20 Game Anniversaries Coming In 2026 That'll Age You Mercilessly

Capcom were already big news in the early noughties, but rather than rest on their laurels and sink back into prior hits like Street Fighter and Resident Evil, they ploughed ahead in uncharted waters and created yet another bankable, long-term IP.

The first Devil May Cry game plonks us down on Mallet Island and introduces us to the appropriately named Dante, a chic, red-coated, white-haired demon hunter who is hell bent on tracking and slaying the demon lord Mundus, whom Dante believes is responsible for the deaths of his mother and brother.

The game looks and performs like anime, busting into action with heroic, fast-paced combat that is ranked in the moment according to a surfer-dude system of “Dull”, "Cool", "Bravo", "Absolute" and "Stylish". Its shamelessly fun combat is paired with tantalising puzzles and an immersive story, all of which succeeded in making it one of the most well regarded and best-selling games of its era. And all that on the PS2!

DMC faces down its quarter-century anniversary this year. And despite that making you feel like an ancient demon lord yourself, the fact that the series is still going – connecting players of several generations – is a testament to this first title’s quality.