Many gamers regard Capcom's Devil May Cry as a great, but somewhat flawed hardcore action game. Its sequel was a watered-down, easier affair and copped a healthy dose of criticism back at in January 2003. Now it seems as though Devil May Cry 3 -- a prequel to the first game -- will set the record straight by finding a happy medium between the first two efforts. Dante is back, and he's cooler and smoother than even before.

The story kicks off detailing the sordid sibling rivalry of our protagonist Dante and his twin brother, Virgil. Needless to say, some damage is done and Virgil's intentions of becoming an ¿ber bad guy are well on the road to completion. After a stunning intro movie detailing some shocking events, we're spun back in time to see Dante chilling in the office of his yet unopened club.

A visit from a particularly menacing individual sparks of the events that will ultimately lead Dante to confront Virgil. But there's a long way to go before that climax is reached, and so Dante is pitted against hordes of dark minions as he moves towards his violent destiny. This is where the action, stylish combat, and gameplay takes off for real.

In this latest preview version of the game I was able to play through a handful of the first levels that'll make it into the final game. With a U.S. release date of March 2005, there's still some ways to go, but what's on offer at this point is a definite return to the original gameplay from the first game, and that's to say that action junkies are in for a real big treat.

Dual wielding was never this cool...

The series has always focused heavily on over-the-top action and ridiculously cool cinematic fight sequences. The immensely robust combo system is planted firmly at the heart of the gameplay experience, and thanks to a well-designed set of tutorial guidelines, even the most novice player will soon be performing acrobatic stunts that put the likes of The Matrix to total shame.