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This is Devil May Cry 3 – one of the best games I’ve ever played.

In DMC3, the player controls Dante, a devil with supernatural powers who has to punch, slash, and shoot his way through 20 levels to temporarily rid the world of demonic influence. The plot, while not groundbreaking or intensely interesting in any way, was enough to keep me satisfied: there was a short cutscene after and before every level that advanced the plot and provided a little background about Dante’s past. The main villain was Vergil, Dante’s twin brother – clichй, but still acceptable. I found that because of the amazing action in the game, I had little concern for plot while playing.

Throughout the game, I was also able to obtain new melee weapons (“Devil Arms”) and guns to broaden my arsenal and obtain new combos. At any given time, Dante can equip two Devil Arms and two guns (which can easily be switched in and out with the L2 and R2 buttons), so it’s relatively easy to adapt to new situations and use the weapon of choice.

There was also a great degree of customizability in DMC3 combat due to the brilliantly conceived “Style System”. At the beginning of the game, I was able to choose from four styles of combat (Gunslinger, Swordmaster, Trickster, and Royal Guard) – I was able to pick one of these styles at the beginning of each level, and that choice would determine my fighting style for the rest of that level. As the game progressed and I continued to use certain styles for extended periods of time, I leveled them up (to a maximum level of 3), which unlocked new moves. This system allows for much replayability within the game itself - even though I finished the game with two styles at the maximum level, there were still two more to try out. Additionally, in later levels of the game I was able to unlock two additional styles which could not be leveled up: Doppelganger and Quicksilver. These styles allowed me to fight with a companion and with time slowing abilities, respectively. I found that I didn’t use them very often, but they were a neat addition to the game.

Additional customizability was available via the “red orb” system. I could obtain red orbs, the DMC3 currency, by killing enemies in each level. The more “stylish” my moves were – i.e. the more unique moves I could chain together without taking any damage – the more red orbs my enemies dropped. After each level, and at certain points within each level, I was able to use my red orbs to purchase upgrades for Dante, such as health boosters, character upgrades, gun enhancements, and new moves.

This system was brilliant on two levels: first, it rewarded stylish playing by giving more red orbs for cooler moves, and by discouraging repeated use of the same ‘ol combos. I found myself constantly striving to find new combinations, and to find new ways of executing them without being hit. As a result, my playing got pretty good – and I managed to discover some eye-catching moves for Dante. Second, the system adds even more customizability to the game – there aren’t enough red orbs to buy every upgrade, so I needed to make choices and customize Dante to fit my playing style.

Additionally, at the end of each level, I got grades based on my performance in sections such as time elapsed, style points, and damage taken. These grades earned me bonus red orbs. I found that for the most part I got B's, which meant that there was always something more to work for. It’s just another system that increases replayability and brings out the best in the player.

Of course, DMC3 was not without its downfalls. The main problem that I had was the game’s extreme difficulty. Starting the game on normal mode, I figured that I would have an easy time with it – at least with the first few levels. I was wrong. After about ten attempts to pass the second level on normal mode, I angrily switched the game to easy. Now, don’t get me wrong – I don’t consider myself to be a professional action gamer by any means. But I can usually get past level two of a game on normal difficulty.

After I switched to easy, the game got a bit better – and once I got my first new Devil Arm, the difficulty decreased drastically. The easy level was about on par with my gaming ability, so the difficulty wasn’t a big issue for me once I got the hang of the game. Still, I can’t help but wonder what the next four levels of difficulty are like.

The game’s abysmal saving and continuing system didn’t help the situation. “Gold orbs”, or continues, had to be purchased with red orbs before they could be used. Although they were relatively cheap, it was a pain for me to constantly keep track of my gold orbs. Whenever I died with none in my inventory, I was forced to restart the level from the beginning – often erasing much hard work. Additionally, in-level saving was impossible, so whenever I had to go in the middle of a level, I had to restart it the next time I played. What a pain.

I also thought that the music could do with a little work. There were only two main fighting themes in the whole game (they switch off around the middle), and hearing the same music over and over again was a bit monotonous.

Still, regardless of these flaws, DMC3 was amazing. The difficulty, the saving system, and the music did virtually nothing to decrease the quality of the gameplay – it was so incredibly addicting that I found myself ignoring the flaws. Every time I booted up the game, my adrenaline started pumping, and I ended up playing for hours nonstop. Between Dante’s incredible moves, the style system, and the fast, nonstop action, DMC3 was one of the best games I’ve ever played.