With over a decade of hack and slash fun lay firmly behind the collective world of console gaming, a glance back casts light upon many of the genre-defining great, arguably the greatest of which is Devil May Cry.

Way back in 2001 the Playstation 2 was fresh out of the gates, Tony Blair was Prime Minister and the writer of this particular article was at the tiny age of 8-years old. So as might be imagined, things were a little different, not least of which was a newly released title from Capcom; Devil May Cry. This genre-sculpting hack and slasher was and still is, all kinds of outrageous fun, even in old age.

Balancing the commonly utilised double-act of swords and guns seems a trivial inclusion today, but make no mistake that this was the title to truly cement such a balance within the genre. And as such, no other title does it better. Effortlessly switching between several melee weapons and firearms in combat is an art in itself. The effortless fluency of the combat is what establishes this old-school title as a truly excellent technical achievement.

Racking up incredible combinations of hits via the aforementioned swords, gauntlets and guns is moreish, engrossing and most importantly very fun. Slashing up the combo rankings from ‘D for Dull’ to ‘A for Awesome’ is beyond addictive and for those who are willing to out in the effort, an enticing ‘S for Stylish’ rank awaits.

Beyond the all-encompassing hook of the quite beautiful combat, is the matter of the narrative. Truly Japanese in approach, Devil May Cry is indicative of the kind of dramatic, nonsensical, theatrics that early 2000’s film and game is known for. Love it or loathe it, it certainly grabs the attention of even the most sedentary onlooker.

Following the righteous quest of demon hunter extraordinaire Dante, the game takes place in a gothic castle featuring many-a-scary hallway. Short, sharp levels are what make up this 5-hour experience that rattles along with great pace and variance from start to finish. With a boss battle after near enough every one of the 23 missions, there is plenty of challenge in Dante’s attempt to defeat the evil lord Mundus.

As a title belonging to a different era, there is a relentless sense of challenge here throughout. Death is a frequent occurrence that should be accepted from the outset and the player genuinely has to strive for greatness if the game is to be toppled, even at the mid-range difficulty settings. There is no “I will be your parent/guardian for the day whilst we play with guns” nonsense here. This is a breed of game that says: “Here is a huge sword, make sure you do- Oh you already cut your hands off, that’s unfortunate…FOR YOU.” And after the onslaught of titles that can be finished with one eye closed, this admittedly old-fashioned approach is exceptionally rewarding.

In her old age, the old gal’ isn’t a bad looker either. Sure, Dante’s head has more angles than a protractor and the colour pallet shifts between grey and grey, but at the kind of frenetic pace Devil May Cry is played at, it never matters in the slightest. The HD restoration has done the job of making proceedings clear and just as fun as they were several years ago, which is all that can be asked.

Devil May Cry was, is, and will always be to a certain taste. It’s stylistic approach and mile-a-minute pace has run throughout the DNA of the entire series, and is understandably not for some. But for those of the slashy inclination, this title is a remarkable trip down memory lane that is as technically astounding as some of today’s great hack and slashers. Any individual on the hunt for a truly great action/adventure game need look no further than this classic, and for those who don’t mind the archaic edges, consider this the jackpot.

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