One Hell of a Good Time- Dante’s Inferno Review

Photo of Robert Allen Robert AllenFebruary 11, 2010
119 1,179 2 minutes read

Gamers might have forgotten that our pastime has a history of homage that can often border on the plagiaristic. Galaxian presented the same formations of bug-like assailants and x-axis restrained protagonist of Space Invaders, merely allowing the aggressors to swoop down on players at regular intervals. Later, Galaga offered an extremely similar diversion, gently tweaking the formula to include bonus rounds, enemy tractor beams, and the ability to fire two simultaneous shots against the insectoid attackers. For years, many players have appreciated the endless variety of deviations on the ‘match three’ puzzler. While innovation may be rewarding, it is clearly not a prerequisite for gaming gratification.

For some, this will not exonerate Dante’s Inferno; after all, the game’s unapologetically apes Kratos exploits. From the lethal combos initiated by varied sequences of light and heavy attack buttons, nimble evades activated by a press of the right stick, and sporadic crate pushing,  Dante’s inspiration is undeniable. Forgoing the game based on a meticulous similitude would be a grave mistake for any fan of the action genre. Twenty minutes in, most gamers will be too absorbed by the constant onslaught of Hell’s minions to care about any similarities.

The impetus of Dante’s descent into the fiery underworld is the abduction of his lover’s soul. Players will trek through ten stages- Alighieri’s nine circles of Hell, along with two introductory levels, in an attempt to rescue the beloved Beatrice from the Devil’s clutches. Although the game’s preliminary realms are imaginative and generally seamless, complications diminish the potential of later levels. Dante’s combat is constantly engaging, but platforming and environment navigation intermittently led to an immediate demise. Irregularly, the game will asks players to press a specific button or fall to their death. These two mechanics stand in sharp contrast to the remainder of the game’s skillful refinement.

Arguably, the title’s forte is its intense combat, which is vigorous enough to elicit a controller-clenching grip from players. At Dante’s disposal are two main weapons: a boney scythe for melee attacks, and Beatrice’s Cross, which is used for ranged attacks, but can also complement the sickle for devastating amounts of damage. Both weapons feel gratifyingly formidable, as they shred opponents apart with hyperbolic potency. Weaker enemies can be grabbed and either punished or absolved with a press of button. Each divine decision grants the gamer with either unholy or holy experience which can be used to unlock new moves from two branching skill trees. Additionally, players can collect relics to supplement their offensive output, or even regenerate their magic supply.

The developers of Dante’s Inferno wisely choose to have the title move at a sinuous sixty frame per second refresh rate, allowing the protagonist to dart around the screen with silky finesse. With the exception of game’s detailed cutscenes, which display at 30 fps, the title stays astonishingly fluid and refuses to waver even when handfuls of enemies or gigantic bosses are on-screen. More importantly, the game never pauses for momentum depleting loads, all the data is streamed while the game is being played. Despite these resource straining elements, Dante’s Inferno recreation of Hell is consistently staggering – from walls composed of writhing bodies, bloody rivers, and the radiant gold auras that permeates the Greed stage. Few games offer environments as unsettling as Dante’s grisly and often perverse landscapes- the visual and aural artists are to be commended.

Dante’s Inferno is not a title that is free from sin. Fortunately, its transgressions: awkward puzzle segments, a bit of ill-executed platforming, and to some- derivative play mechanics are all forgivable. Players seeking a visceral, brilliantly sinister action title will find Dante’s expedition into the underworld a voyage well worth securing.

Photo of Robert Allen Robert AllenFebruary 11, 2010
119 1,179 2 minutes read
Photo of Robert Allen

Robert Allen

Since being a toddler, Robert Allen has been immersed in video games, anime, and tokusatsu. Currently, his days are spent teaching at two southern California colleges. But his evenings and weekends are filled with STGs, RPGs, and action titles and well at writing for Tech-Gaming since 2007.

119 Comments

  7. Got it today, love it. Cleopatra’s monster boobs are pretty damn crazy. Can’t wait to fight Satan. I assume he’s the last boss.

  14. Frankly, the game reminded me of God of War 3.

    is that bad?
    maybe not but it does feel awfully like it.

    i do love the fact that you fight infernal enemies unlike God of War’s greek mythology enemies/gods.

    both games are awesome 😀

  15. I’m waiting for the price to drop on this one. You know it will be $40 once God of War 3 comes out.

  22. Sounds pretty fun. I’m going to download the demo tonight as see if I like it. I’m not crazy about hardcore action games.

  27. I’m one of the few that hasn’t played GoW yet, so I probably won’t have constant comparisons when playing Dante. However, I’ll probably end up playing GoW before this. Nevertheless, good review.

  31. I’m slightly interest in what the game does with the subject matter. I had to read the Divine Comedy for school once.

  34. The demo didn’t leave a great impression, but based on this review I think I might give it a second chance via rental.

  36. Well i did like the demo so evern though this games isnt getting as great a score as I thought…i’d still like to pick it up…I mean it is a epic after all…

  37. who cares if the game was inspired by another game. lots of games out there are carbon copies off others. fps games would have died with wolfinstein if no one bothered to make something similar. people without ps3’s should be happy now that can enjoy a god of war like game with out buying a gaming console.

  38. Like I expected most of the problems are with presentation since the gameplay mimics God of War almost perfectly. I suppose it’s a good holdover til GoW3 or for 360 fans.

  41. You know, there has been a ton of hate on this game because it’s similar to God of War and I think that’s pretty unfair. I’m glad you gave it a review that’s not bias.

  50. Great review DE.I’m tired of people just blowing this game off as some Gow clone and hoping it fails.I thought the demo was better than gow’s demo personally.

  51. Agreed. And 2 years from now, when people are jonesing for another God of War game, they’ll be happy someone had the good sense to keep up the forward momentum.

  54. I loved the intro. Games but have a habit of slow improvement. Look at all the sequels in the industry.

  58. I was talking more about the notion of God of War Clones in general, but let’s be honest: do you really think they’d pass up the opportunity to make a “Dante’s Inferno 2: Return to Hell”?

  61. I’m glad you’re not bashing it for being a GoW ripoff. There are so many games that are ripoffs of each other but still highly regarded. What makes GoW cloning such a… sin? I still kind of dislike the game for bastardizing a classic work, but I can’t rate it bad for that because I’m just a biased English major…

  62. First-Person-Shooters went through the same gauntlet 15 years ago. Remember when the whole genre was called “Doom Clones?” We even had a “Doom Clone” section at our Circuit City. After “FPS” finally caught on, it just became a genre that could carry hundreds of titles without them being “rip-offs.” These “God of War Clones” will go through the same growing pains before someone figures out what to call them.

  63. Good point. I remember when my buddy called Duke Nukem a Doom clone. No one would do that now.

  65. Surely not, but there’s going to be some changes on the horizon. I hear the enemies are less threatening in purgatory and heaven. (Purgatorio and Paradiso)

  75. Kratos=GoW…or were you being sarcastic?

    I do appreciate spoiler free reviews…too many sites give away too much of a game’s plot in the review.

    I wonder if MS or EA tried to get a 360 exclusive on this? Guess it would make it seem like too much of a GoW substitute, if 360 got it as an exclusive…

  76. Ive been hearing quite a bit about this game, though the demo did nothing for me. Do you think I will like it anyway?

  78. Good point, but I don’t think it’s economically feasible for a game of this size to be on one platform, unless you want to pay $150 million like MS did for GTA IV: Liberty City Stories.

  80. Hopefully, I’ll be picking this one up this week. Thanks for the review and especially keeping it spoiler free!

    Now which version PS3 or 360?

  82. I’m tied of all the GOW comparisons. The plot, graphics, and magic are different enough to make Dante’s stand on its own.

  85. I have been anticipating playing this game for a while now. It looks great! I am disappointed that reviews are not as good as I hoped they were. Still I really want a chance to play it and see for myself.

  88. After reading this review I feel I at least owe it to myself to download the demo and try the game. Keep up the great reviews.

  89. I seriously like the game a lot. The combat system was something i wanted to try, bought it for that, and really loving it.
    Great game

  91. I bought it at $60 and feel it’s worth it. But if its not your type of game (GOW clone) I’d say wait for $40 or so.

  92. I’t’s nice see a review on this game that focuses on if it is good/enjoyable rather than a bias one that focuses on how much of a ‘clone’ it is to another game (GOW) and give it a terrible score.

    I’m not completely sold on the game yet but it does sound like a perfect rental.

  93. I am actually pretty pumped to try this one out but I am waiting alittle while until I get through some other games I got first. Hopefully the price drops btw now and then!

  95. I played the demo and liked it, God of War clone or not it has a great storyline so I’m in question is what are they gonna do if they want a part II?

  97. Wasn’t the original poem a three-parter? Maybe Dante will return to hell for some ‘unfinished business’.

  98. I’m buying this game once it becomes a little cheaper. Even if I get the game now, I have several games waiting to be played already, so waiting for the game to drop in price is my best bet or possible win it here. 🙂

  102. You guys seem to have enjoyed this game more than most mainstream review sites. Perhaps I am missing out by not playing this game. I hope you guys give me a chance to play it!

  105. The demo didn’t impress me much, but the concept was interesting, especially having read part of Dante’s Inferno in high school. It’s a good thing this came out before God of War III, else it’d do even worse.

  106. Looks like a great game. I am excited to get it in the future. Looks to be a lot similar to God of War 3 but yet it does it’s own thing at the same time.

  108. This game looks solid, but not enough to shell out the money upfront for a brand new $60 game. Probably wait til I can get it used or on some sale a little down the road. Then maybe I’ll give it a shot.

  114. Played the demo and thought that it is somewhat a God of War clone, too many similarities. The riding of the beast is fairly cool though.

  117. I really want this game, next to GoW3, but my girlfriend would totally disapprove of me buying it. That’s why I’m kind of hoping to get this for free. *wink wink nudge nudge*

  118. Great review, it made me from “want this game” to “have to buy this game nowzz u haxorz!!!”!

  119. It looks good to me, even if its a GoW Clone it is still gonna be awesome. All the clones are close enough to be different flavors of a favorite genre. I love coca cola, but vanilla, cherry, lime and zero are great too and so are the different games using the same style.

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