Arnold-K----Ben-D-Electronic Arts' Dante's Inferno is a bloody and frenzied action game first, and a literary lesson last. Why last? Well, as you're about to find out, the game and book share very little in common, apart from a few names and scenarios. In fact, EA has taken liberties in writing their own version of the story, and thus we have the game. Now, before we continue, do note that Dante's Inferno isn't a game that brings anything new to the table. It is a God of War clone, a decent one, but a clone nonetheless, and one that doesn't add a whole lot of its own pizazz. So, here's Ben to tell you about the gameplay, and I'll jump back in with the visuals, sound and conclusion.
Dante’s Inferno may be based on Dante Alighieri’s classic, “The Divine Comedy,” but not surprisingly, it has little to do with the actual story. Essentially, they focus on one aspect of the novel, which is the fact that Dante initially enters Hell in order to save his beloved, Beatrice, but in the book, he also moves forward through Purgatory and Heaven, learning great lessons along the way. In the 600-year-old story, there is never a single battle of any kind and Dante never holds a weapon…but that doesn’t make for a fun video game, right? Here, you still have the Nine Circles of Hell to negotiate but there are plenty of freakish nasties blocking your progress, and Dante has his bad-ass Scythe and even a long-range Cross attack. You kill them all, absorbing their souls and then using those acquired souls to purchase new abilities and skills, which of course sounds a lot like God of War or most any other straight-up, hack ‘n slash title. It works very well and it’s plenty of fun, but it’s far from perfect.
First of all, it should be mentioned that the majority of the enemies you face in this game can be dealt with quite easily; the simple press of the Square button (your fast attack) will eliminate most, although you could always mix it up with the Triangle button (power attack) and the Circle button (long-range Cross attack). The problem is that because of this setup, the game feels a little repetitive and furthermore, when you do decide to launch into more complicated combos, it’s almost as if the game doesn’t want you to. I never felt all that rewarded after attempting one; they don’t seem to do significantly more damage than a basic combo and I felt I could too easily be knocked out of the sequencing. The animations of the enemy attacks are quick and often difficult to spot (especially for the smaller enemies) and this usually means you have to dispose of them ASAP, without trying to get all fancy. The magic, while certainly helpful, also feels a little unbalanced and once again, a little unfulfilling.
It just doesn’t feel like a complete, well-rounded, intricate combat package. However, you probably won’t notice any of this if all you plan to do is mash a few buttons, which isn’t an altogether unattractive proposition for some. Besides, the game design really is very impressive; each stage is meticulously designed and downright formidable in its own way. There’s good diversity in the different enemies you’ll fight and the environment is almost always mesmerizing…well, mesmerizing in a, “holy crap, this place is nuts ” sort of way. You’ll often take a few moments to gaze at your hellish surroundings, and when a game makes you do that, I consider it a solid accomplishment. Besides, there’s one other element to the gameplay that really helps to increase your interest in Dante’s advancement: the Holy or Unholy skill sets. Those familiar with a game like inFamous will understand what I mean; you can allocate your souls to either the Holy or Unholy category, which will result in different abilities. This may add to the replayability of the game; you might want to see the other skills and see which site offers cooler options.
There is also the option to absolve or punish any of the enemies you come across, but this feels more like a gimmick than anything else because it doesn’t add much to the experience. It’s always fan to grab enemies and sling ‘em about, though. And in the end, I think that’s the operative word, here: fun. Despite the flaws and shortcomings, Dante’s Inferno is a fun, intensely atmospheric title that will keep you playing. It’s smooth, there’s no variation in frame rate as far as I could see, some of the bosses are just plain awesome , and I honestly found my time with this game to be very entertaining. Isn’t that the reason we play games in the first place? It’s not worthy of an elite score because of the aforementioned issues; the inconsistencies, repetitiveness and balance issues range from very minor to significant, and that can’t be ignored. But the Scythe never fails to deliver the goods, Hell is a place you really have to experience, and there’s a sizable amount of polish applied to the aesthetics. So in short, EA has created a good experience that you’ll likely enjoy if you’re into these types of games.
Moving on to the picture, Dante's Inferno is the type of game that needed nothing but superb art direction, and I'd say that great art direction this game does have. The environments, whether in-game or cut-scene are very nicely designed, as are the characters. But that is not to say that the overall visual package is nice too, because in many ways it's actually quite bland. While the environments may be well designed, the textures certainly could've used a lot of work. And so many times you'll spot washed out texture detail that really detracts from the atmosphere.
Character detail is also not the highest, as the textures there aren't anything special, either. On the other hand, and this is what makes the game playable, the framerate is pretty consistent, allowing you to actually enjoy the action without a disruptive image rendering as if it were in slow-motion, like many other games do. In this instance, EA did the right thing by sacrificing overall visual quality for smoothness, the gameplay is much better off for it. Though, I will say that this particular graphics engine isn't up to par with what our hardware is capable of. Not by any means.
The audio is certainly an immersive experience. For one, the voice acting is very well done. Again, as we mentioned before, the game and book are barely connected together, so don't expect to hear word-for-word bits of dialogue ripped out of the pages. A full orchestra accompanies you in the background with gothic and tense tones to keep the ambiance of the game on point. Furthermore, sound effects, such as the slash of your weapons, the crumbling of environments, the destruction of the rotting corpses you defeat all sound great, they really do. In fact, I got quite a bit of a kick from just having the volume turned up, there's just so much audio going on at all times, it truly does make the game feel epic. I love that.
As a whole, Dante's Inferno is a good game for the action junkie that enjoys playing every beat 'em up in the vein of God of War or Devil May Cry. Is this a standout package? Not really. And it's also not worth the full $60. But give this a few months to deflate in price, and for $30-40, you'll find yourself an enjoyable game out of Dante's Inferno, albeit one that doesn't really offer anything special to the gamer. With God of War III about to drop in a matter of days, there's no reason for a PS3 owner to go and buy Dante's Inferno right now. An enjoyable game. But a forgettable game.
"An enjoyable game. But a forgettable game."
Already Forgotten….Next!
I believe that would be Bioshock 2?
Bioshock 2 was mucho better then Bioshock.
i know i know. im in the minority on this one.
Last edited by Jawknee on 2/20/2010 7:54:31 PM
I didn't play the first one, so would you just recommend skipping to the sequel?
I guess the thumbs-down indicate an emphatic 'NO'.
bioshock 2 really has nothing to do with the first, so you dont need to play the first to get the most out of its sequel.
but it certainly wont hurt, bioshock is by far the best game released in 2007.
"bioshock is by far the best game released in 2007"
The Orange Box, Mass Effect, and God of War2 all say hello.
Shams,
Play the 1st if you liked the second. They are both good. I was just able to follow the story a bit better in 2 and the game play and combat elements are better then the 1st. but the 1st is still good. it dragged at first. Gave up early but forced myself to finish. Good game. Bioshock 2 better game. IMO.
i have to agree with LV. God of war II was much more entertaining then Bioshock. PS2 anyone?
Last edited by Jawknee on 2/21/2010 1:41:45 PM
Jawknee,
I've heard that, too, from Ben, about the game dragging towards the end, or that he was quite ready to finish.
So I guess I'll be all set with NGS2 for now. Thanks Ben & Arnold.
I'm going to get this but not now.
I'll catch it when it's on sale or in the bargain bin.
definately better than you think. this wont be in a bargain bin til the fall, at least.
WHOA! Are you guys serious? The only reason, IMO, this game is getting such low scores is because people are constantly comparing it to GOW and the actual poem. Not to mention the pressure of Bioshock 2 releasing. This game was awesome to me. I believe the graphics are a lot better than 7. The cut-scene graphics are amazing(9.5), I'd give the in-game graphics 8 at the lowest. Repetitive "barrier fights" aside, the gameplay was pretty nice(8). Definitely the most brutal combos I've ever seen. the story was pretty predictable but entertaining to watch unfold.
Dont wait to play it, rent it. Play it on easy and beat it in one day but, IT WILL BE SUPER-EASY! lol
I agree, people have got to learn to drop the word "clone," I still remember when all FPS were "Doom clones" And I very much enjoyed the story, you realize throughout that you aren't playing a goody two shoes that went to save his woman, you are one mean bad sinful motherfacker with a lot of personal problems and a much longer way to go than the 9 circles of hell before redemption.
Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 2/20/2010 9:24:25 PM
I was under the impression that Visceral wanted to make just that, a "clone". They wanted to cash in a market in which Santa Monica couldn't due to exclusivity and being owned by Sony. More over, when you read Visceral's responses to such allegations, they say they are flattered, because that's what they were aiming for.
This generation, we have plenty of other examples for hack'n slash/action adventurers: DMC4, Bayonetta, Bionic Commando, NGS2, and Dark Siders. Yet, each of these games has a style of it's own. Even Darksiders, while also being compared to GOW, borrows heavily from a variety of other games being to likened to Zelda as well. DI, on the other hand, unless I'm mistaken, borrows heavily and exclusively from GOW down to even the art-style.
But again, that isn't even quite why I'm waiting on playing this game. The reason is, if I do, I'll be so bored with the formula, that I won't even enjoy GOW3 as much, by the time it comes out. So like I said before, I don't want to spoil appetite for "dinner".
Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention Star Wars: The Force Unleashed…Another game that borrows plenty from GOW, yet it borrows from others, also, and retains a unique art-style. I enjoyed that game plenty, despite it's obvious bugs.
heavenly sword was good and it was pretty much kratos with boobies. but it also had some originality which made it a great game in my opinion.
the difficulty in dantes inferno is really weird.
playing the game on medium i got up to the 3rd boss battle and was having lots of trouble.
id get his health down to like 10% left than would die.
so i switched it to easy and i was killing him with 99.9999999999% of my health left.
medium to easy is suppose to be exactly that.
not medium to a freaking 2 year old could do this.
medium for a game is a little too hard for my liking, just slightly but thats made even worse by the extremely easy setting.
if they wanted to make the game that easy they should of either made medium a little easier, or make a very easy mode like uncharted 2 has.
normally when i play games like killzone 2 or resistance, R&C and such there is not much difference between easy and medium.
but dantes inferno its a massive difference, really hurts the balance.
I've heard that, before. Maybe, they've made easy for trophy runs?
To Carlos:
Yeah, somehow I forgot HS, probably because it came out before I had a ps3. But, I did see those crotch strikes in HD. They made me writhe in revulsion.
While Heavenly Sword is a better game technically, I enjoyed Dante's Inferno more. There were more of those moments where you really want to emit a loud evil laugh.
not really because the only trophy you get regarded to difficulty is finish the game on any difficulty.
all the trophies are easy to get even on the harder difficulties because the tasks are fairly mundane.
only one that may be hard on higher difficulties is poetry in motion, but there is a level about 3/4s through the game where you have to move some platforms.
heaps of birds appear in this level instead of moving the platforms spam your cross and you will have the 666 hits in no time.
i actually got to 2633 hits than sadly got hit and lost it.
so upset i really wanted to get up to 3000.
i think i'll just rent this and bang it out in five days, like i did with RE:5.
a day 2 tops!
the score doesn't mean much to me. In my opinion this game is pretty awesome. Loved the end of the anger circle.
Is it true about later in the game the enemies get repetative, i heard enemies from the other circles of hell randomly enter the later stages.
tis its true and that is the main complaint in all the reviews i have read.
it makes no seance that a slut in lust turns up in violence.
or a baby from limbo turns up in greed.
how can a baby be greedy?
That is a bad thing, i respected the art design but defying the floors themes, not a good idea
yea that really spoilt it for me.
understandable why they did it but if you cant have enemies specific to areas of the game, dont start it in the first place.
as they say dont start what you cant finish.
Disappointed, I was hoping you guys might see how the story fit more inbetween the lines of Dante than directly within the text i.e. the death of Beatrice was what prompted Dante Alighieri to begin his masterpiece, especially in hell. You also forgot to mention the online multiplayer mode. And, well the fact that yes the second game will be in Purgatory but you are the professionals not me.
I would give it a solid 8 and well worth full price. It's the first time I finished an action game and wanted to start all over again, especially since RPGs are my thing.
Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 2/20/2010 9:25:50 PM
Its a difficult one World, in some ways I can see where Ben is coming from, on the other, the production values – from what I have seen, read and played (the demo that is), seem high and very polished…
I think there is quite a bit of re-playability in this title, but for how long. Same for GoWIII, how many times can this game be re-played before it starts feeling tired as well?
I haven't got the full game, Dante's that is… I haven't gone to hell and back yet… but anyways, I would think a game like this would have deserved something between 8.2 and 8.6… anything more would probably be pushing it.
I agree… again from what I have seen and played, the graphics are actually very good for a multi-plat…
Q!
"i am home"
Last edited by Qubex on 2/20/2010 10:27:18 PM
I think all we needed to say was that the game really doesn't follow the book at all. It merely takes cues from it.
come on ben how can they follow the book when its a action game.
how boring would that be?
it was merely a context, a excuse to have a game in hell.
the whole point of the game was going to hell to cover your sins and recover beatrice and thats what the poem is also about.
that follows the poem closely enough for me, any closer and it would be a bore fest.
Thank you, I'm capable of understanding the purpose of the developers. I know all that.
And did you even read "The Divine Comedy?" Because if you did, you really missed the point.
Last edited by Ben Dutka PSXE on 2/21/2010 12:36:05 AM
yes i did read it.
and thats why i said it would be a seriously boring game if it was based strictly on the poem.
taking references from it is fine, as i said they just used it as a excuse to do a game in hell.
i really enjoyed the flashbacks and animated scenes during the game, really helped explain the storyline.
They should have just let the game be inspired by the poem. Call it "Inferno" instead of "Dante's Inferno", because it sure as sh*t isn't _Dante's_ Inferno.
By intentionally drawing attention to the connection to the poem, they gave people the right to criticize them for complaining about how much it abuses that connection.
Last edited by Fane1024 on 2/27/2010 5:29:23 PM
Everybody knew this was going to be like god of war, but I played it at a friends house a few days ago and was suprised at how similar they really are. Everything from the controls, the QTEs, level design, and even the part where you can jump on and control the really big enemies. It's a real complement to be compared GoW, but there is absolutely no originality here.
Like Ben and Arnold say, it is a lot of fun. I would reccomend renting it. It will satisfy you need for blood, at least until we can open pandora's box.
Maybe people just wanted it to be as gory as GOWIII, no luck there. Some blood here, some ash there, but no zipper technology on the guts.
There's a fine line between "tribute" and rip-off". This seems to stumble more towards the latter.
I like these kind of games, so I'll probably pick it up in a year when it's cheap.
nope id say it falls right between. in the visceral is making money on it category!
It hit me when reading this that you give credit were it is due, even when you may not enjoy the game as a whole. Very professional. I know its something we should expect it from every review but not all reviewers take their job as seriously as you guys. Love this site!
I should clarify that a 7.5 is hardly a bad score and those who like the genre should enjoy it.
i thinks its a fine score for a pretty decent multiplat that took my mind off gow3 for a minute. well done ben!
Ben, perhaps Visceral's biggest mistake on Dante's Inferno is that they copied stuff heavily from GOW yet they hardly add many new things to it?
Who else thought there was something especially creepy about the dead and aborted babies rolling out and coming after you? I was surprised they mocapped a toddler to get that just right, but it made sense in getting that creepy walk just right.
Yeah, Visceral must have thing for creepy, evil babies, because they had'em in Deadspace, too.
fair review besides how are the graphics a 7.5?
this is one of the very few games that actually runs at 60FPS and rarely dips below.
this game has better graphics than bayonetta, darksiders or any other action game put together.
though if you need a action game to hold you off till GOW3 id still definitely go for darksiders.
that is one of the best games i have ever played, minus the puzzles.
that almost destroyed it for me, there is nothing more frustrating than spending 20 minutes solving a puzzle to have to solve another one straight away.
O if your looking at getting all the collectibles like me im 2 shades away from the plat.
make sure you make multiple saves because if you miss 1 shade or piece of silver your stuffed you cant go back without a save file.
if you find a shade or piece of silver than die you have to go back and collect it again.
i know it sucks but thats how they made it, EXTREMELY! annoying id deduct 1 point off just because of that.
sadly it does suffer in the graphics department, when textures get close to the screen they look very PS2.
havent really noticed that.
only thing thats really annoyed me besides the collectibles not saving is the camera.
i have died so many times, especially in the greed circle because ill be jumping somewhere and the camera will be somewhere else.
how the %$#@ am i suppose to jump onto a platform if i cant see it?