Devil May Cry 5 review: a triumphant return to stylish demon-slaughter

PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4; Capcom
High-octane challenges in this irresistible romp have resurrected an action series that's been dormant for over a decade

Despite appearances, this frenetic, over-the-top action game about sexy demon hunters isn't just another power fantasy. Instead, as you hack your way through the hellish hordes and survive intense battles with single foes of unparalleled ferocity, you'll realise it's all about self-improvement, about rising to meet the high-octane challenges before you, and doing it in style. Devil May Cry 5 has the confidence to give you tools, show you your foes, and say: if you think you can do this, then step up and prove it.

The combat itself is a spectacle. It looks chaotically hack-and-slash at first glance, but you'll soon find that to truly be SSStylish, you'll need to master efficiency, variety, and precision. Reading enemy movements or trapping them in unending combos is of paramount importance, with defensive options relatively strict in their timing; you can't get by just wildly hammering attacks and trusting your reactions (though there are difficulty-mediating options for first timers).