Devil May Cry 4

Devil May Cry 4 brought a new hero to the established series. Nero, a young member of a knightly order in the city of Fortuna, finds himself in conflict with his own organization after Dante bursts into the temple during a ceremony, setting off a conspiracy that isn't just about demons, but about faith and power. Nero differs from the classic hero through his demonic right arm called the Devil Bringer, which lets him yank enemies toward himself or launch himself at them and finish an attack with a flashy grapple.

The combat system is unusually accessible yet deep. Nero's sword has an Exceed system that rewards correctly timed button presses with boosted attacks, so the player learns a rhythm similar to a musical exercise. In the second half of the game, control switches to Dante, who offers four switchable combat styles and several weapons; switching between them on the fly is, for advanced players, the most enjoyable part of the whole game. Missions are graded on style, which pushes players toward inventing the most varied combos possible instead of repeating one safe trick. Boss fights take place in enclosed arenas and reward precise dodge timing, while simpler puzzles are interspersed between them, which most players prefer to rush through.

Technically, this was one of the smoothest action games of its time, with high frame rate stability and strikingly clean visuals of temple interiors, snowy streets, and hellish spaces. The music mixes metal with orchestra and dynamically intensifies during fights. Contemporary reviews were very favorable; the main complaint was that the second half of the campaign leads the player back through the same locations in reverse and that bosses repeat. Completing the game also unlocks harder difficulties with different enemy placement, where the point of everything you've learned finally shines through. Today, the fourth entry remains an excellent entry point into the series for anyone who wants to understand what stylish action means.