Devil May Cry 5 is a game that's all about outlandish, over-the-top action. Defeat enemies in smoking sick style with incredible combos and a variety of weapons and characters in this uniquely thematic action game.

The Devil May Cry has a special place in the hearts of many gamers. Each game in the series has innovated on a simple concept: action should be cool. As the series has evolved, players have had access to more complex weapons, elaborate techniques, and unusual environments that they can use to defeat enemies in style. While the games have been fun to play at a casual level, they've also incorporated lots of deep and intricate mechanics like move cancels, enemy stepping, jump cancels, and more.

Devil May Cry 5 is the latest installment in the series. It's also probably the best. The game has reinvigorated the series with a fresh dose of cheesy B-movie writing and Michael-Bay-does-demon-fighting cutscenes, and it's absolutely amazing. The developers knew exactly what they wanted to do. Each and every interaction in this game gives you an opportunity to feel fantastically cool as you massacre your way through hordes of evil demons. 

Want to dual-wield motorcycles? DMC5 has you covered. Want to endlessly juggle enemies with complex combos? Yup, you can do that. Want to keep things simple and just keep shooting a demonic monster so hard it stays suspended in the air until it dies? You can do that too. With three playable characters (and a fourth DLC character) and totally unique fighting styles for each character, plus a plethora of weapons and stances that you unlock throughout the game, the only real limit here is your creativity.

Devil May Cry 5 uses a third-person camera. The controls and gameplay are similar to games like Nier: Automata or God of War - or more accurately, those games are similar to earlier Devil May Cry games. Your main goals are fighting demons, traversing 3d environments with your ridiculous assortment of movement abilities, and finding optional hidden items and obfuscated paths. Every so often, you'll get to fight a massive boss enemy, using your dodging skills to create opportunities to showcase your mastery of the game's combo system before engaging with a unique mechanic that enables you to take the boss down. Unlike other games that focus simply on defeating enemies, Devil May Cry encourages you to use a large variety of moves to increase your "style" meter, giving you more rewards at the end of each mission and helping you keep your gameplay cool and varied.

At first, DMC5 isn't a difficult game. The developers have mentioned in interviews that they wanted to cater to new fans of the series, and it shows. Your first playthrough is likely to be one of experimentation and education, not one fraught with excessive challenges. You'll have plenty of chances to learn about the characters' deep movesets and engage with the combat systems without being pushed to your limit. On subsequent playthroughs, however, you'll have to demonstrate mastery. Playing the game on hard mode is an entirely new experience, with tough monsters in new places and levels that feel totally fresh because of new, more challenging enemies. You'll need to tap into your inner demon hunter to defeat these enemies, but when you do, you'll do it with confidence and style. It's an exhilarating experience that's tough to match. 

Devil May Cry 5 is a complex game with lots of systems, buttons, and variety. If you're new, here are a few tips to get into this series with a running start.

First, don't forget to look around each level for pickups. Orbs are often hidden in out-of-the-way places, whether that's behind destructible objects, behind a cutscene location, or even in secret missions. These orbs can be used to purchase upgrades and improve your characters. Note that when you find the big glowing red cluster things, you'll want to do a long combo of attacks on the cluster to maximize your orb gain. These spawners will stop vomiting orbs a few seconds after you start attacking, so get in as many hits as you can.

Second, hit up the Void frequently. This is the game's training mode. It's a place where you can safely and limitlessly try out new attacks and mess with combos. You've got options to turn off enemy AI, give yourself infinite resources, and more. The important thing here is to get comfortable with new moves and see what your characters are actually doing when you perform certain inputs. After a few minutes in the Void, you'll be able to seamlessly integrate your recent red orb purchases into your combat sequences and achieve S rank with ease.

Speaking of rank, remember that your combat rank is a key factor that determines how many red orbs you get after each mission. You don't need to get every combo to S rank to beat the game, but doing so will give you a lot more red orbs on the way, giving you a lot more unlocks as well. To increase your combo meter, you'll want to unleash a relentless assault of varied moves on each enemy. Don't do the same move over and over again, try to use different weapons, stances, and summons, and make sure that you don't stop your combo when you get far away. Try to remember the things you practiced in the Void and figure out a few basic sequences to launch enemies into the air, move your character closer to an enemy while attacking, and move your character farther away while attacking. Performing these sequences in various order with some cool moves in between will rack up lots of style points quickly.

When choosing which upgrade to buy, it's a good idea to prioritize things that help you move early. Not only will these mobility skills help you zoom around your enemies in combat, they'll also help you traverse levels quickly and easily. When it comes to increasing your style rank, however, they're even more effective. Being able to jump up and down on enemies' heads endlessly is great fun and will propel your combos to S rank in a jiffy.

Finally, if you find yourself getting lost, hit the "lock camera" button to snap the camera in the direction of the next objective. This is a great way of giving you a hint about where you should go next when you've been fighting giant ants or looking for orbs for too long. Don't forget to explore, of course, but when you're done exploring, remember to use this button to find your way back to the game's main path.

Are you a Devil May Cry 5 expert? What are your favorite techniques and moves for combos? Which upgrades do you think are the best to focus on early? Did we miss any tips or tricks? Let us know in the comments below!