Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Ninja Theory
System requirements: Windows XP/Vista/Win 7/Win 8, 2.4 GHz Core2Duo/2.8 GHz Athlon X2 or better CPU, 2 GB RAM, GeForce 8800GTS/Radeon HD3850 or better graphics card, DirectX 9.0c, 9 GB hard-drive space
Genre: Action
ESRB rating: Mature
Release date: Available now

Censorship might seem so Nuremberg 1937, but don’t forget that we Americans have many systems in place to insure that every medium has its own classification ghettos. Sometimes, this results in the R-rated action movie, which is labeled as including “mature content” despite having no maturity whatsoever. Like cartoon cigarette mascots, it’s always been known that Schwarzenegger movies are made with the 14-year-old male demographic in mind. DMC Devil May Cry, like those action movies, revels in its violence and gore in a way that only an adolescent can. With a new reboot by a decidedly western developer, the series takes a more colorful approach with the juvenile demon-vs-the-system series. Even though it’s the kind of game that literally scrawls obscenities directed towards the player on the walls, it doesn’t play dirty. In fact, it just might be the best action game to come out in years.

DMC revolves around the iconic character Dante and his brother Virgil (get it?), who use their half-demon, half-angel ancestry to take down Mundus, the demon who secretly rules the world from within the bloated flesh of a CEO. That’s right, demons control the world, keeping the populous docile using capitalist satire. While the game’s plot might revolve around demons and monsters, its style consciously avoids the expected gothic tones and travels a more urban route. Psychic sidekick Kat doesn’t laboriously prepare spells, she uses an aerosol spray can and a template. Histories aren’t told on epic tapestries, they’re found in sprawling alleyway graffiti. Dante, like every adolescent male, is talented, gets all the girls, doesn’t struggle with acne, and fights the system. It would be sickening if it wasn’t told with such sheer panache.

With a setting this kickass, the gameplay had better follow suit. Developer Ninja Theory keeps the same precision hacking and slashing the series is known for, but adds their own twist. While you still have a huge list of combos and moves to pull off between your sword and pistols, you also have new angel and demon weapons to use. By holding down the left or the right triggers, Dante can access a whole new set of moves, many of them involving movement. For example, RT+X pulls an enemy towards you (or simply rips his shield away), while LT+X pushes you towards him instead. It’s a kind of swift action that doesn’t translate well in pictures. After you acquire the mental dexterity to pull them off, you can combo your way around like the badass demon slayer your mother always wanted you to be.

By the end of the game, you have a deep move set to pick from and scant seconds to choose the right string of combos to perform correctly. Yet, the game paces this complexity well enough that you never feel lost. DMC is like a piano teacher who shows you where to place your hands, then slaps you with a ruler whenever you miss a note. Not brutal, not unfair, but demanding nonetheless. It reaches the right balance point where your palms sweat and you start to feel a bit shaky, but you never rage at the game for cheating. Playing on Normal, DMC leads you through the steps of a brilliantly gory ballet. After that, it challenges you to try it again without the hand-holding through the successively higher difficulties.

The idea of Limbo being a separate, spiritual layer opens up DMC to some creative possibilities, and Ninja Theory takes full advantage of them. What starts out as a normal, boring warehouse suddenly explodes into a twisted, colorful dreamland. It’s part Inception, part They Live. A particularly standout level involves Dante entering a demonic prison tower hidden in a reflection. What follows is a ridiculously creative series of levels that takes place upside down, complete with rising rain. Immediately after this, Dante leaps into the digital world of a news bumper and battles a Tron-like demon. Another game might use one or two of these ideas for set-pieces, but DMC does stuff like this all the way through.

Most games revolve around adolescent power fantasies. As a grown man, I should hate Dante for being a stupid, cock-sure punk, but I can’t. I keep cringing, expecting a whiny moment to break out when Dante’s hormones catch up with him, but the moment never comes. He starts out badass and ends badass. You don’t need a character arc when you’re just that awesome. Meanwhile, the gameplay echoes every bit of that, demanding that you play to a level befitting a rebellious teen-demon, or it lops off large chunks of your health bar. It’s an imaginative game with well-built mechanics that will leave you with sweaty palms and wanting seconds. What more could you ask for?

Our Score:
Our Recommendation: