I hate this linkshell with a fiery passion.

If you've played one of the Devil May Cry games before, you're already aware of how Dante controls: gun in one hand, sword in the other. But newcomer Nero is something different: with his demonic right arm, he can use the incredible power of the Devil Bringer, which allows him to devastatingly throw his enemies - up to and including multi-story-tall bosses.

For a look at how Nero controls, page your way through this article. We've been to Japan and got our hands on Nero - and now we'll fill you in on all the juicy details.

Two of Nero's basic special attacks are great for taking on the hordes of enemies that surround you. Streak is a spin attack which is great for throwing back enemies when they close in on you. High Roller, on the other hand, lets you hit an enemy up into the air. Now you can jump up yourself for a hand-to-hand air combo, shoot it up as it comes back down or use the Devil Bringer to inflict even more damage.

The EX-Gauge, to the left of Nero's life bar, tracks the power charged up in his sword. You rev the L2 button like a motorcycle's throttle to charge up power, and then unleash it in a devastating attack on an enemy. You can't charge while you fight, but it's great to power it up as you travel from location to location and then bust it out.

Hell Bound lets Nero travel to places Dante could never reach - just locate a glowing blue sphere and target it. Pushing the button combination allows you to soar across long distances instantly, using the power of the the Devil Bringer. You can also snatch hidden items from unreachable areas by using this power.

The Snatch move allows you to grab enemies from afar and reel 'em in for major punishment - really handy if your foes are far away. Combined with the ability to chuck 'em around with the Devil Bringer, it's a lot of fun. It's also a good idea to bring them to you and then pop 'em up into the air with High Roller, and then finish it with an air combo. Nice.

Of course, if you have your enemy in the air, you can always crash it to the ground using Buster. The Devil Bringer has a distinct and punishing physical nature - something missing from even some of the sword fighting in previous Devil May Cry games.

The developers at Capcom promised us that this is just the tip of the iceberg for Nero's repertoire of special moves in Devil May Cry 4. We hope so... because so far, the combat is already brutally entertaining.

This is hardly the end of GamesRadar's week of exclusive Devil May Cry 4 coverage. To check out even more - from screens to movies to interviews - head back to our DMC4 landing page by clicking here.