This Nero doesn’t fiddle when trouble strikes.
Devil May Cry 4 Refrain offers demon slaying on the go, but falls short in the devilish fun department.
As Nero, you’ll solve simple environmental puzzles, collect red orbs to gain new abilities, and slaughter monsters with your trusty sword and sidearm. The Devil Bringer power lets you mix things up by dragging enemies toward you to finish them off in acrobatic fashion.
It’s visceral good fun, but enemies obligingly wait for you to find them in the otherwise empty, boxy locations of Refrain’s 10 short missions, and the hunt quickly feels rote. Battling oversized bosses breaks up the routine, but even these fights can be won with a lot of button-mashing thanks to unlimited continues.
Together, these shortcomings (and an automatic camera that consistently keeps the third-person action at arm’s length) rob the game of much of the excitement monster-slashing should deliver.
The bottom line. Refrain is a decent demonic beat-em-up, but lacks soul.
iPhone or iPod touch running iOS 4.1 or later
Simple controls let you shoot, slash, and leap into battle.
Repetitive fights and minimal eye candy.
