It's been just over two years since the somewhat disappointing Devil May Cry 2 was released, and now the next instalment, which, as is the fashion these days, comes in the form of a prequel, is finally here. The original Devil May Cry raised the bar for the action/adventure genre, boasting unbelievable graphics, addictive hack/slash/shoot gameplay and mind-numbing sets of combos. For lovers of the original and even that lacklustre sequel, Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening doesn't disappoint in the slightest.

Set before the original game, the story begins when Dante first opens his business. Within a matter of moments, a strange man walks in with a challenge from Dante's evil twin brother, Vergil. The storyline isn't the meatiest out there but provides a sufficient backdrop that is perfect for a game of this nature, also proving to be a lot more in depth than the previous games. This time around the game stars a younger, cockier Dante, bringing plenty of humour and many kick ass cut scenes.

Taking the best puzzles and action from both its predecessors and mixing them up to make some crazy survival action, DMC3 creates an awesome atmosphere that both astounds and amazes. Where the second lacked style, this game fills the void. Where the first needed a slight tweak, this one tweaks it. The fighting system utilises four styles (there are also two to unlock as well); Trickster, the default using evasive actions such as wall running and dashing; Sword Master, using several different aggressive sword moves; Gun Slinger, making use of guns to hit multiple enemies or charge gun attacks and Royal Guard, which focuses on counter attacks. To use the moves from any style, you press the circle button and create various combinations with other buttons. Trickster is probably the best for newcomers, while those who have played the game before may find Sword Master more useful.

To get better moves for each style, you have to level up your style by using it (you can only use one style at a time, which is chosen at the beginning of a mission) and the more it is used, the quicker it levels up and therefore the better the moves you obtain. This works well and you really have to choose carefully between the styles, as all have their uses. I'm not about to ruin the surprise regarding the two extra unlockable styles but I will say that they do add a whole new dimension to the gameplay.

There are a range of different enemies and bosses just waiting to be stylishly despatched and while most are the standard demons we've come to expect from the DMC games, there are also some new, really cool demons. My favourite is this weird, four-legged creature that shoots some sort of plasma blade at you. The bosses also range from big huge monsters, to a horse and chariot, plus of course you get to fight Dante's evil brother a couple of times. These boss battles are really hard and may cause a lot of frustration for the average gamer; however, the bosses are so well designed that most will look past it and carry on playing.

On the subject of the difficulty, perhaps my only gripe is that the hardness of normal mode is probably too much for most people and whilst I did play through on normal, it certainly wasn't a walk in the park. When I say it is unrealistically hard, you'd better believe me; this game is definitely not for those who don't enjoy persevering through a challenge and find themselves with little patience. After dying a couple of times you're offered the chance to play on easy mode and I strongly recommend this to both the casual gamer and anyone new to the series.

The graphics in DMC3 are some of the best on any console at the moment and whilst they aren't perfect, they sure as hell look great. Both the cut scenes and in-game graphics look superb, with dark, dingy rooms and dungeons that are dripping with the kind of atmosphere and style that all survival horror games should have. The enemy character models are scary, the non-playable characters are very cool and Dante looks better than ever, with amazingly fluid and stylish animation on his repertoire of moves, plus some great special effects. Everything fits together perfectly to create an outstanding gothic game world like no other. The camera works well, following your movement in a static position most of the time; however, when the camera is free to control it can sometimes get awkward, as you have to fiddle with the right analogue stick to get in the right position, which isn't always as fluid as it could be.

The music is predominantly rock mixed with a bit of techno, making for simple and effective melodies that combine well with the atmosphere created by those sumptuous graphics. Having said that, it feels like they have used the same three tunes over and over, making the music boring and redundant after a while; this can be ignored to a certain extent but it does get annoying. The voice acting has improved since the last game, with a lot more dialogue and a much better voice for Dante, even if it isn't as cool as his voice from the first game.

Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening is a delicious mix of the best aspects of the first two games, with more innovation and a cockier, funnier Dante. The action is truly flawless, which is all that is really important in a game like this, yet although this is a big improvement on DMC2, it still doesn't quite feel as good as the original. Still, with a lot of unlockables to be found it will keep the average gamer going for at least 10 to 15 hours, while for us purists a new difficulty level to unlock and extra gameplay that will keep us playing for a long time. DMC3 is one that all fans of the genre should own, especially if you enjoyed either of the previous games. As long as you can overlook the overly high difficulty (or just wimp out and play it on easy), you're in for a real treat.

Reviewed by Bill Long for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).