'Dante's Inferno' Review - Heckling Heck

Classic literature doesn't always make for the best video game subject matter (yes, "Beowulf," I'm looking at you). With "Dante's Inferno," though, EA managed to pick an epic with a powerful story of love and a fascinating, varied setting. But can a revived classic make for a decent modern day video game? Depends on who you ask. Oh, you're asking me? Ok, fine.

The Basics

You play as Dante, a soldier in the Crusades who dies during an uprising of prisoners and is sent down to hell for his varied sins, only to battle Death and return to the land of the living. But when Dante discovers that his old lady, Beatrice, has been killed and sent down to hell (for his acts of betrayal against her), he decides he's going to save her from an afterlife of eternal torment. A little late, Dante!

The game plays out as a 3rd person, combat-heavy action game. The combat is focused around an extending scythe and a powerful cross, both of which can be used in tandem to create new combinations. There's also some light puzzle-solving and a character upgrade system.

The Highs

Bringing Hell To Life
Some of the visuals in the original "Inferno" were, how shall I put it, f***ed up. Lots of blood, lots of bodies in unpleasant positions, lots of Hell. The game does a pretty solid job of selling this world, making each Circle a unique and freaky experience. I'm sure that most people who play the game won't pick up on the references, but even if you don't you can certainly appreciate the powerful environments that the developers created.

Solid Combat Mechanics
The combat in "Dante's Inferno" feels tight and well-paced, which is good 'cause it uses a very similar combat engine to the "God of War" franchise. This isn't the only similarity to the PlayStation juggernaut, "Dante's Inferno" is rife with them, but if they're going to copy a game, at least they picked a good one to crib from.

Upgrade System
There's a unique upgrade system which manages to trump the one in "God of War," allowing players to pick upgrades based on whether they're "good" or "evil." It ties directly into play-style, as the good side will have you using the cross more, while the evil side will use the scythe. It didn't seem to change the end of the game, but getting there was definitely aided by the choices you make along the way.

The Lows

"God of War"…But Not Quite
As I mentioned, the combat system isn't the only mechanic cribbed from "God of War." The camera, the quick-time events, hell, the way you open doors. They're all handled exactly the same as in Kratos' adventure. Unfortunately these elements never feel quite up to par with "God of War." The game comes close to capturing that magic, but in the end it feels more like a knock-off than its own entity.

No Graphical Wow-Factor
While there was some pretty clever art direction employed in creating the circles of Hell in "Dante's Inferno," the graphics are never super impressive. I never felt that "wow" factor I felt when I was crossing the sword bridge in the first "God of War," or climbing the climbs of atlas in "God of War 2." And, from what I've seen in "God of War 3," "Dante's Inferno" isn't even in the same ballpark.

Familiar Territory
By the end of the game you're going to feel somewhat exhausted. That has a lot to do with the repetition in the gameplay. Swinging on ropes made of bone? Yeah, that happens like a dozen times. Riding on the back giant monster? At least three times. Pushing crates (HELL crates!) to hold down switches or activate openings? A handful of times. You get the distinct impression that the developers ran out of mechanics after about 3 hours and end up reusing the same ones throughout the rest of the 8-10 hour long game.

The Verdict

"Dante's Inferno" is a fine game. It's far from spectacular, but if you like "God of War," you'll probably enjoy this one enough to justify at least a rental. What it lacks in gameplay creativity, it attempts to make up for in clever art design and story telling, and it succeeds to a certain extent. Just be prepared: "God of War" it ain't.

Tags Dante's Inferno, ea, visceral games