Story

Dante's Inferno is a third-person action-adventure game published by Electronic Arts developed by Visceral Games (formerly EA Redwood Shores). The game is inspired by Inferno, the first book of Dante Alighieri's epic poem, The Divine Comedy. The story of the game is written by Will Rokos and produced by Justin Lambros. The game was released on February 5, 2010 in Europe, and on February 9, 2010 in North America.

Review (PS3)

The first thing that becomes apparent when you really get into the bread and butter of Dante’s Inferno is just how many original ideas it lacks. For instance, the story is based upon The Divine Comedy with only a few tweaks to make it more accessible from a game design perspective. The core game play is as solid as any hack n’ slash game, but with one major flaw it isn’t anything new, and the graphics certainly aren’t going to wow anyone.

Every time I looked at Dante’s Inferno or watched a cut-scene or felt the smooth controls as he glided about like a ballerina of death I couldn’t help but thinking that I was somehow aiding in a crime. I was enjoying a game which was a thief, a blatant rip-off of one of my most beloved games of all time. God of War. Everything from scaling walls, to the double jump, to opening chests, to the combat system says:

“Hi, I really am a God Of War clone with a new paint job and the people who developed me really lacked an imagination.”

The music is good but it never really sets the mood for the narrative. I was constantly wondering why I was in hell and not freaked out or scared. Hell is supposed to be the scariest place imaginable but I never felt panic or excitement the way I did while playing through Dead Space, which was a great game. That is why I am so critical of a game made by the same developers.

The presentation however is top notch, the story cut-scenes are fantastic, and every level blends seamlessly into the next. I did however notice something rather amusing. Not only did Dante’s Inferno take all of God of War’s game play apparently they thought it would be nice to throw in a challenge mode that mirrors God of War’s challenge mode.

The verdict is quite simple really if you own a PS3 wait for God of War 3. After seeing the new trailer from GameTrailers I doubt most PS3 owners will even care about Dante’s Inferno. However on the other hand all you own is a 360 and you are crazy enough not to still be playing Mass Effect 2 then it is worth a rental. I wouldn’t be expecting Kratos on your xbox. The game is more like a really cheap look alike with zero ambition that has nothing going for it but the God Of War game play formula. Note to Visceral Games if you’re going to take something from another developer you’d better be sure that you can do it just as good or better.

Lasting Appeal 7/10

Presentation 9/10

Graphics 8/10

Gameplay 8/10

Overall Verdict 7.5/10

Videos

E3 Trailer

Gameplay