteran" when compared to a "rookie".[33] Unlike Devil May Cry 3, the game's difficulty would be the same in both the Japanese and European versions as the version released in North America.[32]

Scenario and cast[edit]

For the first time in the series Bingo Morihashi was the game's writer. He collaborated with film director Yuji Shimomura who worked on the earlier games. Morihashi had many issues with the making of the game to the point he quit Capcom. However, after Itsuno's asked him to return, he did so. He finished writing the game's events, which took a year. Morihashi had difficulties with the characterization of Nero, the new protagonist. Dante returned as a supporting character.[13][34] Itsuno was responsible for most of Kyrie's elements. She was envisioned as an "ordinary, cute heroine" who had a big impact on Nero despite not being a fighter. Her role was to motivate Nero and the player as the story progresses.[34]

The writings of late manga artist Ramo Nakajima in the series Amagasaki City inspired Morihashi to write Nero's story; "I love you, so I protect the city you love." Love is the focus of the Devil May Cry series; Devil May Cry 4 focuses on Nero's love for Kyrie. While Devil May Cry 4 is a simple story similar to Hollywood movies involving a damsel in distress, the staff were satisfied with it because it also carried Morihashi's ideas well.[35] The Capcom staff created Nero as a new protagonist who would develop across the Devil May Cry series because Dante had become stronger with each game. Nero was created as a weaker character who develops new powers as the story progresses until he reaches Dante's level. This was done mostly through his "Devil Bringer" ability, which makes him stand out. Another reason for Nero's introduction was to attract new gamers to the franchise.[36]

Before commencing the designs for the characters in Devil May Cry 4, character designer Tatsuya Yoshikawa consulted with several members of the staff who had worked on the series before to become familiar with previous elements. The characters were designed to emphasize their moves, which made the staff controlling their motions vital to the design.[33] Some of the antagonist's demonic forms in Devil May Cry 4 resemble angels. These characters were designed to be attractive to the game's audience while providing a contrast when compared to other demons in the game.[33] Yoshikawa noted that several of the boss characters presented some difficulty when creating them. He said that Nero's design was one of the biggest challenges he had experienced in his career, because the character had to be accepted by the public and fit in the series' universe.[33] Yoshikawa liked the interactions between Nero and Dante because of the balance the two playable characters make.[37]

Yoshikawa also created another devil transformation, the Devil Trigger, for Nero. Unlike Dante's transformation that makes him look like a devil, Nero's Devil Trigger generates a creature situated behind his back. One that did not appear in the game turned Nero into a demon like Dante. Nero's hood covers one eye as a symbol whose interpretation is left up to the fans. Yoshikawa wanted to incorporate this into the game and hoped to make it into a figurine, but this was not possible.[38]

Both main voice actors motion capture actors, Reuben Langdon and Bosch, expressed pleasure working as Dante and Nero, respectively with the former noting he made Dante like his younger Devil May Cry 3 persona but more mature. Langdon's inspiration for the character was Roy Focker of the anime series The Super Dimension Fortress Macross.[39][40]

Music[edit]

The soundtrack for Devil May Cry 4 was composed by Tetsuya Shibata, Shusaku Uchiyama, Kento Hasegawa, Akihiko Narita, Kota Suzuki, Rei Kondoh, Masayoshi "Chamy" Ishi, Masami Ueda and Shinichiro Sato.[41] Shibata said that since the release of Devil May Cry 3 he had wanted to emphasized lyrics in the fourth title.[42] The game is noted for its use of heavy metal songs.[43]

Devil May Cry 4 Original Soundtrack is a three-disc, 104 track soundtrack. It was released in Japan on February 27, 2008.[44] [45] Female vocals are handled by Aubrey Ashburn (1-02) while male vocals are handled by Shawn "Shootie HG" McPherson of Hostile Groove (1-20 and 3-03) and Jason "ShyBoy" Arnold of Hypnogaja (1-13 and 3-38). Tetsuya Shibata is credited as the primary composer, with tracks composed by Shusaku Uchiyama, Kota Suzuki, Akihiko Narita, Rei Kondoh, Chamy Ishikawa and Shinichiro Satoh. The soundtrack was released in the US on November 25, 2008, with new artwork.[46]

Marketing and release[edit]

The first teaser trailer was shown at E3 2005, depicting Dante traveling through a snow-covered environment.[47] A more substantial trailer was released at that year's Tokyo Game Show, with a more rugged and older Dante in a city-like setting.[48] Both teasers show very little detail of the game itself. At the 2006 Tokyo Game Show, a more complete trailer debuted, along with a playable demo, featuring the character Nero.[49]

A fourth trailer, released on December 17, 2007, revealed more gameplay and story detail, as well as information on new songs for the game. These included a new version of "Lock and Load", Dante's theme music from the first Devil May Cry, with new lyrics written and performed by Shawn "Shootie HG" McPherson, the lyricist and lead vocalist on the soundtrack of Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening. Released with the Japanese version of the game is Japanese rock band, L'Arc-en-Ciel, and their new single, "Drink It Down", which is used as the Japanese opening for the game.[50] The company presented the game's first demo at an event titled "Capcom's Gamer's Day", where Kobayashi highlighted several of the game's features.[51] With the team focused on completing the game, a new demo was not produced in time for the 2007 E3 Media and Business Summit.[32]

Collector's Edition[edit]

A collector's edition of the game was released at the same time as the regular version. The North American version features a bonus disc containing the making of Devil May Cry 4, and an additional disc of the first four episodes of Devil May Cry: The Animated Series,[52] while the European and Australian versions include a signed artbook instead, titled Art of the Devil[53][54][55][56] A very small number of Collector's Edition packages were signed by the game's producer, Hiroyuki Kobayashi, on the back of the metal tin on Dante's left shoulder. This number was reported to be as low as only 100 signed copies for each console, for a total of 200 signed copies. Both versions were packaged in a steelbook case.[57]

An iOS version called Devil May Cry 4: Refrain was announced January 11, 2011. It was released on February 3, 2011.[58]

Reception[edit]

Critical reception[edit]

Devil May Cry 4 received favorable reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic.[59][60][61] Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu gave the game a "Platinum" rank as part of its review. It praised the difficulty balance and gameplay options.[64]

Devil May Cry 4 received praise for its hack and slash mechanics.[64][66][62][72][73] Xbox World Australia called it "the most solid of all of the Devil May Cry games" citing its responsive controls despite being the first game in the series to be released for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.[72] PSM3 rated the game's degree of difficulty positively based on how the system ranks the player and the challenges the game offers.[73] 1UP.com praised the gameplay and "predictably slick" looks. However, sites often criticized the game's backtracking elements, a big issue found within the level design. Some criticized the theme songs.[62][72] The use of boss fights and the approach to the action's style was well received by GameSpot. They felt it would attract and appeal to gamers despite the backtracking issues.[66]

As to the presentation, GameTrailers praised the voice acting, fight scenes, but criticized the corny dialogue.[68][66] GameSpy said the game succeeds thanks to its gameplay and visuals.[67] The introduction of Nero as new protagonist was well received.[65][71][66][67] Bosch's voice acting in the English-language version was also praised by GameZone and GameSpot.[74][66] Despite the similarities between Nero and Dante, IGN still found the new protagonist appealing based on how different his gameplay is from the returning hero's.[71] IGN agreed, finding Nero's story appealing.[71] The GameSpy review also praised the Nero character for "[bringing] something fresh to the franchise" and being "as diverse as DMC3 SE's Vergil".[67] When it came to the console version, IGN said fans would enjoy the video game, but might be disappointed that Dante had fewer weapons and missions than he did in Devil May Cry 3.[71] GameSpy also said that "it cheapens things a little to see that the team has opted to recycle assets in lieu of showing us more of this rich world". They did not find the soundtrack appealing.[67] Hyper's Dirk Watch commended the game for "looking great, combos galore and being more fun than Devil May Cry 3". However, he criticized it for "still playing like Devil May Cry 2" and for its "choppy pacing and level design".[75]

The PC version received mixed reviews. 1UP.com appreciated the port's exclusive Legendary Dark Knight mode where the character is cornered by multiple enemies in a single battle. However, they felt that Capcom could have made a more comfortable controller as it had similar issues as the one from Resident Evil 4. They expected the developers to have put in more features.[76] While also appreciating Dark Knight and the Turbo mode that increased the game's speed, IGN said this port was only for hardcore fans of the series since it was not too different from the original console versions.

Unreal Tournament III #5

Unreal Tournament III theme by GhostViperGTX

Download: UnrealTournament3_5.p3t

Unreal Tournament III Theme 5
(4 backgrounds)