[360/PS3] Dante's Inferno Review

[AgtFox]

Dante’s Inferno Review

Title: Dante’s Inferno
Platform: 360/PS3 (also on PSP)
Developer: Visceral Games
Publisher: Electronic Arts
ESRB: Mature
MSRP: $59.99 (360/PS3), $39.99 (PSP)
Editor: Loren 'AgtFox' Halek

What's Hot: Graphics are nice with 60fps throughout game; interpretation of Hell is quite interesting; many characters from poem make notable appearances; some notable set pieces; voiceovers are well done

What's Not: Liberal interpretation of poem told 100+ years before actual time; borrows too much from God of War and refuses to do anything fresh; too linear; difficulty can get maddening, but nice you can change level on the fly

I read Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy (made up of Inferno, Purgatory and Paradise) back in high school and refreshed myself with the story before starting Visceral Games’ Dante’s Inferno. To be honest, it probably would have been better to not know about the subject matter because the developer takes several liberties with the source material bringing in a character from Purgatory and Paradise and changing Dante’s reason for entering Hell. The game opens with Dante sewing a tapestry onto his chest in the form of a cross. This tapestry is used throughout the game to show flashbacks of his sinful actions while he was out on the Crusade.

This game is set in the time of the original Assassin’s Creed (remember the 1191 Achievement? That’s the year it is) which is over 100 years before the time of the Divine Comedy (roughly around 1300 is where it begins). Dante is part of King Richard’s Third Crusade and their attack on Saladin’s forces in Acre. Dante is stabbed in the back by one of Saladin’s people and he faces off with Death who wants to take him to Hell. He defeats Death and steals his scythe which then becomes the primary weapon through the game. Obviously this is one of the differences between the literary source and the game itself, but is just the tip of the iceberg.

The protagonist goes home to find his father murdered in the house and then finds his betrothed, Beatrice, dead by a sword through her stomach. She is taken away by Lucifer into Hell as Beatrice asks him why Dante broke their promise to each other. He of course has no idea what she is talking about since he believes he was absolved of all sins during the Crusade by a priest. Not wanting to see his betrothed taken, Dante grabs Beatrice’s cross and follows them down into Hell. It is important to note that Beatrice is a character in the Divine Comedy, but doesn’t show up until the later part of Purgatory when she takes over as Dante’s guide into Heaven. Beatrice was based upon a real-life person in Dante Alighieri’s life, but she was never his betrothed or anything and more of a “love from afar” type of situation.

Here is where we meet up with Virgil, the guide for Dante through the Nine Circles of Hell from the poem. He gives information about each section of Hell and does a good job of conveying the story from the poem. His ghostly form shows up many places during Dante’s journey through the circles. Virgil was cast into the first circle called Limbo (the others: Lust, Gluttony, Greed Wrath, Heresy, Violence, Fraud and Treason) where all the unbaptized, Pagan and Agnostic people dwell in Hell. I note unbaptized in particular because the first demons you see are babies with swords for hands. Yep, Visceral jumps right over the fence into taboo right off the bat. Well, then again there were Beatrice’s bare breasts before this and many bare breasts after, but the babies certainly tell us this will be one screwed up game.

The graphics in Dante’s Inferno are well done and run at a constant 60fps clip. I have to say things are well animated and the bosses are huge and a sight to behold. The same kind of care goes into the sound and music in the game. I liked the voiceovers and the overall sounds of Hell. The sound of agony as you traverse on a flesh wall is skin crawling and the maddening wails just add to the immersion factor. The way the circles are done artistically is certainly a strength with this game.

The gameplay on the other hand is basically ripped straight from the God of War games. Dante employs Death’s scythe is akin to Kratos’ Blades of Chaos, able to expand somewhat when Dante unleashes an attack. He strikes at the overwhelming number of enemies and builds up a combo number much like Kratos which fills in his Redemption Meter at the bottom which will allow him to unleash faster and more powerful attacks for a short time. Needless to say, Dante’s Inferno pretty much borrows the God of War blueprint to excess and really doesn’t attempt to make its own path at all. In scope, I’d argue that this game is smaller than either of the God of War games, especially since it only took me about seven hours to beat..

There are enemies that will show a right trigger icon above them after you wail away at them for a bit. You can then decide whether to punish or absolve the demon. If you punish them, your unholy (red) meter on the top left rises and if you absolve them your holy (blue) meter rises. In the start menu there is a section for Magic that is split up between each (holy and unholy) side. You can use souls you collect (much like God of War once again) as you defeat enemies to buy abilities on each side. At the end I was at Level 5 on both the holy and unholy sides, but you can certainly skew it one way over the other. I actually found the holy powers, and especially Beatrice’s cross you receive early on, to be the most useful to me. With the cross, Dante can attack at long range and this especially helps when there are a lot of enemies at different strength levels at one time it is important to unleash abilities that use range.

Through most of the game after the initial circles I rarely used my scythe simply because it can be tough to take on enemies coming from many sides even with the blocking ability of the left trigger. You take hits all the time so I found it better to attack from long range as I said above. The game got maddening at times with difficulty, but I think that had more to do with the amount and multiple strength level of enemies I was fighting than anything. It was nice that you could change the difficulty at any point by going into the options menu. Oftentimes when I was overwhelmed and played through a section multiple times I would drop the difficulty just to make it through. If the game was a bit more exciting or interesting and not a God of War retread that only loosely follows the story it is based upon I may have been more interested in playing through it totally in the Normal difficulty.

There were sections of the game that were good. The puzzles were interesting, but relatively easy to pass. The boss encounters were memorable, but once again rely a bit too much on God or War inspirations. Every enemy is eventually dispatched via a QuickTime Event (or QTE) where you have to press buttons in succession as they pop up on the screen. Many bosses like King Minos (decider of which circle Hell’s denizens go), Cleopatra, Marc Antony, Cerberus as well as Dante and Beatrice’s own family are notable.

The best thing to come out of Dante’s Inferno are the flashbacks from the tapestry on his chest and the Shade (the voices are noted as Shade and name in the credits) punish/absolve decisions that you make. Dante broke his promise to Beatrice that she would have sex with him before marriage as long as he stayed true to her during the Crusade and he also promised he would protect Beatrice’s brother Francesco. He foolishly thought a priest that absolved them of all their sins was on the up and up, but he was not. During the trip through the circles, there will be Shades of real-life people on their knees waiting for you to decide their fate through punishment or absolution to God. You can read a short blurb about what they did and why they’re in Hell, but after you make your decision you can read more about the person in Dante’s journal through the help screen.

Also scattered about the game are Relics you can use to augment some of Dante’s abilities and three pieces of Beatrice’s cross that will allow automatic absolution of souls. I only got one of the three pieces to the cross and I’m not sure I want to play through again in order to find the other two, although it would be interesting to see what it does. Each relic you find has three levels of power which you get experience toward as you defeat enemies. As you grow in holy and unholy power you can also buy up more relic spots in addition to the two you have on each track at a higher level. There are a number of relics throughout the game and I’d say I got about half of them.

Dante’s Inferno isn’t a bad game overall, it just borrows a bit too liberally from the God of War games and is awfully hard to recommend purchasing this game with the release of the third game of God of War coming in a little over a month on PS3 only. This game ends up being a “going through the motions” type of game. Some may find it extremely entertaining, but I found the roughly 7 hours it took me to finish to be some of the most inane I’ve had in such a highly marketed action game. There just doesn’t seem to be much care taken in giving us an enjoyable experience, but there sure is care given to the aesthetics presented in the game. Maybe this is a reflection of what Visceral Games is now that Glen Schofield, creator of Dead Space and the man that pushed the renaming of the studio, and Michael Condrey have left for Activision. If Schofield had not pushed for Dead Space throughout its development, this game probably never would have been made. Makes me fear what Dead Space 2 is going to be when it comes out. Rent this game or wait until it drops in price before picking it up.

Score: 3.5 out of 5 CoGs


Loren says, “Dante’s Inferno is an okay game, but it borrows too much from the God of War series and doesn’t really set itself apart from being a total swipe of the blueprint from those games. Not sure it is worth $60, but you may find enjoyment in it when the price goes down and is certainly the only God of War-like experience you will have if you only own a 360.”

*Note - Review based upon the 360 version of game

[menage]

Makes me fear what Dead Space 2 is going to be when it comes out.

Indeed, I went from day one sale on that one to "not if they fuck it up and make it as mediocre as this title".

I really wanted to like this, biggest disappointment so far this year for me. 3.5 stars is feeling generous imo.

[pseudopseudo]

Has anyone out there really put this title in perspective? There is NO God of War on Xbox 360. So, that being said, you almost have to give this game credit for being the first comparable title on the console. To me, it almost would've made more sense as a 360 exclusive.

I won't buy it, but I'm definitely going to give it a rental. Great review!

[AgtFox]

Originally Posted by pseudopseudo

Has anyone out there really put this title in perspective? There is NO God of War on Xbox 360. So, that being said, you almost have to give this game credit for being the first comparable title to the console.

I won't buy it, but I'm definitely going to give it a rental. Great review!

At the very bottom in my "Loren says" area I do note that it is a way to experience GoW on 360, but it also doesn't reach those lofty goals. From another perspective we have to remember that a TON of people owned PS2s so many have had GoW experience, just not in the new iterations of consoles until next month.

I gave it 3.5 because they certainly put care into making the game look good, sound good and run well. The game is certainly above average (I deem 3 to be average even though 2.5 is the midway point). I could easily see someone out there thoroughly enjoying this game and thinking I and other reviewers are nuts.

[pseudopseudo]

Originally Posted by AgtFox

At the very bottom in my "Loren says" area I do note that it is a way to experience GoW on 360, but it also doesn't reach those lofty goals.

GAH! Not sure how I missed that at the very bottom, but the point is well made. This might be a stupid question, but if it were a 360 exclusive, would you score it any differently?

[bapenguin]

This is a title I'll pick up at $40. Solid review Loren, thanks.

[menage]

Originally Posted by pseudopseudo

GAH! Not sure how I missed that at the very bottom, but the point is well made. This might be a stupid question, but if it were a 360 exclusive, would you score it any differently?

Well, it isn't like there aren't similar games on 360. Darksiders has GoW elements, and in the genre there's NG2, DMC and Bayonetta.

I would rate all of them (except maybe NG2) above this.

But if you really want GoW on your Xbox, I'd be dissapointed.

[Wilkz07]

i had more fun with this one than Darksiders. I'll have to rent dante's again to finish it. Boobs boobs boobs.

[AgtFox]

I haven't played Darksiders, so I couldn't make any sort of comparison with it and this game. From what I gather by people that played Darksiders it borrowed from different games, but also had its own unique path. This game borrows verbatim and doesn't really create its own uniqueness in my opinion outside of the visuals of Hell.

[Xerxes]

How does is it compare to Conan as GoW clones go? That was a pretty good $10 buy there.

[AgtFox]

Originally Posted by Xerxes

How does is it compare to Conan as GoW clones go? That was a pretty good $10 buy there.

I'd have to defer to someone that has played both games. I never played Conan.

[ElektroDragon]

Originally Posted by AgtFox

I'd have to defer to someone that has played both games. I never played Conan.

I've played both, and I can tell you it is much better than Conan, especially in the graphics and polish department.

However, Conan definitely has it beat in the dismemberment and animal fighting departments.

[MagGnome]

I'm curious as to how you chose the final rating for this game. You made it sound quite dull, yet in the end it got 3.5/5. Any particular reason why you scored it that way?

Edit - I see that you explained this somewhat in a subsequent post.

The only interest I've had in this game has come from what a terrible idea it is, IMHO. Taking a literary classic and turning it into yet another 3rd person action game is just sad. It's a great example of how uninspired most game releases are.

[Xerxes]

Originally Posted by ElektroDragon

I've played both, and I can tell you it is much better than Conan, especially in the graphics and polish department.

However, Conan definitely has it beat in the dismemberment and animal fighting departments.

Sounds like a $15 title.

[Iron Past]

Originally Posted by menage

Well, it isn't like there aren't similar games on 360. Darksiders has GoW elements, and in the genre there's NG2, DMC and Bayonetta.

Those are not the same type of game. Aside from Bayonetta being remarkably close to DMC (duh), they all have very different types of fighting engines. Ninja Gaiden would be the closest, but even that is fairly different in terms of combos, weapons, magic and stringing them together (everything that makes an action game, natch).

Not saying anything about you, Fox, but I've seen other reviewers compare games like those mentioned above, and if they can't tell the difference, they shouldn't be allowed to review this genre. By the way, if you could work around some cheap attacks, Ninja Gaiden 2 is fan-fucking-tastic. I've never played a game that smooth.

[Primus]

Hell is disgusting; terrible to traverse. Putting it on the harder difficulties adds to how horrific it is.

Combatwise, I know it isn't top notch, but it isn't terrible. There is something incredibly satisfying about throwing cross auras into a horde of demonic minions and seeing the lesser ones disintegrate immediately, while the stronger attempt to push past it. You come across a new enemy and he is really difficult, you barely make it past him and you are just so relieved it is over. You continue your journey, and the next thing you know you see two of that same enemy, surrounded but ten minions. I feel like this is how Hell would be, the deeper you go, the worse it gets, and it isn't possible.

I am drawn to the eternal despair and wanting to conquer it. There is just something compelling about finally exploring a well designed Hell. This isn't Doom, with relentless cyberdemons with no character. Everything you see is tragic, especially the historical figures. I can feel the hopelessness of their lives lived and the result of it all.

The Dante character is compelling, seeing how every unfortunate thing in the game's story is a direct result of his mistakes in life, and how each pillar of hell slowly reveals the "hero's" story. The guy deserves to be there, just like all of us. Looking at all of this I found myself kind of reflecting and trying to pinpoint which tier is reserved for me. The fuck up thing is it is probably all of them, and this most likely true for all of us.

This brings me to where this game definitely outshines the rest in its genre. We all know GoW at best is a B-list action movie script, and Bayonetta is an exercise in Japanese diarrhea, from the story perspective (argue combat all you want). The fact that the game actually made me reflect on myself and think about the nature of a possible afterlife says a lot. I really enjoyed my journey.

The liberties taken with the story are pretty much just with the main characters, and I am glad they did as to rip them directly from the poem would of been pretty boring. Hell is designed with the poem in mind; from the snow and writhing mud in Gluttony to the statue of Pontius Pilate being walked over. Only by recently reading the poem would you pick up on much of it, as they do not just blatantly point it out. I kind of feel that the people detracting from the liberties haven't read the poem in quite some time, or were not really paying attention to the symbolism. Of course there are the Wikipedia scholars to weed through as well. Even making Beatrice his lover, she still fulfills the poem's role as the one guide that can actually get Dante through Hell completely.

I enjoyed the game, and being derivative is definitely not something I put against a video game's score. To put things in perspective, I haven't been able to finish a GoW game, but I can't wait to jump back into Hell, so there has to be something different.

[JayK47]

I don't know why being like another game is a knock towards it. Then shouldn't everybody here hate Darksiders for being a Zelda clone? Originality is gone. Was it good? Was it fun? If yes, it succeeds.

[tacitus]

If GodOfWar was available on the 360 (as well as the PS3) I would complain about it being derivative; but since it isn't available - I don't see a problem. It would get bonus griping if it was available on the PC and 360, but it isn't ... Not everyone owns every console.

Come to think of it, I think all exclusives should have a 1/2 star deducted because they
are exclusives.

[Pale Ale]

Read the review and put the hammer down to finish the game.

At a 3.5 that's a very, very generous number.

[AgtFox]

Originally Posted by JayK47

I don't know why being like another game is a knock towards it. Then shouldn't everybody here hate Darksiders for being a Zelda clone? Originality is gone. Was it good? Was it fun? If yes, it succeeds.

Haven't played Darksiders, but I can say that Dante's Inferno basically is God of War with a different cast of characters and not as engaging of a story (outside of the flashbacks). From my understanding Darksiders does its own thing while borrowing from Zelda whereas Dante's Inferno doesn't do its own thing.

Was it good? Better than average (hence the 3.5 over a 3...I gave it that little bump because it is better than average and the ending battle and ending cinema was well done). Was it fun? Very rarely, felt like I was going through the paces most of the game.