Devil May Cry 5 THE TRUE GENIUS OF DEVIL

A WILD, EXHILARATING RIDE FROM START TO FINISH. $99 | PC, PS4, Xbox One | www.devilmaycry5.com

THE BEST PARTS of Devil May Cry 5 aren’t when I’m being most challenged, they’re actually when I can cut through that challenge, when I’m in full flow pushing buttons without having to think about it, mentally flicking through a menu of outlandish moves to weave my own varied combos. Of course, make no mistake, the game has its fair share of hard-as-nails boss encounters and a bevy of increasingly hard difficulty modes that can absolutely make me crush my controller into a fine dust. But it’s watching the style meter tick up, adding extra layers to the pulse pounding soundtrack with my moves that’s the major appeal. Devil May Cry 5 is an absolutely stunning return to form that builds on improvements Ninja Theory’s spin-off and reimagining DmC.

But for all the bright sparks, spurts of blood, raging fires and more action hitting the screen at once – all gloriously rendered in Capcom’s own Resident Evil 7 RE engine – it’s always the character you’re controlling that’s your real focus. The true genius of Devil May Cry 5 is that it’s not just a great action game – it’s three. You play as Dante, Nero and V, and each of these playable characters are so unique that I might as well be playing different games that share a narrative. These are no simple reskins. The option for the game to give you auto-combos also helps as an entry point for new players. For a game that can have such a high skill ceiling with crazy combos, it’s excellent to see genuine care taken with welcoming newcomers. The story though is mostly going to be hot nonsense for those unfamiliar with the series, as it references and pays off on a surprising amount of lore – though enough is unique to this adventure and explained to the point where it makes a certain amount of thrilling sense. It’s a wild, exhilarating ride from start to finish.

MAY CRY 5 IS THAT IT’S NOT JUST A GREAT ACTION GAME — IT’S THREE.