Given the dizzying complexity of possible inputs – iconic protagonist Dante can swap guns, melee weapons and combat styles on the fly – it’s astounding how good the game is at training you to play it. You might start out feeling overwhelmed, but the difficulty curve is such that it isn’t long before you’re dancing between demons in a single free-flowing combo, bullets flying, sword periodically bursting into flames.

For those who do remember them, though, the story is packed with callbacks to the older Devil May Cry games (the 2013 DmC reboot is politely ignored, though stylistic influences remain). It’s a fun, pulpy romp, aided by quippy writing, sharp action-movie direction and surprisingly emotive character work courtesy of Capcom’s RE Engine. At first it looks like DMC5 – which resurrects an action series that’s been dormant for over a decade – might be a bit too self-referential for newcomers, though in truth “there’s a big demon tree and you need to kill it” is all the plot you really need to know.

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