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Dante's Inferno
Death, breasts and demon babies - we go through Hell with Dante's Inferno. Read on for our verdict.
Written by David Scammell, 03 February 2010
Life's a bitch and then you die. And so it is here, plunging Dante, Dante's Inferno's intrepid hero and Kratos-of-sorts, into the depths of Hell on an adventure to absolve his true love's soul following her slaughter during the game's opening.
So far, so The Divine Comedy, then. But EA is all too aware that marketing Dante's Inferno as simply being a video game conversion of a piece of classic fourteenth century Italian literature isn't the sexiest way in which to appeal to your typical video game consumer - and so they've jazzed it up a bit.
While Dante's Inferno sticks religiously to the key concept behind Dante Alighieri's timeless poem- the nine circles of hell and each of their respective trials and tribulations remain the game's central theme - Visceral seems more concerned with cramming as many grandiose displays of sex and violence into the game as possible than it does paying a respectful and reserved homage to the literature.
Of course, this isn't necessarily a bad thing. Combat is tight, fast and fluid, being an almost perfect replica of God of War, the game in which Dante's Inferno so desperately seeks to imitate. Dante handles almost identically to Kratos, his Scythe performing the same basic functionality as the Blades of Athena, and with the same level of athleticism - dodge is mapped to the right stick, block to the shoulder buttons... you get the idea.
P3Zine Issue 36
For our latest Dantes Inferno coverage, click here to download P3Zine Issue 36 for free.But while Dante's may be nothing more than a God of War clone, it's a God of War clone done incredibly well. Much like Visceral's illustrious Dead Space, Dante's Inferno takes the best elements of the genre and incorporates them into a game filled with a show stopping display of quality. It's a polished, imaginative, intense and often harrowing action adventure that culminates in an emotional and thoroughly satisfying ending. Simply put, it's a deserving contender to God of War's crown.
The tale itself is incredibly well-paced, and though the action may feel fairly monotonous at times (there's only so much mashing of buttons you can take before boredom threatens to set in), it's mixed up superbly by the barrage of unforgettable moments, the least of which being the magnificent opening fight with the Grim Reaper, a character so typically reserved for a final boss but positioned here as mere fodder to kick-start Dante's journey through Hell.
And thanks to the wonderful level of creativity displayed within each of the game's nine circles, it only gets better from here on in, with each offering up a copious amount of extraordinary scenarios. From the sight of gluttons feasting on the souls of the dead in Gluttony, hearing the gargling sounds of those damned for eternity to , the lake of boiling blood, to Phlegyas transporting Dante across the bridge leading into the City of Dis (itself a sequence that will likely remain up there as one of the finest scenes of this generation), Dante's Inferno is filled with so many blockbuster moments that it'll likely remain at the forefront of your mind for a while after you've finished playing.
But so will its faults, which ultimately stop it from overtaking God of War as the king of hack and slash. The occasionally ropey checkpointing can frustrate, particularly after an instant-death from inadvertently dashing into a surrounding pool of blood/water/vomit, and the relative lack of variety in enemy types also soon begins to grate. You'll encounter the same demons, minions and sorcerers throughout the adventure (something made particularly evident in the circle of Fraud, an uncharacteristically lazy level made up of challenge rooms within a series of identical arenas), which itself doesn't last long - we managed to finish our first playthrough in just under a pitiful five hours.
It's far from perfect, then, but these minor issues pale into significance when you consider Dante's Inferno for what it is. It's one of the most creative games on the 360/PS3 so far that makes outstanding use of its source material, with its appeal ultimately boiling down to its inspired setting, its utterly unforgettable scenarios, its fantastic characterisation and its horrific imagery. Dante's Inferno may be the most repulsive game we've played this generation, but it's also one of the best.
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Dantes Inferno coverage available in P3Zine Issue 36 - click here to download it for free!
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