Devil May Cry 5 is pure, unrelenting, action bliss. This is the best action game of the year. The game is a welcome return to the long-standing series that has been dormant in the mainline series since 2008's DMC4. While I personally enjoyed DmC, the reboot, a lot, many were dismayed with it. Well, this is a game that will please fans of both worlds.
The game follows Nero, Dante, and a newcomer, V. All the characters are well fleshed out with fantastic combat styles unique to each of them. The story is campy yet fun, with its fair share of surprisingly emotionally resonant scenes. What separates DMC5 from many other games is that it's not so much focused on killing monsters and demons as it is about how you kill them.
Style is the name of the game. DMC5 will actively push you stretch the limits of how long you can continually punish a lone, poor demon. The phenomenal combat paired along with the excellent pacing makes the full package something you can't pry yourself from. The minute the game ended, I wanted nothing more to jump back in. I highly recommend you begin with the standard difficulty when first starting off rather than the "Human" difficulty. Don't be fooled, however, as the hardest difficulty you can pick right off the bat is only the second easiest difficulty. This game wants you to keep replaying the game. New systems, mechanics, weapons, and combos are sprinkled throughout the main campaign, demanding that you take advantage of the new skill. You literally receive a game-changing ability right at the end of the game, essentially telling you to replay the game again.
If you want to test your might, the Bloody Palace game mode is a extremely fun mode that will constantly test how good you really think you are with a 99 stage gauntlet through all the enemies and bosses in the game--using only one life. You die, you start from ground zero.
Capcom is killing it. No one could've predicted such a strong redemption arc with the company, but here we are with Devil May Cry 5 (and Resident Evil 2 remake). Do yourself a favor and dive into Devil May Cry 5. If you're new to the series, don't worry, there's a video included with the game that will go over most of the main plot points from the previous games. The game absolutely can be played stand-alone. And don't be surprised if you find yourself saying to yourself, "Pull my devil trigger." The game's soundtrack is an absolute beast. You'll see.