Devil May Cry 5 Review: 5 Ups & 3 Downs

2. A Character That Plays Like Nothing Else: V

A mysterious figure in the story, V’s combat repertoire comes from a bird, panther and giant golem that can be summoned into battle. The twist though, is V’s face buttons are all mapped TO these creatures, and the only thing he can do is a finisher when enemies are on low enough health.

It creates a fascinating dynamic where in terms of physical space, you’re focused on evasion and keeping V alive, whilst also inputting the same commands for flurries, specials, launchers etc. from a distance.

Yes it sounds weird and it’s intentionally disconnecting, but once you get your head around how to command this tiny army of demonic power, your combo counter soars through the roof and the screen turns into a disco of lightning bolts and tendril swipes.

Oh, and Capcom’s way of letting you know THEY know V is essentially the Emo Kylo Ren Twitter account brought to life? He powers up by reading goth poetry in-battle. Dude has sandles, tribal-looking tattoos, a string leather vest, a silver cane, and a poetry book. It’s brilliant.