Devil May Cry 4 is a developed and published by in 2008 for the , and platforms. It is the fourth installment in the series and is written by and directed by . The story follows , a teenager possessing demonic powers who is on a mission to stop the series' main character, , 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 . Around eighty people formed the team that created the game. Nero was introduced to attract 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. Bingo Morihashi adapted it into a two-volume .
It was released on as Devil May Cry 4: Refrain in February 2011. A remastered version of the game was released in June 2015 as 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, The game is also playable through .