Dante's Peak
The biggest improvement for Dante in Devil May Cry 4 over his previous appearances is his ability to switch stances on the fly, right in the middle of combat if necessary. All four of his DMC3 stances are available in this new iteration, so you can expect to see the Trickster bending space to increase Dante's agility and dodge chance, the Gunslinger depending on firearms (specifically, a brutal shotgun), the Swordmaster providing your standard hack and slash mechanics and the Royal Guard employing an impenetrable blocking defense. Of course, these four stances were around in the previous game, so the only real news here is that Dante can switch them up as he chooses.
Things really become interesting when you introduce Dante's new weapon choices, some of which make an encore appearance from earlier titles in the series. The new additions are by far the most impressive, adding new powers beyond the classic shotgun or sword variations Dante was accustomed to in previous games. Here is a list of the new weapons we got to see during Capcom's last visit to our offices:
Gilgamesh: Specially armored greaves and gauntlets enable Dante to unleash close-combat melee attacks. This weapon unlocks additional martial arts attacks that focus on pummeling demons into cascades of delicious Red Orbs.
Lucifer: This wicked-looking backpack has skeletal protrusions that resemble wings, however, Dante's evil knapsack doesn't carry his lunch or a spare change of clothes. When using Lucifer, Dante gains the ability to disseminate an arc of spectral stilettos that lodge into enemies near or far. These pink projectiles can then be detonated for extra splash damage when Dante throws a single red rose into the air. The stilettos can be hurled at enemies like magical missiles or planted around Dante to act as mines instead.
Pandora's Box: Dante's ultimate weapon of mass destruction, Pandora's Box appears as an unassuming briefcase until Dante cracks the seal and unleashes Hell. Pandora's Box has a variety of forms that it can take once opened, so Dante has a wide range of weapons all crammed into his valise. These forms range from standard modern ordnance like a chaingun or rocket launcher, to more archaic death-dealers like a giant bolt-throwing crossbow, to the futuristic and extraordinary like a titanic laser cannon or full-on missile platform. While most of these forms look fairly impressive, it is the missile platform that truly astonishes as it encases Dante in an imposing steel cocoon bristling like a porcupine with missiles for spines.
