I finded this graphic but Im not sure if this was related to trailer :/
Geez another stage this whole Limbo thing is literally meant there to make one 1 area/city into a dozen different stages.
This was how stages run in past games.
DMC(1): You were in a castle and the missions had you run over the place with areas ranging from rooms and areas within the castle, dungeons, outdoor areas of the castle, an arena, the outdoor wild areas of the island such as forests, that huge garden, caves and caverns, a sunken ship area, and all of that but in a night setting. Then there was the Mirrored World(consisting of a snowy area and an interior castle) and the Demon World(that creepy outdoor setting, the inside of what appears to be a stomach, and Mundus's throne room). So in these areas the missions had you run over the place meanwhile advancing and sometimes backtracking....a bit to an area you hadn't been to in awhile and then after you go to the mirrored world, beat Nelo Angelo and leave, its straight forward from there you open up the portal to the demon world by stuff in the beginning area of the castle, and go to it. So DMC1 wasn't like most games where it was just advance to the next stage and not go back.....it was like that at times but it was mainly wandering around a castle/island finding a way to the demon world.
DMC2: It was pretty standard as you just advanced to the next area even if you spend a 2-3 missions in one area/location but a different area as you advance through that location its about advancing but there was 1 mission as Dante where you had to get to where Arius was and the next mission fight a boss and the following mission you had to run back from the end of the factory stage in the first mission you where there and get to the entrance before it blows so that is like backtracking for only 1 area and 1 mission. However, then you had to go back to that village area but the stage layout is altered and the setting is different so some can say its a different stage just the same place and from there its straight forward to the end. So straight forward but at times(like once) you may have to go back but to only go straight forward in a different direction.
DMC3: Like DMC1 where you are in large tower and the whole point is to get to the top but at the beginning you are in the city area until you advance to the tower and from there its about running back and forth between areas so you can advance to the top but you reach a certain area(after you beat Agni & Rudra) where you don't go back to floor below you but go running around those above floors so you can advance to the top of the tower. You reach the top and is defeated by Vergil and is devoured by a giant sea beast and spend just 1 mission inside it as you have to get out but yeah your running around looking for stuff just to get out and you gotta start from the bottom(below the level of the tower you where at when you first entered) and advance to Nevan's lair and leave by going back to where the beginning stage(mission 9) started and opening up a new pathway and advance to the next new area do some looking around and make it to Beowulf to find that thing so you can literally backtrack to the bottom of the tower where mission 9 started so you can open up a new pathway and advance to Vergil. Then stuff happens and your in a new area or an altered new area and you then advance back to the city area where you first started and run up to the tower and the base like in the 3rd mission and from there revisit some old areas but due to the tower being altered its not really backtracking its like revisiting the old areas and redo them but their layout and mapping are different......and the whole point is to go the top again so you can enter a new area the Demon World and advance through it to the end....so its like DMC1 but done better IMO or just done different it still has as much running around and backtracking(even thought its different) like DMC1.
DMC4: Stages and advancing were like a mix of DMC1 & DMC2...like after the first mission you must advance to the castle area(not much running around though) and upon reaching the castle area you spend a lot of time(3 missions almost) in the castle because it is a big castle with so many areas and a lot of running around looking for stuff, solving obstacles and puzzles, kicking Bael's ass, and finding an entrance to the underground lab and from there advance to Agnus's lab, and then advance through the Mitis Forest by going through and finding the right path so you can get to Echinda's lair and after defeating her find a way out of Mitis Forest so you can get to HQ and from there finding a way to Agnus and then exit by going back and use that new path you open up that stopped you before all the way to Santus after going through Dante. Then after switching with Dante you literally backtrack and no not DMC1 or DMC3's backtracking you literally do all of Nero's stages backwards like you go back to the beginning where it all started(meanwhile fighting and killing every boss Nero fought before minus Credo that is) but visit some new areas and literally go to the church where Nero fought Dante in the FIRST MISSION. Then from there you get 1 new stage as Dante where you must defeat the Savoir...so its pretty much a long-ass boss battle hell the boss was the stage and 1 new stage as after Nero playing that last stage as Dante and must advance to Sanctus while refighting almost all of the bosses and doing that dice challenge.
Now as for DmC it seems...well hard to say now but its more stage advancing just go to the next area and don't look back but at times it seems Dante goes back to certain areas but due to limbo's various affect it looks and plays like an entirely new stage...like that one above. Its just limbo city in a different design or concept or something...don't know but Dante is shown running through the streets again like in the demo but he it is much different from the demo. Plus it doesn't seem like a proper transition to the next area like you gotta play through that area to get to next area yourself..DmC is like okay you complete this stage/mission bam your in a new area...no need of the hassle to the travel its like in DMC2 how Dante and Lucia just went to Arius for their first boss fight with him without the hassle of going through the area or when Arius magically transported her to the underground ruins from his factory or when Dante uses the motorcycle to ride to Uroboros Factory and use it to go to the ruins.