"Devil May Cry 4" received praise for its hack and slash mechanics. "Xbox World Australia" called it "the most solid of all of the Devil May Cry games" citing its responsive controls despite being the first game in the series to be released for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. "PSM3" rated the game's degree of difficulty positively based on how the system ranks the player and the challenges the game offers. 1UP.com praised the gameplay and "predictably slick" looks. However, sites often criticized the game's backtracking elements, a big issue found within the level design. Some criticized the theme songs. The use of boss fights and the approach to the action's style was well received by "GameSpot". They felt it would attract and appeal to gamers despite the backtracking issues.