AT a time when videogame companies are moving further and further away from big-budget single player experiences, it is refreshing to see some in the industry keeping it old school.

Fresh off the heels of an early contender for game of the year in Resident Evil 2, Capcom has launched another big hitter in Devil May Cry 5.

The latest entry to the popular hack and slash series has been brought back in-house after the polarising DmC that was outsourced to Ninja Theory.

The action takes place in the London-inspired Red Grave City and sees the Dante of old return, arguably the best version the series has ever seen.

The wise-cracking demon hunter is joined by Nero, the moody young protagonist from Devil May Cry 4 – launched way back in 2008 – and a mysterious new character, V Nero has changed somewhat since his last appearance, notably that his demonic arm has been yanked from him and replaced with a number of swappable robotic limbs called ‘devil breakers’.

Each devil breaker has new abilities to try out and can be swapped out before each mission.

The new character, V, is a sorcerer-like demon hunter that attacks from afar. V is unlike any other character seen in the series and adds an aura of mystique to the game’s story. The sheer number of options can feel overwhelming at times and the tutorials that accompany the various moves and skills can become a slight annoyance.

But the action is quick and intense, running at a silky-smooth 60 frames per second to a heavy metal backdrop that ramps up as you rack up stylish points.

KENNY LOMAS