Dante's sojourn from the devil's doorstep to his very throne will please even the most divine of dispositions.
Introduction:
Based loosely on Dante Alighieri's fourteenth century epic poem, "The Divine Comedy", Dante's Inferno follows Dante and his spectral guide Virgil into the depths of hell on a crusade of revenge, annulment, and atonement. With the financial clout of EA and the development team at Visceral (The Godfather, The Sims 3, Dead Space) at the helm, Dante's sojourn from the devil's doorstep to his very throne is an action title that will please even the most divine of dispositions.
The Good:
• Character / Enemy Design-Each character and the minions they oppose are a unique, highly detailed and stylishly portrayed addition to the story and game play.
• Boss Fights-Most of the boss fights were a good culmination of strategy, timing, and smack down which left a fulfilling and enjoyable experience after bringing each one of the big nasties down.
• Difficulty-Dante's inferno offers 4 varying degrees of difficulty for a balanced challenge no matter where your current skill level may be.
• Level Design-Each descending layer of hell is artistically unique and conducive to the overall mood of the story while staying visually descriptive to Alighieri's original work.
• Fantastic Original Soundtrack-For lovers of music, Dante's Inferno offers an original score both action driven and haunting in melody and verse. With songs ranging in tone from the deepest of despairs to the highest of hopes, composers Garry Schyman and Paul Gorman combine their talents to deliver a standalone soundtrack worthy of recognition. My personal favorite tracks are: (All available from iTunes)
o Donasdogama Micma Decepto
o Crossing the Styx (My Favorite)
o Redemption
The Bad:
• Recycled-Occasionally games will opt to follow a certain mold or time tested but unfortunately overdone formula and the result is always something lacking creativity and originality. Though enjoyable, in the end Dante's Inferno is just another God of War rip-off.
• Slow / Weak Story-For being based on a classic work of literature Dante's Inferno shamelessly lacks story and seldom offers more than the traditional save the princess plot line.
• Repetitive-The hack and slash game play is nearly the same throughout the entire game with only level environment offering an occasional break in scenery from the overabundant monotony. With only 2 weapons in Dante's arsenal, a few unlockable moves and similar enemies throughout the game, Dante's Inferno tends to lose its appeal before completion.
• Shallow-Offering little in replay value aside from achievements, Dante's Inferno offers only around 6 hours for your first completion and even less in subsequent playthroughs.
Achievements Statistics: 2 Completions
• 42 of 42 won
• 100% Achievement Completion Rate in 10 hours time
• http://www.trueachievements.com/Dantes-Inferno-xbox-360.htm?gamerid=73106
Conclusion:
Dante's Inferno is unashamedly a God of War rip off, but like that overzealous theater kid we all loved to hate, ends up playing its part well in the end. Though most gamers won't uncover anything new here in terms of originality, fans of both the Divine Comedy or God of War and its multiple hybrids, will find at least a few hours worth of entertainment in this morbidly violent and occasionally disturbing quest into the underworld.
Saigo Says: Rent it. Unless you're taking in money like the ocean's taking in oil there's no reason to buy it. It's too short and though definitely worth an initial playthrough, there just isn't enough substance to warrant an outright buy.
Additional Notes: For those of us who actually worry about ESRB game ratings, it should be noted that Dante's Inferno literally pushes the mature rating to the brink and is not for the light of heart or morally conscious. Expect scenes of torture, nudity, and plenty of violence in a game that occasionally throws the artistic out the window and goes straight to hell with shock value tactics and outright grotesque imagery.
~Saigo Out~