Re-launching an established franchise is a very difficult path to go. You need to simultaneously draw in new fans and not alienate your fan-base. Too much pandering to the old franchise and newbies won't have a clue as to what's going on. Too many new elements and the returning fans will be angry that the original attraction is gone.
Developer Ninja Theory has done an impressive job of re-imagining the franchise. They took the basic combat system as their new core and then went to town on everything else. With this change, DMC is just as controller-throwing frustrating as its predecessors without being bogged down by the previous history.
