Let me begin by saying that I’ve never played the original Devil May Cry games, and thus, I had no opinion on the series before jumping into this reboot. Instead, my expectations for the game were mostly focused towards Ninja Theory, the development studio that was creating the game, since Enslaved: Odyssey to the West was one of my favorite titles in 2010. Despite some absurd fan backlash, DmC: Devil May Cry is a fun, creative game that could serve as a great entry point into the series.

DmC stars a young nephilim, the spawn of angel and demon, Dante as he learns that the world around him is greatly influenced by the demon king Mundus, who enslaves humanity by controlling news outlets and the junk food that they eat. Dante becomes a part of a revolutionary organization known as the Order, led by his long lost brother Vergil, another nephilim, and, along with a human named Kat, conspires to rid the world of Mundus’ demonic influence.

The plot doesn’t do anything new, but it does provide a number of interesting scenarios and proper context for participating in them. Dante frequently slips into Limbo, a warped form of the city that tears itself apart to impede his progress. Certain levels take place in a completely flipped version of the world, a thumping dance club with vibrant colors, and a cathedral that stretches itself continuously. Watching the world fall apart around Dante infuses a great amount of tension into ordinary platforming segments that would otherwise be solid but unremarkable.

The characters are also noteworthy, especially since they were the focal point of much of the fan outrage towards the game. Dante looks quite different than he does in previous installments. His hair is short and black rather than long and white, and he’s a bit of drunkard and a womanizer.

Most of all, however, he’s an asshole. He flips off and shouts obscenities at the huge demons he fights and is a constant source of snark, but it usually comes across as playful and rarely mean-spirited. He may not be consistently likeable, but he’s not an outright bad character.

The thing that really matters about Dante, however, is that he’s a joy to control. Each of his animations drip with personality, from the way he loses balance at the end of a long sword combo to his smooth movement and acrobatics.

This segues well into discussing the game’s combat. The ordinary elemental balance for Ninja Theory games is amazing narrative and mechanically clunky but novel combat. In DmC, the balance has shifted. While the story is neither great nor terrible, the combat is excellent in its own right, even if it has been simplified compared to the original series.

Dante begins with naught but his sword Rebellion and his twin pistols Ebony and Ivory, but eventually gains the ability to tap into the different aspects of the nephilim: Angel and Demon. In Angel Mode, Dante’s primary weapon switches to a quick weapon meant for crowd control and gains Angel Lift, a light whip that lets him pull himself towards marked ledges or enemies. Demon Mode, on the other hand, gives Dante a slow yet powerful axe and the Demon Lift ability, which pulls objects and enemies towards Dante.

In any combat scenario, Dante has access to all of these abilities to dispatch Mundus’ hordes, and it’s as varied as you want it to be. It’s not especially difficult on the normal difficulty settings, but it does require that you spice up your attacks to obtain the highest score for each level, as the point value of each move goes down as they are repeated. Some enemies have certain quirks, such as only being vulnerable in a certain mode or having specific weak points, but every monster is fun to stylishly slay over the course of the game.

On top of all of this, the game looks simply amazing. While the ordinary city that is mostly seen in cutscenes is grey and bland, Limbo is colorful and vibrant. The clashing color scheme makes each environment feel unique and it gives the world a distinct flavor that differentiates it not only from other action games on the market, but even Ninja Theory’s other titles. The upside-down levels are excellent, but the real standout is a dance club that morphs into a neon-colored obstacle course that pulses and pounds, and it’s coupled with some excellent music.

I have very few complaints with DmC: Devil May Cry, most of which have to do with its story. It doesn’t take a ton of risks in that department, but that’s remedied by the inventiveness of the level design and the flow of the combat. It’s an engaging, enjoyable game, and I look forward to seeing what Ninja Theory does with the franchise next, if they’re still a part of it.