When Capcom announced that its fourth and latest installment of the Devil May Cry series would be coming to Xbox 360 (it had previously been announced only for PlayStation 3), Sony fanboys felt like they were on the receiving end of a broadsword-machinegun juggle combo. been one of Sony’s mainstays for years, and the series has long been inextricably linked to PlayStation hardware.

No longer. Devil May Cry 4 is looking every bit as impressive on 360 as it does on its native PS3. Visuals are arguably some of the best we’ve seen on the hardware — super-detailed models and textures, sharp effects, and a general consistency often endemic to the work of Japanese developers. The whole thing runs at a solid 60 frames per second, its beautifully animated characters and effects never slowing for a frame.

And with its swords, medieval Euro landscape, and dark-tinged sorcery, you’d figure that story would follow suit in some goth-style, pretentious fashion. Think again. For those of us who haven’t followed Dante’s gun-slinging pursuits in earlier chapters, Devil May Cry is known for two things: intense, arcade-style ghoul-bashing action and goofy, almost slapstick, tongue-in-cheek humor. It’s not for everyone, but its corny action hero clichés (why else would Dante use a spiked rose to carve a monolith in the shape of a heart after defeating a hulking boss?) lend a chuckle or two to the otherwise very serious — and very gory — kill-everything-in-sight proceedings.

But if you have visited DMC’s you’ll be pleased to discover that 4’s gameplay is decidedly similar to that found in earlier titles in the series: incredibly fluid, dynamic combat (with a variety of swords and guns, often used together); some light platforming elements; and thoroughly over-the-top bosses. Case in point: the jungle boss battle that we were privy to at Capcom’s recent London press event had us riding a huge snakelike creature, controlled by a female humanoid housed within its head. You hold on for dear life as the creature weaves through the branches, and you’re eventually forced to fight on foot against the huge monster,

But Dante is playable for only part of the journey. Instead, you’ll be helming the slightly neophyte, Nero. Don’t be fooled by his striking physical similarity to Dante: He may dig red threads and have the same stark-white hair color, but he wields the Devil Bringer — a fistful of glowing white boom that works as both a weapon and as a grappling tool of sorts.

Dante, on the other hand, brings his arsenal of different moves to the 360 in a new way. He has four different styles carried over in various forms from previous DMCs, although this time, they’re easier to switch up and they offer a greater diversity in gameplay. For instance, the Sword Master style’s penchant for, er, sword-wielding can be swapped on the fly during a tough fight for the defensive Royal Guard style. And for ultimate domination, you’ve always got the Pandora’s Box weapon.

This is old-school action videogaming made very, very new and very, very pretty. Though you’ll encounter the occasional puzzle, Devil May Cry 4 is all about enemy patterns, hit timing, and controller dexterity. And it’s not a game for the weak-willed. Mark our words: your thumbs will be tested.